GLADYS KNIGHT! The Empress of Soul!

[marv2]

The holidays have given me time to sit back and enjoy some of the truly great classic music I love. One lady that has created more classics than just about anyone to record for Motown Records.......Ms. Gladys Knight! "the Empress of Soul".

[marv2]

Gladys and the Pips recordings deserve the "deluxe" treatment as much as any of the great artists that once recorded at Motown in my opinon......but oh well.......

[marv2]

Keep "Baby Love" and give me some "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" any day!

[marv2]

Maybe Hip O Select could do something with THIS!!!

[skooldem1]

[marv2]

One of the all time great classics to ever come out of Motown in my opinion. Gladys Knight & the Pips "Didn't You Know You Had to Cry Sometime":

Listen and remember why they were the absolute best!

[marv2]

I actually saw this particular performance on television the night it aired all those years ago........AMAZING!

[Roger Polhill]

Many thanks for those wonderful videos, it`s a shame more aren`t available from earlier years. "Everybody Needs Love" is one of my all time favourite albums.Sheer class.

[motony]

Their Motown recordings were their best, imho loved all their work.I think Motown signed them because they didn't want any competetion from them.Loved their "Nitty Gritty", they did a great job with Norman Whitfield...he REALLY found their groove.

[nabob]

Their Motown recordings were their best, imho loved all their work.I think Motown signed them because they didn't want any competetion from them.Loved their "Nitty Gritty", they did a great job with Norman Whitfield...he REALLY found their groove.

In 1968, the Pips opened for the Temps at Madison Square Garden. Needless to say, the Tempts had a tough time following the Pips. They stole the show.

This clip was recorded in 1969 [while signed to Motown] at an outdoor concert in Harlem. The material pre-dates Motown to 1964 with the original recording of Van McCoy's Givin' Up. The delivery is first-rate and the choreography is over the top.

[marv2]

"Givin' Up" became what I call an "Urban Classic". It was rerecorded [[Lonette McKee) and included in the film "Sparkle".

[motony]

One of my faves is "Stop, & Get Ahold of Myself"on Maxx, yea I loved the original "Giving Up" . Isn;t that when Motown went and got Cholly, in about 64 when the Temptations got showed up on stage by G. & the Pips then Motown hired Cholly away.

[marv2]

"Gladys, Gladys, Gladys!!!


Another true classic "Help Me Make It Through the Night":

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2i...it-throu_music

[paladin]

One of my favorite Motown groups of all time. I've seen them do Givin Up live and Marv you are on point, I saw them open for The Temptations at The Mill Run Theater in Niles Ill. a suburb of Chicago in the mid seventies and they gave the Tempts a run for their money. The audience was exhausted by the time The Tempts hit the stage but they worked it. One of the best shows I ever saw. The theater was in the round and the stage rotated, I took my wife and Mom to see the show and they have never forgotten it.

[motony]

nabob, thanks for posting that "Giving Up" LIVE, thy tore it up!Nobody woulda wanted to go on after them.In 1968 I saw Diana Ross & the Supremes LIVE in Orlando & Gladys Knight & the Pips were the UNANOUNCED opening act. Well I jus had a fit cause I thought how can Diana, Mary & Cindy follow that....well it was at leAST A 30 MIN. INTERMISSION.

[marv2]

One of my favorite Motown groups of all time. I've seen them do Givin Up live and Marv you are on point, I saw them open for The Temptations at The Mill Run Theater in Niles Ill. a suburb of Chicago in the mid seventies and they gave the Tempts a run for their money. The audience was exhausted by the time The Tempts hit the stage but they worked it. One of the best shows I ever saw. The theater was in the round and the stage rotated, I took my wife and Mom to see the show and they have never forgotten it.

I've seen Gladys and the Pips from the "Turn of the Century" in Denver, Co. the Masonic Temple in Detroit, Chene Park, in Cleveland and in Philly over the years. There were not many that come to mind that could even come close to putting on as a show as Gladys and them! They were truly professionals and extremely talented.

[marv2]

Gladys & the Pips ruled in the 80's just as they had in the 60's! It had just become something expected that whenever they released something it was going to be SPECIAL! Here they are in '83 with one of my favorites "Save The Overtime For Me":

[Glenpwood]

Gladys Knight is such a dynamic woman of grace and integrity. How many celebrities do you know would take the time to actually call a fan on their deathbed and express comfort to them? Gladys did that for a friend of mine who suddenly succumbed to cancer last year that she only knew casually via her visits to where we both live. It forever sealed my love and respect for her.

