The Onion Song-Marvin & Tammi

[Guest Gogs]

That was most often the case in the UK, Jim, and it was usually due to the styles and tempos rather than how soulful a particular record was.

But if 'The Onion Song' was just a pop record, then most Motown records were pop records ...but I'd say it was the best kind of pop music we ever had.

In the 1970s some people thought I was a snob for being so heavily into deep soul but I still always loved all those great pop/ soul records. Maybe the uplifting and dramatic "limp wristed" stuff balanced with the "manic depressive" stuff I was playing to give me a kind of equilibrium???

Maybe that's what life is all about?

Sorry but i would be disappointed to hear this played out at a "northern soul" nite. different story if it was a "Motown" nite then as a classic i would expect to hear it, but i could say the same about other Motown tracks

[Guest Paul]

Sorry but i would be disappointed to hear this played out at a "northern soul" nite. different story if it was a "Motown" nite then as a classic i would expect to hear it, but i could say the same about other Motown tracks

I agree on that point, Gogs, I wasn't suggesting that it's suitable to be played out at rare soul events etc. I never really think in those terms anyway.

We should have a "School Disco Revival" night so I can try to cue up some old Donnie Elbert 45s while under the influence of cheap wine. We can all imagine that we're age fifteen again.

Mike Lofthouse would probably sneak in without paying and Manus would get a big thrill from drinking underage!

Sounds like a plan?

[Guest Gogs]

I agree on that point, Gogs, I wasn't suggesting that it's suitable to be played out at rare soul events etc. I never really think in those terms anyway.

We should have a "School Disco Revival" night so I can try to cue up some old Donnie Elbert 45s while under the influence of cheap wine. We can all imagine that we're age fifteen again.

Mike Lofthouse would probably sneak in without paying and Manus would get a big thrill from drinking underage!

Sounds like a plan?

being 15 again and able to dance all nite ???? sounds good to me

[Guest Paul]

being 15 again and able to dance all nite ???? sounds good to me

To hell with our homework, Gogs. We've got better things to do... (probably)

Edited March 25, 2010 by Paul

[Ady Croasdell]

Oh and Marvin & Tammi (or whoever..) weren't Soul they were pop!

He's gonna come back and say "I meant the record!"

I meant the record!

I'm a huge fan of Marvin & Tammi together or separately and regularly play 'What You Gave Me' one of the cheapest and best dancers around; but as my musical knowledge is so rubbish I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing for them!

[Guest Paul]

I meant the record!

I'm a huge fan of Marvin & Tammi together or separately and regularly play 'What You Gave Me' one of the cheapest and best dancers around; but as my musical knowledge is so rubbish I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing for them!

It's hard to find a better record.

[manus]

I once saw Jethro Tull at the ABC Stockton circa 1972. Performed the full album 'Thick as A Brick'. I nicked in and remember it was a full house so sat on the floor in some sick!! I didn't have any Soulie mates at school

Hello Mike - it's a little known Northern Soul fact that Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull - dropped the Tull from the bands name and moved to Wolverhampton and got into Soul music and started going to all nighters and later went on to record a funky , crossover, R and B tinged, Northern Soul version of Witches Promise cunningly covered up as Footsee.

Copyright Webby's Ridiculosly fabricated Northern Soul Lies thread (Freebasing)

Cheers

Manus

Edited March 25, 2010 by manus

[manus]

I agree on that point, Gogs, I wasn't suggesting that it's suitable to be played out at rare soul events etc. I never really think in those terms anyway.

We should have a "School Disco Revival" night so I can try to cue up some old Donnie Elbert 45s while under the influence of cheap wine. We can all imagine that we're age fifteen again.

Mike Lofthouse would probably sneak in without paying and Manus would get a big thrill from drinking underage!

Sounds like a plan?

I'll have you know Mr Mooney I'm stricly teetotal Hic

Copyright Webby's Ridiculously Fabricated Northern Soul Lies Thread (Freebasing)

Cheers

Manus Hic

Edited March 25, 2010 by manus

[Mike]

Hello Mike - it's a little known Northern Soul fact that Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull - dropped the Tull from the bands name and moved to Wolverhampton and got into Soul music and started going to all nighters and later went on to record a funky , crossover, R and B tinged, Northern Soul version of Witches Promise cunningly covered up as Footsee.

Copyright Webby's Ridiculosly fabricated Northern Soul Lies

Cheers

Manus

maybe keep the freebasing style posts in freebasing eh

they dont travel well imo

[manus]

maybe keep the freebasing style posts in freebasing eh

they dont travel well imo

My apologies - I thought the thread had taken on a bit of a light hearted tone - not often the case at the moment.

Cheers

Manus

[Mike]

My apologies - I thought the thread had taken on a bit of a light hearted tone - not often the case at the moment.

Cheers

Manus

hasnt got that bad yet that we need members posting posts with a tag like "Copyright Webby's Ridiculosly fabricated Northern Soul Lies"

i give you a shout when it has

[Pete S]

not so much about one record, its your music knowledge that worries me or lack of it

Quite possibly the most bizarre statement I've ever read on here. I wish I had a 10th of his (Ady's) musical knowledge, and I know a fair bit to start with.

