Same Old Song

Today marks the anniversary of Berry Gordy starting Motown Records.  When I think of Berry Gordy, for some reason my thoughts always go the first season Kids in the Hall sketch, Salty Ham. 

(comedy nerd say what?)

This will all make sense once you get 4:44 seconds into the sketch.  Trust.

Seriously.  I laugh every single time I see that.

Of course, it's not really about Mr. Gordy, no matter how big his persona is or how much of an innovator he was (for better or for worse).  It's about the music he helped bring to life.  Like everyone else between the ages of 8 and 80 Motown has been a huge part of the soundtrack of my life.  The first record (yes, record, I'm old) that I ever bought with my own money was a four album set of Four Tops music.  It was 1986 and I bought it at Sam the Record Man on Yonge Street.  I still get excited when I see the cover art.

The absolute thrill of holding your very own record in your hands, reading the liner notes, looking at the pictures.  That's something kids today don't get with itunes.  Oh man, did I just say "kids today"?  Holy rapid aging.  Stay tuned tomorrow when I write a blog post about how far I had to walk to school in the snow.

It was hearing this recording of Reach Out, I'll be There on the radio that pulled me in, I think.  Not that I realized this when I was twelve years old, but I think it has a lot to do with Eddie "Bongo" Brown's playing.  I still love this track.

I've shared this Marvin Gaye concert footage on this blog before, but it is truly worth a repeat viewing.  In all seriousness, this may be my favourite thing on Youtube.  I turn to it when I need a Marvin fix, when I'm looking for inspiration for my photography (thank you, Stan Lathan), when I just need to take a moment and when I just plain need to be cheered up.  It doesn't get much better than this, in my opinion.  And yes, that's James Jamerson on bass.

I could listen all day to Sam Cooke, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, The Jackson Five and Gladys Knight.  I also recently discovered some neat Billy Eckstine recordings that he did in 1960's for Motown when Gordy signed him because was trying to attract a "middle of the road" listenership.  I had only been familiar with Eckstine's crooner stuff from the 1940's until finding these and was surprised how much fun they were to listen to (and how very well preserved his instrument was).  It was also interesting to learn that Gordy didn't "make" every artist on his label.

At the end of the day though, any discussion on Motown has to begin and end with Stevie Wonder.

Who are your favourite Motown artists?  What are your favourite Motown songs?  Share!

Just in case you haven't seen this yet. It's MASTERFUL.

This. Needs. To. Happen.

Better than any monologue I've seen on SNL in years.  Not to mention, we already know Cookie can hold his own on late night TV.

Sometimes called "fun city"!

The Robeau is cleaning out his office and just now found Calvin Deforest's CD, which actually, for a novelty record is quite listenable.  It's good cocktail fare.  The best thing about it though is that it sent me over to youtube to rummage through some of that great old Letterman footage from the 80's.  Please enjoy a hot towel!

Better Than Prozac

Because there is very little that a Spike Lee Trolley Shot won't fix:




If I'm feeling down, all I have to do is think about this and I smile:



Try not to laugh with him, I dare you:



Make these. Delicious. Easy. This Chef John cat rules:



AND the coolest cooking video in existence:



Feel good tunes:

I cannot get enough of this.

Christmas is in ONE MONTH!

Music Monday: Dexter Gordon, Body and Soul, LIVE in 1982

What do you do with the mad that you feel?

Oooh, Swish!

Ladies, where are our electric headlights to help us to find honest men? They are nearly a decade overdue!

Busy Day.

This spot horrifies me, for some reason.

Perfection.

THE BEST THING ON THE INTERNET.

You remember I told you about my mega talented pal, comedian Andrew Johnston? He's the one responsible for Bitch Salad? Anyway, if you knew him, you'd have a lot of reasons to love him too...not the least of which would be that he introduced us to THE BEST THING ON THE INTERNET.



You are welcome.

"I didn't want my mouth to be full in case you should call..."

It seems that once I took off those three inches of hair giving myself what I fondly call "triangle head" (seriously, I need to see a hairdresser and get some layers put in STAT!) my schedule went into warp speed. Of course, when things get busy it's Bloggy McBloggerson that suffers. Poor pink thing. Ever since this blog underwent it's makeover I've begun to think of him as more sensitive. When he had the neutral green background I felt he could carry on without me. Now I worry about him staying up all night, pacing through his archives to remember the good times, gorging on cupcakes and wondering why I never write...not even to say I don't have time to write.

To make it up to him I'll share the strangest thing I've seen on internets in a long, long, time. Ladies and Gentlemen, get ready to have your socks blown off! I give you SHE'S A TALKER:



What's going on here? Is this an online feature from Cat Fancy Magazine? Some specialized form of gay porn? Art? Is it art?

Also, you will note that not a single one of these cats actually appears to be a "talker".

I'm so confused.

It's Valentine's Day.

I've finally found the workout that's right for me!

Hockey Moms for Truth

dizzying

Jazz Casual

I've been reading, along with every holiday themed decorating / cooking magazine I can get my hands on, Ben Ratliff's new book on Coltrane. It's really good read so far. Reading it made me want to watch one of my favourite clips from Ralph Gleason's Jazz Casual of Coltrane (with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones) playing Alabama in 1963. Thought you should see it too.

Goulet!

From the sublime to the ridiculous, I enjoyed him doing both. RIP, Mr. G.