Motor Booty

November 12, 2010 6:58 AM

Detroit's Greatest Hits (That Should Have Been) Here we've compiled our very own Top 40 list of Detroit songs or albums that were overlooked or undervalued — which naturally includes, to a lesser extent, the overlooked or undervalued artists who created them. These are songs that not only give up the goose bumps, or teach us something that we didn't already know, but records that hook us and make us want to share them.
posted by louche mustachio (29 comments total)

Great list, if the few I know are any indication. As I scrolled down, I kept hoping to see Rodriguez's Cold Fact. So, here's a number 41.
posted by bendybendy at 7:24 AM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

Holy crap, how have I never heard of Thornetta Davis before? Thanks!
posted by shinybaum at 7:26 AM on November 12, 2010

Trash brats fuck ya
posted by The Whelk at 7:27 AM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm glad they included my faves, the Rationals, who had a regional hit with Otis Redding's "Respect" -- a rendition that might well have become the definitive cover of the song had not Aretha Franklin come along some time later and blown all other contenders out of the water. The Rationals were a tight little outfit that might have become the Small Faces of America, had America been a little friendlier to somewhat late-to-the-party mod groups.
posted by Faze at 7:28 AM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

Needs more Grand Poobahs
posted by empath at 7:31 AM on November 12, 2010 [2 favorites]

20. Sonic's Rendezvous Band
"City Slang"

My favorite.
posted by Sailormom at 7:39 AM on November 12, 2010

Yay Black Merda! Fucking awesome band.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 7:46 AM on November 12, 2010

Hah, Cybotron and Sharevari near the top of the list, excellent. Cybotron's Clear was the basis for Missy Elliott's Lose Control, and Cybotron member Juan Atkins (as Channel One) did Technicolor which is the basis for Sir Mix-a-lot's Baby Got Back.
posted by mkb at 8:09 AM on November 12, 2010

Sweet, they managed not to overlook Death and the Rationals!
posted by brand-gnu at 8:34 AM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

oh shit just listend to sandwiches by grand poobahs now stuck in k hole
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 9:06 AM on November 12, 2010

Man, what a great post. Thanks. There are loads of stuff on here that I've never heard of. I just wish there was more representation of the multifarious Juan Atkins/Kevin Saunderson/Carl Craig entities.
posted by blucevalo at 9:06 AM on November 12, 2010

Mitch Ryder and Detroit's "Rock 'n" Roll"!

I have not heard that song in at least 30 years.

Yes!
posted by imjustsaying at 9:46 AM on November 12, 2010

What? No Goober and the Peas? At least give cowpunk a shout.

Jack White used to be their drummer long long ago.

Videos:
Hot Women (Cold Beer)
Loose Lips

I highly recommend the album "The Jet-Age Genius of.." from 1995. Really defies easy categorization. All good-times fun. It's an assortment of songs in varies styles, but it works. I wish I could have saw them live, I hear their shows were fantastic. According to Wikipedia, they're getting back together, so I hope to hear some new great stuff from them.
posted by chambers at 9:54 AM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

What, no DJ Assault? But seriously folks, I'm glad Wendell Harrison at least got his name in there.
posted by drowsy at 10:01 AM on November 12, 2010

Great list, but no Dirtbombs? Shocking!!!!

Cover of Chains Of Love
posted by lumpenprole at 10:45 AM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm gonna show you something tonight that you ain't never seen before,
It's called the Cool Off
posted by PeterMcDermott at 10:57 AM on November 12, 2010 [2 favorites]

Oh awesome! I know the drummer on their number one choice--Leonard King was one of the music instructors at a creative arts camp I went to in Detroit when I was a kid, and he's a friend of the family. He's a really cool guy. I'll have to make sure my parents see this list.
posted by Tesseractive at 10:58 AM on November 12, 2010

In order to read that article, I broke the boycott of Metro Times that I started when they gave my band a lukewarm review in about 1989. And, as expected, my band is not on the list. Resume boycott.
posted by The World Famous at 11:10 AM on November 12, 2010

TheWhiteSkull: "oh shit just listend to sandwiches by grand poobahs now stuck in k hole."

Sounds like you need to visit the Doctor. Doctor Bootygrabber's my name. Or you can call me by my full name which is Ernest Freaky Bootygrabber. I don't know you well enough for you to call me Ernest.
posted by mkb at 11:24 AM on November 12, 2010

what, no Spike Drivers?
posted by scruss at 12:19 PM on November 12, 2010

awesome. thank you so much.
posted by mrgrimm at 2:25 PM on November 12, 2010

Very interesting. I didn't know SRC and J Dilla were from Detroit (or Rodriguez, for that matter). A few things I was surprised not to see - The Up, Gravitar, maybe The Witches - but I won't quibble. Thanks!
posted by stinkycheese at 4:31 PM on November 12, 2010

Gravitar are from Ann Arbour, but, you know.
posted by stinkycheese at 4:32 PM on November 12, 2010

This clip from Detroit's answer to Soul Train, The Scene, is what first got me into Sharevari.
posted by cloeburner at 4:40 PM on November 12, 2010

Chambers, whoa, I haven't listened to Goober and the Peas in ages. According to some of the comments on your first link, they played a show earlier this year.

The singer is in Blanche, a band I have never heard before but am enjoying quite a bit.

Like any list, there are oversights and omissions, but I'm so happy that people are posting links to their own favorites. So, so much great music. Feel free to post moar.

Tesseractive, I lovelovelove their first choice. I've been hunting down Lyman Woodard Association tracks all day. LOVE. Tell them I love them.
posted by louche mustachio at 5:59 PM on November 12, 2010

(Lyman Woodard Organization, I mean. I've been looking at the name so long it disappeared)
posted by louche mustachio at 6:00 PM on November 12, 2010

I'm so glad that you shared this. Lots of music lists are just crap, designed for acolytes to bicker. But this is one of those rare and wonderful ones that actually has served to raise the profile of some stuff that I didn't already know about. I'm enjoying most of what I'm hearing about here, and I'm hearing a fair amount of it for the first time.
posted by .kobayashi. at 5:34 AM on November 13, 2010

Oh man, I love watching videos from The Scene and The New Dance Show.
posted by mkb at 3:16 PM on November 13, 2010

Hey Binary Star!
The album that track is from is great, its a shame they never got more recognition.
posted by lkc at 7:00 PM on November 14, 2010