Nolan Strong & The Diablos - "The Wind" (1954)

Nolan Strong & The Diablos were a Detroit-based R&B and doo-wop vocal group best known for its hit songs "The Wind" and "Mind Over Matter." The group was one of the most popular, pre-Motown, R&B acts in Detroit during the mid 1950s, through the early 1960s. Nolan Strong (1934–1977), the lead vocalist, had an ethereally high tenor. Strong's smooth voice, influenced mainly by Clyde McPhatter was, in turn, a primary influence on a young Smokey Robinson. The group, along with label-mates Andre Williams and Nathaniel Mayer, recorded for Fortune Records, a small label in Detroit starting in 1954, and ending somewhere around 1973. Strong has also been an influence on rock and roll bands. In December 2009 Lou Reed, of the influential '60s band The Velvet Underground, told Rolling Stone Magazine editor David Fricke, "If I could really sing, I’d be Nolan Strong" - during an interview at the New York Public Library. The Diablos were inducted into the United In Group Harmony Hall of Fame in 2003. In March 2008 the group was inducted into the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame of America. In 2007, The Metro Times listed "The Wind" at #11 in The 100 Greatest Detroit Songs list - which was the November 11th cover story. In September 2010 Daddy Rockin Strong: A Tribute to Nolan Strong & The Diablos LP was released by The Wind Records, with distribution by Norton Records. The album features 13 new Diablos covers by a cast of rock and roll, punk and garage rock bands. It features The Dirtbombs, Reigning Sound, Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby and Mark Sultan, among others. "The Wind" is a 1954 doo-wop classic by the pre-Motown Detroit R&B group Nolan Strong & The Diablos. The song appears originally on the group's second 45rpm single, "The Wind / Baby Be Mine," (Fortune Records #511) The song has a unique, reverb-heavy sound and is centered around the high ethereal lead tenor voice of the band's leader, Nolan Strong. In 2007, The Metro Times listed "The Wind" at #11 in The 100 Greatest Detroit Songs list - which was the November 11th cover story. "The Wind" was the group's only national hit, though most of the group's other hits were huge local successes in Detroit, including "Mind Over Matter" (Fortune #546, 1962), which went to #1 on local radio station play lists in 1962.

Stevie Wonder - "Isn't She Lovely" (1976)

"Isn't She Lovely?" is a song by Stevie Wonder, from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. In it he celebrates the birth of his daughter, Aisha. There are three verses, each ending with the phrase "isn't she lovely, made from love" (or "so very lovely..."). The song opens with the audio of a baby being born, and a lengthy outro featuring samples of Aisha playing with Wonder.


The song, musically constructed over a standardized circle-of-fifths, is considered an example of the fusion of fundamental jazz and pop elements. Although the song was very popular and has received much radio airplay, it did not chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 because Stevie Wonder would not allow it to be released as a 45 RPM single even though requested to do so by Motown.


Numerous other artists have performed "Isn't She Lovely". A cover version by vocalist David Parton was a UK top ten hit in 1977. The song was also covered by the punk rock band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on their album Take a Break. It was covered by the a cappella group The Idea of North on their album Evidence. Saxophonist Sonny Rollins included a cover of this song on his 1977 album Easy Living, rendered on soprano sax.[1] Jazz fusion artist Lee Ritenour also covered the song in his 1977 album, Captain Fingers. Frank Sinatra recorded the song in 1979. Urban jazz saxophonist Najee covered the song from his Stevie Wonder tribute album "Songs from the Key of Life."[2] Blues musician Keb' Mo' has also covered the song on his 2001 album Big Wide Grin. Another saxophonist, David Sanborn covered the song from his 2003 album "Time Again." Clay Aiken performs a cover on Scrubs at the end of the Season 4, Episode 17 episode My Life In Four Cameras . An instrumental version of the song was played after Michelle Obama's speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.[citation needed]
In 2011 the song was covered on the television series Glee by Artie with Sam, Finn, Puck and Mike backing him up in the episode Prom Queen.The song is directed towards Brittany in Home Economics class as an apology and a prom proposal.

Barret Strong - "Money That's What I Want" (1959)

"Money (That's What I Want)" is a 1959 hit single by Barrett Strong for the Tamla label, distributed nationally on Anna Records. The song was written by Tamla founder Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford, and became the first hit record for Gordy's Motown enterprise.


Anna Records was operated by Gwen Gordy, Anna Gordy and Billy 'Roquel' Davis. Gwen and Anna's brother Berry Gordy had just established his Tamla label (soon Motown would follow), and licensed the song to the Anna label in 1960, which was distributed nationwide by Chicago-based Chess Records in order to meet demand; the Tamla record was a resounding success in the Midwest. The song features Strong curtly demanding that money is what he needs, more than anything else. The single became Motown's first hit in June 1960, making it to #2 on the US R&B chart and #23 on the US pop chart. The song was listed as #288 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.


The song has been covered by a myriad of artists. I was introduced to this song in the early 1980s by the version from THE FLYING LIZARDS (1979):

The Supremes - "Stop! In The Name Of Love" (1965)

"Stop! In the Name of Love" is a 1965 number-one single recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label. Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Stop! In the Name of Love" held the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart from March 21, 1965 to April 3, 1965, and reached the number two position on the soul chart.


The Supremes' choreography for this song, with one hand on the hip and the other outstretched in a "stop" gesture, is equally legendary. Paul Williams and Melvin Franklin of "The Temptations" taught the girls the routine backstage in London, before the Supremes' first televised performance of the single on the Ready Steady Go! special "The Sound of Motown," hosted by Motown enthusiast Dusty Springfield.

The Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman

I am absolutely in love with this song. Now this is a throwback!

"Please Mr. Postman" is the debut single by The Marvelettes for the Tamla (Motown) label, notable as the first Motown song to reach the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart.

The single achieved this position in late 1961; it hit number one on the R&B chart as well. "Please Mr. Postman" became a number-one hit again in early 1975 when The Carpenters' cover of the song reached the top position of the Billboard Hot 100.