[Motown4Ever518]

"Didn't You Know You Had To Cry Sometime", blew me away upon release, I was just a lad of 13, but I "felt" what she was saying. As an older lover of music, this is A+S at their best, and I still feel it, since I indeed have had to cry sometimes. Happily Gladys is still doing it! I saw her 2 years ago and she was fantastic!

[marv2]

I wonder if any of her work will receive the "expanded" treatment by Universal?

[smark21]

One of my favorite Gladys Knight and the Pips 80's songs is "It's Gonna Take All Our Love". To me, this is Quiet Storm at its finest.

[marv2]

One of my favorite Gladys Knight and the Pips 80's songs is "It's Gonna Take All Our Love". To me, this is Quiet Storm at its finest.

Class all the way. Gladys was one of the few that was able to adapt to the changing musicial styles and tastes throughout the decades.........we grew up with her!

[arrr&bee]

The empress of soul...very nice indeed!

[tamla617]

aswell as the motown classics....what about the only james bond theme worth listening to,a licence to kill!

[marv2]

aswell as the motown classics....what about the only james bond theme worth listening to,a licence to kill!

You are so very right. Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger" and Gladys'.............

[Sugarchilehoneybaby]

As much I wished that Diana could find success in the 90s - and was disappointed when it didn't happen - I always also felt the same way about Gladys. I felt "Good Woman" was THE album! She should have won the Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in '91. I was appalled that Aretha Franklin got it [[albeit shared with Lisa Fisher, who truly was worthy) for her lazy slop "What You See Is What You Sweat". A shame! The success of "Love Overboard" and the All Our Love LP had me convinced that Good Woman would be another stellar success.

The title track sounded like a Babyface song, just gorgeous. And "This Is Love" was a stunner; so was "Where Would I Be". Those three ballads, together with "Men" and "Superwoman", should have guaranteed a smash.

Actually, come to think of it, I'm still - 20 years later! - ticked off that Good Woman and The Force Behind The Power never really had a chance.

And I got teary-eyed watching the "Licence To Kill" video. I remember being really young at the time - but was an old soul - and seeing a clip of it on Entertainment Tonight and getting really excited that one of my legendary Motowners had recorded an exciting theme to a blockbuster movie, and looked forward to hearing it on the radio. Alas, that never happened either [[although I'm aware that she hit #6 in the UK!)

I just feel that with the blood, sweat, and tears that black entertainers like Gladys Knight went through to get the respect and prestige they deserved, that most never really got to reap the benefits of that. She was a legend by the 80s; surely she deserved to have hit record without having to get on Top 40 radio through the "black door".

And Gladys, Diana, the Tempts, etc....did all they did so that we could, today, have..... Rihanna? Please. The current music industry is a sad joke.

[Glenpwood]

Not to correct you Sugar but Aretha didn't win the Grammy with Lisa that year, [[although I would agree that WYSIWYS is the true lowpoint of her Arista years) it was our favorite Airport Baggage Handler Patti LaBelle finally winning her first for the album Burnin'.

Good Woman did decently for not having a crossover pop smash on it. [[Scanned over 300,000 last time I saw a Soundscan figure on it) A couple of the New Jack Swing influenced songs sound dated now but the rest is superb. The real lost opportunity for me was Just For You. Not a bad track on it but at least that did go gold.

[marv2]

As much I wished that Diana could find success in the 90s - and was disappointed when it didn't happen - I always also felt the same way about Gladys. I felt "Good Woman" was THE album! She should have won the Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in '91. I was appalled that Aretha Franklin got it [[albeit shared with Lisa Fisher, who truly was worthy) for her lazy slop "What You See Is What You Sweat". A shame! The success of "Love Overboard" and the All Our Love LP had me convinced that Good Woman would be another stellar success.

The title track sounded like a Babyface song, just gorgeous. And "This Is Love" was a stunner; so was "Where Would I Be". Those three ballads, together with "Men" and "Superwoman", should have guaranteed a smash.

Actually, come to think of it, I'm still - 20 years later! - ticked off that Good Woman and The Force Behind The Power never really had a chance.

And I got teary-eyed watching the "Licence To Kill" video. I remember being really young at the time - but was an old soul - and seeing a clip of it on Entertainment Tonight and getting really excited that one of my legendary Motowners had recorded an exciting theme to a blockbuster movie, and looked forward to hearing it on the radio. Alas, that never happened either [[although I'm aware that she hit #6 in the UK!)

