Posted on 09/25/2020 1:52:35 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Papa Was A Rollin' Stone (original) - The Undisputed Truth 1972
Why Earth, Wind and Fire Chose ‘The 21st Night of September’
Arguably the second most important soul song ever cut, after “This is a Man’s World.”
That intro to that song is just fabulous.
And big props to the Motown house band, The Funk Brothers, for laying down the sound behind the Temps.
Thanks for posting. WHAT A FABULOUS SONG. I saw them at MOTOWN review in Detroit in the late 60’s or early ‘70’s. Sheesh, I’m getting old. I cannot remember all of the details and all of the groups performing. MOTOWN. MMGA.
I love that song, along with almost everything that was on the radio when I was growing up. Really miss Dan Ingram and Cousin Bruce (Morrow).
I never noticed the similarities to Issac Hayes “Shaft” until now. He’s right. The bass line, pace and full orchestra do create a sense of drama and tension. He was right to insist that the lead singer not ‘over-sing’ the lyrics. That level of banal delivery served almost like a narration, now detached after the passage of time.
Cousin Brucie is still working. He has had a show for years on SiriusXM, but he may have just moved back to WABC, you’ll have to check.
The trumpet intro is by Maurice Davis.
The LONG intro is just amazing. Like a pot simmering. I love that song. I saw it live many years ago—one of those concerts where the hits just kept coming.
Those guys played almost every night in some combination. To say they were ‘tight’ is an understatement.
My favorite Temptations song
“and the path was deep and wide from footsteps leading to our cabin” What was the name of that song?
That was the other house of funk, Staxx in Memphis had Issac Hayes and Otis Redding and Booker T. The Tops and Temptations got alot “funkier” and less girl friend love songs style.
I grew up in the 60s, I was driving to get lunch in college when I heard Otis died. Hit me hard.
I had to look that one up...
I’m a little younger than you were. I remember the day Otis Redding died too. I was on a long stairway looking for Tooter, my pet turtle, who had once again crawled out of his terrarium upstairs, and bounced all the way downstairs near the kitchen. Why did he keep doing it, nobody knew. The radio was on in the kitchen, and I heard the news.
Tooter always survived the fall.
Arguably the second most important soul song ever cut, after “This is a Man’s World.”
I totally agree......I still play those songs.....;)
Wonderful artistry. 50X better than any of the narcissistic rap/hip hop garbage of today. The long intro was spellbinding. The lyrics provided something of a mystery, similar to “Ode To Billy Joe”.
As a teen (before the internet), I always wondered if the last line of the chorus was “all he left us was alone” or “all he left us was a loan” (presumably unpaid)? The play on words was brilliant.
No humor? The ripping of their father was classic:
“Hey Mama. I heard Papa had three outside children and another wife...and that ain’t right.”
“Folks say Papa never was much on thinkin’. Spent much of his time chasin’ women and drinkin’.”
The song made me think of all the inner-city men who had turned to crime and died young from one thing or another and how Mama had to explain to the children how Daddy made some bad decisions and now was gone and couldn’t provide for them. It was important, just as with “Ode To Billy Joe” that they didn’t tell us why it happened, sustaining the mystery that held you six minutes into the music.
As someone who has dabbled in lyricism, painting such a vivid pictured is such a difficult task. My hat’s off to Mr. Strong for sticking to his guns and believing in his words.
I have something like an eleven minute version of the song (temptations of course) with a very long opening. Fantastic. Don’t know where I downloaded it from. I have so much music from wax recordings to yesterday’s hits! Today’s music sucks for the most part==but I found a great track called “Everything is Bulls###” done by Willie Nelson’s son at last years Farm Aid. Lyrics are bland—but the melody is very Airplaneesque.
You guys too young for the Platters, "Only You"; Five Satins, "In the still of the Night"; Tommy Benton, "It's all in the game"...Ivory Joe hunter, "I need you so"...etc.
"In the still of the night" was my favorite because it was my most memorable night, and it can only happen one time:)
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