B

Starr, Edwin

Band members Related acts

- Edwin Starr (aka Charles Hatcher) (RIP 2003) -- vocals

- The Metrotones (Edwin Starr)

- Edwin Starr and Blinky

Genre: soul

Rating: 4 stars ****

Title: 25 Miles

Company: Gordy

Catalog: GS940

Year: 1969

Country/State: Nashville, Tennessee

Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+

Comments: --

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 5751

Price: $25.00

If you've ever heard 1969's "25 Miles" you have to wonder why Motown didn't make more of an effort on Edwin Starr's behalf. The man had looks, plenty of charisma, was a good writer, and a fantastic voice - easily as good as any of his Motown contemporaries. Interestingly, Starr's first real LP for Motown (the previous label debut "Soul Master" was little more than a compilation of earlier singles), probably went a long way to explaining why he didn't achieve mega success under Motown's umbrella. Compared to most of the Motown roster, exemplified by tracks like '' and '' Starr had a far tougher sound. Mind you, this was still highly commercial soul, with virtually every one of the twelve tracks exhibiting a hook that would have sounded great on top-40 radio. Still, the album didn't sound like anything coming off the late-1960s Motown product line. That's probably explained by the fact Starr wasn't originally signed to Motown - Berry Gordy Jr. acquired Starr's contract when he bought up the small Detroit Ric-Tic label.

- Kicked along by Starr's growling, lust driven vocal the title track was one of the best singles Motown ever released. Always loved the countdown ... This is the song David Ruffin was always looking for. Shame it isn't as well known as 'War'.

- Beating Marvin Gaye to the social commentary party, 'I'm Still a Struggling Man' started out sounding like a slick and sophisticated ballad until it hit the killer chorus. Yeah, Starr sounded a little uncomfortable in the key, but he made up for it with that hook.

- Motown magic ... that's really the only way to describe 'Backyard Lovin' Man'. How is it this one wasn't a major hit? Great tune, pounding rhythm section, and one of Starr's instantly memorable performances. Great, great, great !

- Maybe because he sounded like he sounded like he was straining, 'He Who Picks a Rose' lacked the same appeal to my ears as much of the album. Motown slapped this one on the 'B' side of 'War'.

- 'Soul City (Open Your Arms To Me)' certainly had commercial potential, though it also sounded kind of contrived. Not bad, but once again Starr sounded a little uncomfortable being forced into such a commercial box.

- 'Beat Me To the Punch' was the track that came closest to framing Starr in that instantly recognizable Motown sound. His up tempo cover was certainly pleasant, but added little to the Mary Well's original.

- Side two started with what was the best ballad on the album. It probably sounds kind of weird, but to my ears Starr's performance on 'Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love' has always reminded me of Sam Cooke.

- Starr's gruff and growling voice was wasted on a fluffy pop number like 'Pretty Little Angel'. Shame since the song was actually kind of nice - great drum break.

- The first couple of times I heard it 'If My Heard Could Tell The Story' didn't really catchy my attention. The song sounded a little to MOR for my ears; another attempt by Motown to kiss up to the suburban audience. Still not my favorite track, but it's grown on me over the years. Probably would have sounded better if Smokey and the Miracles had done it.

- Returning to a pounding soul rhythm 'Who Cares If You're Happy Or Not (I Do)' found Starr back in prime form. Always liked the twangy guitar solo.

- Another album highlight, the Starr-penned '24 Hours To Find My Baby' probably would have been a good choice for a follow on single, though Motown may have been considered the song title and structure was a little too close to the title track.

- The closer 'Mighty Good Lovin'' found Starr embracing a more typical Motown sound. Unfortunately the results again sounded strained and not particularly impressive.

- Motown tapped the album for a pair of singles:

- 1969's '25 Miles' b/w 'Love Is My Destination' (Gordy catalog number G-7083)

- 1969's 'I'm Still a Struggling Man' b/w 'Pretty Little Angel' (Gordy catalog number G-7087)

Dutch picture sleeve

Tamala Motown catalog 25.937

Just remember, Motown's failures shouldn't stop you from discovering the man on your own. A true overlooked Motown classic that you can still pick up for a reasonable price.

