Norman Whitfield’s career merits a special mention. He has been credited as one of the creators of the Motown Sound and as an instrumental figure in the development of the late-1960s subgenre of psychedelic soul that became a powerful musical language during that period and established major recording across the world. He was a brilliant composer and record producer, one of the best to come out of Motown. He was born on May12th 1940 in Harlem, New York, and passed away on September 16th, 2008, in Los Angeles, at the age of 68.
He founded Whitfield Records in Los Angeles after his departure from Motown Records. He was known as the father of the “Psychedelic Funk” sound. Longer songs, a heavy bass line, distorted guitars, multi-tracked drums and inventive vocal arrangements became the trademarks of Norman’s production output, mainly with The Temptations. According to Dave Laing (Journalist for the Guardian Newspaper; Thursday 18th September 2008) Norman Whitfield’s first job at Motown Records, for which he got paid $15 a week, was to lend a critical ear to new recordings by Motown recording artists, a job he said “consisted of being totally honest about what records you were listening to”. He graded the tracks for Gordy’s regular staff meetings, where decisions were made on which songs should be released.
Norman Whitfield
Soon dissatisfied with quality control, Whitfield fought to be allowed to create records himself. This involved competing with such established figures as Smokey Robinson, but he got his first opportunities in 1964 with lesser Motown groups, co-writing and producing “Needle in a Haystack” by the Velvelettes and “Too Many Fish in the Sea” by the Marvelettes. These records brought him the chance to work with the Temptations, already one of Motown’s elite groups. After one of Robinson’s productions flopped, Whitfield took over for “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”, a number one R&B hit on Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles Chart week-ending 25th June 1966, (eight non-consecutive weeks) that was later recorded by the Rolling Stones.
For the next couple of years, he and Robinson shared production duties for the Temptations, until Whitfield became the group’s sole producer in 1968. This heralded a six-year run of scintillating records with the group, many written with Barrett Strong, whose 1960 hit “Money” was covered by the Beatles in 1963.
Whitfield developed the sound with the help of the Motown studio band “The Funk Brothers”, with the assistance of the legendary Paul Riser as conductor and strings and horns arranger. His innovative music production concentrated more on instrumentation and put less focus on vocals, which was a major departure from the Motown signature sound, the “Sound of Young America”, that made production and song-writing team Holland, Dozer and Holland famous. Norman Whitfield became the second record producer from Motown Records to produce a number one record on the UK Official Pop Singles Chart week-ending 26th March, 1969, (3 weeks) with the classic hit single “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” performed by Marvin Gaye.
Prior to Norman Whitfield’s departure from Motown Records, he produced and co-wrote with Barrett Strong the majority of The Temptations’ songs, during the first ten years of the label’s operation. Such songs as “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)”, “Ball of Confusion”, “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” and “I Can’t Get Next To You” all achieved platinum certification in America for selling over two million plus copies each. “Cloud Nine” won Motown Records its first Grammy Award, for Best R&B Vocal Group Performance of 1969. The Temptations’ recording projects produced by Whitfield featured the funky psychedelic sound which eventually created a large body of gold, platinum and multi-platinum certifications that still continue in the UK and America into the 21st Century, making The Temptations the most certified black male vocal group in music history.
This demonstrates the excellent production ability of Whitfield and the sound engineer at the time, the legendary Russ Terrana (a White engineer who was responsible for the sound engineering and mixing of over 89 number one records for Motown Records from the mid-1960s to early 1970s). The musical compositions of Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong reflected the social unrest and violent disturbances that took place across America’s inner cities after the death of Martin Luther King and also America’s involvement in the Vietnam War during the late 1960s. Musically they were totally in tune with the current events of that time.
“I Heard It Through the Grapevine”, in the version performed by the late Marvin Gaye, was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for its “historical, artistic and significant” quality. In 1986, two years after Gaye’s death, the song was re-released in the UK and peaked at number eight on the UK official Pop Singles Chart, thanks to a Levi’s commercial. The song also charted successfully in Germany, peaking at number five on the chart. The song also achieved chart success twice on the Irish Singles Chart, reaching number seven on its initial release in 1969 and peaking at number four on its 1986 re-release.
Norman Whitfield went on to have tremendous success with a film sound track called “Car Wash”, which was his first major project after leaving Motown Records. The Rose Royce album and single were certified gold and platinum by the RIAA (Record Industry Association of America). The single went on to reach number one on both the Billboard Pop and R&B single chart listings, whilst the album went to number 14 on the Billboard Pop album chart listings. The soundtrack won a Grammy award in 1977 for Album of Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special at the 19th Grammy Award Ceremony. The film cost less than $2 million to make and generated over $20 million at the box office. By the end of the 1970s, it is interesting to note that black soundtracks and films had generated over $100 million in estimated revenue, marketed mainly to black audiences.
