THE TEAM

BACKGROUND:
I was listening to Papa Was A Rollin Stone the other day and GOT LOST in the elaborate psychedelic instrumentals (of the intro) which Whitfield produced & was performed by The Funk Brothers. I found that INTRO to be so mesmerizing and FORESHADOWING…Truly, it was a story BEFORE the story. Back then- it was unheard of to place that long of an intro before the song…Genius and Iconoclastic!

AHEAD OF THEIR TIME:
As a writer, I can only stand in awe of these two MOTOWN LEGENDS- Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong. Their lyrics could not be more apropos today. Way ahead of their time, they co-wrote so many songs of my youth that I still love today. As a teen I was forever galvanized by their EMOTIVE INSIGHT involving political & social commentaries (on RACE RELATIONS & URBAN DECAY). Most folks don’t realize how prolific this TEAM was, and how their VOICE influenced THE FIELD OF PERCEPTION in America. The listener cannot help but INTROSPECT while experiencing THEIR ART! What else can an Artist ask for? The following is a short list of some of their IMPACTFUL SONGS:

Ball of Confusion
Papa Was a Rollin Stone
Smiling Faces Sometimes
I Wish It Would Rain
I Can’t Get Next To You
I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Friendship Train
Psychedelic Shack
Just My Imagination
Runawaty Child
Cloud Nine
War

P.S. Just wanted to GIVE PROPS posthumously to what I call- THE TEAM (Brotha Norman & Brotha Barrett). Your WORDS… your SUFFERING… your ANGER… your TEARS… your STORIES…Your MESSAGES…your UNVEILED TRUTHS- are NOT forgotten! They did NOT fall upon deaf ears. WE STILL- FEEL YOU DOG! I heard every word…Dang, y’all helped- CHANGE ME! Much love & appreciation…From the Lookout Post