"25 Miles" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Twenty-Five Miles (Edwin Starr - Johnny Bristol - Harvey Fuqua) - 2:59

2.) I'm Still a Struggling Man (D. McNeil - Johnny Bristol) - 2:25

3.) Backyard Lovin' Man (D. Richards - B. Dean) - 2:28

4.) He Who Picks a Rose (Norman Whitfield - E. Smiley - Eddie Holland) - 2:28

5.) Soul City (Open Your Arms To Me) - 2:39

6.) You Beat Me To the Punch (R. White - Smokey Robinson) - 2:31

(side 2)
1.) Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love (Norman Whitfield - Barrett Strong) - 2:48

2.) Pretty Little Angel (Clarence Paul - Stevie Wonder - M. Valvano) - 2:15

3.) If My Heard Could Tell The Story (J. Dean - William Weatherspoon) - 2:28

4.) Who Cares If You're Happy Or Not (I Do) (J. Dean - William Weatherspoon - J. Holland) - 2:46

5.) 24 Hours To Find My Baby (Edwin Starr) - 2:40

6.) Mighty Good Lovin' (Williams Stevenson) - 2:44

Genre: soul

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title: War & Peace

Company: Gordy

Catalog: GS948

Year: 1970

Country/State: Nashville, Tennessee

Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+

Comments: --

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 5745

Price: $35.00

A couple of years ago I was dumbfounded to discover that my high school kid knew the song 'War'. The irony was that he knew the Bruce Springsteen version, but had never heard the Edwin Starr version (let alone The Temptations' original). Talk about the collapse of American culture. How can that be, Obviously I've failed my parental duties on the cultural sensitivity front. The younger son will know and appreciate both The Temptations and Edwin Starr versions and yes it's okay if he likes the Springsteen version better.

All hyperbole aside, Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong wrote what may be the classic anti-war song with 'War'. The Temptations originally recorded the track as part of 1968's "Psychedelic Shack". Their version showcased Dennis Edwards and Paul Williams (Melvin Franklin handling the bass). Slower and less strident than Starr's take, The Temptations version was quite good and radio stations demanded it be released as a single. Motown management was apparently wary of releasing it as a Temptations single for fear of alienating middle-of-the-road audiences. At the same time the company realized the song had immense commercial potential, eventually agreeing to let Starr recorded it. The combination of a great lyric, killer melody, irresistible hook and Starr's take-no-prisoners delivery made for a song that you just couldn't get out of your head once you hear it. Released as a single b/w 'He Who Picks a Rose' (Gordy catalog number G-7101 ) the song topped the pop charts for almost a month and hit # 4 on the R&B charts, earning Starr a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal.

And that's part of the problem with the parent album, 1970's "War & Peace". The leadoff single was so impressive, that no matter how good, everything else on the set was bound to pale in comparison. It shows in the reviews you'll find in most places which routine label the rest of the album as little more than throwaway filler. I'm here to argue that the album's far better than those reviews give it credit for. Starr was in prime form throughout the collection making you wonder who in their right mind would label him a second stringer.

- Enough said about 'War' - my vote for the best anti-war song ever written. By the way, The Undisputed Truth provided backing vocals and I'm guessing that the screaming lead guitar was Dennis Coffey.

- Sure it wasn't the most original song on the album, but 'Running Back and Forth' had considerable commercial potential and on another album would have been a candidate for release as a single.

- Motown seldom tapped into Latin genres, but 'Adios Senorita' was a welcomed exception. Starr seldom sounded as anxious or excited. Fantastic song and should've been a massive hit.

- 'All Around the World' was a little different from your standard Motown effort in that kicked along by a nifty little guitar figure it featured a surprising taunt rock feel. It also had a short synthesizer segment that always brings a smile to my face. How can you not like a song that includes the line 'grits and groceries ain't poetry'? My choice for the second best song on the album. A great choice for a jukebox !!!

- One of the few disappointments on the album, 'I Can't Escape Your Memory' was a bland ballad that sounded like a Temptations outtake. Starr even employed the same pleading vocal style The Temps were using at the time.

- 'Last I Found a Love' found Starr returning to a more traditional Motown sound. It took a moment for the song to kick into gear, but when the chorus and the horns hit this one became a keeper. It was also interesting to hear Starr singing in a low gear for a change. The man was just as good on cruise control as when he was really pushing it.

