Barrett Strong RIP

[johncorrigan]

Barrett Strong has died aged 81. His name may not be universally recognised but the songs that Barrett Strong wrote and produced in partnership with Norman Whitfield are part of the DNA of popular music. He started out as a singer with Motown, getting the label's first hit record - 'Money (That's What I Want') - which went on to be recorded by the Beatles, The Stones, Jerry Lee among others. However it is as a Motown songwriter that he became renowned...'I heard it through the Grapevine', 'Wherever I Lay My Hat (that's my Home)', 'War', as well as the psychedelic hits of the Temptations - 'Papa Was a Rolling Stone', 'Ball of Confusion', 'Cloud Nine' and he also co-wrote 'Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)'. Not too shabby a playlist to leave behind, I would suggest.
RIP

[cloughie]

Barrett Strong has died aged 81. His name may not be universally recognised but the songs that Barrett Strong wrote and produced in partnership with Norman Whitfield are part of the DNA of popular music. He started out as a singer with Motown, getting the label's first hit record - 'Money (That's What I Want') - which went on to be recorded by the Beatles, The Stones, Jerry Lee among others. However it is as a Motown songwriter that he became renowned...'I heard it through the Grapevine', 'Wherever I Lay My Hat (that's my Home)', 'War', as well as the psychedelic hits of the Temptations - 'Papa Was a Rolling Stone', 'Ball of Confusion', 'Cloud Nine' and he also co-wrote 'Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)'. Not too shabby a playlist to leave behind, I would suggest.
RIP

I am in full agreement with you there jc. Those Temps songs are brilliant. RIP BS

[Serial_Apologist]

He started out amazingly young!

[gradus]

A friend introduced me to Barret Strong in the early sixties with 'Oh I Apologise' and I'd forgotten about Barrett until his name cropped up on BBC News. I had no idea that he was the writer behind the songs listed above but they make a fine memorial to a talented man.

[teamsaint]

Barrett Strong has died aged 81. His name may not be universally recognised but the songs that Barrett Strong wrote and produced in partnership with Norman Whitfield are part of the DNA of popular music. He started out as a singer with Motown, getting the label's first hit record - 'Money (That's What I Want') - which went on to be recorded by the Beatles, The Stones, Jerry Lee among others. However it is as a Motown songwriter that he became renowned...'I heard it through the Grapevine', 'Wherever I Lay My Hat (that's my Home)', 'War', as well as the psychedelic hits of the Temptations - 'Papa Was a Rolling Stone', 'Ball of Confusion', 'Cloud Nine' and he also co-wrote 'Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)'. Not too shabby a playlist to leave behind, I would suggest.
RIP

Yes indeed, a fabulous legacy.

[richardfinegold]

Money was attributed to Barry Gordy, the Motown founder

[richardfinegold]

He started out amazingly young!

agreed

[Jazzrook]

John Lee Hooker's version of Barrett Strong's 'Money' in Paris, 1970:

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=SOTQbCFIQYc

JR