By John Lester (213.122.198.183 - 213.122.198.183) on Sunday, March 24, 2002 - 11:56 am:

I found his email address and suggested this site.

Let us keep our fingers crossed he joins us here.

By Ritchie (62.254.0.5 - 62.254.0.5) on Sunday, March 24, 2002 - 11:59 am:

Hey, let's hope so.
It's getting to be like a UK outpost of the Motown Alumni Association here - which ain't no bad thing, in my estimation.

By david, glasgow, scotland (213.107.27.25 - 213.107.27.25) on Sunday, March 24, 2002 - 12:03 pm:

if mickey stevenson comes on here to discuss some of his wonderful music john.....

one of my all time favs of his (and ivy jo) is the detroit spinners 'i'll always love you'.

By John Lester (213.122.198.183 - 213.122.198.183) on Sunday, March 24, 2002 - 12:15 pm:

I am sure Bobby and Ralph can pull a few strings for us.

Quite right David.....who is gonna try to get Ivy Jo?

By John Lester (213.122.198.183 - 213.122.198.183) on Sunday, March 24, 2002 - 12:24 pm:

Following his wonderful Chatbusters interview, I am nominating our Ritchie to get Harvey Fuqua on here

I need someone to second the (E)motion.


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

By john lester (213.122.198.183 - 213.122.198.183) on Sunday, March 24, 2002 - 12:33 pm:

david

have you hear edwin starr's version of "I'll Always Love You"?

By Eli (152.163.195.202 - 152.163.195.202) on Sunday, March 24, 2002 - 03:43 pm:

I second that emotion!!! Hey Weldon, get Harvey and Mickey on here . I know you can do it bro!!!!

By david, glasgow, scotland (213.107.27.25 - 213.107.27.25) on Sunday, March 24, 2002 - 04:09 pm:

no john!!!

where can one hear this?

i'll bet it's amazing.

By John Lester (213.122.195.125 - 213.122.195.125) on Monday, March 25, 2002 - 11:12 pm:

Mickey Stevenson hasn't emailed me back...

BOBBY..........I am afraid I am going to have to hand this one over to you....go get him boy!!

LOL

By phillysoulman (205.188.199.182 - 205.188.199.182) on Monday, March 25, 2002 - 11:37 pm:

John, Email me w/ his email adress and I will proceed!!

By GEOCASSELL (195.93.32.153 - 195.93.32.153) on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 12:19 am:

ANYONE,
IS WILLIAM 'MICKEY' STEVENSON THE GUY WHO WROTE 'HITCH-HIKE' WITH MARVIN GAYE AND ? PAUL.
I HAVE AN ALISON MOYET with DARTS VERSION OF THIS SONG AND IT'S GREAAAAAT!! I'VE ALSO HEART THE MARVIN GAYE ORIGINAL.

GEO

By acooolcat (211.72.121.66 - 211.72.121.66) on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 04:35 am:

George, Yes - that's the guy.
BTW, Didn't he have a Detroit record label called Stepp?
Graham

By M.McLeanTech (63.210.126.32 - 63.210.126.32) on Sunday, May 26, 2002 - 07:11 am:

I knew Mickey very well. I had not seen him in about 18 years when (in 1983) I was on my lunch hour in Hollywood and went to the bank on Sunset Blvd. to deposit my paycheck. Here standing in line is Mickey! His hair had grayed a bit. We had a great time laughing it up.

After we finished our business, we went over to the "Southtown" (a fantastic soul food restaurant nearby, and now out of business - Damn!) and had lunch. He insisted on buying, and I have been trying to take him out to lunch so I could buy this time, ever since.

I found him (with a nice picture of him) at a web sight which indicated that he was involved in the production of some kind of musical show. There are a lot of neat things that come up when you search on "william stevenson" on www.google.com. The same goes double for a search for "andre williams" Andre was one of the most colorful fellows I ever met!

Mike McLean

By Millie (63.212.146.224 - 63.212.146.224) on Monday, May 27, 2002 - 04:31 am:

I know one of your guys will have the answer to this: Wasn't Kim Weston married to Mickey Stevenson, and didn't they have a son??

