Motowniest Non Motown Song?

[robb_k]

I do! what year is this?

1965. Motown's Dave Hamilton[[piano & guitar) and George McGregor[[drums) made this . Every record I put on this thread was made with ex-Motowners using current Motown
musicians, recording in Detroit.
You'll like this, too [[Motown L.A.):

[robb_k]

Probably the most Motowny of them all:

[robb_k]

This is OUR OWN Spyder Turner, produced and arranged by OUR OWN Dennis Coffey, with Mile Theodore, recorded at Ralph's own Terra Shirma studios. And you can bet several other Motowners were involved:

[robb_k]

Attachment 15035
Couldn't do without Jack Ashford's Pied Piper Productions[[The Cavaliers - who were David Ruffin'd back-up group when he left The Temptations):

[robb_k]

How could we leave out Don Davis Productions [[Solid Hitbound):

[robb_k]

One of Harry Balk's best:

[robb_k]

Another of Harry Balk's:

[johnny_raven]

R.I.P. SHARON JONES

[jboy88]

Darell Banks- Open the Door To Your Heart!
Honey Cone-Want Ads
Aretha- Respect, I Can’t See Myself Leaving You
The O’jays- Lipstick Traces
JJ Barnes- Baby, Please Come Home
Johnnie Taylor-I Ain’t Particular

[robb_k]

The Dynamics before "Ice Cream Song":

[bradsupremes]

Dionne Bromfield - "Ouch That Hurt"

[robb_k]

The O'Jays had much more Motowny sounding cuts than "Lipstick Traces". They had ex-Motowners, Don Davis, Jack Ashford, Mike Terry record them in Detroit, using The Funk Brothers:

[robb_k]

Here's another, written by ex-Motowner, Don Juan Mancha, and soon-to-be Motowner, Edwin Starr:

[robb_k]

Here's A Deon Jackson song written and produced by 2 ex-Motowners Popcorn Wylie & Tony Hester, and arranged by ex-Motowner, Mike Terry, that was recorded at United Sound, using The Funk Brothers, and sounds more Motownish than any of his others [[which all sounded something like Motown):

[robb_k]

J.J. Barnes had many:

[robb_k]

Here's one from Head Funk Brother, Joe Hunter, with Mike Terry on Bari Sax, using The Funk Brothers. This is Detroit's first Dramatics [[from 1963), before the Ron Banks group. This has Harry [[Lee) Gates on lead:

[marv2]

J. J. Barnes - Baby Please Come Back Home

[marv2]

This one by Steve Winwood sounded so much like "Motown" that he got sued for it LOL!

[robb_k]

Another great Theodore-Coffey cut:

[midnightman]

This one by Steve Winwood sounded so much like "Motown" that he got sued for it LOL!

SHOTGUN! SHOOT BEFORE THEY RUN NOW! DO THE JERK BABY!

Oh sorry. Lol

[robb_k]

Here's one from L.A,'s Motown people - Willie Hutch:

[marv2]

SHOTGUN! SHOOT BEFORE THEY RUN NOW! DO THE JERK BABY!

Oh sorry. Lol

Well it was actually "I'm A Road Runner" by Jr. Walker & the Allstars that it was claimed that he copied portions of.

[Optimal Saint]

There are a lot of great songs here, a lot I’d never heard

Bonus points: what Motown artists do you think should have sung these songs?

I think Martha & the Vandellas would have done well with the Flirtations Nothing but a Heartache

Marvin Gaye could do any JJ Barnes song
I’d have to be listening really closely to realize that Please Come Home isn’t Marvin

[144man]

Good call, Motown Eddie & Midnight Man for suggesting Culture Club's "Church of the Poison Mind" and Soul Wally for Godley & Creme's "Wedding Bells". Those are not obvious choices, but I bought them at the time because I thought they sounded like Motown.

I would suggest Patrice Holloway's "Love and Desire" and "Ecstasy".

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Dobie Gray - "The In-Crowd"
Mary Wells - "Use Your Head"
Mary Wells - "Everlovin' Boy"

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Len Barry - "It's A Crying Shame"
[[Thanks to Len Barry -Topic for uploading to YouTube)
https://youtu.be/ej0Z6ohXv8U

[Motown Eddie]

Can't forget about Edwin Starr's first singles on Ric-Tic [[they sounded so much like Motown that B.G. bought the company and Edwin became a Motown artist).

[Motown Eddie]

There are a lot of great songs here, a lot I’d never heard

Bonus points: what Motown artists do you think should have sung these songs?

