What Is Your Favorite Music Besides Motown?

[kenneth]

Okay, I don't think I've seen this thread before. What music do you like as much or more than Motown? I have a feeling there will be some surprising answers.

I guess mine would have to be film soundtracks. Morricone, Zimmer, Desplat, Rachel Portman [[one of the few active females in the business). I have many "favorites" amongst the major film composers.

[Jimi LaLumia]

1970's New York glitter/glam into punk...The New York Dolls; Wayne County; Cherry Vanilla..and of course, The Psychotic Frogs..lol
www.jimilalumia.com

[honest man]

I Love all kinds of music except for jazz and blues not fussed ,but besides soul music Country and Western comes a close second love buck owens tammy wynette patsy jim reeves hank locklin,etc etc,love country very close to soul music, cheers.

[splanky]

I don't understand people who listen to any one kind of music or one company's output exclusively. I never got that but
I've known hundreds of people who do. I also think a lot of people with favorites outside of Motown will avoid this thread
simply because it's in a sub-forum so rife with fanatics over three chicks who parted ways years ago. That said I could be here all day long listing favorite musics besides Marvin Gaye and The Temptations three most productive periods...If
you want to talk about companies I could mention how much I loved Stax especially the recordings of Isaac Hayes and The Emotions. If you're talking about genres I really never go through a week without jazz, blues, funk and heavy doses
of so-called "world music" whether it's Afrobeat like Fela Kuti, Ethiopian popular music like Aster Aweke or Peruvian singer
Susana Baca. To keep me chilled in rough times I take regular supplements of both jazz and classical piano. Kenny Baron
and Chopin are my vitamins...

[mirage]

Actually, this is an excellent question. Growing up in the late sixties, Motown music was the favorite choice for our school dances [[not that I could dance). I’m an avid fan of movie and Broadway soundtracks like Chicago or All That Jazz. Mix in blues, jazz, country, contemporary music and a few opera and symphony scores and I’m hooked. I simply enjoy quality music and sometimes the stories they engage us in when viewed against the back drop of a large 3-D theatre movie screen. Happy Holidays!

[paladin]

Chicago Soul, Philly Soul, Stax, Funk, Minneapolis, Jazz, Nu Soul, Old School in fact I like music in general across all genres doesn't matter what they label it. And although it's become less convenient in format [[ space, weight and accumulation), I have been collecting vinyl for more years than I'd like to acknowledge and its become a fabric of my personality. As I've gotten older a great many jazz records and artists have become available to me and it only intensifies the "hunt" and my knowledge of the subject matter. And even though Motown was my preferred music of choice as a young man, I wouldn't trade my jazz collection for all the tea in China. I consider myself lucky because I can no longer listen to commercial radio but I have enough music to enjoy without it becoming a bother, and I listen to my station everyday.

[redlabs]

Elvis,70's rock

[BobC]

Muse, Broken Social Scene [[just the album "You Forgot it in People"), Florence and the Machine, Grandaddy, Radiohead, Labelle, Funkadelic, Smiths, Cure, Rufus Chaka Khan, Sparkle Horse Danger Mouse, Laptop, Wrens, etc.

[RossHolloway]

Jazz.
Greats like Coltrane, Monk, Roach, Davis, Morgan, Harris or a vocalist like Nancy Wilson.

[motony]

besides Motown, 60's & 70's soul, 80's rock & 90's & beyond country.

[soulster]

I like everything except classical opera, most reggae, and contemporary country. I enjoy everything else.

I also not understand the mentality of people who only listen to one or two kinds of music, or obsess over just one genre or artist. To me, people like that just aren't real music lovers.

[JimBagley]

Christmas Music of all kinds, Philly Soul, Invictus/Hot Wax, Atlantic Soul, Stax, Chess/Brunswick/Vee-Jay/Chicago Soul, early to mid '70s and '90s country [[especially love Tammy Wynette and Tanya Tucker's voices), '60s pop and soul, '70s pop and soul, '80s British [[Duran Duran, Big Country, Tears For Fears, Joe Jackson, etc), '80s Soul, Elvis Presley, Rick Nelson, John Mellencamp, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Michael Bubbles.

[jeff9nyc]

60's and 70's Stax, Atlantic, Phil Spector and Philadelphia International. Love the jazz/pop of the mid to late 70's like Eloise Laws, Angela Bofill, Phyllis Hyman, Norman Conners productions, Dionne Warwick[[e), Boy George and Culture Club, George Michael, Rod Stewart, LaBelle, early solo Patti LaBelle. Liking Adele, Duffy, and Amy Winehouse.

