Marvin Gaye (April 2, 1939 — April 1, 1984) was an American R&B vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Washington, D.C., who was musically active for a quarter-century, achieving worldwide renown as one of Tamla/Motown’s leading performers. Gaye rose to fame with a string of duets, first with Kim Weston and then with Tammi Terrell, his […]
The Temptations were an American soul group from Detroit, formed in 1961. They first charted in 1964 with “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” sung by tenor Eddie Kendricks. With baritone David Ruffin at the fore, they hit number-one with the evergreen ballad “My Girl,” co-written and produced by Smokey Robinson, who also […]
Rose Royce was an American soul-funk band produced by Norman Whitfield. They performed the double-album soundtrack to the 1976 comedy Car Wash, which spawned the Billboard hits “I’m Going Down,” “I Wanna Get Next to You,” and the No. 1 disco anthem “Car Wash.” Between 1977 and 1981, Rose Royce cut five albums on Whitfield […]
The Undisputed Truth was an American soul-psych group from Detroit, best known for their 1971 R&B crossover hit “Smiling Faces Sometimes.” They released six albums (1971–75) on Motown’s Gordy imprint and two titles on producer Norman Whitfield’s label. Members: Joe Harris (lead vocals), Billie Rae Calvin (lead vocals, 1970-74), Brenda Joyce Evans (lead vocals, 1970-74), […]
Nytro was an American soul-funk band that released two albums on producer Norman Whitfield’s namesake Warner-subsidiary Whitfield Records between 1977 and 1979. Members: Benjamin Wilber, Chris Powell, Daniel Smithson, Earnest Reed, John Jackson, Kenneth Scott, LaMorris Payne, Robert Justice, Theodore Willingham Background Nytro evolved from The Soul Superbs, a Columbus, Ohio, soul group formed in […]
Car Wash is the official soundtrack to the comedic motion picture of the same name, produced by Norman Whitfield with most of the songs performed by American soul-funk act Rose Royce. The album was originally released as a two-record set on MCA in September 1976. Tracklist: A1. “Car Wash” (5:06) A2. “6 O’Clock DJ (Let’s […]
