Tune Tag #78 with Kal Hodgson of Kalowski's Substack, Pt. 2: Stevie Wonder, Contours, Aretha Franklin, Leon Russell, Chris Rainbow, Prince, Donny Hathaway
Soul much music....soul little time! Kal and I get up only to get down again! Kal waxes urban in his second Tune Tag foray, and FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE is down with it!🎵
‘Snow gettin’ away, Kal! Tag! You’re IT!
Tune Tag welcomes of Kalowski’s Substack for his T.T. encore!
“I have found much of my writing is steeped in nostalgia, memory and anecdote, but I don’t aim for that - I write organically, just see what emerges. So for the last couple of years, I have written about a range of artists, and I aim to continue to do that, weekly, at Friday 5pm (GMT) for as long as I can!”
Kal’s Tune Tag, Part 1 is here, from 11 months ago:
Last week, we were honoured to share FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE space with of Chris’s Shaped by Sound:
Next week, join us when we Tag Tunes with of Infrequency-FM!
Kal’s song #1 sent to Brad: The Contours, “Just A Little Misunderstanding,” 1966
Kal’s rationale: I thought I’d start with something personal: I was raised on soul music, and this was a favourite of my late mother’s. It always makes me think of her, but it also has a real Northern Soul beat that my dad would love.
And, that drum beat is played by a 15-year-old Stevie Wonder, who also wrote the song with Clarence Paul and Morris Broadnax. It’s a thrilling soul track with that incredible backing from The Funk Brothers - especially James Jamerson’s remarkable bassline - and fabulous vocals from Joseph Stubbs, brother of Levi Stubbs. The single appeared on Motown subsidiary, Gordy Records, produced by William Stevenson and Clarence Paul.
This same Motown-based songwriting trio of Wonder/Paul/Broadnax wrote “Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do),” first recorded by Wonder (produced by Clarence Paul) on April 4, 1967 (he was a month away from his 17th birthday), but unreleased at the time, and was picked up by Aretha Franklin for its first release in November 1973. It reached #3 in the U.S.
Motown was set to release Stevie’s around then, as well, but at the artist’s request, it got delayed four years, and appeared on a 1977 Wonder compilation, Looking Back. Here’s Stevie’s initial recording:
Brad’s song #1 sent to Kal: Aretha Franklin, “Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do),” 1973
Kal’s response: Undoubtedly the Queen of Soul! This was written by the same trio of Wonder, Paul and Broadnax, and produced by Jerry Wexler and Arif Mardin (who also arranged the strings and horns). A huge U.S. Top Ten hit for Aretha, it’s a slinky soul track. I think that once you know Stevie played a part in writing it, you can tell - it has his inflections all over it - but, of course Aretha makes it her own with those soaring vocals. The band is absolutely on fire here and like so many Aretha tracks, the backing vocals are just sublime.
Brad’s rationale: We’re matching Motown songs, and two songs written by the same trio (including Stevie Wonder). Here’s the Queen with Stevie accompanying, at The 10th Annual Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, July 9, 2005 (I believe I’m recognizing George Duke on the keys directly behind Lady “Re”!):
Kal’s song #2: Donny Hathaway, “A Song for You,” 1971
Brad’s response: A Stevie co-write to another smooth soulster on a Leon Russell song.
Kal’s rationale: Playing electric piano on the Aretha track, it seemed like a natural choice to pick a Donny Hathaway track. [👏] Donny was a superstar in his own right. This track, taken from his second album, 1971’s self-titled release, gives us Donny’s voice and piano accompanied subtly by his band and a swooping orchestra, with strings and woodwind parts arranged by Arif Mardin. His vocals are a real gospel treat adding to this track written by Leon Russell.
Brad’s song #2: Leon & Mary Russell, “Rainbow in Your Eyes,” 1976
Kal’s response: So, the Leon Russell link is pretty clear here. I love this kind of funky country music. Leon joins forces with his then wife, Mary, for one of those tracks that shows what country music sounds like when it is steeped in soul! It’s from their 1976 Wedding Album and it is full of joy. I don’t know the album too well, so it’s time for me to check it out!
Brad’s rationale: Leon wrote both “A Song for You” and “Rainbow in Your Eyes.”
Kal’s song #3: Sly & The Family Stone, “Stand!,” 1969
Brad’s response: Well, I’m not seeing anything that links Leon Russell with Sly Stone, or these songs! But, with Sly’s players, I see where I can go next!
