Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  My love, there's only you in my life....    Diana Ross indeed was my first artistic love. Hers was the very first vinyl I bought. I have followed her ever since through the 80's to the 2010's and soon to the 2020's as she's still there, touring and performing. Thanks to her I discovered Motown and fell in love with the Motown sound and totally fell for The Supremes who brought the 60's music to my life and also Diana's 70's music. Too many songs to feature here. She's been the soundtrack of my life and she's the One artist I wish I would see live one day. I came close years and years ago in Rome and regret still I didn't stick around in Piazza Navona one day when some show was taking place in a few hours and watch the show live there (I didn't know she was to perform there, too) and was rather pissed to see it at home a few kms away that evening on tv. Another time I had front row seat for her concert in Helsinki that was then ...

This song has a curious story, or rather faith. Originally recorded and mastered between April 1967 and January 1968 for February release for The Supremes (that were by then already Diana Ross solo project as the other girls were nowhere near the studios) as they didn't have anything ele to release as the songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland, responsable for all their hits until then were ready to leave Motown and were arguing (and not writing songs) with Gordy. It was a "flop": only #28, their worst since their pre-hits  Run, run, run in 1963. Forever came indeed that day, as soon HDH would also leave Motown, be sued by them and sue them back..... When The Supremes (without Diana, of course) went down The Jackson 5 replaced them as Motown's #1 group. But by 1975 they were already moving on to better contracts and bigger money and curiously released this very song with similar result: #60 and their worst chart placing ever and soon after Michael would go solo...

By 1971 Diana Ross has her solo career in full swing with four full albums released and string of singles. I'm still waiting was her 6th solo single but in the US made it only to #63. In UK (and Ireland) it was a #1 hit. Ms Ross re-released it in 1990 as a DJ Phil Chill remix and again it charted in UK: #21 .   There's also a great 2009 Almighty remix: Ex-The Supremes Sherrie Payne covered the song in some part of her career, there's a Chinese cover by Faye Wong , and finally Courtney Pine feat Carroll Thompson took the song again to UK charts in 1990 (#66)

The Queen of Motown, freshy gone solo Diana Ross had a tv-show where she presented the Jackson brothers from Indiana. They became the first group ever to have four #1s in a row with their first four singles. Those were even followed by two #2s, this Never can say goodbye being the 2nd one and their sixth single, released in 1971. The song was originally ment for The Supremes though....Michael was 12 at the time. The song however is maybe better known as two cover versions. Gloria Gaynor has her firsr real hit with this in 1974, four years before I will survive . Her version peaked at #9 and was the first ever #1 in Billboards new Dance chart. The Communards released this in 1987 and peaked at #4 in UK (and being a huge hit all over Europe) and #51 in US.  Countless other versions has been released, even from Motown acts. 

Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson wrote this song in 1966 and they refused to give it to Dusty Springfield who badly wanted it, as they thought it could be their ticket to Motown. (Dusty went on to record similar sounding I'm gonna leave you, mind you.... And indeed Motown wanted it and in 1967 it ended up to Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell. It was duo's first hit (#19) out of 11 singles they released from three albums they di together before Tammi sadly died of a brain tumor....   In 1970 Diana Ross had left The Supremes and this became her first solo #1 (out of six) and today it is better known as her song. It has become one of her signature songs she always keeps performing in her live concerts that go on still. This summer she's touring the US again :-)

The biggest girlband was in trouble by 1968. Gordy kicked out Florence Ballard who was replaced by Cindy Birdsong and renamed them as Diana Ross and the Supremes (she would go solo a year later). Curiously enough the Supremes aren't present in the studio and the backing vocals are by Motown session singers The Andantes, like it would be from now on..... sadly. Diana kinda started her solo career a bit early... Their two singles had "flopped" (reaching #28 and #30) so something had to be done. Gordy had a special meeting to create a hit song for them. Their glamour image was changed to short hair and t-shirts and instead of a sugary love song they came up with a story of a woman who didn't want to sleep with his boyfriend as she didn't want to have a love child she was herself, with a hard sad life that came with it.  It worked. The song rapdily became their 11th #1 in the US and overal their third biggest selling single ( Baby love and Someday we'll be...

