Choosing songs for a compilation is a process
that pleases me, on the one hand because I have the opportunity to listen again
to some of my favorites, but also to remember a lot of others, that for a long
time I had forgotten their existence in my music collection.
It all
starts with an idea, that is born at a given moment and although completion is
sometimes easy and sometimes takes time, it is always fun. The choice of
the title of today's compilation was also fun, but in the end I avoided my
initial, probably "obvious" and might "provocative" choice.
In the "G" Project you will find songs starting with G, performed by artists [solo or bands) with G as the initial letter of their names.
As the powerful voice for Norman Whitfield productions, Edwin Starr was
a soul and pop star at home, and a huge force on the British Northern Soul
dance scene. His recording of “War” is one of Motown’s most provocative,
socially conscious and enduring songs.
Signed to the Gordy label, Edwin debuts with the funky Soul Master
album, which features his Ric-Tic catalog and Motown covers.
He breaks through with “Twenty Five Miles” in 1969, which proves to be
his biggest hit other than the signature “War.” Starr’s album career peaks with
War & Peace.
Edwin’s Motown recordings became so prized on the Northern Soul circuit
that later in his career he moved to England. He died in Nottingham at age 61,
in 2003, and is buried there. His gravestone reads “Our Agent 00 Soul.” [classic.motown.com]
Here you can
find a collection of songs he covered, as well as his original songs covered by
other artists.
On a day like today in 1968, the Box Tops are
awarded their second Gold record for "Cry Like a Baby". Their first
was for "The Letter". This was written by Dewey "Spooner"
Oldham and Dan Penn.
«Spooner Oldham, told the story in an interview:
"Dan Penn who was producing The Box Tops, calls me one day and says,
'Spooner, will you help me try to write a song for Alex (Chilton) and the Box
Tops?' …. I said, 'Sure, I'll try to
help write a song for you.' We got together in the studio one evening with our
little notes of our five or ten best ideas or titles. We each pulled one out
and they eventually ended up in the garbage. The next morning, we were getting
tired and decided to call it quits. So we locked the doors, turned out the
lights in the studio, turned off the instruments. Went across the street to the
little café - name was Porky's or something like that - and ordered breakfast.
I remember I was putting my head on the table. There was nobody in there, I
don't think, but us and the cook. And I tiredly put my head on the table, my
arms under my head, just for a few seconds. Then I lifted my head up and looked
at Dan, and because I felt sorry that he needed another record and we were no
help to each other that evening, I said, 'Dan, I could just cry like a baby.' And he says, 'What did you say?' And
I said it again. He says, 'I like that.' So unbeknownst to me, we had a song
started … !!» [songfacts.com]
