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Easy (Marvin Gaye And Tammi Terrell Album)
''Easy'' is an album recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and released by Motown Records on September 16, 1969 under the Tamla Records label. One song on the album, "Good Lovin' Ain't Easy To Come By", was a hit single and remains popular to this day. Terrell had been ill, suffering from complications caused by a brain tumor, since the fall of 1967. Marvin Gaye later claimed that as a result, most of the female vocals on this album were performed by Valerie Simpson, who served as co-songwriter and co- producer for the LP with her boyfriend and future husband Nickolas Ashford. Simpson is quoted in Ludie Montgomery's biography of Terrell, ''My Sister Tommie'', as not having subbed Terrell for vocals. Simpson again explicitly denied having done so in the liner notes to ''The Complete Motown Singles'' series.The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 9: 1969 (Motown/Hip-O Select, 2008 On the docuseries Unsung about Terrell, Simpson admitted she sang with Gaye during sessions saying, "I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of successes, earning him the nicknames "Prince of Motown" and "Prince of Soul". Gaye's Motown songs include "Ain't That Peculiar", "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". Gaye also recorded duets with Mary Wells, Kim Weston, Tammi Terrell, and Diana Ross. During the 1970s, Gaye recorded the albums '' What's Going On'' and ''Let's Get It On'' and became one of the first artists in Motown to break away from the reins of a production company. His later recordings influenced several contemporary R&B subgenres, such as quiet storm and neo soul. "Sexual Healing", released in 1982 on the album ''Midnight Love'', won him his first two Grammy Awards. Gaye's last televised appearances we ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tamla Records
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''motor'' and ''town'', has become a nickname for Detroit, where the label was originally headquartered. Motown played an important role in the racial integration of popular music as an African American-owned label that achieved crossover (music), crossover success. In the 1960s, Motown and its subsidiary labels (including Tamla Motown, the brand used outside the US) were the most of the Motown (music style), Motown sound, a style of soul music with a mainstream pop music, pop appeal. Motown was the most successful soul music label, with a net worth of $61 million. During the 1960s, Motown achieved 79 records in the top-ten of the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 between 1960 and 1969. Following the events of the 1967 Detro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dan Penn
Dan Penn (born Wallace Daniel Pennington, November 16, 1941) is an American songwriter, singer, musician, and record producer, who co-wrote many soul hits of the 1960s, including "The Dark End of the Street" and "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" with Chips Moman and "Cry Like a Baby" with Spooner Oldham. Penn also produced many hits, including " The Letter", by The Box Tops. He has been described as a white soul and blue-eyed soul singer. Penn has released relatively few records featuring his own vocals and musicianship, preferring the relative anonymity of songwriting and producing. Early life and career Penn grew up in Vernon, Alabama, United States, and spent much of his teens and early twenties in the Quad Cities–Muscle Shoals area.''Dan Penn'' |
Spooner Oldham
Dewey Lindon "Spooner" Oldham (born June 14, 1943) is an American songwriter and session musician. An organist, he recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, at FAME Studios as part of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section on such hit R&B songs as Percy Sledge's " When a Man Loves a Woman", Wilson Pickett's " Mustang Sally", and Aretha Franklin's "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)". As a songwriter, Oldham teamed with Dan Penn to write such hits as "Cry Like a Baby" (the Box Tops), "I'm Your Puppet" (James and Bobby Purify), and "A Woman Left Lonely" and "It Tears Me Up" (Percy Sledge). Biography Oldham is a native of Center Star, Alabama, United States. He was blinded in his right eye as a child; when reaching for a frying pan, he was hit in the eye by a spoon he knocked from a shelf. Schoolmates gave him the name "Spooner" as a result. Oldham started his career in music by playing piano in bands during high school. He then attended classes at the University of North Alabama bu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
I'm Your Puppet
"I'm Your Puppet" is a song written by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham; the best known version is the one recorded by James & Bobby Purify which reached #5 on the US R&B chart and #6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1966. The single was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1967. The song was featured on their 1967 album, ''James & Bobby Purify''. The duo released a re-recorded version as a single in 1976 which reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart and #20 in New Zealand. In Canada, it reached #4. Papa Don Enterprises produced the song, and it was arranged by Penn and Don Schroeder. The single ranked #46 on the ''Billboard'' Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1966. Chart history Weekly charts Year-end charts Other charting versions *Cam-Pact released a version of the song as the B-side to their 1968 single "Drawing Room". Their version charted regionally in Australia, reaching #17 in Melbourne and #26 in Brisbane. *Dianne Leigh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
California Soul
"California Soul" is a funk-soul tune written by Ashford & Simpson, issued originally as the B-side of the Messengers' single "Window Shopping" in 1967 under the Motown group of labels. Other recordings *Nick Ashford then released his own version in June 1968 on Verve 10599. *The song was then issued as a single by American pop quintet the 5th Dimension in late 1968. *The song was also covered by Motown vocal duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. It was Gaye's and Terrell's last single together when released in early 1970. *A version appears on the 1970 studio album War & Peace by Edwin Starr (Gordy Records). ''Cash Box'' said that this version "glimmers with the special touch of a motor city arrangement and the vocal fuel ignited by this splendid team." Chart performance Both the 5th Dimension's version and the Gaye-Terrell version were modest charted hits. The 5th Dimension's performed better, reaching number twenty-five on the pop singles chart. Marvin and Tammi's cover was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson
