Moutton Noir

He has an awesome voice- you can hear the various influences on his style. Great artist who deserves far wider recognition and commercial success.

Such sad news. Q was a giant of the music industry who worked with so many generations of artists over the past 70+ years.

Looking forward to this!

He was the GOAT. I was fortunate enough to see him live twice and it was an amazing experience- vocal perfection. The greatest male singer of any genre I saw live on stage in my 64 years. He never fully achieved his potential or achieved the success he so rightly deserved. He should've been in the A list. Looking forward to this documentary

Hey, just a note- the correct term is a BALLAD, not Ballard. FYI, Cheers!

ACE/KENT never fail to delivery!

A fascinating read. I had no idea that Glen Campbell was a session player on the record or that Patrice & Brenda were on backing vocals. That really is a winning combination. It's kinda ironic that one of the best examples of the mid 60s Motown sound was actually recorded in California!

So great to see Gloria finally releasing a 2nd album. She deserved to be a star.

Looking forward to the revised edition. A treasure trove of information about the records and artists and indispensable reference.

I'm well aware of Godin's pivotal role in promoting African American artists music here in the UK. This is more about Godin's arrogance. There is something of a messiah complex associated with him. The painting depicts an important element of Black culture. Who is Godin to criticise the work of a black artist and the decision of a black singer in their choice of subject matter. Did Godin think he "knew better" Was it a "paternalistic" viewpoint? Sometimes our bias can manifest itself in ways we never knew possible- even when we convince ourselves that such bias doesn't exist!

So a white Englishman objects to a painting by a black artist chosen as the cover art for a Marvin Gaye album? A black artist? Just what did Mr Godin find "objectionable" about the painting? It clearly shows a group of African Americans having a high old time in one of the infamous Juke Joints. Mr Godin does appear to have had something of a Messiah complex...

Long overdue! Motown also deserves a similar in-depth approach like the Ken Burns Country Music series. I was disappointed by the recent movie/documentary that promised much but delivered little.

Interesting article. At long last black music cultural icons are being given their place in the long tradition of Hollywood music biopics. First can I point out the error- "Coal Miners Daughter" was based on the life of Loretta Lynn. "Sweet Dreams" was the Patsy Cline bio-pic starring Jessica Lange. The first major studio biopic of a major black star has to be "Lady Sings The Blues" released in 1973 and starring Diana Ross as... Diana Ross! The movie plays fast and hard with the truth regarding the biographical facts of Billie Holliday's life and career. Diana Ross famously lost out on the Oscar which went to Liza Minnelli for her OTT cringeworthy performance as... Liza Minnelli in "Cabaret". "Lady" was a culturally significant movie, proving that major movie with a black cast could succeed at the box office. Strangely the movie was shown only twice on UK TV back in the 80s and despite a major US anniversary release has never been available on video, DVD or Blu Ray. It also seems to be overlooked when documentaries feature the history of "black cinema" and Ross is almost never recognised by female African American actors when they collect THEIR awards. Diana broke through so many glass ceilings and broke into so many areas of the music and wider entertainment industry both as a Supreme and as a solo performer. Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley, Gladys Knight, The Supremes (DreamGirls doesn't count!) The Motown Story (NOT the jukebox stage show) are all ripe for the picking. The Marvin movie has been talked about for the past 40 years! It's just good to finally see these great artists receive the recognition they deserve on the silver screen, exposing their music to a whole new generation for the first time, cementing their legacy and keeping their music alive.

An excellent point Fiftyboiledeggs. I often wonder what Sharon Jones made of the whole affair. Cultural appropriation 1.0.1. What I find telling is that during the initial release and hype around Back To Black the influences were deliberately obscured/underplayed. No mention of Ashford & Simpson, Holland Dozier Holland or the Supremes from whose back catalogue was shamelessly plundered. We got oblique references to "60s girl groups" and The Ronettes. I honestly believe Amy found herself stuck in a 60s straight jacket from which she would've struggled to shake off.