Soul Trivia

[NickNack]

Let's see if your brain cells are as damaged as mine

The song (a ballad) that this little trivia test centers around was written by Van McCoy. It was a top 40 hit in the mid-late 60's for the Ad-Libs. However, in 1961 it was a hit (one of three!) for this group that would join the Motown family five years later.

NAME THE SONG
NAME THE GROUP

In 1980, the song was covered again by a lady who strayed from her "rapping/tell-it-like-it-is" roots to record an album for MCA that featured five (yes, five) club-friendly cuts.

WHO'S THAT LADY :)

If you've gotten this far, you are good. Ready for more?

The Motown group reworked their first three hits for Motown's 1970 release of their "Greatest Hits" album. Our song in question contained a serious, blatant flaw right at the end that the studio didn't/couldn't correct.

TELL US WHAT THAT FLAW IS

Lastly (whew!), when the song was covered in 1980 by our R&B diva the ending arrangement was a total retread of an ending of a song covered by Isaac Hayes on his first hit lp. (Also the first album for the Enterprise label, ENS 1001.) This was probably due to the fact that the producer of Ike's lp is credited for rhythm arrangement on our lady's foray. Do you know either:

THE PRODUCER/ARRANGER
or
THE TITLE OF THE ISAAC HAYES' TRACK?

Have fun! :D

[NickNack]

I bet this is more difficult than I first thought so here are some more hints:

NAME THE SONG

Lyrics: ------ --, IS HARD TO DO WHEN YOU REALLY LOVE SOMEONE.
------ --, IS SO VERY HARD TO DO WHEN YOU STILL DEPEND UPON...

NAME THE GROUP

Think "Family Affair".

WHO'S THAT LADY :)

If she and Millie Jackson were in the same room, "Phuck You Symphony" would sound tame next to the barrage of 'expletive-deleted' dialog.

TELL US WHAT THAT FLAW IS

It's all about speech class and losing that heavy tongue. :)

THE PRODUCER/ARRANGER
or
THE TITLE OF THE ISAAC HAYES' TRACK?

Hell, I wouldn't know the producer if I didn't like the song so much but Ike's track, well, he "took it on down to soulsville".

[DISCODISK]

1 GIVING UP
GLADYS KNIGHT&THE PIPS


4 AL BELL

[NickNack]

Hey DiscoDisk,

"Giving Up" and Gladys Knight & The Pips are correct.

Al Bell -- He may be one of the producers on Ike's album (I'd have to check) but he's not the one I'm thinking of.

More hints tonight if no one gets any further. I was sure someone would know the only woman who could give Millie Jackson a run for her money. :o

[DISCODISK]

4 ARIF MARDIN

BTW NICKY WASNT GLADYS'S VERSION LATER THAN 61 MORE LIKE 64?

[NickNack]

4 ARIF MARDIN

Sorry, nope. :)

BTW NICKY WASNT GLADYS'S VERSION LATER THAN 61 MORE LIKE 64?

You know, I would tend to agree with you because I remember it as a teen but EVERYWHERE I look they keep saying 1961 on the Fury label. Even Motown is going with 1961 for the original versions.

[markydefad]

As usual, you guys are waaaaaaaay too obscure for my knowledge...BUT are you saying Gladys Knight was a trash-talker on a par with Miss Millie Jackson????

Huh????? :o

[DISCODISK]

no NICKY it was later on maxx records

no MARKY GLADYS is no trash-talker[?] but WHO IS the trash-talker my heads spinnin' :-?

[NickNack]

BTW NICKY WASNT GLADYS'S VERSION LATER THAN 61 MORE LIKE 64?

I just checked, 1964 it is. "Letter Full of Tears" and "Every Beat of My Heart" were 1961.

[NickNack]

All right. I'll just go ahead and stop the pain. Too obscure unless you're an old fart like me.

NAME THE SONG
NAME THE GROUP

This we know thanks to our man 'Double D': "Giving Up" by Gladys Knight & The Pips

WHO'S THAT LADY

This would be Denise LaSalle. Her "I'm So Hot" album for MCA had some sweet dance music but she found the time to 'take it back home' and rap about those CBB's: COCK-BLOCKING BITCHES :D on the cut, "You'll Never Get Your Hooks In My Man". Check her out.

TELL US WHAT THAT FLAW IS

On the very last phrase as the engineer is fading the song, Gladys gets a little tongue-tied. The lyric, I JUST CAN'T BREAK LOOSE becomes I JUST CAN'T BLAKE LOOSE.

THE PRODUCER/ARRANGER
or
THE TITLE OF THE ISAAC HAYES' TRACK?

First, let me give respect to Discodisk. Al Bell was indeed a producer on Isaac Hayes' first lp for Enterprise. In fact, he was the supervising producer over Allen Jones and Marvell Thomas. It's Mr. Thomas who was the rhythm man for Denise LaSalle's version of "Giving Up'.

As for the Isaac Hayes' track that Marvell borrowed the ending arrangement: "By The Time I Get to Phoenix". This was Ike's 18 minute 40 second (unheard song length for 1973) take on Glen Campbell's country/pop hit. Please tell me someone knows this. :o