Kal’s rationale: Mary Russell, as Mary McCreary, sang backing vocals with The Family Stone. I chose this track because I think it sums up the psychedelic soul of Sly to perfection. It’s cool funk: the band just burn things up! A perfect message from late ‘60s Sly: “Don’t you know that you are free…Well at least in your mind if you want to be.” Then we get that funky final minute! A repetitive funk mantra; what a way to end!
Brad’s song #3: Graham Central Station, “Your Love,” 1975
Kal’s response: Larry Graham and his bass guitar left The Family Stone in 1972, allegedly after a backstage fight with Sly that was so serious Larry had to sneak out of a window, and may even have considered hiring a hitman to take Sly out!! “Your Love” was the standout hit from Larry’s own band, Graham Central Station. It’s warm and gentle soul music, and Graham’s distinctive bass stays in the background, but if you listen carefully you can hear him working hard.
Here’s Graham Central Station (with Graham on bass) appearing with Prince at B.B. King’s/New York City on June 16, 2010, for Sly’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”:
Brad’s rationale: Sly’s bass player, Larry Graham, founded his Graham Central Station, and had a hit with “Your Love” in ‘75. The first few bars of “Your Love” seem (to these ears) to shadow Sly’s 1969 “Hot Fun in the Summertime” vibe just a hair.
Kal’s song #4: Prince, “The Rainbow Children,” 2001
Brad’s response: Prince knows and respects those who came before, on this, his 24th studio album: Larry Graham guesting, here, on bass.
Kal’s rationale: Larry Graham became a Jehovah’s Witness in the mid-70s, and he is considered to be the person who introduced Prince to the religion. According to CNN.com in 2016, “[Prince’s] relationship with fellow musician, Larry Graham, started Prince down the path to joining the Jehovah’s Witness faith. In 2001, Graham, the bassist for Sly and the Family Stone, began a two year religious discussion with Prince.”
In 2001, Prince turned this new belief into the jazz-influenced album, with Larry Graham on bass. It’s the jazziest thing he ever did (although the Madhouse stuff is close). Very hard to find on vinyl, but for any real Prince fan I think it is indispensable. The title track - all ten minutes of it - sets the soul jazz stall out clearly.
Click here for rare, narrated video peek into some of Prince’s treasured artifacts.
Brad’s song #4: Chris Rainbow, “Ring Ring,” 1979
Kal’s response: Like The Muppets, we have a🌈Rainbow Connection! I hadn’t heard of the artist or the song. I like it! A great example of that melodic ‘70s pop-rock done in such a professional way with lovely, warm vocals. A nice example of what we now call Yacht Rock from a surprising source: Chris Rainbow came from Glasgow, but seemed to produce music like he’d lived on the West Coast of the USA his whole life!
Brad’s rationale: As for “Rainbow Children,” I don’t know if Chris had any! Called by some (including Alan Parsons), “The One-Man Beach Boys,” this song uses the Brian Wilson production template almost…………..almost as well as the legend himself!
Written and produced by Rainbow (born Christopher James Harley), Chris Rainbow was a pseudonym used by Chris Harley (born November 18, 1946, in Glasgow, Scotland. He died in February 2015.
Between the time Kal and I actually played our Tune Tag in December, and its recent publication, I had the pleasure of collabbing on a Rainbow deep-dive with
of Musings of a Broken Record:
Merch Store items of the week…click here to see the dozen different items! Included: Tune Tag specialty candles in a variety of seasonal scents, and the Brad Ramone Spiral Notebook for your many household and office needs!👇
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Well well well… if this wasn’t just right up my musical street!
Where do I even begin?
The Stevie tag, via Aretha, was sublime. And seeing them perform on the same stage! I mean… who could ask for anything more? I love that Aretha album (I have most of Stevie’s and Aretha’s records on vinyl, but still far from completing the collection).
And then, as if all of the above wasn’t enough, Donny Hathaway! 😱 You guys are going to kill me… in the sweetest, most soulful kinda way!
“Giving Up” and “My Song” are my two favourite tracks from Donny’s self-titled record. What an amazing talent. Gone way too soon.
I also loved how you chose to finish off with Chris Rainbow! Interestingly, not the obvious choice, but it works so well… thematically and musically!
Long live Tune Tag!
Amazing work, fellas!
A ton of classic soul here. The Contours are one of the more underrated Motown groups; their one big hit, "Do You Love Me?", doesn't entirely reflect their range.