Norman Jesse Whitfield (May 12, 1940 – September 16, 2008) was an American

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

and producer, who worked with Berry Gordy's

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by 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 ''moto ...

labels during the 1960s. allmusic Biography/ref> He has been credited as one of the creators of the Motown Sound and of the late-1960s subgenre of psychedelic soul. During his 25-year career, Whitfield co-wrote and produced many enduring hits for Motown artists, including "

Ain't Too Proud to Beg "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" is a 1966 song and hit single by The Temptations for Motown Records' Gordy label, produced by Norman Whitfield and written by Whitfield and Edward Holland Jr. The song peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Pop Chart, a ...

",Ain't Too Proud to Beg - The Temptations , AllMusic
- Song Review by Ed Hogan " (I Know) I'm Losing You", " I Heard It Through the Grapevine", " Cloud Nine", " I Can't Get Next to You", " War", " Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)", " Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)", " Smiling Faces Sometimes", and " Papa Was a Rollin' Stone". Whitfield worked extensively with

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

as a producer and songwriter, producing eight of their albums between 1969 and 1973. He then started his own label, Whitfield Records, in 1975, which yielded the Rose Royce hit " Car Wash". Alongside his Motown lyrical collaborator Barrett Strong, he was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2004. He wrote or co-wrote 61 hits on the UK charts and 92 on the US charts.

Early life and education

Whitfield was born and raised in Harlem, New York, and spent much of his teen years in local pool halls. In his late teens, he and his family moved to

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

, so that his father could join his sister and work in her husband's chain of drug stores, Barthwell Drugs. He attended Northwestern High School.

Career

At 19, Whitfield began frequenting Motown's Hitsville USA offices for a chance to work for the growing label. Founder

Berry Gordy Jr. Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), known professionally as Berry Gordy Jr., is a retired American record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record la ...

recognized Whitfield's persistence and hired him for the quality control department, which determined which songs would or would not be released. Whitfield joined Motown's in-house songwriting staff, co-writing the

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 ar ...

hit " Pride & Joy",

The Marvelettes The Marvelettes were an American girl group that achieved popularity in the early to mid-1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Gladys Horton, Katherine Anderson, Georgeanna Tillman, Juanita Cowart (now Cowart Motley), and Georgia Dobbins, who wa ...

's " Too Many Fish in the Sea" and The Velvelettes's " Needle in a Haystack". He took over

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...

's role as the main producer for

in 1966, after his "

" performed better than Robinson's " Get Ready" on the pop charts.

The Temptations

From 1966 to 1974, Whitfield produced virtually all of the Temptations' music, experimenting with

sound effects A sound effect (or audio effect) is an artificially created or enhanced sound, or sound process used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media. Traditi ...

and other production techniques. He found a songwriting collaborator in lyricist Barrett Strong, the performer on Motown's first hit record, "

Money (That's What I Want) "Money (That's What I Want)" is a rhythm and blues song written by Tamla founder Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford, which was the first hit record for Gordy's Motown enterprise. Barrett Strong recorded it in 1959 as a single for the Tamla label, ...

", and wrote material for the Temptations and other Motown artists such as

and Gladys Knight & the Pips, both of whom recorded Whitfield-produced hit versions of the Whitfield/Strong composition " I Heard It Through the Grapevine". The Gladys Knight & the Pips' version was the best-selling Motown single so far, but it was surpassed a year later by Gaye's version. In 1969, Whitfield won three BMI Awards for the songs "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "I Wish It Would Rain," and "You're My Everything."

"Psychedelic soul"

After Temptations lead singer David Ruffin was replaced by Dennis Edwards in 1968, Whitfield moved the group into a harder, darker sound that featured a blend of

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound effects and recording te ...

and

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mi ...

heavily inspired by the work of Sly & the Family Stone and

Funkadelic Funkadelic was an American funk rock band formed in Plainfield, New Jersey in 1968 and active until 1982. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, pioneered the funk music culture of the 1970s.John, Bush. Funkade ...

. Excerpt: "In fact, Motown's Temptations copped a good bit of P-Funkiness - 'Norman Whitfield should have stayed out of our shows with his tape recorder, recording our shit!' says Clinton, good-naturedly." He added contemporary song topics, moving from love songs to the social issues of the time, such as war, poverty and politics. The first Temptations single to feature this new psychedelic soul style was " Cloud Nine" in late 1968, which earned Motown its first Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Performance by a Duo or Group, Vocal or Instrumental). The psychedelic soul records Whitfield produced for The Temptations and other artists such as Edwin Starr and The Undisputed Truth experimented with and updated the Motown sound for the late-1960s. Longer songs, distorted guitars, multitracked drums, and inventive vocal arrangements became trademarks of Whitfield's productions, and later of records produced by Motown staffers he coached, including Frank Wilson. But friction and antagonism grew between Whitfield and the Temptations; the group hated how Whitfield put more emphasis on the instrumentation instead of their vocals, and that he was writing fewer romantic ballads for them. Whitfield often recorded notably different versions of songs with different artists in search of a hit, and did so successfully in the cases of Edwin Starr, with " War" (1970; originally recorded by The Temptations), and The Undisputed Truth, with " Smiling Faces Sometimes" (1971; also originally by The Temptations). " Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" (1972) was done first by The Undisputed Truth, before Whitfield rerecorded the song with The Temptations for a longer, more definitive (and massively successful) version. The Temptations' version earned a second Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for Whitfield and the Temptations, and Whitfield and Strong shared the songwriters' award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song. The single's instrumental B-side earned Whitfield and arranger Paul Riser a Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance, One of Whitfield's last major hits at Motown was