[manus]

hasnt got that bad yet that we need members posting posts with a tag like "Copyright Webby's Ridiculosly fabricated Northern Soul Lies"

i give you a shout when it has

It's actually a thread started by Webby in Freebasing

[Mike]

It's actually a thread started by Webby in Freebasing

as said some stuff from freebasing doesn't travel that well when posted in other forums imo

freebasing is meant to be a place for members to talk offtopic

reason have it is so members can have a bit of a laugh with such threads without them having a negative effect on the rest of the forums

that's how it works

if you wanna talk and have a laugh about such stuff as "ridiculous lies threads" or what ever no probs, just keep it in freebasing

[Guest Paul]

My apologies - I thought the thread had taken on a bit of a light hearted tone - not often the case at the moment.

Cheers

Manus

I didn't help by wandering a bit off-topic in the first place ...but not nearly as much as you did, Manus Doherty!

And Mike Lofthouse was a bit of a disruptive influence for hijacking a thread about 'The Onion Song' just so he could go on and on about the life and times of Jethro Tull ...I thought it was never going to end!

So, to get back on topic, here's a scan of 'The Onion Song' in the fabulous and groovy format most of us probably bought it on with our school dinner money...

"Let's knock on every door, ooh, tell 'em love is the answer..."

[Guest Paul]

If anyone likes label scans of UK 45s there are some nice images on the second and third pages of this thread...

[Guest JIM BARRY]

That was most often the case in the UK, Jim, and it was usually due to the styles and tempos rather than how soulful a particular record was.

But if 'The Onion Song' was just a pop record, then most Motown records were pop records ...but I'd say it was the best kind of pop music we ever had.

In the 1970s some people thought I was a snob for being so heavily into deep soul but I still always loved all those great pop/ soul records. Maybe the uplifting and dramatic "limp wristed" stuff balanced with the "manic depressive" stuff I was playing to give me a kind of equilibrium???

Maybe that's what life is all about?

Ii couldn't agree more paul!!!

[Mark S]

The world is like a great big onion , no its not

[Dazcymru]

The world is like a great big onion , no its not

But it may be if you can understand the lyrics!!! Surprisingly written by Ashford & Simpson

MARVIN GAYE lyrics - The Onion Song

[both:] The world is just a great big onion

[MG:] & pain & fear are the spices that make you cry

[both:] Oh, & the only way to get rid of this great big onion

[VS:] Is to plant love seeds until it dies, uh huh

[MG:] Hey world! We got a great big job to do

Yeah, we need you

& everybody who loves truth

Don't you know we've got to clean up this place

& reach far high & oh yeah

[VS:] Yes we do

We gotta be headstrong about rightin' the wrong

& make a mountain of happy souls, oh; [MG:] Oh

[both:] The world is just a great big onion

[MG:] & I don't care, it's the face people like to wear

[VS:] Yes it is now

[both:] & the only way to get rid of this great big onion

[VS:] Every one single soul's got to do their share

[MG:] Tell about it, baby!

[MG:] So come on, let's knock on every door

Tell them love is the answer

Whether they're rich or poor, oh yeah

For we don't care what you do

How you look, or your status claim, baby

[VS:] No no, because brothers & sisters

From now on, is gonna be everyone's name, oh oh

[both:] The world is just a great big onion

[MG:] & pain & fear are the spices that make you cry

[VS:] Yes it is

[both:] & the only way to get rid of this great big onion

[VS:] Is to plant love seeds

[MG:] Now everybody, got to plant love seeds

[VS:] Come on & plant love seeds

[MG:] Until it dies

[both:] The world is just a great big onion

[Mark S]

Yes but Ive not heard it out nor would I want to the lyrics are well meaning but the song is dire .

[Ady Croasdell]

Well meaning but bollox. The spices that make you cry for christ sake.

[Dazcymru]

Well meaning but bollox. The spices that make you cry for christ sake.

Some silly bugger has tried to analyse it. His name says it all!!!

CulpritsMarvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

Title The Onion Song

Year 1969

Written by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson

Submitted by Siegfried Baboon

This song's lyrics constitute one of the most tortured and inappropriate analogies in the history of popular music. The idea is as follows. "The world is just a great big onion" (this is because it makes us cry, rather than the fact that it is made up of a number of geological strata a bit like the layers of an onion). No problems so far. But then we're told about "the only way to get rid of this great big onion". Ok, so we're getting rid of the world now. Fair enough. Curiously, the way to do this is "to plant love seeds until it dies". So we've killed off the world by sowing the seeds of love. To me that already sounds a bit of an uncomfortable situation to be in, but then Marvin Gaye shouts "Hey world! We've got a great big job to do. Yeah we need you." At this point the whole onion idea really looks quite tenuous.

