Those Special Little Effects

[Philles/Motown Gary]

And Miss Ross's kneecaps knocking at the beginning of Some Things

Thanks a lot, Paul! I love "Some Things." Now, every time I play it and hear those castanets, I'm gonna have to picture Diana's knees crackin'! Ha!

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Okay, Motowners! I've had my glass of Scotch for the night while listening to my new Kelley Hunt CD which arrived today. I'm ready to get back down to brass tacks, er, Motown tracks containing special effects.

Four Tops - "Lost In A Pool Of Red" from the album "Soul Spin". The chords are dark and eerie, like a drug trip gone horribly wrong. The bridge of the song with The Andantes sounds like the same dooms-day angels that haunted Marvin's "Mercy Mercy Me".

"Lost In A Pool Of Red"
https://youtu.be/p3jTqfAR2lg?si=dMCqH-6-bgtyK5R9

[rovereab]

Thanks a lot, Paul! I love "Some Things." Now, every time I play it and hear those castanets, I'm gonna have to picture Diana's knees crackin'! Ha!

I can picture a set of those wind up clockwork sets of gums and teeth leaping around the studio

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Four Tops - "Reflections". The unidentifiable instrument in the intro sounds like the beginning of yet another -- you guessed it -- drug trip! Levi sings his heart out with an urgency that matches the song's intensity.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

I can picture a set of those wind up clockwork sets of gums and teeth leaping around the studio

Oh, you mean those mechanical false teeth that dentists of old kept in their office for future toothless patients?!!!

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Syreeta's "Spinnin' & Spinnin'" which contains underlying carousel effects which come out full force during the song's ending.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

XIT - "Plight Of The Red Man" album [[Rare Earth label)

Special effects start with an Explosion [[Thunder? Dynamite?) Followed by Wind. And then authentic American Indian instrumentation making up one of Motown's most daring and beautiful productions.

BEGINNING - At Peace Title 1 & 2
https://youtu.be/GEKnZb11CpQ?si=JW8HwJmCgBWdaaFZ

Someday - End Title 7 & 8
https://youtu.be/xS9IFXWDQwc?si=JBNJ6x-XzUDCes5D

[[If I recall correctly, Ralph was a part of this amazing Motown recording session.)

[rovereab]

Oh, you mean those mechanical false teeth that dentists of old kept in their office for future toothless patients?!!!

These lol:

[Philles/Motown Gary]

These lol:

OMG! YES!!! LOL!!! Where did you ever find them? Still LOL!!!

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Smokey Robinson's "Just My Soul Responding" is pure American Indian through and through -- thanks to the Native American instrumentation and especially the older Indian gentleman who sings "Hi ya Hi ya Hi ya Hi ya Hi ya." One of Smokey's finest tracks.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Edwin Starr - "25 Miles". Foot-stomping effects on and off throughout.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Edwin Starr - "Time" -- clock effect in the intro.

https://youtu.be/PrfKav059Fk?si=nCStJT-43C16uRUb

[thanxal]

No one has mentioned the kazoo in the stereo mix of Love is Like an Itching in My Heart. Just noticeable enough to give the stereo version a little extra spice.

[ralpht]

Yes Gary, I was a co-producer on "Plight of the Red Man" and once again Brother Russ was responsible for various sounds.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Shorty Long's "Nite Fo' Last" [[American mix). Party-goers having fun and encouraging gramps to "Go Grandpa" during the instrumental break.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Yes Gary, I was a co-producer on "Plight of the Red Man" and once again Brother Russ was responsible for various sounds.

You guys sure created a masterpiece, Ralph. Should be required listening for all Americans -- both musically and lyrically.

[rovereab]

OMG! YES!!! LOL!!! Where did you ever find them? Still LOL!!!

Amazon sells them

[ralpht]

Gary, unfortunately, the album didn't sell all that well but I did get wonderful letters from school teachers praising the album and using it in their classes as a teaching aid. When we did Michael's heartfelt speech at the end things didn't go all that well at first. After several takes it wasn't happening. Tommy Bee, the band's manager looked at me and said "Fire water.". Yes we got the boy drunk and the lad lit it up. We fell out in the control room, knowing we had the ending. Of course Dave Van De Pitt's amazing string arrangements definitely set the mood. The auxiliary drums you hear throughout the album, along with bells are authentic brought in from New Mexico. Also it was necessary to teach Telma Hopkins and the girls a little Navajo for the background vocals.

