Track Five : Temptations - Papa Was a Rolling Stone

If there was a standard Motown Sound, then the Temptations were the big-name band who deviated from it most often. This song, a huge hit in 1972, is one example where producer Norman Whitfield took them is a different direction from the standard three minute ballad that had been the Motown stock-in-trade throughout the sixties.

More in keeping with the late period Stax sound of Isaac Hayes than anything Diana Ross, or the Four Tops were involved in, the instrumentation of 'Papa' was unique with a very basic and evocative drum and bass intro and instrumental passages between verses extended beyond anything Motown were doing elsewhere. The shorter, single version still came in at a full seven minutes long and featured an instrumental version on the B side.

The song was not written with the Temptations in mind, producer Norman Whitfield and his songwriting partner Barret Strong first gave the song to the normally harder edged "Undisputed Truth" who barely breached the top 100 of the singles chart. Indeed the Temptations hated the song, complaining that it didn't feature enough of their trademark, close harmony and instead concentrated too much on orchestration with the band members singing single lines one in a sort of in-song conversation. In addition singer Dennis Edwards was furious that he was asked to sing the opening lines of the song:

It was the 3rd of September
That day I'll always remember
Cause that was the day, my Daddy died.

Edwards father had indeed died on 3rd Sept, and he suspected that producer, Normal Whitfield, had written the song with that in mind. Considering the picture of 'papa' as an absentee father presented by the song his upset is not really a surprise. Other members of the band have said that Whitfield used this anger, making Edwards sing the line over and over again until he the got just the right angry and frustrated tone

Despite the band's feelings it was a huge hit for them, winning three Grammy's, for best R&B song, Best instrumental (for the B side) and for best song and ended up being the last single to top the charts for the Group. So upset were the band with Whitfield that they fired him as their producer shortly afterwards. They never achieved this level of sucess again.

I've included the original version of the song, by The Undisputed Truth in the alternate playlist alongside another Temptations cover, Ball of Confusion.

Track Four - Robert Wyatt: I'm a Believer

Robert Wyatt's version of this Neil Diamond penned Monkees's hit from 1966 is about as atypical of his music as you can imagine.

A more or less straight rendition of the biggest selling single of 1967, over one million sales, it is only the vulnerability of Wyatt's voice and his gentle Canterbury accent that sets this version apart. Released at a time, 1974, when rock music was taking itself far too seriously, this was a breath of fresh air and one of those tracks that makes me smile every time I hear it.

Wyatt's background was in progressive rock where he played drummer for The Soft Machine, with Kevin Ayers and Daevid Allen (who will be names known to anyone who likes Prog Rock).

He'd learnt drums from a Jazz musician friend of the family in late fifties Dover and the influence of Jazz in most of his work is obvious.

Wyatt has been in a wheelchair since 1973. The story I read at the time, and always believed to be true, was that he was electroucuted while playing electric drums in Japan. It turns out he fell off a balcony at a party for Gilli Smith and Lady June from his old friend Daevid Allen's band Gong. He was pissed!

Wyatt will appear again in the list, and the alternative tracks playlist includes the Monkees original version of this song, along with an example of more typical Wyatt work from his days with the Soft Machine.

Track Three - Bruce Springteen: Mrs McGrath

Taken from the 2006 album, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions", this is Stringsteen's version of an Irish anti-war folksong dating from the Pennisular War with Napoleon. The arrangement seems to follow one used by many american folk bands such as "Wake the Bard" but with a rock sensibility that gives the song real power. Who'd have ever thought of using an accordian and a Tin Whistle in a rock band? (Horslips and Moving Hearts and, believe it or not, Jethro Tull but we'll get to that some other time.)

The idea for the album arose in 1997 when Springsteen was asked to sing We Shall Overcome for a Pete Seeger (see picture) Tribute album. He didn't have much knowledge of folk music but, according to an interview in Rolling Stone, he started listening to Seeger after he recorded the song. The RS article says that it was the interest his ten year old daughter showed in the songs that led him to start playing them.

The album was recorded by a large, informal band in Springsteen's farm in New Jersey, with only his wife Patti Scafia and violinist Soozie Tyrell coming from the E Street Band. It was Tyrell who gathered most of the folk musicians together and the addition of 'The Miami Horns', The Sessions Band was formed.

Springsteen toured the album to mixed reviews. Many concert goers expecting the usual large scale rock show were disappointed, but to others, myself included, this was the best Springsteen album and show for years.

Check out the Alternative Playlist for versions of the song by Wake the Bard, Pete Seeger and an excellent live version from The Sessions Band Live in Dublin Album.