The Pop Corporation

It really is hard to imagine the shape of pop and soul music without Barrett Strong. While he may not have been the household name that many of his peers were, where would popular music be without his hugely influential and soulful powerhouse that is ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’?

There’s more too – he was one of Motown’s founding artists and most talented songwriters, and formed a songwriting partnership with Norman Whitfield, to give us ‘Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone’, ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’, ‘War’, ‘Cloud Nine’, ‘Wherever I Lay My Hat’, ‘Ball Of Confusion’, and the perfect psychedelic soul of ‘Smiling Faces Sometimes’.

From popcorn and R&B, to psychedelic soul, Barrett was one of the key figures in shaping soul music. Berry Gordy said in a statement: “Barrett was not only a great singer and piano player, but he, along with his writing partner Norman Whitfield, created an incredible body of work.”

He was only 20 years old when he cut ‘Money’, which of course was covered by just about every artist under the sun, most notably The Beatles (and the Flying Lizards too). It was Motown’s first major hit which paved the way for all the successes that followed. He never managed to replicate the success of ‘Money’ for himself, but that’s not to say there weren’t great records under his name. ‘Misery’ is a superb slice of soul for the heads.

The Whitfield-Strong is where he cemented his legend, writing more topical hits as a response to the notion that Motown was perhaps repetitive and not reflecting the social unrest of the US in the ’60s and ’70s. In more reflective mood, he helped to write the utterly gorgeous ‘Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)’ and before heading into more direct messaging – how utterly timeless it is to create “WAR! WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? ABSOLUTELY NUTHIN’! SAY IT AGAIN!“

Back to his first hit, again, with a keen eye for a direct zinger, there’s not many greater opening lines in pop music than; “the best things in life are free/But you can give them to the birds and bees – I need money.”

Once, Strong said “songs outlive people”, and while that may be true, we remember today, one of the greatest to ever do it who perhaps doesn’t get his dues.

Let’s sign off with the biggie and give him his dues right now.