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Sigh. The list of 2023 music world deaths continues to grow.
Original Motown artist, singer/songwriter Barrett Strong has passed away at the age of 81. As always, Variety Magazine has the comprehensive obituary. https://variety.com/.../barrett-strong-dead-motown.../
Barrett was not really a household name, but starting in the late 1950s, he became a continuous source of "Great Songs." (He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004.)
In 1959, he scored Motown's first big hit as a singer: "Money (That's What I Want)," which went to #2 on Billboard's Rhythm & Blues Chart and #22 on The Hot 100.
Then, as a songwriter, he teamed up with Norman Whitfield to write some of the most iconic songs of the '60s, '70s, and beyond.
Probably their GREATEST song was "I Heard it Through the Grapevine," which was first a hit by Gladys Knight and the Pips, and then Marvin Gaye. BOTH versions have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and Marvin's version currently sits at #119 on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time!"
Barret and Norman also wrote a HUGE number of hits for The Temptations, including "Ball of Confusion," "Just My Imagination," and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," ALL from the '70s, and ALL of which we've highlighted in the past.
One of their songs I haven't highlighted yet was "Psychedelic Shack," which was released during the last week of 1969 and reached #7 on The Hot 100 in March of 1970."
The song was unique in many ways, using sound effects and one of the earliest examples of sampling, using snippets from The group's 1969 hit "I Can't Get Next to You," (which Barrett and Norman also wrote)!
"Psychedelic Shack by the Temptations is a masterpiece of production, a "Great Song of 1970," and one of MANY iconic songs written by the late Barrett Strong, along with Norman Whitfield! Enjoy the links below:
Psychedelic Shack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-VwHqSY8vU
"Grapevine" (Marvin Gaye): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWG3npfEoHo
"Grapevine" (Gladys Knight): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFjJLMHRHFI
"Money (That's What I Want): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5KU34DrrPI
Tomorrow: Harry's Arrow.
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