The seeds of the album were sown when Mike Valvano and I would fly to New Mexico to meet the band. Where they lived was like a set straight out of Bonanza, horses and all. The ranch house had a huge living room with a picture window looking out at the Sandia Mountains which was the band's rehearsal room. It was there that we would go over their songs and hammer out the outline for recording an album. Not a bad place to work.

[jobucats]

No one has mentioned the kazoo in the stereo mix of Love is Like an Itching in My Heart. Just noticeable enough to give the stereo version a little extra spice.

BINGO!!! Oh, by the way, did you know that on "Reflections" there is an accordion featured quite prominently? I used to think the sound was solely violas or cellos; however, even HDH said it was an accordion, of all things!!! Maybe the accordion was mixed in with the strings.

[jobucats]

Four Tops - "Lost In A Pool Of Red" from the album "Soul Spin". The chords are dark and eerie, like a drug trip gone horribly wrong. The bridge of the song with The Andantes sounds like the same dooms-day angels that haunted Marvin's "Mercy Mercy Me".

"Lost In A Pool Of Red"
https://youtu.be/p3jTqfAR2lg?si=dMCqH-6-bgtyK5R9

This album took a while for me to 'take to'; however, now, I consider that it has some of the greatest productions of the Tops which are so different than their HDH work. It definitely showed them moving towards another direction while focusing in on the social ills of the time.

[ralpht]

Gary, Smoky did use XIT on come sessions

[Motown Eddie]

The Temptations version of "Friendship Train" [from Psychedelic Shack] gets interrupted by the sound of a railroad train at the 4:37 mark.

Smokey Robinson's "Quiet Storm" features the sound of a gentle breeze [along with synthesizer] at the beginning and end of the song.

[Motown Eddie]

More Motown Classics with party sounds-

The Miracles-"I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying", "I Like It Like That"
Marvin Gaye-"What's Going On" [also features a 'false ending' on the original single version of the song].
The Jackson 5-"ABC"

[gman]

I believe Jean Terrell's voice is electronically treated on a few lines in Love It Came To Me This Time from the Touch LP...

[tjl]

The bells on The Supremes "Everything Is Good About You" are sublime

[Philles/Motown Gary]

This album took a while for me to 'take to'; however, now, I consider that it has some of the greatest productions of the Tops which are so different than their HDH work. It definitely showed them moving towards another direction while focusing in on the social ills of the time.

I agree, Job. I, too, love that album. It's a shame that it pretty much crashed & burned without notice. If memory serves, I don't recall there even being a single released from it, was there?

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Gary, unfortunately, the album didn't sell all that well but I did get wonderful letters from school teachers praising the album and using it in their classes as a teaching aid. When we did Michael's heartfelt speech at the end things didn't go all that well at first. After several takes it wasn't happening. Tommy Bee, the band's manager looked at me and said "Fire water.". Yes we got the boy drunk and the lad lit it up. We fell out in the control room, knowing we had the ending. Of course Dave Van De Pitt's amazing string arrangements definitely set the mood. The auxiliary drums you hear throughout the album, along with bells are authentic brought in from New Mexico. Also it was necessary to teach Telma Hopkins and the girls a little Navajo for the background vocals.

The seeds of the album were sown when Mike Valvano and I would fly to New Mexico to meet the band. Where they lived was like a set straight out of Bonanza, horses and all. The ranch house had a huge living room with a picture window looking out at the Sandia Mountains which was the band's rehearsal room. It was there that we would go over their songs and hammer out the outline for recording an album. Not a bad place to work.

Ralph, I love your behind-the-scenes Motown stories. Always have and always will. Hearing that you had to get Michael liquored up before he could do his speech is a hoot! [[Funny how that's the magical potion for a lot of things!)

An array of surprisingly good music was recorded on Motown's Rare Earth label. You didn't necessarily have to be a rock fan to enjoy that music. It's a shame that Berry let those album releases die on the vine. Sure, he was neck-deep in Diana's "Lady" movie, but he could have had Harry promote the Rare Earth releases in the meantime. I fell in love with XIT's "Plight" album from the very first hearing of the first track. I never knew the first thing about Native American music, but it -- combined with the Motown magic of David's strings playing that heartbreaking melody -- captured me and made me love it from start to finish.

I was wondering about the back-up girls. Since it was recorded in 1972, I thought there was a possibility that they might still be The Andantes [[just before Motown's big move out West). But, if Telma Hopkins was a part of it, then it was probably post-Motown's move which would be The Blackberries, correct?

