Detroit Mix City

Motown Records will be 50 years old on January 12^th 2009. As a tribute to this iconic record label, rather than create a Motown only mix tape which has been done many-a-time before, I together with JK from The Marquee have compiled 29 tracks of the music produced in, songs inspired by or features artists from Detroit Michigan as a nod to the influence Motown has inserted to the rest of the music scene in Detroit.

You’ll of course have your Motown tracks, but also plenty of other Soul, Funk, Hip-Hop, Rock, Punk and Jazz tracks hailing from Motor Town.

So click HERE to access the track. Download the winRAR file onto your desktop and extract to play. Enjoy Detroit Mix City!

1. MC 5 - Borderline

MC5 stands for Motor City Five, and they were only one of a long line of notorious bands to come out of Detroit. They openly admitted to taking LSD and Marijuana, dabbled in radical left-wing politics and was even affiliated with the White Panther, which, though it sounds like it, not a white supremacy organization, but a radical organization aiming to help the Black Panthers. Their music isn’t less bizarre, combining rock n’roll, r n’b and free jazz just to name a few. This track was taken from their first album, Kick Out the Jams.

2. Amboy Dukes - Journey to the Centre of the Mind

Sure this band was the band where the notorious conservative, red neck and all-round primitive Ted Nugent made his name. But this tune was so good; it made the CD reissue of the legendary Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968. It was also on their eponymous second album on Mainstream Records. The cover depicted 50 different kinds of marijuana smoking devices!

3. Iggy and the Stooges - Gimme Danger

This song is one of the highlight of Raw Power, an album that Iggy had remastered so loud, I swear my ears almost bled when I accidentally listened to it on my headphone.

4. David Bowie - Panic in Detroit

From the album Aladdin Sane, I suspect Bowie modelled the tune after the Motown sound. Just check out the backing vocals.

5. Creedence Clearwater Revival - I Heard It through the Grapevine

I Heard it Through the Grapevine was covered many, many times. Gladys Knight and the Pips released it first, then Marvin Gaye came and made it his. Other notable covers of this song include the Slits, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. The Creedence Clearwater Revival version is originally 11 minutes long and allegedly, Steve Cropper of Booker T and the MGs played the fiery solo, of which I had to cut half of it just in case you lose interest.

6. Kenny Burrel - Midnight Blue

The Detroit native recorded his signature tune on the legendary Blue Note Records. From the 1963 album with the same name, if you just want to buy one Kenny Burrell album, this is probably it.

7. Donald Byrd - Christo Redentor

You can find this piece on A New Perspective, on Blue Note Records. Christo Redentor means Christ the redeemer, and this song fits its title perfectly. Originally released in 1963, the list of musicians playing on the record includes Herbie Hancock on piano and Kenny Burrell on guitar.

8. Gil-Scott Heron - We Almost Lost Detroit

Though not as popular as The Revolution will not be Televised, this number will remain one of the highlight of Heron’s career. The song tells the tale of the 1966 nuclear meltdown in Michigan, and shows Heron’s worth as a lyricist. Originally on the album Bridges, released December 1977 on Arista.

9. Aretha Franklin - Chain of Fools

Raised in Detroit, she's always been associated with the soul tradition of the city. Chain of Fools was recorded for her album Lady Soul, and this particular version is the unedited version available as a bonus track on the Rhino reissue.

10. Stevie Wonder – Jesus Children of America

One of the greatest exponents of Motown, Wonder started his career on the label since being a child star and never left the label since. This track originates from the album Innervisions (1972) which was one of the first Stevie Wonder albums written entirely by the man himself (as opposed to the Motown hit factory songwriters)

11. Soul President - Got to Have It

I got introduced to this groovy track by the 4^th installation of the Eccentric Soul compilations: The Big Mack Label, a 1960s Detroit based indie soul record label.

12. The Cool Kids – 88

The Detroit based Cool Kids released their second EP: The Bake Sale in 2008 to much fan fare which is clearly a nod to the golden age of hip-hop (87-94).

13. J Dilla a.k.a Jay Dee – Lightworks

Taken from the album Donuts, the last and good-bye album of legendary underground hip-hop producer, MC and Detroi native J Dilla before he lost his battle with Lupus in 2006, this track has been sampled and circled plenty a time amongst the next generation of left-field underground hip-hop producers ranging from Madlib and MF DOOM to Flying Lotus and Four Tet.

