MOTOWN GIANT NORMAN WHITIELD PASSES....ONE OF MY HEROS!

WHITFIELD WAS A PART OF THE LEGENDARY MOTOWN SONGWRITING TEAM

Norman Whitfield, the man behind many of Motown’s biggest hits, has died in the United States after a long bout with diabetes.

Whitfield began writing for Motown when he was 19 years old.

Some of the classic songs he wrote for Motown artists, we covered by some of the biggest acts in the world. The Beatles’ covered ‘Money (That’s What I Want), The Stones did a version of his ‘Ain’t Too Proud To Beg’, Creedence Clearwater Revival did a cover of his ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’.

Between 1966 and 1974, Whitfield produced nearly every song by The Temptations.

He died on September 16.

Highlights of the hits of Norman Whitfield are:

1963: "Pride & Joy" - Marvin Gaye
1964: "Too Many Fish in the Sea" - The Marvelettes
1964: "Needle in a Haystack" - The Velvelettes
1964: "He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'" - The Velvelettes
1964: "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)" - The Temptations
1966: "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" - The Temptations
1966: "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" - The Temptations
1966: "(I Know) I'm Losing You" - The Temptations
1967: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Gladys Knight & the Pips, also recorded by Marvin Gaye and Creedence Clearwater Revival
1967: "You're My Everything" - The Temptations
1967: "I Wish It Would Rain" - The Temptations
1968: "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You) - The Temptations
1968: "The End Of Our Road" - Gladys Knight & The Pips
1968: "Cloud Nine" - The Temptations
1969: "Friendship Train" - Gladys Knight & the Pips
1969: "Runaway Child, Running Wild" - The Temptations
1969: "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" - Marvin Gaye
1969: "I Can't Get Next to You" - The Temptations
1969: "Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down" - The Temptations
1970: "You Need Love Like I Do (Don't You)" - Gladys Knight & The Pips, also recorded by The Temptations
1970: "Psychedelic Shack" - The Temptations
1970: "Hum Along and Dance" - The Temptations (later covered by Rare Earth and The Jackson 5)
1970: "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - The Temptations
1970: "War" - Edwin Starr
1971: "Smiling Faces Sometimes" - The Undisputed Truth, originally recorded by The Temptations
1971: "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" - The Temptations
1972: "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" - The Temptations
1973: "Masterpiece" - The Temptations
1973: "Let Your Hair Down" - The Temptations
1976: "Car Wash" - Rose Royce
1976: "I'm Going Down" - Rose Royce
1976: "I Wanna Get Next to You" - Rose Royce
1977: "Ooh Boy" - Rose Royce
1977: "Wishing on a Star" - Rose Royce
1978: "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" - Rose Royce

WATCH THIS SPACE................... OVER THE NEXT WEEKS I WILL POST ALL THE SONGS LISTED AS WE PAY TRIBUTE TO AN AMERICAN MUSIC MASTER

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Permalink Reply by Edie Antoinette on September 17, 2008 at 10:17pm
I'm saddened to hear this--he was an integral part of our musical heritage. Man! Well I'll be here front and center to absorb what you share with us. I have one Temptation track that really is the essence of Whitfield to me: Zoom! which is my JAM!

Permalink Reply by moonlight58 on September 17, 2008 at 10:41pm
So sorry to hear of his passing...that is so sad. I know Motown is grieving as well, for they have lost a giant & icon in the business as well as a good man and phenominal artist.
Permalink Reply by Ronn Nichols on September 17, 2008 at 11:31pm
Moon.........Thank you not many people know how good a person he was. Did you know he started writing at MOTOWN when he was onl 17 years old! EDIE........... I LOVE you for posting something as great as ZOOM as the first song of this "Living Eulogy" HERE IS ANOTHER!
Permalink Reply by Edie Antoinette on September 17, 2008 at 11:42pm
I really appreciate you bringing this sad news to my attention Ron. I didn't know. I'll be right here to support you..and thank you for what you've posted so far. I didn't realize Marvin could jam on the keys like that! He was jammin for that stiff crowd! Ha ha ha ha..look at em! They are fossilized mummies!!!
Permalink Reply by Ronn Nichols on September 18, 2008 at 12:00am
You are so right.ROFLMAO!
Permalink Reply by Edie Antoinette on September 18, 2008 at 12:37am
I know Marvin was appalled at those 'statues'..I mean c'mon Ron--when he got up from the piano they should have been rockin and bobbin some heads or SOMETHIN'!!! And one po' lil statuette to his right was so uncomfortable that she hid her face when he got up--literally!

They was some sad gymshoe creepas for an audience...

I know Marvin couldn't WAIT to get out from in front of those wax museum figures..
Permalink Reply by Ronn Nichols on September 19, 2008 at 9:48am
Norman Whitfield worked with everyone at Motown, but his favorites were The temptations.......and Marvin Gaye! Here is Classic he wrote!
Permalink Reply by Edie Antoinette on September 19, 2008 at 10:03am
Interesting video! Whitfield left us such a treasure chest to enjoy, bless his heart.