[robb_k]

Chicago Soul, '60s Soul, Rhythm & Blues/vocal group harmony, Jazz [[all types, especially Avant Garde, Afro-Latin), Boogie Woogie, Chicago Blues, Delta Blues, Gospel/Spiritual, Bluegrass/Hillbilly/country Folk, Rockabilly, Surf music, European Classical, Gaelic Music [[Irish, Scots, Bulgarian bagpipe, etc,), Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, Hebrew, Gypsy, Turkish, Brasilian, Peruvian flute music, Some American folk music, Some Cabaret music. some show tunes, Some Reggae and Some opera, movie & TV themes [[especially Mike Post), Sousa marches. I like just about everything except "commercial C&W", certain American Folk music, Punk, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Acid Rock, Country Rock, most novelty songs, very repetitive Reggae, and vapid, uninspired MOR. I'd rather listen to rattling chains than Heavy Metal, Punk or Bob Dylan, or Pat Boone sing an R&B cover.

I'd rather listen to Bulgarian bagpipe music than AC/DC, Iggy and The Stooges, Buck Owens, Jerry Vale, Bruce Springstein, Meatloaf, Bob Dylan, The Beatles after 1964. And yet, I like The Stanley Brothers, Pete Seeger, The Four Tunes, The Beatles before 1965. I don't like much American music that I've heard after 1970 or so. I'd rather listen to Maurice Chevalier than "The Bird is The Word" by The Rivingtons. But, I'd rather listen to the latter than "Talk Talk" by Music Machine, any song by Dylan, or anything by Joe Cocker, or by The Crew Cuts or Jefferson Airplane.

I like acoustic instruments over electric, Melody is very important to me, as well as structured music writing.

[Hotspurman]

I love jazz funk, especially Lonnie Liston Smith, Herbie Hancock, Donald Byrd, Eddie Russ and B Baker Chocolate Co, Philly soul, especially the O'Jays, funk such as BT Express, Kool & The Gang, Cameo and Parliament, and disco. My ipod is crammed with all this stuff from the late 60s to mid 80s.

[stephanie]

Psychedelic stuff like [[Donovan, Vanilla Fudge, the Lemon Pipers, Electric Prunes...etc)
Any and all British Invasion [[Animals, Hermans Hermits, Dave Clark Five..etc) but I am not into people like the Searchers, Merseybeats or The Swinging Blue Jeans.
Philadelphia International [[OJays, Trammps, Three Degrees, Bluenotes, etc)
Classic Rock [[Moody Blues, love love love Procol Harum, James Gang, not a big fan of Emerson Lake and Palmer though)
One thing I like about Stax is that its the polar opposite of Motown and the horns never cease to amaze me.

[144man]

In the 60s and early 70s girl group records, Motown and soul were so good that I didn't have time to listen to anything else.

After that date, I found that my tastes were expanding, and I was likely to like the best 1% of any genre. In the 80s I liked the New Romantic movement, and in the 90s some Britpop. There are few current acts I like much, but I am particularly fond of Snow Patrol.

[soulster]

I don't understand this fascination with girl groups.

[144man]

I don't understand this fascination with girl groups.

They dominated the charts in the early 60s, and I just happened to be the right age to appreciate them.

[selinasian]

Northern Soul, 70s Funk, New Romantic, Ska [[for a time in the late 70s), Argentine Tango - Milonga- Vals music and top of the pile.....Disco.

[jobeterob]

Jim Croce, Jefferson Starship, Beatles, British Invasion people.........Stones, Billy J Kramer, Hermans Hermits, DC5, Lesley Gore, Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, Simon & Garfunkel, some of the new stuff I'm exposed to due to fitness classes - some Justin B, some Britney, Rhianna, Katy Perry, Sean Kingston, Black Eyed Peas, Usher, also Mamas & Papas, Beach Boys, Elton John, John Denver...........

[tomato tom]

I love JAZZ-FUNK and old Soul music. I love most music EXCEPT Heavy Metal....not to keen on Eurotrash though.xxxx

[candykamaine]

Philly soul, Stax, Chicago soul and many types of old school soul music.

[soulster]

They dominated the charts in the early 60s, and I just happened to be the right age to appreciate them.

I was around in the 60s, and heard a boatload of them, and like them. It just seems like that is all most of the SDF members care about. I just can't limit myself to only one or two types of music. I even love metal.

[arrr&bee]

The sixties was the greatest decade ever for music of all forms to me,i discovered jazz by hearing wes montgomery..blues from bobby blue bland and b.b.king..the music of sinatra,dean martin,tony bennett,as well as all the great soul music around..motown wasn't the only company putting out hits..a little company called[atlantic ]was pretty good too as was[stax]and let's not forget the sounds coming out of chicago[the impressions-gene chandler-jerry butler]...great music was everywhere!!

[blueskies]

Stax, Philly, Spector's Wall of Sound, Memphis/Muscle Shoals, Chicago, Dusty Springfield, Sunshine Pop as "Peppermint Rainbow", Disco [[yea, I admit it and proud of it), classical, Bel Canto opera, French music, Red Bird artists, Dionne Warwick and her sister, Dee Dee. Too many to lists.

