Tag: Motown

Lou Johnson – Always Something / Ky Bluebird

Hierominous Botch on A♠

I heard Naked Eyes’ “Always Something There To Remind Me” on the radio the other day, and found myself wondering whether the original version was by Dionne Warwick or whether it was a much older song. So I looked it up.

Turns out it was written by Bacarach/David in 1963 as a demo for Warwick, but she decided not to record it. It first came out in 1964 done by Lou Johnson, cracking the top 40. Warwick finally did her version in ’67, and several other artists did successful versions in between.

Here’s Johnson performing it on American Bandstand, Halloween, 1964.

Lou Johnson “Always Something There To Remind Me” & “Kentucky Bluebird”
NRRArchives2 – Apr 26, 2013 – 7:24
American Bandstand. October 31, 1964. Lou Johnson performing two of his best songs with a brief interview inbetween.

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The Pips (without Gladys Knight)

h/t Mike Hammer on A♠
FishHead33 – Published on Apr 30, 2009

One of the funniest and most original things I’ve ever seen. In 1977 during the brief run of the Richard Pryor TV Show, the Pips came on to perform two numbers WITHOUT Gladys Knight. They just sang the backup parts and the camera would zoom in on an empty microphone whenever Gladys Knight was supposed to sing.

Image: garfieldminusgarfield.net