I need to get out both of my XIT Motown CDs again for another listen. They really are beautifully done.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Gary, Smoky did use XIT on come sessions

Ah! That explains Smokey's Native Indian masterpiece, "Just My Soul Responding", and also "A Tattoo". I wonder if Smokey has an album's worth of Native American recordings in the Motown vaults? If he does, I would sure love to hear them.

[gman]

Jean Terrell's voice is electronically treated during some lines of LOVE IT CAME TO ME THIS TIME from the TOUCH album...[[my fav. Supremes LP)

I think those are Castanets in the beginning of STYNGUT.

and lets not forget Mickey Mouse singing How Do You Do It on the Supremes A BIT OF LIVERPOOL [[only kidding but hey...it's pretty awful...)

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Gman, you can say that again! I actually hate that track with a passion. Diana's voice trying to be "cutesy" only makes it worse. To think that Motown was capable of letting this piece of crap slip through, but relegated "Are You Sure Love Is The Name Of This Game" to the vaults, is mind numbing. Somebody in Motown's Quality Control surely had their head and their ears up their butt.

[jsmith]

Lots of posts to get through on this thread ... BUT I don't think any have asked [[or really answered) the bigger question ....
groups like the Beatles [[& their producer) were pushing technology to get 'new sounds' from the mid 60's ... other pop & rock acts were doing likewise. Vanilla Fudge comes to mind instantly.
Soul producers seemed to lag behind a bit when it came to pushing musical boundaries in the 60's / early 70's. Sly Stone got in on the act, George & Funkadelic likewise and of course Stevie W was experimenting with new instruments from the end of the 60's.
Norman Whitfield ploughed a new furrow but then seemed to get stuck in it.
'What's Going On' had a different sound to help capture the theme of the album & it's songs, but that didn't seem to be taken any further.
Apart from what I mention above, was anyone at Motown experimenting with sound effects / new instruments / new production techniques to come up with innovative recordings ... OR ... was the old way of doing things through the 60's so successful, that the tried & tested sound / methods were retained even when they had started to fall out of fashion.
Of course, the 60's Motown sound did fall out of favour & from that point, a new sound identity was sought by Motown in the 70's, not altogether successfully though [[in the main).
I would guess Ralph is the guy to answer my query in depth.

[ralpht]

Gary, the back up singers on Plight was Telma Hopkins, and Joyce Vincent{ before Dawn} and Joyce's sister Pam.

[ralpht]

JSmith, Not sure what you want me to address. probably the biggest "stretch" I made at that time was when Russ, Tom Baird and I were producing the ill fated My Friends project. The big song on the album was a song called "Revolution" penned by band member Ken Rich. Probably one of the most haunting songs of dissent of the hippie era. I came up with the idea of intoning the Preamble to the Constitution at a point mid-song. Tom took it a step further and we did the Preramble in a Gregorian Chant. It was incredible, probably as ground breaking as anything in the 70s to date. Unfortunately dissension with the band and producers resulted in the band leaving Motown and the incompleted song never released.

[Sotosound]

The dooms-day angels' voices on the ending of Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me [[The Ecology)".

Mellotron?

[Motown Eddie]

Lots of posts to get through on this thread ... BUT I don't think any have asked [[or really answered) the bigger question ....
groups like the Beatles [[& their producer) were pushing technology to get 'new sounds' from the mid 60's ... other pop & rock acts were doing likewise. Vanilla Fudge comes to mind instantly.
Soul producers seemed to lag behind a bit when it came to pushing musical boundaries in the 60's / early 70's. Sly Stone got in on the act, George & Funkadelic likewise and of course Stevie W was experimenting with new instruments from the end of the 60's.
Norman Whitfield ploughed a new furrow but then seemed to get stuck in it.
'What's Going On' had a different sound to help capture the theme of the album & it's songs, but that didn't seem to be taken any further.

I believe this is because Soul Music took a while to embrace psychedelic sounds and special effects. Before the rise of Sly Stone & George Clinton, Soul Music [and songs looking to get played on Soul Music Radio stations] tended to keep things basic & honest. Motown would slowly break the ice in the late '60s with songs by The Temptations, The Supremes [and others] incorporating some psychedelic effects.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Mellotron?

Sotosound, I had to Google what a mellotron is. Then I went onto YouTube and found the perfect answer! Your suggestion is right on the mark!

https://youtube.com/shorts/PDvIBImf1...sTf_Cn-0NVM2Np

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Gary, the back up singers on Plight was Telma Hopkins, and Joyce Vincent{ before Dawn} and Joyce's sister Pam.

