200 MOST ESSENTIAL MOTOWN SONGS. This update: #140-131. The countdown continues tomorrow.
Hear the 10 songs added today on spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/alanrosscaffelatte
                                                                    spotify:user:alanrosscaffelatte

Caffe` Latte` presents…

THE 200

MOST ESSENTIAL

MOTOWN

SONGS

140

BERNADETTE

Four Tops

Levi Stubbs' mighty vocal power added a unique drama to The Four Tops' songbook. "Bernadette", from the pen of Holland / Dozier/ Holland, would never have sounded as urgent had it been sung by any other vocalist. The single was released in 1967 and climbed to #4 Pop & 3 R&B. In Britain, the disc peaked at #8.

139

DO YOU LOVE ME

The Contours

Berry Gordy Jr himself produced and wrote the catchy "Do You Love Me". It was originally intended for The Temptations. When they missed the recording session, the song was cut by The Contours. In 1962, the disc topped the R&B chart & made #3 Pop and became the group's sole Top 40 entry.
 

138

IN MY HOUSE

Mary Jane Girls

Along with launching a new sub-genre on his Motown recordings, Rick James wrote and produced "In My House" for his proteges, the girl group Mary Jane Girls. In 1985, the funky track reached the Top 10 on the Pop, Dance and R&B charts.

137

WITH YOU I'M BORN AGAIN

Billy Preston & Syreeta

After enjoying a string of hit singles in the early 1970s, Billy Preston signed with Motown. He recorded duets with Syreeta Wright. She had struggled in her own right as a soloist, but achieved major success with Preston and the gorgeous ballad "With You I'm Born Again". The duet, issued in 1979, peaked at #2 in Britain and on the US Adult Contemporary chart. It reached #4 Pop there. This was to be Preston's first (& last) Top 40 hit since 1974.

136

THE BOSS

Diana Ross

Motown inexplicably delayed its foray into disco. When it finally caught up with the trend, it unleashed some notable releases. Among the classiest was the extraordinary 1979 single "The Boss". Created by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, the disc climbed into the Pop and R&B Top 20 and reached the summit on the Dance chart.
 

135

MORE LOVE

Smokey Robinson &
The Miracles

Written and produced by The Miracles' lead singer Smokey Robinson, "More Love" was inspired by a sad event in his life. He was married to fellow Miracles member Claudette Rogers Robinson and she had just had a miscarriage. Smokey wrote the lyrics about his devotion to her. It was released as a single in 1967. Kim Carnes fared even better, reaching the US Top 10 with her remake 13 years later.

134

THAT GIRL

Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder not only wrote and produced "That Girl", but he played all the instruments on the track. This was 1 of the new songs included on the compilation 'Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium Vol. 1' which came out in 1981. While it peaked at #4 Pop, "That Girl" enjoyed a 9-week residency atop the R&B chart.
 

133

SOMETHING ABOUT YOU

Four Tops

"Something About You" was a Top 20 American chart hit; another written by the super-creative trio of Holland/ Dozier/ Holland for The Four Tops in 1965. The Funk Brothers drive the legendary Motown beat on the cut. 
 

132

SAIL ON

The Commodores

Lionel Richie provided yet another chart hit for his group The Commodores when "Sail On" hit record stores in 1979. His lead vocal has a country tinge. The single reached the Top 10 on the US Pop, R&B and AC charts. It also peaked at #8 in the UK.
 

131

WHEN YOU TELL ME THAT
YOU LOVE ME
Diana Ross
"When You Tell Me That You Love Me" was a ballad written by Albert Hammond and John Bettis. Diana Ross recorded it for her 'The Force Behind The Power' album in 1991. The legendary Peter Asher handled production. By now, Ross had returned to Motown. On the UK chart, the love song peaked at #2.