One of the most well known Motown and The Supremes songs is from 1966. It's also their 7th #1 in the US, a step to a more sophisticated and adult sound as it is said. Its lyrics are losely inspired by a 1950's gospel song (You can't hurry God) He's right on time . It was recorded in a same session wit You keep me hanging on , their 8th #1 hit. The most famous cover is Phil Collins ' UK #1 version. He told his aim was to do a remake, to recreate the Motown sound even if with the new sophisticated recording facilities it was very hard.  Other notable covers include Dixie Chicks , The Stray Cats , Ché Chesterman ,  You keep me hanging on was a #2 Uk and #1 US , Australia and Canada hit for Kim Wilde

Motown loved - besides recording the same hits by various artists - to pair their star acts and one of the most succesful and obvious pairing was that of their best selling female and male groups: The Supremes and The Temptations. The Supremes by now had become Diana Ross & The Supremes underlining Diana's Queen like status in the music business and inside Motown. I'm gonna make you love me features some most urgent falsetto vocals ever and is so full of passion and need you believe every word. Outstanding in every way! It peaked at #2 (behind another Motown act, Marvin Gaye's Grapewine btw) and #3 in the UK in late 1968. Curiously they never performed it live together..... Diana sung it with Stevie Wonder , The Temps did it alone,  The song was originally recorded and #88 hit by Dee Dee Warwick (Dionne's sister, Cissy's niece and Whitney's cousin, btw) in 1966. It was also offered to Dusty Springfield who passed it on to her backing singer...

Smokey Robinson was one of the most important Motown songwriters and producers and his career continues even today. In 1962 he scored with his The Miracles and self penned song a #8 US hit, that has become a real movie favorite, it has been on a dozen movie soundtracks!  The song has been covered dozens of times by various singers: The Beatles , The Supremes , The Temptations , The Zombies , The Jackson 5, Mickey Gilley , Mike and the Mechanics, Cyndi Lauper, Phil Collins and even Smokey himself in Sesame Street

Keep it in the family (and Motown did that a lot!), Jimmy was the elder brother of David of The Temptations fame. What becomes of the brokenhearted wasn't written for him, but when he heard it he insisted to have it and was right; it became his biggest hit reaching #7 in the US and #4 in the UK.  This is one of my all time Motown favorites.    Countless covers have been made of this over the years and it has charted a few times: Alphonso Williams , The Supremes , Boyzone , Westlife , Chris Farlowe , Baby Washington ,  Colin Blunstone & Dave Stewart (UK #13), Boy George , Paul Young (#22 US), Robson & Jerome (UK #1), Air Supply  etc But I think Jimmy's rough and heartfelt version is the best :-)

  The Isley Brothers have one of the longest and most diverse musical careers ever in the music business globally. They started as a trio (O'Kelly Jr, Rudolp and Ronald) in the late 1950's and they continue still as a duo with Rudolph and Ernie while past members include also Marvin and Vernon plus Chris Jesper. They have had two US #1 albums (in 1975 and 2003) and eight Top-20 singles.  They recorded two albums with Motown and This old heart of mine (is weak for you), another Holland-Dozie-Holland creation with Sylvia Moy was a #12 hit in the US and #3 in the UK for them.    The most well known cover version is by Rod Stewart who has done it twice ( in 1975 solo ) and in 1989 with Ronald Isley himself.  Other cover version include The Supremes , Luv,   Randy Crawford,  Boyzone The Impressions Can't satisfy was sued by Motown for plagiation and won. 

This blogger's first love in music was Motown. Then came Eurovision song contest. This summer I will be posting Motown stuff as the summer series. A few times Eurovision has flirted with the Motown sound as Motown has influenced Western pop music like nothing else. (Listen to The Beatles debut album for example!) And all those Motown artists choreographies?! How Eurovision styled are they?  Motown sound. The Detroit sound. The Funk Brothers. Holland-Dozier-Holland. Motown - the sound of young America. Berry Gordy's love child changed the music business and became the first ever cross over label that appealed to both blacks and whites. Hitsville U.S.A. A real hit factory. Along before Stock-Aitken-Waterman created something similar with PWLin the 1980´s in UK. The Motown legacy is nspiration to many today's artists as well the foundation of the careers of many in the past decades. If this year's Eurovision song contest winner Salvador Sobral made an appeal for...

