I have worked with very few people in my life as talented as Bobby Taylor. Apart from possessing one of the greatest soul voices in the history of mankind, his writing skills are awesome, and at Mo...
I have worked with very few people in my life as talented as Bobby Taylor. Apart from possessing one of the greatest soul voices in the history of mankind, his writing skills are awesome, and at Motorcity, he co-wrote with me for The Elgins, Mary Wells, Rare Earth, and so so many others, often turning his work around overnight. Bobby Taylor sits over morning coffee and talks of the magical days of Motown music in the '60s, when black pop artists from the Detroit label were vaulting over the recording race barrier and galloping through the white market. Taylor had already signed his own group with Motown: Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers. Now, in the summer of '68, he brought in a group of young kids he wanted to introduce to Motown owner Berry Gordy, the Jackson 5. It should not be surprising that Bobby Taylor was somewhere in the Jackson 5 mix. The 63-year-old singer/composer/producer had only one big hit himself--"Does Your Mama Know About Me?" in the mid-'60s--but he seems to have hung out with practically every important R&B and pop artist of the second half of the 20th century. As a child prodigy, Taylor grew up in a Washington, D.C., housing project "doo-wopping" on street corners with a long, skinny kid named Marvin Gaye; played with Louis Jordan; hung out with Big Mama Thornton; performed on TV on Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour alongside good friend Gladys Knight; formed Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers up in Canada with guitarist and backup vocalist Tommy Chong (who later turned to comedy with Cheech Marin); once fired a then-unknown guitarist named Jimi Hendrix because "his solos went on too long, like about a half an hour, and he played his guitar so loud you couldn't hear the rest of the band"; toured for a while with George Clinton; played command performances for the Queen of England and "that guy with the big nose in France" (Charles de Gaulle); and got discovered for Motown by Mary Wilson and Flo Ballard of the Supremes. Bobby recorded three albums for Motown, and recently had all his unreleased tracks released in the U.K. on a new CD. He is constantly remembered for his Northern Soul classics like "Oh I've Been Blessed" and the incredibly rare single on Mowest, "Just A Little Bit Closer", but the killer was the album track "Don't Be Afraid" which is beloved as one of the greatest classics. But around 1970, Motown's hold on its great artists began to weaken. "Berry Gordy pulled the hooks on me in 1971," Taylor says. He left the company, suing for unpaid royalties. Taylor says that he won the suit, but has still not gotten his money. Bobby recorded for Playboy, Epic, Philadelphia International, and made a whole album for Motorcity, including this fabulous remake of his biggest Motown hit. But for me, his best will always be "Find My Way Back", which is probably the single best vocal I have ever had the privilege of recording in my entire life.
Like to rate videos and let people know what you think?
Automatically share your ratings, favorites, and more on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Reader with YouTube Autoshare.
Autoshare makes certain YouTube activities public on the services you choose. Select only the services you are comfortable with - like Facebook, Twitter, or Google Reader - to let your friends know what you like on YouTube. You can turn Autoshare off at any time.
Like to share videos with friends?
Automatically share your ratings, favorites, and more on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Reader with YouTube Autoshare.
Autoshare makes certain YouTube activities public on the services you choose. Select only the services you are comfortable with - like Facebook, Twitter, or Google Reader - to let your friends know what you like on YouTube. You can turn Autoshare off at any time.
This video has been removed from your Favorites. (Undo)
Like to Favorite videos and let people know what you think?
Automatically share your ratings, favorites, and more on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Reader with YouTube Autoshare.
Autoshare makes certain YouTube activities public on the services you choose. Select only the services you are comfortable with - like Facebook, Twitter, or Google Reader - to let your friends know what you like on YouTube. You can turn Autoshare off at any time.
TOMMY CHONG , from the comic dual cheech and chong , wrote this song . when he was in the vancoovers with Bobby Taylor , back in the day . Tommy Chong ,being of chinese & white background wrote this song because of exsperiencing discrimination while growing up as a young man and marrying his first wife , who was black which gave him the inspiration for this song . f.y.i. ---------- Big Bassett .
I have been walking around singing thissong since it came out way back when! This is the version that I like best, w/ Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers! Boss, as we used to say in the day!
I had no idea that this song was about an interracial relationship - Tommy Chong (Bobby's former bandmate and Cheech's future partner) wrote the song and was formerly married to Maxine Sneed (2 daughters: Rae Dawn and Robbi)
For a short while, I was actually a "Vancouver" Bobby Taylor is truly a unique and innovative singer.. I think I still have the scars on the inside of my arm, where he would pinch me if I sang out of tune.. LOL I'm hearing all these stories about Michael Jackson, it was Bobby Taylor who discovered the Jackson 5.. and I know that to be a fact, I was there when he brought them to LA! Where are you Bobby? You've gotta be at least 100 yrs old by now!.. LOL Love you madly.. Beejiss...
Autoshare makes certain YouTube activities public on the services you choose. Select only the services you are comfortable with - like Facebook, Twitter, or Google Reader - to let your friends know what you like on YouTube. You can turn Autoshare off at any time.