There were excellent talents who gave us fine and good works of that Motown Sound, though they weren't as great as Supremes, Temptations, Marvin Gaye or Stevie Wonder. "Tamla Motown Big Hits & Hard to Find Classics" , the compilations which collect such songs, are pretty nice. Among them, it was Shorty Long, also a multi-instrumentalist, who had hit songs of considerably original novelty.
Here Comes the Judge, on "Big Hits & Hard to Find Classics vol.2", is not only a funny tune which took in the sketch of TV's comedy show, but a well-made song of cool rhythms, especially in the latter part of which sounds like a hammer in the court. Function at the Junction also makes me feel fine by the more loose groove, in comparison with hasty grooves of most of Motown sounds. Devil with the Blue Dress on on "vol.3" features a bluesy guitar, which is covered by Mitch Ryder on the medley with Good Golly Miss Molly, and the medley is the best for its harder performance and shout. (I really recommend you "Rev up : The Best of Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels".) He was born and bred in the South, Birmingham of Alabama, and then he signed up with Tri Phi label of Detroit at first, which had no relation with Motown's Artist Development. That's why I think he could keep his own identity.
Tri Phi was ex-Moonglow Harvey Fuqua's label, where Spinners and Junior Walker & The All Stars belonged. The label was absorbed in Motown owned by Fuqua's brother-in-law Berry Gordy and Shorty Long had some chances to be a star, but Shorty Long was in the minor league of Motown, like Edwin Starr, and it seems to me that he had little benefit of strong promotions and was short of time to record in the studio. Despite it, he co-wrote most songs on "Essential Collection". Especially, Don't Mess with My Weekend or Night Fo' Last are the tunes suggesting you should have heard more funky soul songs, sometimes approaching to rock, if he didn't have died suddenly.
Now you can hear on the radio only songs in the formula and you had little opportunities to listen to the songs of those whose styles are out of the definition. But I think it's chic to search such goods, while you are determined not to avoid bads. (2004/07/12)(2005/06/23)