Here Comes the Judge | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1968 | |||
Genre | Rhythm and blues | |||
Length | 31:43 | |||
Language | English | |||
Label | Soul | |||
Shorty Long chronology | ||||
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Here Comes the Judge is the 1968 debut studio album by American rhythm and blues singer Shorty Long, released on Motown subsidiaries Soul Records and Tamla Motown. After recording several singles for Motown, Long had an unexpected hit with the title track to this release and the label rushed out a full album, [1] compiling several songs already released as singles as well as new recordings. [2] That year, Long toured with a stable of Motown acts including The Contours, The Marvelettes, and The Spinners to promote the album, [3] which was the only one released in Long's lifetime.
After the mid-year success of "Here Comes the Judge", editors at Billboard recommended this release to retailers as a "new action LP". [4] Editors at AllMusic Guide scored this album four out of five stars with critic Andrew Hamilton praising several tracks, but opining "as good as this is, it would have been better if they had included his two Tri-Phi sides and his two earlier soul/Motown recordings". [1]
The Spinners are an American rhythm and blues vocal group that formed in Ferndale, Michigan in 1954. They enjoyed a string of hit singles and albums during the 1960s and 1970s, particularly with producer Thom Bell. The group continues to tour, without any original members, after Henry Fambrough retired in 2023.
Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers were a Canadian soul band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The group recorded for the Gordy Records division of Motown Records in 1968, where they had a top 30 hit single, "Does Your Mama Know About Me". As a producer and solo artist, Bobby Taylor contributed to several other soul recordings, both inside and outside of Motown. Taylor is most notable for discovering and mentoring The Jackson 5. Tommy Chong was a member of Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers before he became famous as a comedian.
"Reach Out I'll Be There" (also formatted as "Reach Out (I'll Be There)") is a song recorded by the Four Tops from their fourth studio album Reach Out (1967). Written and produced by Motown's main production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song is one of the most widely-known Motown hits of the 1960s and is today considered the Four Tops' signature song.
"I Want You" is a song written by songwriters Leon Ware and Arthur "T-Boy" Ross and performed by singer Marvin Gaye. It was released as a single in 1976 on his fourteenth studio album of the same name on the Tamla label. The song introduced a change in musical styles for Gaye, who before then had been recording songs with a funk edge. Songs such as this gave him a disco audience thanks to Ware, who produced the song alongside Gaye.
Frederick Earl "Shorty" Long was an American soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer for Motown's Soul Records imprint. He was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1980.
Greetings! We're The Monitors is the debut album by The Monitors, released in 1968.
"Shake Me, Wake Me " is a song recorded by the American quartet Four Tops for their third studio album, On Top (1966). It was released in February 1966 as a 7" vinyl single through Motown records. It was written and produced by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland. A gospel rock track, its lyrics detail a relationship that has ended. It has since been regarded as one of Four Tops' most successful singles ever. It charted moderately well in both the United States and Canada, and became the group's fifth consecutive entry to chart within the top five of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Four Tops has performed "Shake Me, Wake Me " on various occasions throughout their careers and have included it on several greatest hits albums, including on The Four Tops Greatest Hits (1967) and The Ultimate Collection (1997).
The Four Tops are an American vocal quartet from Detroit who helped to define the city's Motown sound of the 1960s. The group's repertoire has included soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, doo-wop, jazz, and show tunes.
"You Don't Love Me" is a rhythm and blues-influenced blues song recorded by American musician Willie Cobbs in 1960. Adapted from Bo Diddley's 1955 song "She's Fine She's Mine", it is Cobbs' best-known song and features a guitar figure and melody that has appealed to musicians in several genres.
"You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover" is a 1962 song by rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley. Written by Willie Dixon, the song was one of Diddley's last record chart hits. Unlike many of his well-known songs, "You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover" does not rely on the Bo Diddley beat. A variety of rock and other performers have recorded renditions of the song.
"Here We Go Again" is a country music standard written by Don Lanier and Red Steagall that first became notable as a rhythm and blues single by Ray Charles from his 1967 album Ray Charles Invites You to Listen. It was produced by Joe Adams for ABC Records/Tangerine Records. To date, this version of the song has been the biggest commercial success, spending twelve consecutive weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 15.
"Let Me Down Easy" is a song that was first recorded in 1965 by American soul singer Bettye LaVette. It was written by Dee Dee Ford, who copyrighted in 1965 under her married name, Wrecia Holloway. The original recording by LaVette, released as a single by Calla Records, peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot Rhythm and Blues Singles chart.
Indestructible is a studio album by American soul music vocal group Four Tops. The album was released on August 25, 1988, their sole release on Arista Records.
The Season for Miracles is a 1970 studio album by American soul group The Miracles. The Christmas album has received positive reviews and has been a strong seller for Motown, being reissued on compact disc in 1992.
Back Where I Belong is a studio album by American soul music vocal group Four Tops, released on October 6, 1983 by Motown.
Christmas Here with You is a 1995 studio album by American soul music vocal group Four Tops, released on Motown.
Just We Two is a 1969 album pairing soul music singers Blinky and Edwin Star, released on Gordy Records.
Eddie Holland is the sole studio album by American rhythm and blues songwriter Eddie Holland, released on Motown in 1962.
The Prime of Shorty Long is a 1969 studio album by American rhythm and blues singer Shorty Long, released on Motown subsidiaries Soul Records and Tamla Motown shortly after his death. The release was compiled of songs that Long had intended for his follow-up album and was credited to him as producer.
The Bitch Is Black is a 1975 album by American disco and soul singer Yvonne Fair, released on Motown. After being signed to Motown eight years earlier and singing backing vocals for several acts as well as releasing a few singles of her own, Fair was given her first opportunity for a full-length, which also compiled several hit singles that she had recorded.