- With kind of an old school feel, 'I Just Wanted To Cry' sounded like it was recorded earlier in Starr's career. It may have been old school, but it was a nice driving mid tempo number with a great give-and-take between Starr and the backing chorus..

- Yech. Why would any Motown artist want to cover a MOR piece of dreck like 'Raindrops Keep Dropping On My Head'?

- Clearly reflecting producer Whitfield's influence, 'Time' had that instantly recognizable psychedelic-soul feel. It actually sounded like something The Temptations might have recorded for one of their Whitefield collaborations and was released as a single (see below).

- 'California Soul' was one of the better songs that Ashford and Simpson wrote, but here Starr reduced it to kind of a cocktail jazzy vibe. It was probably pretty cool at the time (like avocado kitchen appliances and shag carpet), but today it comes off as fairly lame.

- Starr normally stayed away from higher register performances. He clearly wasn't as comfortable in those upper ranges, but still managed to turn in a credible performance on the up tempo 'I Can't Replace My Old Love'.

- The first couple of times I heard the closing ballad 'She Should Have Been Home' didn't make any impression on me. The song certainly wasn't helped by needless and overly slick orchestration, but under that syrupy sheen there was a cool song with a nice vocal from Starr.

Bouncing between the Whitfield influenced numbers and the old school tracks this wasn't Starr's most consistent release, but it had more than enough treasures to warrant tracking down a copy.

There was actually a pre-'War' single from the album:

- 'Time' b/w 'Running Back and Forth' (Gordy catalog number G-7097)

"War & Peace" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) War (Norman Whitfield - Barrett Strong) - 3:12

2.) Running Back and Forth (Edwin Starr - R. Wylie) - 2:50

3.) Adios Senorita (Sylvia Moy - Henry Cosby) - 2:31

4.) All Around the World (T. Turner) - 2:56

5.) I Can't Escape Your Memory (Ivy Joe Hunter - J. Goga) - 2:58

6.) Last I Found a Love (Marvin Gaye - Anna Gaye - E. Stover) - 2:52

(side 2)
1.) I Just Wanted To Cry (Edwin Starr - Johnny Bristol) - 2:59

2.) Raindrops Keep Dropping On My Head (Burt Bacharach - Hal David) - 3:15

3.) Time (Edwin Starr - R. Wylie) - 2:54

4.) California Soul (Nicolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 3:50

5.) I Can't Replace My Old Love (Harvey Fuqua - A. Scott - V. Williams) - 4:10

6.) She Should Have Been Home (Johnny Bristol - D. McNeil) - 2:59

YouTube has a couple of clips showcasing Starr singing material from the LP:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv5BYEOQYLo

This one's taken from Jools Holland's English television program

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-IEsZOyYOg

'Time' is taken from a 2003 concert in Stuttgart, Germany.

Genre: soul

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title: Free To Be Myself

Company: Granite

Catalog: GS-1005

Year: 1975

Country/State: Nashville, Tennessee

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: small cut out hole top left corner, small tear on cover

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 5053

Price: $25.00

By 1974 Edwin Starr's long-standing relationship with Motown had begun to fray. Things rapidly deteriorated following the release of Starr's soundtrack album for the film "Hell Up In Harlem". Unhappy with the company's lackadaisical support for the album, Starr and his longstanding label parted ways.

Signed by the small Hollywood-based Granite Records label, Starr promptly reappeared with 1975's self-produced "Free To Be Myself". Showcasing ten Starr-penned tracks, the album underscored the fact Starr remained an extremely talented writer and performer. With support from the band The Dynamic Concept and backing vocals from the trio Splenduer, the album proved surprisingly impressive if not exactly cutting edge in terms of popular tastes. While 'Toys' and 'Party' (which was actually pretty funny) gave brief nods to popular disco trends, for the most part Starr was smart enough to focus on his strengths. Material like the 'Drunk Annie', the horn-propelled 'Rainbow' (which would have made a nice single) and the funky 'Pain' showcased classic old-school moves that were every bit as good as his Motown catalog. Highlights included the hysterical swam-funk number 'Abyssinia Jones' (love Starr's response to the backing singer chanting "15 and 18 is 33"), the bluesy ballad 'Best of My Past' and the Latin-flavored 'Beginning'. Granite's distribution capabilities were apparently pretty limited and as a result the album is well known. Shame since it's quite good.

Elsewhere Granite tapped the album for three singles: