Two Legends

Over the weekend, the music world lost two of its most influential figures - Tom Verlaine, the singer/guitarist who fronted the band Television, died on Saturday at the age of 73. Then yesterday, Barrett Strong, a pivotal figure in the history of Motown Records, died at the age of 81.

Verlaine’s work with Television was iconic - especially their landmark, debut album that came out in 1977. Hailed as a punk rock legend, it became the blueprint for band after band in the late 1970s, 1980s and beyond. But his guitar playing and songwriting wasn’t the punk that you’d automatically think of…This was guitar playing that was complex and innovative. It was John Coltrane - taking risks with music. It was jazz without being labeled that way. Verlaine not only worked with Television, but played with Patti Smith as well.

Listen closely to Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, R.E.M. and you’ll hear the influence of Verlaine and Television. The praise that came in via social media was tremendous - from Patti Smith herself to Michael Stipe, Vernon Reid (of Living Colour) and so many more.

Strong was just 18-years old when he hooked up with Motown’s Barry Gordy. He sang the label’s first major hit, “Money (That’s What I Want)” in 1959. The song was a spin-off of “What’d I’d Say” by Ray Charles. Strong felt the groove spin off of that track.

He went on to co-write classic songs like “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”, “War” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” while teaming up with super producer Norman Whitfield.

He stated that while he was thrilled to have a major hit song, he enjoyed the behind-the-scenes more so. He enjoyed the creative aspects of putting songs together and tinkering in the studio. By the 1970s, Strong and Whitfield pushed Motown towards more experimental sounds, notably on the psychedelic soul classics “Cloud Nine” and “Psychedelic Shack” both by The Temptations.

I found two great quotes from Verlaine and Strong:

Verlaine: “You can’t get so interested in just making sounds. The point of it all is some kind of expression.”

Strong: “I made people smile. I made people have babies. I made people do a lot of things. So I contributed something to my being here.”