Dub dot dash

Papa was a rolling stone
From Funky 16 Corners - listen to the original, and a beautiful reggae version by the Pioneers. Other audioblog tributes here, here, and here.

I was digging thru my records last night, and damn, I own a ton of Norman Whitfield productions. Three Rose Royce albums, five Temptations albums, a Rare Earth disc, some Marvin Gaye, and the soundtrack for Car Wash...

Whitfield revolutionised the classic Motown sound at a time when its star was starting to fade, introducing a psychedelic soul sound most famously heard on 'Papa was a rolling stone'. His extended soul-workouts are something to be heard, like Sunrise off Carwash, or Zoom of the Temptations' album '1990'. Echoed strings, brass, wahwah guitar, minimalist bass plucking - it's a sound with so much space.

He also wrote (in collaboration with songwriting partner Barrett Strong) songs like War, Heard it on the grapevine, Papa was a rolling stone, Ball of confusion, Aint too proud to beg, He was really saying something, so many more...

Ma by Undisputed Truth on Soul Train, bugged out soul...