Reply With QuoteAnother star has been dimmed, but the music lives on. Thank you for the music.
Underground Hit [Level 5]
**** - one of my absolute heroes.
God rest his Soul.
Gold Record [Level 7]
Another star has been dimmed, but the music lives on. Thank you for the music.
Last edited by needlefingers; September 17th, 2008 at 02:46 PM.
Underground Hit [Level 5]
I will personally remember him most for his work under the whitfield label although he did som fantastic things during his Motown years..
*** Forum Leader / Moderator ***
Very sad news. If you think of the tunes, bands and people he has worked with then he is one of the legends. Who would know Stargard, Rose Royce, Undisputed Truth, Stargard etc. without him...
RIP
Chart Hit [Level 6]
According to the Songwriter's Hall of Fame listing of his tunes, some of the disco-styled tunes he wrote (or co-wrote):
"Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" (1972) with its great long proto-disco opening,
the Grammy-winning disco tune "Car Wash" from the 1976 film of the same name, and
the great title theme to "Which Way Is Up" (1977).
My favorite songwriting effort of his is the fantastically-written R&B classic "Smiling Faces Sometimes" (1971) by Undispbuted Truth. R.I.P. Norman
Triple Platinum Record [Level 10]
Top 30 Reasons Why I Loved Norman Whitfield
1) I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE - Marvin Gaye
2) YOU + ME = LOVE - Undisputed Truth
3) JUST MY IMAGINATION (Running Away With Me) - The Temptations
4) IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME - Yvonne Fair [also by Kim Weston & Gladys Knight --but Yvonne owns it.]
5) AIN'T TOO PROUD TO BEG - The Temptations
6) PAPA WAS A ROLLIN' STONE - The Temptations
7) I CAN'T GET NEXT TO YOU - The Temptations
8. (I Know) I'M LOSING YOU - The Temptations
9) I'M GOING DOWN - Rose Royce
10) I WISH IT WOULD RAIN - The Temptations
11) TOO BUSY THINKING ABOUT MY BABY - Marvin Gaye
12) I WANNA GET NEXT TO YOU - Rose Royce
13) WAR - Edwin Starr
14) R.R. EXPRESS - Rose Royce
15) I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE - Gladys Knight & The Pips
16) HE WAS REALLY SAYIN' SOMETHING - The Velvelettes or Bananarama [actually the better version!]
17) BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP - The Temptations
18. TOO MANY FISH IN THE SEA - The Marvelettes
19) SMILING FACES SOMETIMES - Undisputed Truth
20) BALL OF CONFUSION - The Temptations
21) CLOUD NINE - The Temptations
22) OOH BOY - Rose Royce
23) NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK - The Velvelettes
24) LAW OF THE LAND - The Temptations
25) THAT'S THE WAY LOVE IS - Marvin Gaye
26) FRIENDSHIP TRAIN - Gladys Knight & The Pips
27) PSYCHEDELIC SHACK - The Temptations
28. RUNAWAY CHILD, RUNNING WILD - The Temptations
29) YOU'RE MY EVERYTHING - The Temptations
30) CAR WASH - Rose Royce
There's more.....add your faves....
[update: expanded from 25 to 30 to take care of ommissions!!!]
Last edited by markydefad; September 18th, 2008 at 12:46 PM.
"Lost inside adorable illusion...."
Chart Hit [Level 6]
Adding to Marky's most excellent list is a personal favorite and one that was played out here in So Cal
Undisputed Truth's "Higher Than High"-it's Norman
in his psycedelic,space age mood pumped up 200X-
it was a great mood enhancer on the dancefloor.
Thom
Platinum Record [Level 8]
RIP Norm:
Disco Funk
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
All of Marky's list plus:
SUPERSTAR (REMEMBER HOW YOU GOT WHERE YOU ARE) - TEMPTATIONS
BIG JOHN IS MY NAME - UNDISPUTED TRUTH
MAMA I GOT A BRAND NEW THING (DON'T SAY NO) - UNDISPUTED TRUTH
RUNAWAY CHILD, RUNNING WILD - TEMPTATIONS
R.I.P., Norman, and thanks for the MASTERPIECE.
Love Has No Time or Place
Nicky
Chart Hit [Level 6]
What an incredible legacy Norman left behind!
I loved when he worked with the Pointer Sisters on "You Gotta Believe" for the "Car Wash" soundtrack. Always wished he did more with them. Their harmonies sounded so rich on that track!
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
*****
:icon_mad: Gawddammm. This is turning out to be one helluva year for disco losses.:icon_sad::icon_sad:
Norman Whitfield .... a self-made man who built himself from humble beginnings starting off as a neighborhood kid hanging out at the Motown studios ..... to becoming one of the most creative producers in music's history ....
Thank you Norman for so much....
including :
HUM ALONG AND DANCE The Jackson Five
This is disco when you take away the horns and strings and just use guitars, percussions, and organ .....Starting at 4:00 and to full effect by 5:00 .... it becomes a hypnotic tribal experience similar to Charlie Calello's SING SING SING
________________________
lesser known Whitfield (w/ french horns) :
TEMPTATIONS TAKE A LOOK AROUND
_____________________
A true friend to disco , we should note that one of the first releases on his own new label "WHITFIELD RECORDS " was YOU + ME = LOVE . Norman Whitfield was amongst the very first of a handful to put a commercial 12" disco version single out on the market :
and what a classic ...... :icon_cool: :icon_cool: :icon_cool: :icon_cool: :icon_cool: :icon_cool:
******
Last edited by remicks; September 19th, 2008 at 09:36 AM.
Baby, take me
high upon a hillside
high up where the stallion
meets the sun
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
OMG, How could I leave this off my list. I just repurchased the 45RPM last year. It's the only version where the French horns run throughout the song. The "Alternate Mix" only has the horns in the beginning and the album version has none at all. No matter which, this song delivered the 'call to arms' without the bullshit. Strong, quiet, powerful vocals, mesmerizing melody. I was in Okinawa when I first heard this. Damn, tears are coming on again.Originally Written by remicks
Love Has No Time or Place
Nicky
Chart Hit [Level 6]
BRILLIANT - MUSICAL GENIUS - FORWARD THINKING, these words come to mind when I think of Norman Whitfield.
Thank you for the music!
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
What a sad year this has been for sure.:icon_cry:
...ya gotta beat the street......
Underground Hit [Level 5]
pretty good list, marky. Can't really add a whole lot to it though, maybe "You Gotta Believe", the Pointer Sisters. "Method to the Madness", the Undisputed Truth, "All I Need", "Gonna Give Her All the Love I Got", "Please Return Your Love to Me" and "Hey Girl (I Like Your Style)", the Temptations. And isn't that Whitfield on the back cover of the Temps' "Masterpiece"?
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