California Soul
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"California Soul" is a pop-soul tune written by Ashford & Simpson, issued originally as a "B" side of The Messengers single, "Window Shopping" in 1967 under the Motown group of labels. The Messengers' sound was Monkees-based pop, see Complete Motown Singles, Volume 7. It was then issued as a single by American pop quintet The 5th Dimension in late 1968, and also covered by Motown vocal duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and Marlena Shaw the next year. It was Marvin's and Tammi's last single together when released in early 1970.
Both the 5th Dimension's version and the Gaye/Terrell version were modest charted hits. The 5th Dimension's performed better, reaching number twenty-five on the pop singles chart, while Marvin and Tammi's cover reached number fifty-six pop but never charted R&B. The duet was released after Terrell's death from a brain tumor in March 1970.
In 1969 Marlena Shaw covered the song on the album The Spice of Life. This version has appeared in commercials for Dockers and Kentucky Fried Chicken. A Diplo remix appears on Volume 4 of the Verve Remixed compilation series; this version was used in a late summer 2011 commercial for Target in the US and was featured in the video game Driver: San Francisco.
The song also appears on the 1970 LP "War and Peace" by Edwin Starr.
The song is also featured in The Italian Job (2003) and The Lincoln Lawyer (2011).
The song is sampled by Gang Starr in their song "Check the Technique".
The Gerald Wilson Orchestra version of the song is sampled by Pete Rock in the A.D.O.R. song "Let it All Hang Out".
The band Jamiroquai covered the song live during their 2011 European tour.
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[edit] Credits
[edit] The 5th Dimension version
- All vocals by The 5th Dimension: Billy Davis, Jr., Marilyn McCoo, Florence LaRue, Lamonte McLemore, and Ron Townson
- Written by Ashford & Simpson
- Produced by Bones Howe
[edit] Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell version
- All vocals by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell/Valerie Simpson
- Written and produced by Ashford & Simpson
- Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
[edit] References
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