It is one of the sad realities of life that many
talented people in our world never receive the
recognition and appreciation they deserve. This
is particularly true in the entertainment arena,
where those hardworking, creative souls who work
‘behind the scenes’ rarely merit a mention
publicly, and hardly ever receive a single ray
of spotlight, whether it be media, movies or
music.
The musicians at Motown’s famed ‘Hitsville USA’
studio in Detroit toiled in almost complete
anonymity for decades between the late 1950s and
the 1970s to produce the unique ‘sound’ that
earned the company millions and made superstars
of many of the artists. In recent years the few
surviving members have received belated
accolades and appreciation in the form of a
feature film and international tours. It’s a
measure of their incredible talent that the
performance footage featured in the film
perfectly captured the magic they created all
those years ago. And their ‘live’ performances
received overwhelming praise around the world.
Yet there was a massive gap in the proceedings –
a huge void – a deep chasm of omission that
leaves the tribute unrequited, imperfect and
incomplete. Even those with a tin ear will have
noticed the growling baritone saxophone that
augments the drum and bass driven arrangements
that dominate Motown recordings. It was unusual
for a single saxophone to be such an integral
part of the rhythm section and to feature so
prominently in the mix – but it became part of
the signature sound of much of Motown’s earlier
output, and no one wanted to change a winning
formula.
And, in most cases, it is the same instrument
that screams out the obligatory solo mid way
through the songs too. Many 1960s records by the
likes of Four Tops, Supremes, Miracles,
Temptations, Junior Walker, Marvin Gaye et al
simply wouldn’t possess the same excitement
without Andrew ‘Mike’ Terry’s invaluable,
distinctive contribution.
To chronicle a group as important and
significant as the ‘Funk Brothers’, either in
word or picture, and not include Mike Terry is a
bit like producing the history of James Bond and
leaving out Sean Connery. Wouldn’t happen.
Like the rest of the Motown session musicians,
he also played on countless independent
productions around the city for the myriad of
small companies that attempted to emulate Berry
Gordy’s success. It was here, removed from the
constraints of only being able to play his sax
on sessions, that Mike Terry established himself
as a renowned arranger, producer and, with
fellow ‘Funk Brother’ Jack Ashford, a songwriter
of high regard.
His introduction into the Detroit music scene,
in the late 1950s, coincided with the
establishment of a hit making formula that would
eventually seduce and enrapture the whole world.
The role he played helped to give Detroit music
a unicity that was often copied, but never
accurately replicated. And the sheer volume of
works to which he contributed is a testament to
his tireless tenacity and tremendous talent.
music: "This
Old Heart Of Mine" - The Isley brothers (Tamla
54128)
[soundbyte
displays Mike Terry's bari sax]
Continued
