Normanwhitfieldblog.Pdf
2 He was a brilliant composer and record producer, one of the best to come out of Motown. He was born on May12th 1940 in Harlem, New York, and passed away on September 16th 2008 in Los Angeles, at the age of 68. He founded Whitfield Records in Los Angeles after his departure from Motown Records. He was known as the father of the “Psychedelic Funk” sound. Longer songs, a heavy bass line, distorted guitars, multi-tracked drums and inventive vocal arrangements became the trademarks of Norman’s production output, mainly with The Temptations. According to Dave Laing (Journalist for the Guardian Newspaper; Thursday 18th September 2008) stated that Norman Whitfield’s first actual job at Motown Records was as a member of staff for which he got paid $15 a week to lend a critical ear to new recordings by Motown staff, a job he said "consisted of being totally honest about what records you were listening to". He graded the tracks for Gordy's monthly staff meeting, where decisions were made on which should be released. Soon dissatisfied with quality control, Whitfield fought to be allowed to create records himself. This involved competing with such established figures as Smokey Robinson, but he got his first 3 opportunities in 1964 with lesser Motown The Temptations’ songs, during the first ten groups, co-writing and producing “Needle years of the label’s operation. Such songs as in a Haystack” by the Velvelettes and “Too “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Many Fish in the Sea” by the Marvelettes. Me)”, “Ball Confusion”, “Papa Was a Rollin’ These records brought him the chance to Stone” and “I Can’t Get Next To You” all work with the Temptations, already one of achieved platinum certification in America for Motown's elite groups.
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