This playlist could not truly live up to its title without a Motown track. For me the sound of Motown is truly the music of my soul, because it was my true introduction to music. Before I came into this world my father constantly kept Motown records playing, as this was the soundtrack to his childhood; so naturally it became the soundtrack to mine. There are truly an unlimited number of Motown songs that could fall on this list, and rest assured there will be more in the future! However, I wanted to select a track that is an essential feel good record that encompasses that true Motown sound!
It’s the Same Old Song by the Four Tops was written and produced by the legendary Motown production team Holland-Dozier-Holland, also know as HDH. During their tenure at Motown from 1962 to 1967, HDH were responsible for the majority of The Four Tops and Supremes top hits! Alone, HDH wrote and arranged 10 out of the 12 US No.1 singles for the Supremes. Ultimately, they would write and produce scores of songs for other Motown artists, including 25 number 1 hit singles!
Holland- Dozier-Holland originally wrote and recorded It’s the Same Old Song on the Supremes and the Four Tops. However, Berry Gordy was pressed that The Four Tops release another single before the Tops former label, Columbia Records, re-released the Tops’ 1960 Columbia single “Ain’t That Love” in efforts to cash in on the group’s success of “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch). So according to For Tops tenor Abdul “Duke” Fakir, he recalled that, Lamont Dozier of HDH, took “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) and reversed it using the same chord changes, ironically, give the title of the song a realistic meaning!
For years, I used to get those songs mixed up and now I know why! It’s literally the same old song! LOL
One could argue that a lot of the early Motown records have a very similar sound, especially if you look at certain production teams with Motown, such as HDH, Smokey Robinson, Norman Whitfield, and countless others. One of those contributing factors is Motown’s studio musicians, The Funk Brothers, whom I would say are the originators of that Motown sound! It truly is what makes Motown music stand out on it’s on! Clearly, the motto was “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”
There are numerous Motown tracks too choose from, so let this be your journey into discovering the greatness of this timeless music! The soundtrack of America.
You can learn more about The Four Tops here:
About The Curator - Lyris Greene
Lyris Greene is a disk jockey (dj) hailing from Nashville, TN, now residing in Atlanta, Ga. Lyris’s name is derived from the word “lyric”, meaning words of a song. Lyris gravitated to music immediately as a child, influenced by her father’s passion for music. At nine years old, Lyris began collecting her own music collection, discovering and developing her connection with music. Now, Lyris is a full time dj and music curator, spending her days consuming and creating custom music experiences to connect people. Lyris feels her life’s purpose is pretty simple, “To spread love through the art of music.”