Norman Whitfield

[Greg Wilson]

As I've said before, I don't think Norman Whitfield gets anything like the recognition he deserves for his role in the foundation of the Disco movement. When he died last year there weren't any major tributes I saw - for such a key figure his work is yet to be truly acknowlewdged, and many younger people wouldn't have a clue who he was (although they'd be sure to know many of the tracks he wrote and produced).



Anyhow, I was recently asked to pick a record that was 'personally important' to me, for an interview on a German website. I chose 'Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today)' by The Temptations. It's just gone online if anyone would like to check it out:

Rewind: Greg Wilson on “Ball Of Confusion” | SOUNDS LIKE ME

[remicks]

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Nice read Greg !:


Rewind: Greg Wilson on “Ball Of Confusion” | SOUNDS LIKE ME


You are so right about both Norman Whitfield's greatness and how tragic it is that his significance seems so slighted.


I bought BALL OF CONFUSION as a 45 then (with picture sleeve !)
& was mesmerized and kept playing it .....and playing it & ....

What amuses me is how Norman's pictures began appearing on The Temptations albums he produced ... more so each subsequent time ( and rightfully so!) until the last time --- if I recall correctly ....it's his image that is larger than theirs !!! :icon_eek: :icon_mrgreen: :icon_lol: That's telling it like it is !!! :icon_mrgreen:

And the beginning of the producer is the star of the music that is to be called disco story !!

Also I haven't quite pinpointed this yet ....who championed the " wah wah" guitar sound first ......

Norman Whitfield ....or Isaac Hayes ??

Certainly Whitfield embraced it the most.


Finally

this IMO is Whitfield's disco zenith .... a song that was basically ignored on the outside , therefore gladly becoming "ours" & for our ears alone -
those of us fortunate enough to be venturing into the secret land of disco :icon_cool: :icon_cool: :icon_cool:






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[Jay Negron]

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Also I haven't quite pinpointed this yet ....who championed the " wah wah" guitar sound first ......

Norman Whitfield ....or Isaac Hayes ??

Certainly Whitfield embraced it the most.
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I think it HAD to be Whitfield first.
I heard it first with The Tempts' "Cloud 9", "Psychedelic Shack", "Runaway Child", and "Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down" from 1969-1970.

Although Isaac Hayes had an earlier run with his Sam & Dave productions, I didn't hear that 'wah-wah' sound in those earlier recordings!!!

Whitfield was one of the most prolific producers of my time.
He had such an effect on my taste of music; growing up with those Tempts songs at the age of 13 on thru. They probably drove me into dance music at that age.

The amount of classics is endless:
"Cloud 9"
"Psychedelic Shack"
"Message To A Black Man"
"Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down"
"Runaway Child"
"I Can't Get Next To You"
"Ball Of Confusion"
"Papa Was A Rolling Stone"
"Masterpiece"
"Law Of The Land"
"Plastic Man"
"Smiling Faces Sometimes"
"Big John Is My Name"
"I'm A Fool For You"
"Car Wash"
"Do Your Dance"
"R.R. Express"
"You & Me=Love"

And that's just off the top of my head.
He was one of the producers that were not afraid to have a song that was more than 3 minutes; which was against the prevailing policy from the record companies at that time.

Here is a short remix I did on "Ball Of Confusion":

https://rcpt.yousendit.com/791351878/59f84a51d6844d0c5b61e989aafb378d

Norman Whitfield is THE MAN!!!!

[remicks]

I think it HAD to be Whitfield first.
I heard it first with The Tempts' "Cloud 9", "Psychedelic Shack", "Runaway Child", and "Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down" from 1969-1970.

Are you sure there's wah wah on those earlier Temptations songs Jay ??? :icon_confused:

I don't have them presently available to give them a good study.

I know wah wah is prominent on PAPA WAS A ROLLING STONE ... & that's from 1972.

Isaac Hayes' SHAFT is from 1971.




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[Jay Negron]

Are you sure there's wah wah on those earlier Temptations songs Jay ??? :icon_confused:

I don't have them presently available to give them a good study.






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Yes, on "Runaway Child" & "Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down"
& "Message From A Black Man" from the "Cloud 9" LP absolutely!!!

[remicks]

Yes, on "Runaway Child" & "Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down"
& "Message From A Black Man" from the "Cloud 9" LP absolutely!!!

thanks !

I found this at SONGFACTS

concerning CLOUD NINE :

This was the first Motown song to use a wah-wah pedal. A white guitarist named Dennis Coffey brought it to a Motown workshop and played it for Whitfield while he was arranging this song. Whitfield loved the way it worked and had Coffey join the Motown house band when they recorded this.

Cloud Nine by The Temptations Songfacts

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[drlove]

I thought his composition ("Smiling Faces Sometimes") for the Undisputed Truth in 1971 was nothing short of brilliant :icon_cool:

YouTube - The Undisputed Truth-Smiling Faces Sometimes

[Jay Negron]

thanks !

I found this at SONGFACTS

concerning CLOUD NINE :








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Wow----DENNIS COFFEY, another legend!!!!!

[Disco Funk]

Yeah, Coffey played the wah on the earlier Whitfield stuff, but once they moved to LA, it was Melvin Ragin all the way (that's him on Papa Was A Rolling Stone, which sounds similar to the break down section in Stop & Go by Bohannon).

I like Whitfield's funkier disco sound, but for me, it's the straight up funk tunes that I think made him excel. He seemed to like that For The Love Of Money vamp, as you can hear it in some of the guitar licks in a couple of these tunes.









Disco Funk