I'm Gonna Make You Love Me

Oh go on then, one more before I go and put the deposit down on the apartment and get the tickets for Concepción.

Dear James,

Here's quite the find: Diana Ross and Stevland Morris singing the Diana Ross and The Temptations hit of the same name. I think this is the first time I've ever considered Diana Ross sexy, as opposed to considering her a weird Michael Jackson lookalike. She's less sexy when she patronises the talented blind boy, to the extent that, until he stands up, he look's like a dummy to Diana's ventriloquist.

This song was originally recorded by Dee Dee Warwick, Dionne's less successful sister. It was written by Gamble and Huff, who also wrote the O'Jays' Love Train and the Simply Red classic, If You Don't Know Me By Now. Anyway, back to you Stevie. Bongos and drums indeed!

Harmour Love

Dear James,

It's back! I posted this video on the blog that dare not speak its name many moons ago, and then it got taken down by the copyright people. But now it's back! I really love this song, from the first chords to the bit which you think is the chorus but isn't. Great stuff. Incredibly it only reached #75 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1975. Maybe it's not as good as I thought.

At first, it looks like she's talking on the phone. Then it looks like she's singing in the studio. Then it looks like she's just holding a funny earphone thing in order to flip the viewer the V's.

Notice how her mouth doesn't move much. Is she stoned, or is she just doing a really bad lip-synch? That's Stevie Wonder singing the backing vocals, by the way. Maybe he just wears sunglasses so no one can tell that he actually sings out of his eyes.

Syreeta married Stevie in 1970 and divorced him 18 months later. She is credited as a co-writer of Signed, Sealed, Delivered. She was considered as Diana Ross' replacement in The Supremes. In 1974 she released her Wonder-produced album, "Stevie Wonder presents Syreeta". Do you think he used to say that to people at parties and other social gatherings, on introducing his wife?

Syreeta also played Mary Magdalen in a 1994 tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. I first found her after accidentally downloading her cover of "She's Leaving Home". I thought it was a modern song. Sadly, you can't find it on youtubes. There is this one of Paul McCartney doing it in 2002, but it's just a bit odd. Whereas Carrie Underwood's version...