I love their voices, Ralph. They should have stuck around Motown as a group.

[Sotosound]

Sotosound, I had to Google what a mellotron is. Then I went onto YouTube and found the perfect answer! Your suggestion is right on the mark!

https://youtube.com/shorts/PDvIBImf1...sTf_Cn-0NVM2Np

The use of Mellotron at the end of MMM[[TE) is hauntingly doom-laden.

[Stax_of_Motown]

The muted, echoey, bits of track between tracks on The Four Tops "Nature Planned It" album. Always wondered why they did this. Don't think it adds anything worthwhile.

[Boogiedown]

Lots of posts to get through on this thread ... BUT I don't think any have asked [[or really answered) the bigger question ....
groups like the Beatles [[& their producer) were pushing technology to get 'new sounds' from the mid 60's ... other pop & rock acts were doing likewise. Vanilla Fudge comes to mind instantly.
Soul producers seemed to lag behind a bit when it came to pushing musical boundaries in the 60's / early 70's. Sly Stone got in on the act, George & Funkadelic likewise and of course Stevie W was experimenting with new instruments from the end of the 60's.
Norman Whitfield ploughed a new furrow but then seemed to get stuck in it.
'What's Going On' had a different sound to help capture the theme of the album & it's songs, but that didn't seem to be taken any further.
Apart from what I mention above, was anyone at Motown experimenting with sound effects / new instruments / new production techniques to come up with innovative recordings ... OR ... was the old way of doing things through the 60's so successful, that the tried & tested sound / methods were retained even when they had started to fall out of fashion.
Of course, the 60's Motown sound did fall out of favour & from that point, a new sound identity was sought by Motown in the 70's, not altogether successfully though [[in the main).
I would guess Ralph is the guy to answer my query in depth.

When Brian Wilson stayed behind while The Beach Boys toured and instead spent hours fiddling with musical technology, the result was the revolutionary PET SOUNDS and John Lennon was in such awe of it that he committed himself to studio experimentation as well. Paul was more the rocker/performer of the two wanting to take the band on the road and do live shows, Lennon would rather dedicate his time creating inside a studio.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

The use of Mellotron at the end of MMM[[TE) is hauntingly doom-laden.

It sure is, Soto. It's surprising how an early-day computer can bring such impressive drama to a recording. Those [[Andantes) angels on Marvin's "MMM" are downright scary!

[Spreadinglove21]

How about "Come Into My Life" by The Supremes where Susaye Greene sings this high note and then the synthesizer takes over the note.

[gman]

the swirling sound and the camel trot percussion on the DRATS Shadows of Society from Cream of the Crop.

[jobucats]

I am enjoying and learning so much from reading these examples. When I initially started this thread, I was focusing more on the productions up until around 1968 because I know that beyond that point, there were many innovative ideas added to the Motown recordings. This may have been mentioned before, however, I thought the 'horse galloping' sound effect on the Temptations' "I Could Never Love Another" and the Four Tops' "Reach Out" were rather 'cool.'...or groovy. LOL

[gman]

Gman, you can say that again! I actually hate that track with a passion. Diana's voice trying to be "cutesy" only makes it worse. To think that Motown was capable of letting this piece of crap slip through, but relegated "Are You Sure Love Is The Name Of This Game" to the vaults, is mind numbing. Somebody in Motown's Quality Control surely had their head and their ears up their butt.

the A BIT OF LIVERPOOL LP was never in stock in my local stores when I became a fan in '68...neither was Sam Cooke or CW&P [[which I fortunately found in a cut out bin around '69...mono close out!) I managed to get ABOL on 8 track in '75 in the big cardboard box cover...I paid $20 for a very used mono copy in a pricey NYC collectors store in 1978...a lot of people consider the LP to be one of the least popular...at the time of its release in time for the 1964 big holiday buying season, it was the 2nd biggest seller for the label...behind WDOLG?
there is some excellent harmony work on the LP [[and CW&P and Sam Cooke!) ... I only knew A HARD DAYS NIGHT from the Anthology...loved it! I like most of Liverpool...don't like How Do You Do It or I Want To Hold Your Hand...and I hate the song Can't Buy Me Love period...World Without Love, You Can't Do That, House of The Rising Sun, Because are my favs...I like Do You Love Me? but wish they had done a more Miracles styled version of You've Really Got A Hold On Me...and it took me years to notice For Sentimental Reasons is part of the Copa Medley but not on the Sam Cooke LP...