Laura Pausini debuted as show hostess with Paola Cortellesi, an imitator and comedian, last night on Rai1. And she handled it surprisingly well, a highly entertaining show with Marco Mengoni , Noemi and Andrea Bocelli among guests. On top of that she did several of her songs , medleys, talked a bit dirty, changed outfits. And it was striking how Eurovision/Swedish friendly the show was for an Italian prime time production: first of all Mengoni was there, A medley included Gente di mare , Jalisse was named (and Fiumi di parole sung but with different lyrics by Paola), Andrea Bocelli sat down the piano and played and sung a bit of Pippi Longstocking , Laura's act for Innamorata was all yellow-blue.... they did ABBA medley ! And more; there was Raul Bova, they did The Superemes ! Marco Mengoni and Paola Cortellesi did touching monologue against bullism with Guerriero . Teary eyes all over. That was entertainment at its perfection.  They show was also a rating success being t...

One of the most glamourous Eurovision break ups happened this year when Waylon left The Common Linnets as soon as the lights in B & W Hallerne in Copenhagen were dimmed and the Netherlands stopped partying for their excellent 2nd place with Calm after the storm . He decided to concentrate on his solo career and this summer saw the release of his third solo album Heaven after midnight and the first single of it, Love drunk .  Now The Common Linnets, where he was replaced in a nanosecond by Jake Etheridge, has releaed their follow up single, Give me a reason . And the band goes by as Ilse DeLange and The Common Linnets these days.... (Sounds so The Supremesque..... and curiously Diana Ross singing about Love hangover ...) This blogger joins the Waylon camp as Love drunk is one of the best songs heard this fall while Give me a reason ... well, it's just ok. Waylon-The Common Linnets 1-0.  What do you think?

There are always Eurovision wannabes in search of some self promotion in the low season and this summer 1980's discogirl Sinitta has thought it's as good a way to promote her apparent return to music scene since nearly 20 years shouting "I want to do it!"  We can mix it with her early career that does include a participation in the UK selection of 1984 with Imagination (4th), and her ex Simon Cowell who has declared he could fix it for the UK. And Sinitta was his very first hit artist! Could they join forces again and recreate the magic for the good cause? Sinitta made it big in mid 1980's with hits like So macho , Toy boy and Cross my broken heart . Now she's about to make a come back in London pride with a cover of her mother Miquel Brown's hit So many men, so little time . (Another well known singer Amii Stewart is her aunt) In the 1990's and 2000's she's been more known for her personal life and reality tv, affair with Simon Cowell ...

Nina Zilli with her Sanremo 2010 effort L'uomo che amava le donne (Man who loved women) has won the fan voting to represant Italy in this year's OGAE song contest. Nina Zilli, or Maria Chiara Fraschetta (27) started singing at the age of 13 and studies singing and piano. She also spent years in Ireland as a kid so she's fluent in English, too. She has also worked as VJ in TV and released her first self titled EP in 2009 and scores a hit with 50mila . The EP also includes a cover of The Supremes' You can't hurry love as L'Amore verrá . After Sanremo 2010 where she was the favourite to win the newcomers category with her entry she wins the critic's Mia Martini award instead and releases her debut album Sempre lontano that becomes a top-5 hit and sells gold.

Nina Zilli didn't win the Nuova Generazione category but she can consolate with the Premio Mia Martini, given to her by the critics. Out of 108 journalists 48 preferred her before La fame di Camilla that didn't even make the final, and Tony Maiello , the winner. She was also my favourite with L'uomo che amava le donne . Congrats, Nina! Here are some other songs by her: L'amore verrá or cover of the Supremes You can't hurry love (watch out for the dropping earring in the vid!) and 50mila ,