Yvonne Fair Flora Yvonne Fair Strain (''née'' Coleman; October 21, 1942 – March 6, 1994), known professionally as Yvonne Fair, was an American singer, best known for her 1975 recording of " It Should Have Been Me". Life and career Flora Yvonne Coleman w ...

's " It Should Have Been Me" (1975), a song he had written in 1963 and recorded originally with Kim Weston.

Whitfield Records and later years

In 1975, Whitfield left Motown, following its move from Detroit, to form his own label, Whitfield Records. His first act was The Undisputed Truth, whom he had convinced to leave Motown, followed by Rose Royce, Willie Hutch, Yvonne Fair, Nytro, Mammatapee and Junior Walker. The Undisputed Truth scored their second biggest hit in 1976 with the disco song " You + Me = Love", their first single on Whitfield Records. Norman Whitfield had an international smash hit in 1976 with Rose Royce's " Car Wash", issued on

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...

. Rose Royce (whose members were originally Edwin Starr's backing band while at Motown) went on to record three more popular albums, and had two huge UK hits with " Wishing on a Star" (1977) and " Love Don't Live Here Anymore" (1978), but could never top the success of "Car Wash", which served as the theme song to the 1976

motion picture A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

'' Car Wash.'' The ''Car Wash'' soundtrack won Whitfield a Grammy Award for Best Album of Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special. He also composed the theme song for the 1977

Which Way Is Up? ''Which Way is Up?'' is a 1977 American comedy film starring Richard Pryor and directed by Michael Schultz. It is a remake of the 1972 Italian comedy film ''The Seduction of Mimi''. Richard Pryor plays three roles: an orange picker who has two wo ...

'', performed by

Stargard Stargard (; 1945: ''Starogród'', 1950–2016: ''Stargard Szczeciński''; formerly German language, German: ''Stargard in Pommern'', or ''Stargard an der Ihna''; csb, Stôrgard) is a city in northwestern Poland, located in the West Pomeranian V ...

. He produced soul group Masterpiece in 1980. In the early 1980s, Whitfield began working as a producer for Motown again, helming the Temptations' 1983 hit single "Sail Away" and the soundtrack to '' The Last Dragon''. On January 18, 2005, Whitfield pleaded guilty for failing to report royalty income he earned from 1995 to 1999 to the

Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory t ...

. Facing charges of

tax evasion Tax evasion is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to reduce the tax ...

on more than $2 million worth of income, he was sentenced to six months of house confinement and a $25,000 fine. He was not imprisoned because of health problems such as

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

. During his last months alive, Whitfield was bed-ridden at

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over ...

, where he underwent treatment for diabetes and other ailments. Whitfield fell into a coma, briefly improved, but eventually succumbed to diabetic complications. Whitfield died on September 16, 2008. He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills).

Discography

Selected singles production/songwriting credits

* 1963: " Pride & Joy" –

(US #10, US R&B #2) * 1964: " Too Many Fish in the Sea" –

(US #25, US R&B #5) * 1964: "Needle in a Haystack" – The Velvelettes (US #45) * 1964: " He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'" – The Velvelettes (US #64, US R&B #21) * 1964: " Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)" –

(US #26, US R&B #11) * 1966: "

" – The Temptations (US #13, US R&B #1, UK #21) * 1966: "

Beauty Is Only Skin Deep "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" is a 1966 song, written by Norman Whitfield and Edward Holland, Jr., and produced by Whitfield. Norman Whitfield recorded the song's instrumental track. Two years later, Whitfield got together with Eddie Holland to ha ...

" – The Temptations (US #3, US R&B #1, UK #18) * 1966: " (I Know) I'm Losing You" – The Temptations (US #8, US R&B #1, UK #19) * 1967: " I Heard It Through the Grapevine" – Gladys Knight & The Pips (US #2, US R&B #1), also recorded by Marvin Gaye (US #1, US R&B #1, UK #1) * 1967: " You're My Everything" – The Temptations (US #6, US R&B #3, UK #26) * 1967: "

I Wish It Would Rain "I Wish It Would Rain" is a 1967 song recorded by the Temptations for the Motown label (under the "Gordy" imprint) and produced by Norman Whitfield. Release Issued with the Melvin Franklin-led "I Truly, Truly Believe" as its B-side, "I Wish ...