I just feel that with the blood, sweat, and tears that black entertainers like Gladys Knight went through to get the respect and prestige they deserved, that most never really got to reap the benefits of that. She was a legend by the 80s; surely she deserved to have hit record without having to get on Top 40 radio through the "black door".

And Gladys, Diana, the Tempts, etc....did all they did so that we could, today, have..... Rihanna? Please. The current music industry is a sad joke.

I don't know where you were living, but "A License to Kill" received a lot of radio airplay in Detroit and in New York at the time. I didn't see the movie, but loved Gladys theme from hearing it often on the radio. She and Aretha are two of my all time favorites.

[paladin]

Save the Overtime for me, loving it.....Wow ! This was my jam when I felt like dancing:




This was my cut when I got introspective........a song thats really close to my heart !

[marv2]

Save the Overtime for me, loving it.....Wow ! This was my jam when I felt like dancing:




This was my cut when I got introspective........a song thats really close to my heart !

Paladin, man......."Save the Overtime For Me" almost made me break out in a "Break Dance
!" LOL! Gladys and the Pips were knocking it clean out of the park!

[marv2]

Hey here is another classic from the "Claudine" soundtrack, from 1974......"The Makings of You"!

[paladin]

1. The movie Claudine was no joke. It had its humor but those scenes, like the one in the Welfare office reverberate in my mind to this day.

2. Gladys and The Pips were the perfect choice for the sound track.

3. I love most of what Gladys has ever made, she is in the top three female vocalist of all time for me.

4. But I think she did her best work with the Pips. Call me old fashioned if you must but I had similar feelings about MJ and his brothers, sure I liked Mike alone, but when he was with his brothers....whoa !

5. Of course the Pips could dance their azz'z off and when they had a funky bass line to jam too, they were simply unstoppable. I can remember a show where Gladys "just stopped singing" and watched them work......they didn't miss a step or background vocal and when Gladys chimed back in, the crowd went wild.

Thanks for this thread Marv, real deal.

[smark21]

Speaking of the Pips, were there ever instances in which they didn't sing behind Gladys and a studio male background vocal group was used in their place?

[Sugarchilehoneybaby]

Not to correct you Sugar but Aretha didn't win the Grammy with Lisa that year, [[although I would agree that WYSIWYS is the true lowpoint of her Arista years) it was our favorite Airport Baggage Handler Patti LaBelle finally winning her first for the album Burnin'.

Good Woman did decently for not having a crossover pop smash on it. [[Scanned over 300,000 last time I saw a Soundscan figure on it) A couple of the New Jack Swing influenced songs sound dated now but the rest is superb. The real lost opportunity for me was Just For You. Not a bad track on it but at least that did go gold.

LOL! Oooops, you're so right! How could I have gotten that mixed up! Probably because Aunt Re has more Grammies than she knows what to do with.

I stand corrected, and yes Patti definitely deserved to co-win for "Burnin". That was another fantastic album. I guess I must feel that Aretha didn't even deserve to be nominated that year.

[Sugarchilehoneybaby]

I don't know where you were living, but "A License to Kill" received a lot of radio airplay in Detroit and in New York at the time. I didn't see the movie, but loved Gladys theme from hearing it often on the radio. She and Aretha are two of my all time favorites.

The Midwest [[eeek!)
But the song only got #69 R&B nationally...pretty sad. It should have at least performed well on urban radio.

[motony]

I'm sure they will find some tapes mislabeled ect. that will say "Originals" on Neither One of Us or Daddy Could Swear, as that is when the group was leaving Motown

[marv2]

1. The movie Claudine was no joke. It had its humor but those scenes, like the one in the Welfare office reverberate in my mind to this day.

2. Gladys and The Pips were the perfect choice for the sound track.

3. I love most of what Gladys has ever made, she is in the top three female vocalist of all time for me.

4. But I think she did her best work with the Pips. Call me old fashioned if you must but I had similar feelings about MJ and his brothers, sure I liked Mike alone, but when he was with his brothers....whoa !

5. Of course the Pips could dance their azz'z off and when they had a funky bass line to jam too, they were simply unstoppable. I can remember a show where Gladys "just stopped singing" and watched them work......they didn't miss a step or background vocal and when Gladys chimed back in, the crowd went wild.

