BREAK UP SONGS: WALK AWAY RENEE (VERSION)/Billy Bragg

The break-up song, even the break-up album, is such a rite of passage for both performers and listener. For every song of love and fulfilment there are a legion of songs displaying dismay and despair. For every couple sharing "our tune", strip back the facade and each will have at least one song to recall their earlier disappointments in getting there.

But nobody, nobody, has better portrayed the randomness of the teenaged victim of cupid than Billy Bragg, about whom I have written before. And over a consummate acoustic guitar backing, by Johnny Marr, no less, playing a version of the Four Tops
classic, Bragg says all that ever needs to be said.

That's all.

Get it here!

Torch Songs: Motown

The Four Tops: Standing in the Shadows of Love

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Smokey Robinson and the Miracles: The Tracks of my Tears

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The Temptations: Since I Lost My Baby

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I wonder what was going on in the love lives of Motown's hit makers circa 1965-66? These three songs from that seemingly woeful year were huge successes for their biggest names, and they're all torch songs by men (yeah, Darius, I agree: guys sing this genre quite well!) Standing in the Shadows of Love was written by the noteworthy and prolific trio of Holland-Dozier-Holland (they wrote nearly everything Motown produced), and the last two songs were penned by Smokey Robinson (who, along with Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, wrote most of the rest).

Looks like the Motown bunch were crying all the way to the bank.

Three Minute Pop Songs: Reach Out (I'll Be There)

The Four Tops: Reach Out (I'll Be There)

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I feel as though I have to hurry up and post a musical apology for that last entry of mine, guys. So let me take you from the ridiculous to the sublime.

In my mind, there are three songwriting teams who were major contributors to pop songs of the 60's. I hope to post about all three in coming days, but let me start off with three hugely talented men who mean a lot to this Detroit-bred gal: Lamont Dozier and Brian and Edward Holland. They were known collectively as Holland-Dozier-Holland, and together they wrote an enormous number of Motown-label hits for Berry Gordy's artists between 1962-1967, names that include Martha and the Vandellas, the Marvelettes, the Supremes, the Miracles, Jr. Walker and the All-Stars, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, the Isley Brothers, and the group I'm featuring here: the Four Tops. Rolling Stone magazine ranks this #206 of the top 500 rock/pop songs, so there! Hopefully I'm now forgiven for that last tune.