Norman Whitfield Songs I Like

Norman Whitfield died on September 16, 2008. He was 68 and someone I would've liked for us to have interviewed. He actually wrote the famed rock critic Dave Marsh's number one song of all time. That would be Marvin Gaye's I Heard It Through the Grapevine.

I hadn't really paid that much attention to the song, mostly I heard the Creedence Clearwater Revival version which I like a lot. Once I read how highly rated the song is, I heard it with different ears. I wanted to know if I was missing something. And I guess I was because it really is a wonderful song. In the LA Times obituary it says that Norman wrote some songs on a key so high, which gave Marvin Gaye so much trouble to sing, that they would practically come to blows.

As much as I now like Grapevine and turn it up every time it comes on the radio, I still like another Norman song even more. That would be Just My Imagination by the Temptations. Not just because of the song which is one of the most romantic songs I know but also because there's a girl involved. And as everyone knows, whenever there's a girl involved, things seem to change.

She was one one of my friend's sister. And it's not even something amazing. Not even close. It's just a pleasant reminder of my past. We were in my friend's garage at night. There were about five of us. Three guys and two girls. The radio was on. We were just horsing around with the girls, when my friend tried to give his sister a hickey. I thought that was pretty odd because I have a younger sister and I've never even remotely thought of giving her a hickey. And I've been told she's attractive. Anyway, so the girl screamed and got away from my friend's grasp and ran right into me. I held her briefly just so she wouldn't fall. She felt and smelled fantastic. Then she ran away from me too. I didn't know what to think. I mean, of all the people there, why would she run into me? Guys quickly start getting ideas. But you try not to think about your friend's sisters so nothing much could've happened anyway. I did think at the time, though, that if anyone should be giving her a hickey, it should be me.

Another great song from Norman Whitfield is Papa Was A Rolling Stone by The Temptations. It's a terrific song with a great bass line and violins. The song reminds me of my father. I love my father very much but he was, as they say, a rolling stone. He would leave the family behind to look for work elsewhere. My father was different from the song though, which says that "And Mama, some bad talk going around town saying that Papa had three outside children and another wife. And that ain't right." He just had the one wife. My mother. Unfortunately. You try spending time with my parents.

One time I remember vividly. It was Christmas time and my friends and I went to downtown El Paso, Texas, which is my hometown. We went to see the lights and the Christmas tree in the plaza. So we're walking down the plaza all bad ass, my friends and I, carrying a boombox that for some reason, was colored bright red. I'm certain that the redness must've diluted our badassness. But what are you going to do. Then Papa was a Rolling Stone came on and a raised the volume, just in case the people across the street couldn't hear it because of the drone of the Christmas songs. My friends and I walked in step to the song. We were bad.

There's not a lot I can say about Norman other than a sincere thank you. Your songs will live on for a very long time.