Thanks for this thread Marv, real deal.

I agree. The film "Claudine" is what I refer to as an Urban Classic. The storyline, the acting and of course the film's soundtrack was absolutely perfect for the times. We were in the middle of the 1973-74 Recession, gas shortages, etc. We went to see it when it opened and again a few weeks afterwards.

Gladys Knight and the Pips turn Curtis Mayfields compositions into a series of mini-masterpieces with the my overwhelming favorite being "On and On"! That song in itself is what I think of most when I reflect back to the summer of 1974! I heard it everywhere. On the radio, at parties, at home......

Gladys Knight has always been in a class by herself in my opinion. She is the one that has the ability to sing the grittiest of Soul and R&B all the way to the sweetest of Pop ballads! [[You're the Best Thing, That's Ever Happened to Me" among many others....).

I also agree that Gladys produced some of her greatest work with the Pips. The first impressions are usually the best and I like most everyone else first experienced the beautiful sound of Ms. Gladys Knight singing with Bubba Knight, Edward Patten and William Guest as "Gladys Knight and the Pips"! Without them, there would have been a HUGE gap in American Pop and Soul music that could have never been filled by anyone else!

As far as the Pips choreography [[and harmonies for that matter). It's been argued for years that they were the absolute best in the business! They were Cholly Atkins star pupils! They were synchopation [[sp?) personified!!!

[marv2]

Their Motown recordings were their best, imho loved all their work.I think Motown signed them because they didn't want any competetion from them.Loved their "Nitty Gritty", they did a great job with Norman Whitfield...he REALLY found their groove.

I believed they signed them because they were EXCELLENT! I have heard of the practice Motown some time had of signing established artists and then failing to issue quality product on them simply to prevent them from competing with other Motown acts.

[Roberta75]

One of my favorite Motown groups of all time. I've seen them do Givin Up live and Marv you are on point, I saw them open for The Temptations at The Mill Run Theater in Niles Ill. a suburb of Chicago in the mid seventies and they gave the Tempts a run for their money. The audience was exhausted by the time The Tempts hit the stage but they worked it. One of the best shows I ever saw. The theater was in the round and the stage rotated, I took my wife and Mom to see the show and they have never forgotten it.

Did her show at the Tropicana in Las Vegas close? I was looking for tickets for February 2012 but can't find anything on Gladys Knight in Vegas.Roberta

[reese]

Did her show at the Tropicana in Las Vegas close? I was looking for tickets for February 2012 but can't find anything on Gladys Knight in Vegas.Roberta

Unfortunately yes, it has closed.

[thaperson]

That's a sweet story, Glenpwood. I've heard other stories about Gladys paying bandmembers or a family member's bills if they got sick.

I think what hurt License was that Patti's song was also released as a single. Neither hit big on the Top forty, and both should have. Celine redid Patti's song and took it to the top of the charts a few years later.

I've always wanted to go to Gladys and Ron's chicken and waffles.

[marv2]

Gladys Knight has won seven Grammy Awards over the years.

[marv2]

Here is a great link to Gladys' and Ron Winans Restaurant : "Gladys & Ron's Chicken and Waffles"

http://gladysandron.net/

[luke]

Ive tried to listen to the lyrics to License to Kill-what exactly is it saying? Odd song. Love Gladys.

[marv2]

Ive tried to listen to the lyrics to License to Kill-what exactly is it saying? Odd song. Love Gladys.

To me, most of those James Bond themes were strange
! hehehehehehehe.........

[marv2]

Gladys Knight is such a dynamic woman of grace and integrity. How many celebrities do you know would take the time to actually call a fan on their deathbed and express comfort to them? Gladys did that for a friend of mine who suddenly succumbed to cancer last year that she only knew casually via her visits to where we both live. It forever sealed my love and respect for her.

Gladys Knight is just one great lady!!!

[marv2]

A Grammy winner and a true classic......."Midnight Train to Georgia"!

[MIKEW-UK]

ON AND ON from Claudine - excellent choreography and superb video - full version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORrlUJTLxlw

[marv2]

ON AND ON from Claudine - excellent choreography and superb video - full version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORrlUJTLxlw

Thanks Mike! That song holds a lot of really great memories for me personally. This performance is superb!

[MIKEW-UK]

Hi Marv, just found out how to post the video rather than url! I agree with your comments on Claudine - not enough people know about the soundtrack and just how good it is.