I think Martha & the Vandellas would have done well with the Flirtations Nothing but a Heartache

Marvin Gaye could do any JJ Barnes song
I’d have to be listening really closely to realize that Please Come Home isn’t Marvin

Good question OS:
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles [[or Marvin Gaye) should've sang Deon Jackson' "Love Makes The World Go Round"
The Supremes should've sang Christine Cooper's "S.O.S. [[Heart In Distress)" or "Heartaches Away My Boy" [[and they should've done The Toys' "A Lover's Concerto" first)
And just picture The Contours doing The Capitol's "Cool Jerk".

[PeaceNHarmony]

This one!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpCRfCZJNqM

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Yeah, PeaceNHarmony, and this version, too! Reminiscent of Kiki Dee's Motown recordings.
[[Thanks to Various Artists - Topic for uploading to YouTube)

https://youtu.be/Zz1EEC30WbE

[robb_k]

Madeline Bell's songs don't sound ANYTHING like Motown to me. They sound like those heavily orchestrated New York arrangements like Don Costa.

The Evie Sands version sounds a little more like Motown [[at least the beat does).

[marv2]

Madeline Bell's songs don't sound ANYTHING like Motown to me. They sound like those heavily orchestrated New York arrangements like Don Costa.

The Evie Sands version sounds a little more like Motown [[at least the beat does).

I agree. The Madeline Bell recordings do not sound like Motown recordings. She recorded songs that were also recorded by Motown artists, but the sounds are not similar at all to the overall recordings.

[robb_k]

This is the only later song I remember that actually sounds something like classic '60s Motown [[more than 1 different element):

[marv2]

This is the only later song I remember that actually sounds something like classic '60s Motown [[more than 1 different element):

I thought so too! When I first heard it, I thought it was Mary Wilson leading the Supremes at that time [[Cindy Birdsong and Scherrie Payne).

[Philles/Motown Gary]

The Devonnes - "I'm Gonna Pick Up My Toys [[And Go Home)"

[[Thanks to bricomaligno for uploading to YouTube)

https://youtu.be/l0RHyPPXCoQ

[robb_k]

So many of the Barrett Strong and Sonny SAnders collaborations for Carl Davis, in Chicago sound very "Motownish":

[BayouMotownMan]

To me, it's "My Man, A Sweet Man" by Millie Jackson. Sounds like it was recorded in the Snake Pit with the Funks and the Detroit Symphony string section.

Also her prior hit, "Ask Me What You Want" had a Motown feel with an intro similiar to You Keep Me Hangin' On

[robb_k]

All of Joe Hunter's and [[Mailman) Fred Brown's productions with Mickay's/Ring and later labels, sound very "Motownish":

This one not only features The Funk Brothers, but also Martha and The Vandellas.

[robb_k]

Just about every recording Darrell Banks made sounded like Motown:

[robb_k]

Here's another Strong/Sanders collaboration:

[robb_k]

Here's another Joe Hunter/Fred Brown production:

Orthea/Ortheia is J.J.'s Sister.

[biggestfourtops fan]

This great unreleased gem from Aretha gives me Motown vibes. SO SOON https://youtu.be/G3oRlXoZlmM

[robb_k]

I'm pretty sure this was recorded by Ollie McLaughlin in early 1962, while renting Motown's Snakepit, and using The Funk Brothers on instrumentals, and The Andantes as the background singers. It sounds EXACTLY like The Marvelettes singing a song written for them in early 1962:

[robb_k]

Here's an L.A. production from 1966 that sounds something like Brenda Holloway singing a Jobete Music reject song, being produced for lease to an L.A. independent label. Cousins Chester and Gary Pipkin, producers at Jobete Music L.A. produced this - so maybe it is her, or Patrice? It sounds something like an L.A. Jobete production:

[robb_k]

Here's another Don Davis & George McGregor production:

[johnny_raven]

The Wooden Nickels were Brenda & Patrice Holloway and Pat Hunt.

[mowsville]

Robb-k.....what wonderful tracks you have posted..absolute gems each and every one...thank you.

[robb_k]

The Wooden Nickels were Brenda & Patrice Holloway and Pat Hunt.

The backup voices sound to me like men. I don't hear any female voices in the background.

[robb_k]

Here's another Thelma cut that sounds pure Motown:

[robb_k]

Chicago's Ric Williams sent Chicago's Ruby Stackhouse [[Andrews) to Detroit to have Bridges, Knight & Eaton record her: