DESCRIPTION:
"If you've seen the Showtime special, Hitsville: The Making Of Motown, you only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg. For certain, it would have required a multiple-episode special to showcase most if not all of the talent that passed through Motown's Detroit studios; and that would be just the 60's... Time to dig a bit deeper into the groups and hits that made (and continue to make) Motown so famous.

For years, die-hard Motown fans knew this song, "Marionette" through the Marvelettes. At some time, I had learned of an original recording by Kim Weston and thought how interesting that must be. I had no idea...

This recording is from 1966. 1966? I had to check that date a few times because it sounds like a jump ahead of Motown's '66 sound. William Stevenson and Smokey Robinson wrote it, Stevenson produced it.

First, the jazzy, bluesy piano opening is a hook unto itself, but then listen to the ultra tight formation of James Jamerson's busy bass, the perfect synchronization between drums and I'm assuming Eddie Willis's back-beat guitar riffing just in the first 12 seconds. This is the sound of the ever-evolving talents of these musicians, writers, arrangers and producers at Motown.

After the intro, everything retains a certain intimacy which fits the scenario of the song. Kim has to sit down the protagonist of this story and set her straight on just how much control she has lost over her life and just how much her boyfriend has taken. We've all seen it, lived it or had to relate it to a friend or family member. Somebody has to break the news and Kim does it with as much frankness and concern as possible. The Andantes are on hand to echo the good advice.

The entire song has a rather somber tone, which is quite a departure from what the casual Motown fan is familiar with. The arrangement is almost like a delicate ballet performance- everything is underplayed but still has more funk than you'd believe possible. Then, check out what goes on during the choruses at :38, 1:27, 2:41 and 3:04. That eggshell-fragile combination of guitar and chimes that then gives way back to a full-on gritty passage. Who came up with that? It knocks me out every time. Then notice how delicate the strings are on this track as well- which makes their sudden surge at 2:20 just a bit startling. Again, brilliant arrangement.

If you're new to the Kim Weston scene, if you only are familiar with "Take Me In Your Arms", "Helpless" or "It Takes Two" then really, this song should be a nice surprise. We are living in a great time because so much of the material in the Motown vaults is being made public. "Marionette", along with many others of Kim's vault material really shows that the lady had quite a range and could sing so many styles and moods. It is also a fascinating spotlight on how record companies had such a limiting habit of placing an artist in a strict "image box", releasing for the most part, songs that only mirrored what proved to be a hit formula or style for an artist.

Kim has done it again here- she sings with such sincerity and depth that she turns a simple story into a bit of an emotional drama. What she does on the fade starting at about 2:55 always gives me chills: notice how she finally decides she needs to breath a bit of fire into her message but then suddenly at 3:03 she pulls back to a whisper.

Wow."