Barrett Strong remembers where he saw the Primes — who would eventually grow into the Temptations — at a club called the Phelps Lounge on Oakland Avenue.
But who were those two white kids that sat in for 'Money' recording?
Here's a note from "The White Guy" Eugene E. Grew who played on "Money"
Eugene E. Grew said: October 19, 2011 at 9:18 pm.
I WAS THAT WHITE GUY PLAYING THE ONLY GUITAR ON “MONEY.†I PROBABLY WAS 21 YEARS OLD OR SO. I LIVED A COUPLE MILES FROM HITSVILLE. THE TRIO I WAS WITH WENT TO TRYOUT FOR GORDY. HE TOOK ME ASIDE AND ASKED IF I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN DOING SESSIONS. MY FIRST OF MANY WAS “MONEYâ€. I WAS GIVEN A “DITTO†COPY OF THE CHORDS, BARRY(sic: Berry) GAVE A VOCAL OF WHAT HE WANTED ME TO DO, AND I DID IT. I THOUGHT I WAS SO CLEVER SLIDING THE 6th STRING FROM C BACK TO F. BENNY BENJAMIN WAS THE DRUMMER, I RECALL, AS WE BECAME FRIENDS LATER. I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION WHO ELSE WAS ON IT. JAMES JAMERSEN HAD AN UPRIGHT BASE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN HIM. I REMEMBER THAT FINE MUSICIAN AS I HAD TO PUT THE TOP DOWN ON MY CONVERTIBLE TO TAKE HIM AND HIS UPRIGHT HOME ONE TIME. POPCORN WILLIE (sic: Wiley) USED TO DO PIANO. EARLY ON, SOMEONE USUALLY PLAYED THE TAMBOURINE. ESTER (Esther) GORDY USED TO PAY US THE $15.00 PER SIDE. (MAY ALL OF THEIR SOULS REST IN PEACE.) I GOT ONE, AND ONE ONLY, BONUS AS PROMISED FROM MR. GORDY. $60.00 WHEN “MONEY†HIT BIG TIME. I GUESS YOU COULD SAY THAT I WAS “PRE-FUNK BROTHERS.†PERHAPS IT COULD HAVE BEEN CALLED “PRE-HITSVILLE USAâ€. I CUT WITH THE SUPREMES, SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES, MARY WELLS, MARV JOHNSON (HE WANTED ME TO GO ON TOUR AS FRONT MAN TO PERTH AUSTRALIA. I WENT TO HIS HOME RUN DOWN A COUPLE SONGS. SOMEONE EXPRESSED CONCERN OF ME IN THE SOUTHERN STATES EVENTUALLY. ANYWAY, IT NEVER CAME OFF. I CUT WITH ANDRE WILLIAMS & GINO PARKS, AND? OH, YES... I PLAYED ON THE MARVELETTES’ “PLEASE MR. POSTMANâ€. IF IT WAS RE-RECORDED AT UNITED SOUND STUDIOS LATER, I DON’T KNOW. IN 1986 I VISITED HITSVILLE. I LEFT A LETTER OF MY ASSOCIATION WITH THEM AND ASKED FOR A REPLY. NOTHING. EARLY MOTOWN WAS SO VERY LONG AGO. I HAVE SO MANY YEARS BEHIND ME NOW. I’D JUST LIKE TO HAVE “SOMETHING†OF PROOF TO SHOW WHOMEVER THAT IT WAS ME THERE. I HAVEN’T TALKED ABOUT IT FOR YEARS. I WAS IN A KRESGE’S 5 & DIME IN THE 70?S OR SO WITH A GIRL. “MONEY†WAS PLAYING ON THE P.A. I BLURTED OUT THAT I PLAYED GUITAR ON THAT. SHE SAID “B.S.â€. Eugene E. Grew
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