Topic: Instrumental Versions
Synthesizers and electronic keyboards have become so common, it is hard to remember they once were avante garde. Bob Moog introduced the first melodic synthesizer in 1964. Orchestrations for live performances changed after ones capable of playing chords were produced by Yamaha in 1976. [1] When the Commodores recorded an instrumental version of "Come by Here" in 1983, they had three men who could play electronic keyboards or synthesizers.
The six-man band was organized by students at Tuskegee Institute, who eventually moved to New York where they began opening for the Jackson Five in 1971. Although they often recorded lyrics featuring Lionel Richie, their first Motown hit was an instrumental, "Machine Gun." Another dance song, "Brickhouse," became their theme song. [2]
The audience for "Come by Here" was not interested in subtle variations on a theme. Disco may have peaked, but people who danced still needed records with predictable rhythms. The men played the same melody twelve times in 2:53 minutes with no variations in pacing.
They began with three brass chords, then a synthesizer initiated the disco beat. It started phrases, and the trumpets entered on the second measures and completed the lines. The second, fourth, and fifth iterations used only the synthesizer and drums. A saxophone played the melody on the eighth repetition. The band finished with a sustained brass chord.
At some time before they were famous, the Commodores worked as a backup group for an African-American duet, Inez and Charlie Fox. [3] She had recorded "Come by Here" in 1966 with Mariachi-style trumpets [4] in the interludes between verses. The Commodores simply used synthesizers in place of the strong Xx drum beat that dominated the rest of her version.
Their tune was difficult to discern, while Foxx smoothed the Hightowers’ melody. She used different lyrics, which she treated perfunctorily. She simply sang six verses with little variation in vocal style, and no allusions to the prelude-denouement structure used by the Hightowers. Her record, like the Commodores, was intended for dancing.
"Dixon - Foxx - Gaskins" were given credit for the words. [5] All were born in the same general cultural area. She and her brother Charlie were from Greensboro, North Carolina. [6] Her guitarist, Barbara Gaskins, came from Kinston on the North Carolina coastal plain. [7] The producer, Luther Dixon, was born in Jacksonville, Florida, but raised in Brooklyn. [8] They shared enough cultural experiences with each other and with the Hightowers to make collaboration possible, but did not have the sorts of religious feelings that would have inhibited converting a church song to secular ends. [9]
Performers
Commodores
The members in 1983 are listed below with their usual roles. [10] The actual instrumentation heard on the recording, no doubt, was altered by engineers.
William King (trumpet, rhythm guitar, synthesizer)
Milan Williams (keyboard, trombone, rhythm guitar)
Walter Orange (vocals, drums, keyboards)
Ronald LaPread (bass)
Sheldon Reynolds (guitar, vocals)
Skyler Jett (vocals)
Foxx
Vocal Accompaniment: female backup group
Instrumental Accompaniment: electric guitar, trumpets, saxophone could be discerned
Rhythm Accompaniment: drums
Charlie Foxx was listed as a performer, but no male voice was heard. He was shown in publicity photographs holding a guitar in imitation of Ike and Tina Turner. [11] His name may have been included simply because that was stipulated by their contract.
Credits
Commodores [12]
Written-By - Inez Foxx, Luther Dixon
Foxx [13]
Producer - Luther Dixon
Written-By - Barbara Gaskins, Charlie Foxx, Luther Dixon
Published By - Vee Vee Music (BMI)
Foxx’s first name may be an assumption by the Discogs contributors. As mentioned above, first names did not appear on the label for Foxx’s first release. By the time an agent for the Commodores was seeking copyright permission, Inez had married Dixon. They may have gotten credit because they were the ones contacted.