Ashford & Simpson were an American husband-and-wife songwriting-production team and recording duo of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1941 – August 22, 2011) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946). Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carolina, and Simpson in the Bronx, New York City. Afterwards, his family relocated to Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he became a member of Christ Temple Baptist Church. While there, he sang with a group called the Hammond Singers (named after the founding minister, James Hammond). Later, Nickolas attended and graduated from Willow Run High School in Ypsilanti, Michigan, before pursuing his professional career, where he would ultimately meet his wife, Valerie. They met at Harlem's White Rock Baptist Church in 1964. After having recorded unsuccessfully as a duo, they joined an aspiring solo artist and former member of the Ikettes, Joshie Jo Armstead, at the Scepter/Wand label, where their compositions were recorded by Ronnie Milsap ("Never Had It So Go ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Complete Duets
''The Complete Duets'' is a two-disc compilation album of duet recordings by Motown Records artists Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, recorded between 1965 and 1969. The set compiles all of the tracks from the duo's three albums - ''United,'' ''You're All I Need'' and '' Easy'' - as well as several of Tammi Terrell's solo recordings and other previously unissued material. Track listing ''Superscripts identify the following: tracks marked (a) are Tammi Terrell solo tracks with Gaye's vocals overdubbed to create duet versions, tracks marked (b) were rumored to feature Valerie Simpson substituting for Tammi Terrell, tracks marked (c) are Tammi Terrell solo recordings, and tracks marked (d) are previously unreleased.'' Disc one # "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" ( Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson) # "You Got What It Takes" (Berry Gordy, Jr., Gwen Gordy, Tyran Carlo) # "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You" (Harvey Fuqua, Johnny Bristol, Vernon Bullock) # "Somethin' Stupid" ( C. C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Compact Disc
The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in October 1982 in Japan and branded as ''Compact Disc Digital Audio, Digital Audio Compact Disc''. The format was later adapted (as CD-ROM) for general-purpose data storage. Several other formats were further derived, including write-once audio and data storage (CD-R), rewritable media (CD-RW), Video CD (VCD), Super Video CD (SVCD), Photo CD, Picture CD, Compact Disc-Interactive (CD-i) and Enhanced Music CD. Standard CDs have a diameter of and are designed to hold up to 74 minutes of uncompressed stereo digital audio or about 650 mebibyte, MiB of data. Capacity is routinely extended to 80 minutes and 700 mebibyte, MiB by arranging data more closely on the same sized disc. The Mini CD has various diameters ranging from ; t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Unsung (TV Series)
''Unsung'' is an hour-long music documentary program that airs on TV One which premiered on November 27, 2008. It uncovers the stories behind well-known R&B and hip-hop music artists, bands, or groups which ranked onto the ''Billboard'' music charts with a string of hits, only to have their career derailed by a major crisis that caused them to be essentially unappreciated by later generations of contemporary R&B and soul music listeners. The series is produced by production company A. Smith & Co. Productions. Format Each episode usually begins with an artist's upbringing and family, painting a picture of the issues driving them in their music career. Themes of "escaping the hard life of the streets" and "experiencing physical abuse", as well as "signs of musical genius", can be found in many of the lives of ''Unsungs subjects. Those interviewed in this segment of the show typically are relatives and friends, although some celebrities may be interviewed depending on their rel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nickolas Ashford
Ashford & Simpson were an American husband-and-wife songwriting-production team and recording duo of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1941 – August 22, 2011) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946). Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carolina, and Simpson in the Bronx, New York City. Afterwards, his family relocated to Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he became a member of Christ Temple Baptist Church. While there, he sang with a group called the Hammond Singers (named after the founding minister, James Hammond). Later, Nickolas attended and graduated from Willow Run High School in Ypsilanti, Michigan, before pursuing his professional career, where he would ultimately meet his wife, Valerie. They met at Harlem's White Rock Baptist Church in 1964. After having recorded unsuccessfully as a duo, they joined an aspiring solo artist and former member of the Ikettes, Joshie Jo Armstead, at the Scepter/Wand label, where their compositions were recorded by Ronnie Milsap ("Never Had It So Go ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Record Producer
A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as Composer: Shaping the Sounds of Popular Music'' (Cambridge, MA & London, UK: MIT Press, 2005).Richard James Burgess, ''The History of Music Production'' (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014)pp 12–13Allan Watson, ''Cultural Production in and Beyond the Recording Studio'' (New York: Routledge, 2015)pp 25–27 The record producer, or simply the producer, is likened to film director and art director. The executive producer, on the other hand, enables the recording project through entrepreneurship, and an audio engineer operates the technology. Varying by project, the producer may or may not choose all of the artists. If employing only synthesized or sampled instrumentation, the producer may be the sole artist. Conversely, some artists ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