Thanks Ron.. you adorable suggah man *purr*
Permalink Reply by Edie Antoinette on September 19, 2008 at 12:30pm
Rare Earth's most satisfying LP, Norman Whitfield wrote and produced all five songs. "Ma," the title track, had been done by Temptations and Undisputed Truth but nobody rocked the sucker like Rare Earth; they jam for 17:17 on the funkiest mama song ever. "Hum Along and Dance," first appeared on the Temptations' Psychedelic Shack; Rare Earth gives the groover and update, a rolling organ sets it off. Lead, Gil Bridges brags about his musical ability on the loud, horn dominated stomper "Big John In My Name."A haunting arrangement of "Smiling Faces Sometimes" will make you shiver. And you don't getmore… much more sensual than the soft and lush "Come With Me," where a female simulates an orgasm that puts Donna Summers' exhibition on "Love to Love You Baby" to shame; it's the only new song on the LP, but who's quibbling, MA is da bomb!
Permalink Reply by Ronn Nichols on September 19, 2008 at 10:13pm
Norman's writing was "Cutting Edge"..............Case in point: Vietnam,1970,Edwin.....
Permalink Reply by Tonya Anderson on January 9, 2009 at 1:11am
WOW! I'd never heard of this group before. You learn something new each day.
Permalink Reply by Ronn Nichols on January 9, 2009 at 1:24am
OH Yeah..................."Rare Earth" was a kicking group of "White Bois" and MOTOWN was right on top of them at the hieght of their popularity. YouTube.com has a good number of their videos.................check them out!

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The history of the Butlers/Raw Soul is dense, but for all of us music nerds, that's normal. It is not totally clear what year the Butlers actually formed but they released their first single in 1963 on Liberty Records. That single was "She Tried To Kiss Me" and another single followed on Guyden entitled "Lovable Girl." After the Guyden single the Butlers took a break not recording another record until the single "Laugh, Laugh, Laugh" was released on the Phila label in 1966. The group also backed Charles Earland and Jean Wells on one Phila single ("I Know She Loves Me"). 


As you might be noticing, the Butlers were doing a fair amount of recording but not achieving much success. The group's recordings sold regionally but never had the promotion to make an impact on the national scene. After the single with Phila, the Butlers moved to the Fairmount label (part of the Cameo-Parkway family) and released a handful of singles, some being reissued singles of the past. The Butlers were with Fairmount for 1966-67 and then moved to Sassy Records. Sassy released the group's greatest single (in my opinion) "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)" b/w "If That's What You Wanted." A copy of that 45 sold for just under $500 last summer on eBay. Even though that isn't that much in the world of record collecting--it's still a hefty sum. The Butlers released another single on Sassy ("She's Gone" b/w "Love Is Good") that appears to be even 
harder to come by then the "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)" single.

 

The true history become a bit blurred here as the AMG biography states that the Butlers last record was released on C.R.S. in 1974 (". However, between 1971 and that single, Frankie Beverly formed a group called Raw Soul and released a number of singles. Some of the songs recorded by Beverly during this period are "While I'm Alone," "Open Up Your Heart," (both on the Gregor label) and "Color Blind." "Color Blind" was released by the Eldorado label and rerecorded by Maze. Beverly's big break came when Marvin Gaye asked Raw Soul to back him on a tour. Gaye helped Beverly/Raw Soul get a contract at Capitol. Beverly decided to take the group in a different direction, a name change occurred, and Maze was created. 

The above isn't the most complete history of Beverly but hopefully someone will know a way to get in touch with the man or his management because a comprehensive pre-Maze history needs to be done on Frankie Beverly (his real name is Howard, by the way). Below you'll find every Frankie Beverly (pre-Maze) song available to me right now ("Color Blind" will be up soon). 

If you have a song that is not included below, shoot it over to funkinsoulman (at) yahoo.com and it will go up in the next Frankie Beverly post (later this week--highlighting Maze). Also, if you have any more information please share your knowledge. The Butlers material has been comp-ed sporadically (usually imports) but the entire Maze catalog has been reissued and is available. 

Enjoy.  "She Kissed Me" (Fairmount, 1966 or 1967) 
 
 "I Want To Feel I'm Wanted" (not sure which label or year) "Laugh, Laugh, Laugh" (Phila, 1966) "Because Of My Heart" (Fairmount, 1966 or 1967)
   
 "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)" (Sassy, 1967)
   
 "If That's What You Wanted" (Sassy, 1967)
 



Frankie Beverly is one of those cats that has lasting power. He started in the music business doing a tour with doo wop group the Silhouettes and then formed his own group called the Blenders. The Blenders never recorded a single, Beverly wouldn't appear on wax until forming the Butlers a few years later. Along with Beverly, the Butlers included Jack "Sonny" Nicholson, Joe Collins, John Fitch, and Talmadge Conway.

Beverly would later enjoy great success fronting Maze and Conway would become a
well-known penning Double Exposure's
"Ten Percent" and the Intruders' "Memories Are Here To Stay." 
 While Maze is a phenomenal group, Beverly's work before that group will always stand out as his best (imo).
The Butlers produced tunes that most Northern Soul fans would kill for and Raw Soul gave the funksters something to pursue. The Butlers recorded their first single in 1960 titled "Loveable Girl". Left to right John Fitch, T Conway, Frankie Beverly, Sonny Nicholson and Joe Collins. 

Frankie Beverly12/6/46 - 9/10/24

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