Whitfield produced several gold and platinum records with Rose Royce while they were signed to his label, in the process generating millions in gross earnings between the USA and the UK. A single sampled version of “Car Wash” was released in 2004 from the soundtrack album entitled “Shark Tale”. The version was number 4 on the official UK Pop Chart in 2004 and achieved gold certification according to the BPI (British Phonograph Industry) for 100,000 copies sold in the UK. The soundtrack was also certified gold in Australia with 35,000 copies and New Zealand with 7,500 copies. The royalties earned by these recordings over the last ten years average approximately half a million dollars per year. This gives you an idea of the income potential of these creations and just how much the music industry benefited from Norman’s creative ability, which generated vast earnings across the globe through advertisements, film soundtracks and new recordings. The late Norman Whitfield was one of the top ten best record producers of the old school. His legendary and formidable brand shows every sign of impacting generations to come.
Both Norman Whitfield and Smokey Robinson helped The Temptations became one of most popular vocal groups of the 20th Century. The group has received over thirty RIAA certifications, including a multi-platinum certification for their 1996 release “The Temptations Greatest Hits.” Two more albums during the mid-1990s received platinum certification for the group, “All The Million-Sellers” and “The Temptations Give Love At Christmas.” They also collected platinum certifications for their singles “I Can’t Get Next To You”, recorded during the late 1960s and produced by Norman Whitfield, and “My Girl”, also recorded during the early 1960s and written and produced by Smokey Robinson. Both singles sold over two million copies each. According to the RIAA, The Temptations are now the second most certified group behind the Beatles. The Beatles have twenty four gold singles while the Temptations have sixteen gold singles to their credit.
In the 1980s, Whitfield went into semi-retirement, occasionally appearing at music industry functions. He returned to the spotlight in 2005 when he pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges. The case revealed that even in the late 1990s he had been earning more than $500,000 a year from royalties, as his songs were reissued, re-recorded and used in more than 50 film soundtracks. He was sentenced to six months in prison and fined $25,000, but was spared jail in favour of home detention on account of his failing health.
Norman Jesse Whitfield died on September 16th, 2008.
Here is a partial list of number one albums, co-produced or entirely produced by the late Norman Whitfield, released by Motown Records or his own label Whitfield Records:
Motown Records releases:
This album was number one on the Billboard Soul and R&B Albums Chart week-ending 2nd September, 1967 (one week). The album also featured the hit single “I Know I’m Losing You”, which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles Chart week-ending 24th December, 1966 (2 weeks).
This album was number one on the Billboard Soul and R&B Albums Chart week-ending 22nd June, 1968 (3 non-consecutive weeks). The single “I Wish It Would Rain” spent three weeks on the Billboard Rhythm & Blues Singles Chart in February and March 1968 and peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart. The single was the focal point of the Temptations’ number one 1968 album “The Temptations Wish It Would Rain”. “I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)” was the second single from the album, released on Motown Records‘ Gordy label during the spring of 1968. The single is notable as the final composition of lyricist Roger Penzabene, and as the final Temptations single to feature David Ruffin as lead singer. Both “I Could Never Love Another” and the previous Temptations release, “I Wish It Would Rain“, drew on Penzabene’s real-life heart break over learning that his wife had been unfaithful. Unable to handle the extreme pain and unable to leave his wife, he wrote the songs as personal statements to her, publicizing the pain she caused him. After both songs were completed and recorded, Penzabene committed suicide.
This album was number one on the Billboard Soul and R&B Albums Chart week-ending 28th April 1973 (2 weeks) and was gold-certified by the RIAA on the 12th October 1999.
The title refers to the album being not the group’s intended masterpiece but Norman Whitfield’s. Having already produced songs for the Temptations such as “Smiling Faces Sometimes” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” which emphasized instrumental tracks over the group’s vocals, Whitfield goes one step further here.
Whitfield Records releases:
Whitfield’s record company achieved several gold and platinum records with Rose Royce while they were signed to his label, generating millions in gross earnings between the USA and the UK. Whitfield produced first “In Full Bloom” (1977) and then “Strikes Again” (1978).
The first album features the legendary Jack Ashford, former member of The Funk Brothers, and Paul Riser who conducted string arrangements. Former Motown studio musicians Melvin “Wah Wah” Watson, Cornelius Grant and the legendary Gene Page on string arrangements (also famous for working with the late Barry White) are featured on the second studio album. The single “Love Don’t Live Anymore” from the second studio album achieved gold certification in the UK for over half a million copies sold on the 1st October 1978 and peaked at number two on the UK Official Pop Singles Chart week-ending 16th September 1978 (1 week). The album “In Full Bloom” also peaked at number one on the Billboard Soul and R&B Albums Chart week-ending 1st October 1977 (3 non-consecutive weeks). Further success was achieved by the band’s greatest hits album “Rose Royce Greatest Hits” which obtained platinum certification in the UK from the BPI and topped the Official UK Pop Albums Chart week-ending 1st March 1980 (2 weeks).
Whitfield was certainly one of the most prolific composers and producers to emerge out of the Motown musical workshop. He has impacted generations of people globally with his timeless sonic productions.
