from Vibe.com
CRITICAL NOIR
Soul Revolt: Remembering Norman Whitfield
by Mark Anthony Neal
At the root of Motown's success in the 1960s was a stable of youthful and innovative producers and songwriters. Though figures like William "Smokey" Robinson and the trio of Brian Holland, Eddie Holland and Lamont Dozier are legendary for their roles in Motown's rise as the "Sound of Young America," Norman Whitfield, the fiery Harlem born producer, is often given short shrift. Whitfield, who died on September 16th of complications related to diabetes, was arguably the most important of those first generation of Motown producers as he adeptly adapted the Motown sound, in the late 1960s, to fit the tenor of one of the most tumultuous political and cultural moments in American society. In the process, Whitfield put a lasting stamp, not just on Soul music, but pop music for years to come.
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