Bobby Taylor - Does Your Mama Know About Me

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.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Motown
• Detroit
• Motorcity
• Sixties
• Classic
• Soul
• Male-Groups

[MsGigi2915]

I remember this son too. I have a gay uncle who is 65 and he was gay way before gay was cool. He was always "cool to our family".

Thank you for adding this video.

I have a gay uncle, and two gay nephew and we know who they are and we love them as our family. (period - gay or not)

[IanLevine]

Speaking as an openly gay man, I must point out to you that the original lyrics were about someone who'd just come out of prison - hence - Does Your Mama Know About Me ???

[dcbigpimp2k1]

Are you sure about that? I thought Tommy Chung wrote this song about his relationship with Rae Dawn's mother and her parents.

[IanLevine]

Well that's what Bobby Taylor himself said.

[178711a]

My name is Cecelia Kennedy daughter Emmitt and Dorothy Kennedy of San Francisco, Business and Entertainment since the early 1940's in the Bay view and Fillmore Districts. I have been trying to reach Bobby Taylor for the past last year. I wanted him to know my mother Dorothy passed away last year Jan 20,2007. 2413 Whitetail Dr

Antioch, Ca 94531

[IanLevine]

He lives in China now, in Beijing.

[malosuave]

There was a girl I was in love with. Her name was Ingrid. She was Dutch/Indonesian. She was darker than me. Her mother never accepted me because of my skin color. Obviously her Momma did not know about me.

[dopekidv2]

no offense but i like this version more than the oringial

[rudielor]

johnholiver2003, It's so nice to know about the people we admire so much. His voice is unforgettable. Thanx

[Paris4Howard]

Bobby Is In Chinaaa =]

Come Backk Bobby I Miss Youuuuu Sooo Muchhh

I Kept The Promise I Made To You Lol.. No Working In Fast Food Or Ugly Boyfriends Lol .. I Want To Get Back In Touch With You

If You Read This Please Get Hold Of Me Or Anyone Thats In Touch With Him <3 x

[ginabj1]

Amazing song and voice! I luv this song and I play it again and again! I want more!! Sing it Bobby! Such Soul!

[pajado75]

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 .

[solesirching73]

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)

[johnholiver2003]

As of August 19, 2009: Bobby Taylor is alive and well in Vancouver, BC, Canada and still performs occasionally in clubs and lounges.

[Peteretproductions]

I found out yesterday.

[wrayfrederick]

Im Bobbys' Bro. from LA lookin for you my bro lucille laurance la jon get in touch with me