14. Erykah Badu - Amerykhan Promise

Badu’s latest album released in mid 2008 on Universal Motown has been arguably her best. Not only does she expand her familiar nu-soul sound, she also delves into 1970s p-funk, hip-hop and jazz amongst others.

15. Mae Young – Let’s Give Our Love a Try

Yet another of the irresistibly funky grooves served up by the good people at Numero Group who were responsible of the Eccentric Soul IV: Big Mack Label mentioned earlier above.

16. J Dilla a.k.a Jay Dee – Workinonit

Another track taken from the highly experimental Donuts, this album was conceived during J Dilla’s last days before his death in 2006. This particular track opens the album and is the longest of 31 tracks which clocks in at 2:57.

17. Ms. Tyree “Sugar” Jones – If You Feel It

This instrumental track is yet another gem on the Eccentric Soul IV: Big Mack Label series.

18. Stevie Wonder – Contusion

Sticking with instrumentals, this jazz-rock track is taken from Stevie’s 1976 Songs on The Key of Life, arguably his most well known album alongside Talking Book. For greater effect, follow up this track with Sir Duke which naturally follows Contusion on the album.

19. Soul President – Get it Right

By now you must be convinced that I’m a sucker for the Eccentric Soul IV: Big Mack Label compilation and you’d be right. If this wasn’t a mixed track list about Detroit, I’d include many other tracks from the 9 other Eccentric Soul series.

20. The Isley Brothers – Get Into Something

Also known as the band that discovered Jimi Hendrix, The Isely Bros let the funk rip on this 70s funk bonanza on Tamla-Motown. The track later became a staple for breaks in the early hip hop block parties in 1980s New York.

21. Stevie Wonder –Boogie On Reggae Woman

That old Stevie Wonder has been used 3 times already should come as no surprise as not only is he a Motown legend, he is also born and bred in Detroit Michigan making it a must for any mix tape proclaiming to represent the music of Detroit. This track also happens to be on 1974’s Fulfillingness’ First Finale on Tamle-Motown.

22. Q-Tip – Manwomanboogie (Feat. Amanda Diva)

A Tribe Called Quest’s main rhyme flower Q-Tip is back from the dead after an 8 year absence from releasing a full album since 2000’s Amplified. The Renaissance is often claimed by critics as one of the few good quality hip hop albums to come out in 2008. That is of course debatable, but the album on the whole is definitely back to Tip at his best and is a must have for this ridiculously catchy track and its funky bass line alone.

23. Eminem – Any Man

Any mention of rap and Detroit often conjures the image of Eminem. Yet rather than pick a track from his better known albums on Interscope, this track back from ’99 on seminal underground hip-hop label Rawkus Records features Eminem at his best: trash talking and tight rhyming over raw hip-hop beats courtesy of The World Famous Beat Junkies®.

24. J Dilla a.k.a Jay Dee – Body Movin' (Featuring J. Rocc & Karriem Riggins)

A straight forward heavy beat with fuzzy electro synthesized bass line featuring Stones Throw records’ J Rocc & Kariem Riggins on The Shining, released after Dilla’s death.

25. J Dilla a.k.a Jay Dee – Wild (Instrumental)

This track is just damn weird and wildly raw which shows the range of producing skills Dilla is capable of, showing why he’s just waaaaaay ahead of his time.

26. The Jackson Five – Hum Along and Dance

The Jackson Five quickly became Motown’s house band shortly after they relocated to Los Angeles from their Detroit hometown, replacing The Funk Brothers. Besides being the platform to which Michael Jackson would go on and conquer the pop world, they also released this track which also became a favourite amongst dee-jays in early 80s block parties.

27 & 28. J Dilla a.k.a Jay Dee – Time: Donuts of the Heart & Geek Down

Another 2 tracks from Donuts where the former was sampled and used by The Roots in their 2006 Game Theory LP as a tribute track to the Detroit producer.

29. Marvin Gaye - Inner City Blues (Make me wanna holler)

Not including a track from perhaps Motown’s best known albums What’s Going On would be quite mad.