Barrett Strong - A Profile

We posted a tribute only last week to Motown writer Barrett Strong who died on 29 Jan 2023. He was born on 5 Feb 1941 and would have been 82 today.

He had the first hit for Motown with "Money (That's What I Want)" in 1959 whilst still a student at Central High School in Detroit aged 19. The song was written by Berry Gordy and Motown receptionist Janie Bradford, but Strong claims he was also one of the writers and later had his copyright included. It was first issued as his second single on Tamla (Motown's first label) in Aug 1959 and later on Anna for national distribution in Dec 1959 and reached #2 R&B hit #23 Hot 100 becoming Motown's first hit in June 1960. 

It has been covered hundreds of times and several Liverpool beat groups had a go at it, first The Searchers and later of course The Beatles as well as several other British groups including The Rolling Stones. A new wave version was recorded by The Flying Lizards in 1979 and was an unexpected hit reaching #5 on the UK pop chart.

Strong was born in West Point, Mississippi on 5 Feb 1941 moving to Detroit at the age of 4. He was one of Motown's first signings and his debut single was Tamla's third release which he followed with "Money", both in 1959. He left Motown in 1962 and cut two singles, one for Atco and another Chicago's Vee-Jay subsidiary Tollie.

However, he achieved no more hits as a recording artists in the 60s and had to wait until 1973 for his next "Stand Up And Cheer Your Preacher" (#78 R&B) and "Is It True" (#41 R&B) in 1975. 

He re-joined Motown in 1966 and became a lyrics writer teaming up with Norman Whitfield. His name is on writing credits for many songs held dear to the UK Northern Soul scene in particular by such acts as The Artistics, Mary Wells, The Dells, Marvin Smith, Gene Chandler, Dee Dee Sharp, Jimmy James, Edwin Starr, Jimmy Ruffin, Gladys Knight & The Pips and Isley Brothers, as well as many established  Motown artists, The Temptations in particular.

His biggest hits include "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "War", "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)", "Smiling Faces Sometimes" and songs by the Temptations: "Cloud Nine", "I Can't Get Next to You", "Psychedelic Shack", "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)", "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" for which he received a Grammy in 1973 to join Motown's first Grammy for "Cloud Nine" in 1969.

Strong left Motown when the company relocated to L.A. signing with Epic where he released just one a single before moving on to Capitol where he rekindled his recording career releasing two albums "Stronghold" (1975) and "Live & Love" (1976). Another album arrived in 1980 "Love Is You" and his last, "Stronghold 2" in 2001 on his own label Blarritt which saw a digital release in 2008 as "Stronghold II".

All three of his Capitol singles in 1975-76, "Is It True" (not available on Spotify), "Surrender" and "Man Up In The Sky", have been long time favourites on the UK modern soul scene. The latter being covered by Johnny Bristol in 1989 on Ian Levine's Motorcity label. Expansion reissued "Man Up In The Sky" along with "Is It True" on vinyl in 2020.

Strong was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004.

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