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Full of artistry and soul, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ is a pinnacle of pop music that cannot be surpassed.It was one of the most glorious achievements in 60s music, rising from a delicate opening to a shattering climax. If the 60s gave us the love generation, here was an anthem full of love. If soul was about physical passion in a gospel context, this song is its apex. Full of artistry, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” is, fittingly, a pop pinnacle. Though its roots lie in gospel, the song...

The Spinners helped create the sound of an era with a parade of soul and pop hits beginning in 1973. Their music has lived on thanks to its sly sophistication, love-struck lyrics and timeless hooks. The lineup whittled down over the years to stalwart Henry Fambrough and a group of newer collaborators, but the songs – and memories of the camaraderie – remain: "The other guys are gone, but they're still with us any time we sing," Fambrough told Billboard. "This group's bigger than any one of us." After a slow start at Motown, the Spinners switched to Atlantic Records...

Strong -- who passed away Sunday, Jan. 29, at the age of 81 in Detroit -- co-wrote some of Motown's most enduring hits.More than 73 years ago, Barrett Strong, as a singer, declared “Money (That’s What I Want)” — for the first hit single from the Motown empire. What he actually wound up getting was musical immortality. As a songwriter. Strong — who passed away Sunday, Jan. 29, at the age of 81 in Detroit — co-wrote some of Motown’s most enduring hits, with a variety of collaborators but primarily the late Norman Whitfield. Those included “I Heard It Through...

Joe Messina, one of the original guitarists for Motown Records' in-house backing band the Funk Brothers, died on Monday at the age of 93. Born on Dec. 13, 1928, in Detroit, Messina began playing guitar as a child and dropped out of high school to pursue a career as a jazz musician. He gigged in local clubs and led a band, the Joe Messina Orchestra, before joining the house band for the daily children's television show The Soupy Sales Show, where he played alongside jazz legends such as Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and John Coltrane. In 1959, Motown founder Berry...

The Philly Sound is going to the movies. The Sound of Philadelphia, a new documentary film, will tell the story of songwriters and producers Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell, architects of the Philly soul sound that was a dominant musical and cultural force in the 1970s. The film is now in production with a team that includes Oscar- and Emmy-winning documentarian Alex Gibney. Gamble, Huff, and Bell — collectively known as “The Mighty Three” — have a shared catalog of over 3,500 songs, whose innumerable hits include The O’Jays’ “Back Stabbers,” Billy Paul’s “Me & Mrs. Jones,” The...

If you’ve ever heard anything on the Stax Records label, then you’ve probably heard Steve Cropper's masterful guitar playing. He might well have written and produced it too The guitarist with Booker T. & The M.G.’s, Stax Records’ house band, Steve Cropper backed scores of soul greats during the 60s as well as being a go-to producer. He’s also a songwriter whose compositions include classics such as Wilson Pickett’s In The Midnight Hour, Eddie Floyd’s Knock On Wood and Otis Redding’s (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay. He has also done studio work with John Lennon, Rod Stewart, Roy...

There was a time, pre-Beatles if you want something more specific, when singles ruled pop music. But around the mid '60s things started turning toward album-length statements by artists. Of course, you could make a strong argument that Frank Sinatra was doing this during the latter half of the '50s, and you wouldn't be wrong. But generally the mass exodus toward albums didn't start until around Rubber Soul. Still, not all genres made the move. R&B and soul music, for one, was still pretty much a singles game as the '60s turned into the '70s. But then, right at the...

James Burke, whose shared lead vocals helped make “O-o-h Child” into a smash for his group the Five Stairsteps in 1970, has died at age 70. Word of Burke’s death first began to circulate on Saturday and was confirmed to Rolling Stone on Tuesday by brother and bandmate Dennis Burke, who said the cause of death was pneumonia. The Five Stairsteps are often thought of as a one-hit-wonder band because of the outsize popularity of “O-o-h Child,” which continues to rack up cover versions today, including one that was released just last month by KISS member Paul Stanley. But the...

Billy Paul, the soul singer best known for the No. 1 hit ballad “Me and Mrs. Jones,” has died. Paul’s co-manager, Beverly Gay, told The Associated Press that Paul died Sunday at his home in Blackwood, New Jersey. Gay says Paul was 80 and had been diagnosed recently with pancreatic cancer. …

Singing (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, Franklin brought a tear to the president's eye and sent Carole King, the song's composer, into meltdown [Snip] President Obama is wiping away tears before Aretha's even done with the first verse.

James Brown has been accredited for being one of the founding fathers of the funk music. Born on May 3, 1933, in Barnwell, South Carolina, Brown first stepped into music by performing in talent shows as a young kid. His first appearance was at Augusta’s Lenox Theater in 1944. After that, he continued to perform and record for the duration of his life until his death in 2006 from congestive heart failure and pneumonia. Here is a list of the top 5 songs made by the great artist, James Brown:- I Got You (I Feel Good) This song was recorded...

HOUSTON (AP) - Soul superstar James Brown donated 400 tickets to military personnel for his concert in Houston. Brown, 69, said the free tickets for Saturday night's concert were intended to give a boost to military workers as the U.S.-led war with Iraq continues. "I grew up as a poor boy and was able to rise up and be an entertainer and help others," Brown said through a spokeswoman Friday. "I wanted to do what I could do to help our nation in this time of need." Backed by the Soul Generals, Brown launched his current tour Dec. 27, marking...