[blueskies]

Stax, Philly, Spector's Wall of Sound, Memphis/Muscle Shoals, Chicago, Dusty Springfield, Sunshine Pop as "Peppermint Rainbow", Disco [[yea, I admit it and proud of it), classical, Bel Canto opera, French music, Red Bird artists, Dionne Warwick and her sister, Dee Dee. Also, normally, don't care for country/folk, but after seeing "Winter Bones' was impressed with the voice of Marideth Sisco. http://maridethsisco.com/new-cd/

[kenneth]

Stax, Philly, Spector's Wall of Sound, Memphis/Muscle Shoals, Chicago, Dusty Springfield, Sunshine Pop as "Peppermint Rainbow", Disco [[yea, I admit it and proud of it), classical, Bel Canto opera, French music, Red Bird artists, Dionne Warwick and her sister, Dee Dee. Also, normally, don't care for country/folk, but after seeing "Winter Bones' was impressed with the voice of Marideth Sisco. http://maridethsisco.com/new-cd/

I love Sunshine Pop! I just bought recently the Peppermint Rainbow reissue. A lot of those groups had a lot of talent. Spanky and Our Gang was in that vein, and she was a great singer. There's a lot of those albums coming out again. There was a great 5-CD compilation set also called Sunshine Pop [[I think it was called that anyway). I don't think it was on Rhino but another good reissue label. It's a great collection.

[blueskies]

I love Sunshine Pop! I just bought recently the Peppermint Rainbow reissue. A lot of those groups had a lot of talent. Spanky and Our Gang was in that vein, and she was a great singer. There's a lot of those albums coming out again. There was a great 5-CD compilation set also called Sunshine Pop [[I think it was called that anyway). I don't think it was on Rhino but another good reissue label. It's a great collection.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT3Fcdx4iJA Probably one of my all time favorite songs. Reminds me of my college days....lots of memories!

[Bingo]

apart from Motown and Soul, I love Jamaican music and that would be ska, bluebeat, reggae, roots and also dancehall which is one of the only contemporary types of music i follow

i had a punk spell as a youngster which briefly extended into new wave so apart from pistols/ramones/clash/ bad brains i developed a taste for elvis costello [[ i still follow him, he is a great ), the smiths, sonic youth and then the pixies [[ stopped right there )

then came house and there are some great tracks out there, one person i actively follow is kenny dixon jr of detroit aka moodymann who draws upon a lot of motown and soul in his productions

but it's mainly black music for me, throw jazz, rhythm and blues, doo wop and blues into the mix

i live in poland and have a weekly radio show playing 'vintage' ie mainly 60's and 70's soul so these days i just go through my old collection and look out for reissues deciding what to play so other favourites don't get much of a look in nowadays

[Motown4Ever518]

At work this week, a gentleman said out loud to no one in particular, "I like jazz". After wiping the big smile off of my face, to see if he was talking about to "Smooth Jazz", or the real thing, we had a very enjoyable conversation and exchanged contact information. During the conversation I stated that Jazz of any stripe is purchased by .08 of the population, and thanked him for being that .08 out of 100.

[kenneth]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT3Fcdx4iJA Probably one of my all time favorite songs. Reminds me of my college days....lots of memories!

Great clip, thanks! They were kind of a cross between 5th Dimension and Mamas & Papas, sound wise. Beautiful harmonies. Some other groups I enjoy in this vein are Sunshine Company, Free Design [["Kites are Fun"), and of course The Cyrkle and The Association [[though they're more in the "baroque rock" category kind of like Left Banke). So much great music, not enough time to listen to it all.

[splanky]

@ soulster...
I meant to say this the other day and I hope you'll see this...
I consider myself a really big girl group fan but I think I need to clarify how and why. I think basically there are two
different kinds of girl group fans. One that is primarily concerned with a group's biggest hits, their look, their popularity
and high profile appearances, and another that is mostly concerned with their vocal sound, their ability to harmonise and
their versatility in handling different material. I count myself among the latter. I also tend to think of the combination of
voices in a girl more as musical instruments, say like a horn or string section. Billie Holiday, who I know was never in a girl
group, once said she was trying to imitate a horn when she sang. I like that. Each girl group whether duo,trio, quartet or
quintet has it's own sound and I like to explore the variety. Sometimes I want to hear Marvelettes, sometimes The Cookies, or Flirtations, Emotions, Toys, ad feminitum...[[ dang, I just made up a word!..) We don't think of it as such but
many people who knock the fascination with girl groups will fight to defend their love of...what?..."boy groups"...Temptations, Delfonics, Dramatics...The only thing that peeves me about some of the other kind of girl group fan is that some of them become so inserted into their own particular group of choice that they think they are the alpha
and omega of the musical universe and everyone else should bow down to them and be concerned about every aspect
of their career and personal life, lawdamercy!..Those FANs have something dangerous in their AtTICs...if you get my drift...

[blueskies]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKEv1CJWJyg
I'm a big girl group fan, too and really seek out the obscure ones or one hit wonders. I only became aware of "The Cake" a few years ago and liked their sound. Their second LP was quite a departure from the normal girl group sound of that era. Also liked the British Breakaways, The Paper Dolls, Lana Sisters [[Dusty's group) who morphed into the Chantelles.