Post by Diamond Girl on Sept 1, 2006 18:42:03 GMT -5
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Profile: Shorty Long
Born: Frederick Earl Long May 20, 1940, Birmingham, AL
Died: June 29, 1969, Detroit, MI
Genres: Motown, Soul, R&B, Pop, Funk, Blues
Instruments: Piano, Organ, Drums, Harmonica, Trumpet
Contributions to music:
*Versatile in music styles and a gifted musician
*Recognized the Funk Revolution that was soon to emerge
*One of the funkiest singers to record at Motown Records
*Singer, songwriter, and record producer
Early years:
In Birmingham he worked as a DJ, toured with the Ink Spots, and gigged at a club called Old Stables. In 1959, Long moved to Detroit, caught the ear of Harvey Fuqua, and cut two singles for Fuqua's Tri-Phi label. "I'll Be Here," backed with "Bad Willie," came out in 1962; the follow-up, "Too Smart," released later in the year.
His first release Motown release (the first on the Soul subsidiary), "Devil With the Blue Dress On," was a slow bluesy grinder with a stinging solo guitar that accented the break. Long and William Stevenson wrote "Devil" and it had all the ingredients of a hit but, for some reason, didn't chart. His next release, "It's a Crying Shame," didn't chart either. Then came what should have been a million seller — Long's funky name-dropping soulful "Function at the Junction"; written by Shorty Long and Eddie Holland, the song had it all — funky beat, soulful singing, good lyrics, danceability, everything — yet, it only climbed to the number 97 position on the pop chart in 1966. His classic remake of the Big Bopper's "Chantilly Lace" received some spins but failed to impact, despite a cool spoken intro by Long and a rollicking honky tonk piano. His next release, "Night Fo' Last," went to number 75 on Billboard's Top 100, 22 slots better than "Function"; not as good, but a good effort.
Success:
It wasn't until 1968 before he had his first bona fide hit in the music business. "Here Comes the Judge," a funky record (all of Shorty Long's recordings are funky), had some nifty lyrics and a percolating, bubbling beat, and zoomed all the way to number eight on the charts. An excellent LP was released, which included his hits, should-have-been hits, and some new stuff like "Don't Mess With My Weekends" and "Here Comes Fat Albert."
Later years:
Sadly, just when it seemed Shorty Long was going to capitalize after nearly a decade of paying dues and have his talent recognized, he died in a boating accident on June 29, 1969, on the Detroit River.
***Other facts***
*He taught himself the piano at an early age
*His first release, 1964's "Devil With The Blue Dress" was the first recording issued on Motown's Soul label
*He is the only Motown solo artist who was allowed to produce his own recordings in the 1960s
*He acted as an MC for many of the Motortown Revue shows and tours
*Earl Van Dyke, Motown's session pianist, says Shorty used to come in and say, "Today we ain't playing nuthin' but funk, if you don't feel funky, take a drink of this," and then he'll reach in his coat and pull out a bottle of liquor.
*He was a talented, and yet, underrated legend in Soul/R&B music
***Discography:***
Singles
"I'll Be Here" (Tri-Phi, 1962)
"Bad Willie" (Tri-Phi, 1962)
"Too Smart" (Tri-Phi, 1962)
"Devil with a Blue Dress On" (Soul, 1964)
"It's a Crying Shame" (Soul, 1964)
"Function At The Junction" (Soul, 1966)
"Chantilly Lace" (Soul, 1967)
"Night Fo' Last" (Soul, 1968)
"I Had a Dream" (Soul, 1969)
"A Whiter Shade of Pale" (Soul, 1969)
First Hit:
"Function At The Junction" R&B#42, Pop#97
Top 10 hit
Pop & R&B
"Here Comes the Judge" (1968) R&B#4, Pop#8
Albums
Here Comes the Judge (Soul, 1968)
The Prime of Shorty Long (Soul, 1969) posthumously
Wrote or co-wrote
"Devil With The Blue Dress" "Function At The Junction" and "Here Comes The Judge"
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Song Choice Of the Month
Function at the Junction 
From the LP Here Comes the Judge 
Much respect to the one and only Shorty Long 
