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Revision as of 18:27, 2 September 2022 by ResolutionsPerMinute (talk | contribs) (→Marlena Shaw version: Update)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) This article is about the song by Ashford & Simpson. For the album by the Gerald Wilson Orchestra, see California Soul (album). | This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "California Soul" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| "California Soul" | |
|---|---|
| Single by The Messengers | |
| A-side | "Window Shopping" |
| Released | September 7, 1967 (1967-09-07) |
| Recorded | 1967 |
| Genre | Funk-soul |
| Label | Soul |
| Songwriter(s) | Ashford & Simpson |
| Producer(s) | Jeffrey Bowen |
"California Soul" is a funk-soul tune written by Ashford & Simpson, issued originally as the B-side of the Messengers' single "Window Shopping" in 1967 under the Motown group of labels. Nick Ashford then released his own version in June 1968 on Verve 10599. It was then issued as a single by American pop quintet the 5th Dimension in late 1968, and also covered by Motown vocal duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and by Marlena Shaw the following year. It was Gaye's and Terrell's last single together when released in early 1970.
Both the 5th Dimension's version and the Gaye-Terrell version were modest charted hits. The 5th Dimension's performed better, reaching number twenty-five on the pop singles chart. Marvin and Tammi's cover was the B-side of "The Onion Song". The duo's version of "California Soul" reached number fifty pop but never charted on the US R&B chart. The duet was released after Terrell's death from a brain tumor in March 1970. Shaw's version was only released as a track on her 1969 album The Spice of Life, but later became a staple of the UK rare groove scene.
Credits
The 5th Dimension version
- All vocals by The 5th Dimension: Billy Davis, Jr., Marilyn McCoo, Florence LaRue, Lamonte McLemore, and Ron Townson
- Written by Ashford & Simpson
- Produced by Bones Howe
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell version
- All vocals by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (contrary to misreports, Valerie Simpson denied ever subbing for Terrell)
- Written and produced by Ashford & Simpson
- Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
Edwin Starr version
- A version appears on the 1970 studio album War & Peace by Edwin Starr (Gordy Records)
Cash Box said that this version "glimmers with the special touch of a motor city arrangement and the vocal fuel ignited by this splendid team."
Certifications and sales
Marlena Shaw version
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI) Sales since 2004 |
Gold | 400,000 |
|
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- Record World Magazine July 27, 1968, page 166
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 222.
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 225.
- The Complete Motown Singles, Volume 9: 1969, Motown/Hip-O Select, 2008, p.109
- "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. April 11, 1970. p. 20. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
- "British single certifications – Marlena Shaw – California Soul". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