Edited March 26, 2010 by DazCymru

[Rugby Soul Club]

I once heard it at a Desborough soul night (think Steve Jeffries played it) was gonna' say all sort of things about it but I shall just say 'Not my cup of tea'

aww f**k it, it's rubbish

Saw this thread and it brought back terrible memories of "that night" at Desborough when it was played, I'd brought some new people along and felt the need to apologise when I saw their faces...

Awful record...

Can't understand folks not liking Onion Song.Special memories for me of school days and school discos at lunch time.

I'm so glad I didn't go to your school......

But then I had to listen to whatever was in the charts at the time - David Soul being my worst memory...

[dthedrug]

Hey get up and dance!

Hi All...The analysis of the Online song is very in-keeping with the events that resulted out of the Detroit riots and the death of Martin Luther King Jr, and the free spirit of OK!ness that had be the mood of the late 6ts, through the experience of psycho active drugs, the free spirit was opened and many people especially Black Americans, Females. Gays, used the enlightenment as the start of a mission of equality, (they had sussed they had not been allowed to be Assertive) Carl Rodgers adviser to the president and pioneer of the person centred style of Psychotherapy made an analogy of the time "It's like peeling a great Big Onion each layer is full of tears"

DAVE THE DRUG this is the END?

Edited March 27, 2010 by dthedrug

[Julie Moore]

Cos l never have,even at Motown Revival Nights!! Why??

Last time l heard it (apart from my Dining Room tonight )was on Motown Chartbusters Vol.4 in my bedroom about 71..Why is this cos it's brilliant!

one of my favorites webby last heard out last year at boogaloo greenwich our kid played it went down a storm love it love it love it

[Guest Polyvelts]

to the onion song.

Cheese and Onion .... winning combination !!!

[Guest Richard Bergman]

This song always makes me cry......yikes

[Guest]

Bloody awful record as bad as soul gets. In fact it's not soul it's catchy lightweight pop like Abba, Buddy Holly or the bee gees. I'd include Blondie only they couldn't even write!

Got to agree with you Ady, total pop drivell, I would have been hung drawn and quarterd for playing this anywhere but a youth club in the late 60's, A case of Berry Gordy wanting to compete with white duets in the US, what a waste of superb talent.

[Guest]

Bloody awful record as bad as soul gets. In fact it's not soul it's catchy lightweight pop like Abba, Buddy Holly or the bee gees. I'd include Blondie only they couldn't even write!

Got to agree with you Ady, total pop drivell, I would have been hung drawn and quarterd for playing this anywhere but a youth club in the late 60's, A case of Berry Gordy wanting to compete with white duets in the US, what a waste of superb talent.

[Guest]

Bloody awful record as bad as soul gets. In fact it's not soul it's catchy lightweight pop like Abba, Buddy Holly or the bee gees. I'd include Blondie only they couldn't even write!

Totally agree with you Ady, cheesey pop drivvel, what a waste of superb soul talent, a case of Berry Gordy trying to cross over into the mainstream charts in the US.

[Guest]

What a great story,nice one!

Think that Sharon Davis used to have a regular column in Blues & Soul magazine...

Sharon did in fact write the fortnightly Motown column in B&S for a number of years.

[Kev Moore]

one of my favorites webby last heard out last year at boogaloo greenwich our kid played it went down a storm love it love it love it

Julie, I'm sure the last time I played it was at Boogaloo but at my 45th Birthday. (God have we been going there that long.) I love it for all it's popiness & memories. The analogy for me is only a little bit more stretched than say 'Love Train' Get on board y'all. Maybe it's time to dig it out again for my 50th.

Kev

Edited April 2, 2010 by Kev Moore

[Dennisoul]

Never liked it, just don't get on with it. One of the very few Motown tunes that I don't like.

Andy

[Julie Moore]

Julie, I'm sure the last time I played it was at Boogaloo but at my 45th Birthday. (God have we been going there that long.) I love it for all it's popiness & memories. The analogy for me is only a little bit more stretched than say 'Love Train' Get on board y'all. Maybe it's time to dig it out again for my 50th.

Kev

you`d better or else

[Spanner]

Why would anyone consider playing this out, good as it is...you might as well play Baby Love or Reach Out

or Matt munro

[Guest Phoenix8049]

Okay, since you are normally the bastion of all things nice I will let you off.

Seriously any view on the is it or is not Valerie, any inside info, did ask Ralph Tee to ask her but he either ignored me or didn't hear properly!!

Actually i read somewhere recently that Tammi fell sick half way through doing the third Marvin & Tammi album,

And Valerie Simpson stood in to finish it with Marvin.

That track came off that album,so I dont know why she has denied it.

[Guest soulpeeper]

Fine fine peace song this... always remember onions make you cry

[phillyDaveG]

Ady's not alone. I detest this record with a vengeance. The lyrics - arghhhhhhhhh! Probably my least favourite Motown "classic". "Two can make a party" comes close though (ducks for cover - "taxi"!)

[phillyDaveG]

Not if you peel them in a bowl of water

Wouldn't you get wet?