Music documentaries: Not everyone got ripped off by "the man."

[tsull1]

Watched the very good documentary on lost Seattle soul posted on this site. Of course some of it was, "We should've made it big," and, "We should've gone to L.A., and then we would've made it big," and the proverbial, "No one gave us a break."

Not so fast. I just bought "Wheedle's Groove," the complilation of music from that documentary and era. It's a solid group of soul songs, but not outstanding. Perhaps one song on there should've received radio play. Much of it is pretty good funk and I'm glad I bought the album, but compared to EWF, Ohio Players, Slave, etc., other large funk groups, the Seattle groups don't even compare.

"Standing in the Shadows of Motown" was truly a great film. I enjoyed it, but at one point a guy says, "They could've put Huckleberry Hound in front to sing and it would've sounded great."

Again, not so fast my friend [[to paraphrase football annoucner Lee Corso). Berry Gordy knew what he was doing. He put people like Smokey Robinson, Levi Stubbs, Diana Ross, David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks, up front. Great singers and performers. I doubt a Huckleberry Hound sounding voice would sell [[though at times Miss Ross can sound like Minnie Mouse).

In the great book "House On Fire" about the rise and fall of Philly Soul, specifically PIR, we get the typical backing musicians lament, "We were doing the grooves, we were the ones making it happen."

Perhaps, but I don't have any copies of MFSB's solo albums, but I sure as heck have a lot of O'Jays and Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes.

Voices matter.

Yes, Funk Brothers should've been given credit on albums more, and perhaps they should've received more dollars. That may be the same for MFSB. But the assumption that anyone with even a marginal voice could've fronted these groups and sold millions? No way.

Back to the Seattle sound: It's good stuff, not great. If those groups would've gone to L.A., in my opinion, you would've gotten buried by the competition.

[soulster]

Perhaps, but I don't have any copies of MFSB's solo albums, but I sure as heck have a lot of O'Jays and Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes.

You really should get them, any of the first three or four albums should do it!

[bankhousedave]

I think you're right, Tsull. I can listen to Funk Brothers backing tracks now, but I wouldn't be listening to them if Levi, Marvin, Smokey, Diana and others hadn't sold them to me several years ago when I was a youth.

[tsull1]

You really should get them, any of the first three or four albums should do it!

Actually, I've listened to them at the record store and I like them. I miss the voices. I do love TSOP, and some of their other grooves. Unreal musicians, as were The Funk Brothers.

There's a collective thought by many of these musicians, however, that the voices didn't matter. Some of that stuff on "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" is interesting, as if the songs would've sold themselves without the lyrics, again the "Huckleberry Hound" quote. B.S. Voices matter.

Some of the instrumentals on the soundtrack are great and in turn not even close to how good the songs are with voices. Actually, the most impressive song on that soundtrack is the acapella version of "You're My Everything" by The Temptations, with Eddie and David alternating leads. It's mind blowing, no auto-tune needed, just some of the most incredible God-given singing talent ever out there.

[luke]

And if there were no HDH we wouldnt have been listening to a lot either. Fontella Bass, Chuck Jackson, Jackie Ross all had talent or a unique sound[[Jackie...Diana) that could have benefited from talent like HDH but they didnt have those hitmakers or else we might be talking about them and not Diana or Levi...It's a combination of ALL the elements.