I checked out Paligaps Heaven 17/Jimmy Ruffin thread and got inspired.

It seems that you alway hear about the role that the BLues played in influencing bands like THe Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Cream, etc. I think New wave, especially from across the pond, was just as influenced by Motown as its previous generation was by American BLues.This influence started showing up by the mid to late 80's:

ABC - When Smokey Sings
Japan - I Second that Emotion (cover)
Culture Club - Church of the Poison Mind

Are a few examples. Erasure, OMD, and Soft Cell also released songs that payed homage to the Motor City vibe, and made significant impacts on the charts.

So, what are your favorite new wave/synth-pop soul tunes from this era?

Lets Have em

I don't know if these guys are British,but this has got to be my favorite Motown-sounding New Wave 80s track:


"Just Got Lucky" by Jo Boxers (1983)

http://www.youtube.com/wa...-kfmuGHtxo


Damn,this song drives me CRAZY!! One of the most infectious songs you'll ever hear.Just TRY to get that chorus outta your head!

Cinnie said:

yessir!

SoulAlive said:

Forgot about this one!
co-

unkemptpueblo said:

I can't believe this wasn't a bigger hit back in 1983.It's one of the best songs of that year!

Cinnie said:

...with backing vocals from Paul Young and Elvis Costello.

Cinnie said:

Ah yes! How can we forget my Mod heroes, The Jam?

Yes, a lot of the New Wave groups really dug the Motown sound. Hell, the British in general love it, from the Metalheads to Amy Wino.

I thought of some other ones:

Has anyone heard Soft Cell's cover of "Where Did Our Love Go"? I believe Adam Ant covered this too on that Motown 25 special, strangely enough.
Or The Pretenders cover of "Thin Line Between Love and Hate"?
Check out The Slits cover of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine".
And dig the Dexy's Midnight Runners cover of "Respect" as well as their own tribute with "Jackie Wilson Said".
Or have you heard Roxy Music's cover of "In The Midnight Hour"?
Or what about The English Beat's cover of "Tears of a Clown"?
Don't forget the spinoff group, General Public, with their hit, "Tenderness".
Better yet, listen to the Fine Young Cannibals first album. That has the Motown sound all over it.


What about "Hitsville UK" bu The Clash?
Or "Freedom" by Wham?
Or "Asylums in Jerusalem" and "A Slow Soul" by Scritti Politti?
Or "High Fidelity", "Love For Tender", and "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down" by Elvis Costello?
"Mirror Man" by the Human League definitely has a Motown feel to it.
And check out "A Solid Bond In Your Heart" by the Jam spinoff group, Style Council.

That's all I got so far.

NWF said:

wow. spot on.

I always thought that some of the music that Johnny Marr wrote for THe Smiths had a Motown feel to it as well.

unkemptpueblo said:

Um, I don't know aout that. Maybe with "This Charming Man". But since Johnny was inspired more by Phil Spector and the Brill Building's hit-making machines, he was more inclined towards crafted pop sounds rather than soul sounds. But that's not to say that he didn't dig Motown, cuz he probably did.

I just don't really hear that too much when I listen to The Smiths. Or in Morrissey's music for that matter. I love them to death, but I can see that Moz ain't really inspired by Black music too much.

But that's another topic, so I'm gonna walk away from that now.

NWF said:

i feel ya. But I hear the influnce in some of Morrisseys phrasings, an occassional guitar lick here and there, the way some of their earlier stuff had that hollow snare/sparse sound to it. Of course I cant think of a single specific example right now to illustrate my point, but I will .

As for Moz not being inspired by Black Music, I recall the stir caused by the " hang the dj" line from Panic. And yeah, thats another thread