Sneaking out the back door to hang out with those hoodlum friends of mine

Fact of the Week

“I Wish”, Stevie Wonder, (1976)

When it has been a tough week it is nice to listen to something that lifts you up, takes you back to a happier time. An innocent or not so innocent time as the case may be, but somewhere where you don’t have the pressures of your everyday life...

At the age of 11, “Little” Stevie Wonder was signed to the Motown label and a lifetime later is still there.  Born 6 weeks early, retinal detachment rendered him blind. There was nothing wrong with his ears.

I've got so much honey the bees envy me. I've got a sweeter song than the birds in the trees.

Songs Everyone Should Know

“My Girl” The Temptations (1965)

The would-be boxer, Berry Gordy could be stubborn, ignorant, and rude but he set out to set the world on fire by making hit records one hit at a time - and that is what he did, very, very well. 

Berry first met William ‘Smokey’ Robinson in 1959. Smokey was impressed that Berry had written songs for Jackie Wilson. Berry asked him who wrote their groups’ songs, which was at the time called the ‘Matadors’. Smokey said “I do” and pulled out a school notebook full of pencilled lyrics. By the time they were done that day, Smokey had sung every song in his note book to Berry – some one hundred songs. Barry knew Smokey could write catchy pop tunes and over the next few years he helped him hone his craft.  Of course Smokey Robinson and the Miracles themselves spun out a few huge hits with songs like: ‘Shop Around’, ‘Ooh Baby Baby’, and ‘Tears of a Clown’.