Notes on Lyrics
Foxx
Language: English
Verses: come by here followed by ones original to her like "feels like rain"
Vocabulary:
Pronoun: none
Term for Deity: Lord
Format: 6 verses with no repetition
Verse Length: 4 lines
Line Meter: trochaic with strong opening and closing syllables
Line Length: varied
Line Repetition Pattern: AAAB
Line Form: statement-refrain
Notes on Music
Commodores
Opening Phrase: their own
Tempo: moderate
Basic Structure: strophic with few variations
Foxx
Opening Phrase: 1-5
Tempo: moderate
Basic Structure: strophic with few variations
Vocal Parts:
Singing Style: One syllable to one note
Solo: she used two notes for "oh" and "Lord," usually in the last line. However, she also avoided glissandi by repeating "oh" on different tones. The first two verses were lyrical, while her voice was harsher on the third. She returned to the melodic tone after an instrumental interlude.
Group: parallel chords
Solo-Group Dynamics: she sang the statements, and the women sang the refrain. They sometimes came together on the last line, and sometimes the group sang while Foxx used different words.
Vocal-Orchestral Dynamics: an instrumental introduction, 3 sung verses, an instrumental interlude, and 3 sung verses, with sound fading on last line. An electric guitar could barely be heard, except in the introduction when it played the melody. Trumpets dominated the interlude.
Notes on Performers
Commodores
None of their short biographies mentioned anything more about their childhoods other than they came from Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida, and shared had a desire to play music. [14]
Availability
Commodores
Album: Uprising. Intermedia Records, QS-5047. 1983.
Reissues: several in Europe with the titles Keep On Dancing and Rise Up.
YouTube: uploaded by The Orchard Enterprises, 8 November 2014.
Foxx
45 rpm: "No Stranger To Love" / "Come By Here." Musicor, MU1201. 1966.
Album: Come by Here. Dynamo Records, DS 8000. 1967.
YouTube: uploaded by soulfuljakazz07, 3 September 2011.
End Notes
1. Wikipedia. "Electronic Keyboard."
2. Craig Lytle. "Commodores." All Music website.
3. Associated Press. "Charlie Foxx, Songwriter and Musician, 64." Obituary reprinted by The New York Times, 12 October 1998.
4. Mariachi groups play a wide repertoire. When people borrow the style, they usually are using two trumpets played with sharp attacks, fast variations in pitch, and bright, high-pitched, loud sounds. (Lauren Vork. "How to Play the Trumpet Like a Mariachi." eHow website.)
The preferred manufacturer, Bach, advertized it used a special bronze alloy with a slow taper for the 5" bell. Many Mariachi trumpeters use shallow Parduba mouthpieces, which were designed to easily produce brilliant, high-pitched tones. (Websites for Bach and Parduba vendors, and Trumpet Master website "Discussion of the Mariachi brass sound please" begun 21 November 2008.)
5. The YouTube video showed a close up of the record label for the 45-rpm record.
6. Wikipedia. "Inez and Charlie Foxx."
7. Wikipedia. "Barbara Roy." She was born Gaskins, but used the name Roy when she sang with Ecstacy, Passion and Pain. (Ed Hogan. "Ecstacy, Passion & Pain." All Music website.
8. Wikipedia. "Luther Dixon."
9. Inez and Charlie Foxx sang in a gospel choir when they were children, but went to New York with hopes of success in popular music. (Wikipedia, Foxx.) Dixon learned to sing in church, but his first vocal group did doo-wop. (Wikipedia, Dixon.) Gaskins is now recording gospel music (Wikipedia. "Barbara Roy.")
10. This list was drawn from "Commodores." Rate Your Music website.
11. Pierre Perrone made the comparison to the Turners in "Obituary: Charlie Foxx." [London] Independent website, 3 November 1998. Michael Jack Kirby made similar comments in "Inez Foxx." Back Attack website.
12. "Commodores – Uprising." Discogs website.
13. "Inez & Charlie Foxx – No Stranger To Love / Come By Here." Discogs website.
14. Wikipedia. "William King (Singer)," "Sheldon Reynolds (Guitarist)," and "Milan Williams." Lee Zimmerman. "Walter Orange on How Motown Legends the Commodores Built Their Brick House." New Times [Broward-Palm Beach, Florida] website, 31 March 2016.
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