" – The Temptations (US #4, US R&B #1), also recorded by Gladys Knight & The Pips (US #41, US R&B #15) * 1968: "

I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You) "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)" is a single recorded by the Temptations and released on Motown Records' Gordy label during the spring of 1968. The song is the last with lyrics by Rodger Penzabene, and as the final Temptations sing ...

" – The Temptations (US #13, US R&B #1) * 1968: " The End of Our Road" – Gladys Knight & The Pips (US #15, US R&B #5), also recorded by Marvin Gaye (US #40, US R&B #7) * 1968: " Cloud Nine" – The Temptations (US #6, UK #15) * 1968: " The Nitty Gritty" – Gladys Knight & The Pips (US #19, US R&B #2) * 1969: "

Friendship Train The 1947 U.S. Friendship Train collected foodstuffs from American donors for transport to the people of France and Italy. Contemporaneous with the Marshall Plan, it provided desperately needed assistance in the aftermath of World War II, but ...

" – Gladys Knight & The Pips (US #17, US R&B #2) * 1969: "

Runaway Child, Running Wild "Runaway Child, Running Wild" (shown as "Run Away Child, Running Wild" on the label of the original single) is a 1969 hit single for the Gordy (Motown) label, performed by The Temptations and produced by Norman Whitfield. The single was both the ...

" – The Temptations (US #6, US R&B #1) * 1969: "

Too Busy Thinking About My Baby "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" is a Motown song written by Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, and Janie Bradford. The song was first recorded by The Temptations as a track on their 1966 album '' Gettin' Ready''. Eddie Kendricks sings lead on the ...

" – Marvin Gaye (US #4, US R&B #1, UK #5), originally recorded by The Temptations * 1969: " I Can't Get Next to You" – The Temptations (US #1, US R&B #1, UK #13) * 1969: "Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down" – The Temptations (US #20, US R&B #2) * 1970: "You Need Love Like I Do (Don't You)" – Gladys Knight & The Pips (US #35, US R&B #3), also recorded by The Temptations * 1970: " Psychedelic Shack" – The Temptations (US #7, US R&B #2, UK #33) * 1970: " Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" – The Temptations (US #3, US R&B #2, UK #7) * 1970: " War" – Edwin Starr (US #1, US R&B #3, UK #3), originally recorded by The Temptations * 1971: " Smiling Faces Sometimes" – The Undisputed Truth (US #3, US R&B #2), originally recorded by The Temptations * 1971: " Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" – The Temptations (US #1, US R&B #1, UK #8) * 1972: " Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" – The Temptations (US #1, US R&B #1, UK #8), originally recorded by The Undisputed Truth (US #63, US R&B #24) * 1973: "

Masterpiece A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...

" – The Temptations (US #7, US R&B #1) * 1973: "

Law of the Land The phrase ''law of the land'' is a legal term, equivalent to the Latin ''lex terrae'', or ''legem terrae'' in the accusative case. It refers to all of the laws in force within a country or region, including statute law and case-made law. Use in ...

" – The Temptations (UK #41), also recorded by The Undisputed Truth (US R&B #40) * 1973: " Let Your Hair Down" – The Temptations (US #27, US R&B #1) * 1974: "Help Yourself" – The Undisputed Truth (US #63, US R&B #19) * 1975: " It Should Have Been Me" –

(US #85, UK #5), also recorded by Gladys Knight & The Pips (US #40, US R&B #9) * 1976: " Car Wash" – Rose Royce (US #1, UK #9) * 1976: " You + Me = Love" – The Undisputed Truth (US #48, US R&B #37, UK #43) * 1976: " I'm Going Down" – Rose Royce (US #70, US R&B #10) * 1976: "

I Wanna Get Next to You "I Wanna Get Next to You" is a 1976 soul single written, composed and produced by American songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield, and most famously sung by American R&B band Rose Royce. It is the third official single from the ''Car Wash'' so ...

" – Rose Royce (US #10) * 1977: " Ooh Boy" – Rose Royce (US #72, US R&B #3, UK #46) * 1977: " Wishing on a Star" – Rose Royce (UK #3) * 1978: " Love Don't Live Here Anymore" – Rose Royce (US #32, UK #2)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Whitfield, Norman 1940 births African-American pianists American organists 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American keyboardists Tambourine players African-American songwriters American people convicted of tax crimes Record producers from New York (state) Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Deaths from diabetes Grammy Award winners Motown artists Musicians from Detroit Musicians from Michigan People from Harlem Songwriters from Michigan Songwriters from New York (state) 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American people 2008 deaths