200 MOST ESSENTIAL MOTOWN SONGS. This update: #110-101. The countdown continues next week.
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

110

LET IT WHIP

Dazz Band

Motown helped keep funk on the charts in the 1980s with acts such as Rick James, Teena Marie and The Dazz Band. The latter scored a crossover smash in 1982 with "Let It Whip". Along with winning a Grammy Award, the single reached #5 Pop, #2 Dance and topped the R&B chart for 5 weeks. In 2015, the song was sampled in LunchMoney Lewis' "Whip It".
 

109

I CAN'T GET NEXT TO YOU

The Temptations

"I Can't Get Next To You" was a #1 single written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. The former produced the track. It topped the Pop chart for 2 weeks and ruled on the R&B equivalent for 5 in 1969. Whitfield steered The Temptations in a direction that reflected the grittier R&B by acts such as Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin and Sly & The Family Stone on other labels.
 

108

YOU'VE MADE ME SO VERY HAPPY

Brenda Holloway

In 1967, Brenda Holloway released the original version of "You've Made Me So Very Happy", a song she co-wrote with Berry Gordy Jr., Motown producer Frank Wilson and her younger sister Patrice Holloway. While the single only scraped into the bottom rungs of the Pop and R&B charts in 1967, a remake 2 years later peaked at #2 on the Hot 100. The Blood, Sweat & Tears cover also charted in Britain.
 

107

YOU ARE EVERYTHING

Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye

The Stylistics scored the first hit version of "You Are Everything" in 1971. Diana Ross joined a succession of female vocalists to record a duet album with Marvin Gaye. The album was issued 2 years later. 'Diana and Marvin' featured the 2 singers' remake. The single peaked at #5 in Britain.

  

 106

I SECOND THAT EMOTION

Smokey Robinson &
 The Miracles

Written and produced by Smokey Robinson and Al Cleveland, " I Second That Emotion" is a genuine gem. The former recorded the original version of the song with his group The Miracles in 1967. In America, the single peaked at #4 Pop and made #1 R&B. A remake by Diana Ross & The Supremes with The Temptations was issued 2 years later. On the British chart, the original climbed to #27 and the cover fared better, reaching #19. In 1982, a new interpretation from the group Japan made it to #9 there.
 

105

HELLO

Lionel Richie

"Hello" is one of the best known songs from the Motown songbook. While it has dated since its release in 1983 on Lionel Richie's 'Can't Slow Down' album, the ballad remains one of his  most popular. The following year, it was the 3rd track lifted as a single from that LP. Richie penned the love song and co-produced it with regular collaborator James Anthony Carmichael. The cheesy song was a major smash around the world, reaching #1 in America (on the Pop, R&B and AC charts), Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
 

104

MY WORLD IS EMPTY WITHOUT YOU

The Supremes

By 1965, The Supremes had already accrued 6 chart-topping singles on the US chart. Hopes were high when "My World Is Empty Without You", another creation by Holland / Dozier / Holland, hit record shelves. The single flew to a peak position of #5, which by the trio's standards, was deemed a disappointment. Nevertheless, it is a worthy addition to The Supremes' string of hits, again ably produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier.

103

I WANT YOU

Marvin Gaye

When "I Want You" was released in 1976, Marvin Gaye was ready to move on from his social commentary and focus on the boudoir. The song left little to the imagination with its sensual vocal delivery and explicit lyrics. There are elements of disco reminiscent of the likes of Barry White and Isaac Hayes in the music. Gaye's voice is siren-like, beckoning the object of his desire to the bedroom. While his carnal intentions are clear, he never sounds sleazy or creepy. The single peaked at #15 Pop, #10 Disco and topped the R&B chart.

102

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder's 1980 album 'Hotter Than July' contained 4 hit singles. "Happy Birthday", the 4th, was a tribute to civil rights leader Martin Luther King. Wonder was part of a campaign to have MLK's birthday annually commemorated with a national holiday. While the single was not a success in the USA, it reached #2 in Britain. The campaign, however, succeeded. King's birthday was first celebrated as a holiday in 1986.
  

 101

IT'S THE SAME OLD SONG
Four Tops

Holland / Dozier/ Holland provided The Four Tops with the infectious "It's The Same Old Song", a hit single in 1965. Along with charting in the UK, the disc climbed to #5 Pop and #2 R&B Stateside.