Millie

By John Lester (213.122.196.71 - 213.122.196.71) on Monday, May 27, 2002 - 08:37 am:

I didn't know about the son........but I knew about the partnership

By detroit gal (205.188.196.41 - 205.188.196.41) on Monday, May 27, 2002 - 10:22 pm:

Millie,
Kim and Mickey were married, but I don't know if they had any kids.

I interviewed both of them for "Women of Motown" and Kim told a funny story about how she heard Mickey composing "Dancing in the Streets" and really really wanted it but of course Martha Reeves got it. --Sue

By John Lester (213.1.134.6 - 213.1.134.6) on Monday, May 27, 2002 - 10:33 pm:

And it's a welcome to the Soulful Detroit site to Susan Whitall.

Susan...thanks for all the work you have done over the years helping our idols to get their due deserts.

By Millie (166.90.235.198 - 166.90.235.198) on Tuesday, May 28, 2002 - 01:03 am:

Hey Sue! I need your home phone number...I went to the Clawson Saturday night and wanted you to go with me! Call me at work tomorrow!
Millie

John:
I've known Sue since she wrote for Cream Magazine back in the late 70's. She's an excellent writer, and we're damn lucky to have her on the site! I plan on involving her in our Motor City Musician's Reunion fundraiser for the site which we're having 9/8! she's sharp and really knows and understands the Motown era!
Millie

By detroit gal (205.188.198.164 - 205.188.198.164) on Tuesday, May 28, 2002 - 02:37 am:

Hi John!

Millie, sorry you don't have my home # -- I'll call you tomorrow. Looks like we'll have to aim for a June night at the Clawson.

Re Mickey and Kim -- Kim was making the point that, although people thought she had access to the best material, being married to Mickey, who was head of A&R, she coveted songs and didn't get them -- "Dancing In The Streets" was a case in point. She heard it taking shape in her house, but it was destined for Martha. --S.

By acooolcat (61.222.95.58 - 61.222.95.58) on Tuesday, May 28, 2002 - 02:41 am:

Robert Bateman told me that Dancing In The Street was almost a Correc-tone recording. Can you elaborate on that Sue?
Best wishes, Graham

By detroit gal (205.188.198.164 - 205.188.198.164) on Tuesday, May 28, 2002 - 03:05 am:

Graham,
I don't know about that, but maybe Martha R. would. I'll have to see if that girl is online yet, I know she likes her fax machine! --S.

By acooolcat (61.222.95.58 - 61.222.95.58) on Tuesday, May 28, 2002 - 03:13 am:

Sue,
Mickey introduced Robert to the owner of Correc-tone back in the early 60s, so Mickey would probably know more about it. Are you still in touch with him?
Best wishes, Graham

By detroit gal (205.188.198.164 - 205.188.198.164) on Tuesday, May 28, 2002 - 03:20 am:

I have Mickey's number; he called when one of his plays was headed for Detroit, but that was a while ago.

By John Lester (213.1.133.33 - 213.1.133.33) on Tuesday, May 28, 2002 - 07:07 am:

Susan...or Sue..

Martha Reeves is in the UK at the moment knocking us all for six with her Dancing in The Street tour. Appearing with Edwin Starr and Freda Payne no less. Aren't we the lucky ones? Then we have the Originals in Manchester on Sunday and then a few days later, we have Dennis Coffey on his book signing tour and not only that we have the Barbees and the Gills. (Eat your heart out!!)

The forum has been trying to get Mickey Stevenson to come on here for some time but we haven't succeeded yet. So go for it girl.

Also, Kim Weston has gone on record and actually said to a crowd of us in 1988 that she heard Mickey and Ivy Jo Hunter working on Dancing in The Street song in her house (upstairs on the piano she actually said) but after an argument with Mickey, he told her that he was gonna give it to someone else. As we all know, Marvin recorded it first - apparently almost as a ballad.....but Martha felt the song differently. Her first take was perfect but someone forgot to record it (probably the time when Mike M was putting that condom on the microphone!!) so it was her second attempt which is apparently the version we all know and love. One thing that always puzzles me though, Martha states that Marvin Gaye played the drums on that session but that initial Tamla roll (which to me almost makes that song) sounds more like Benny B to me. But then maybe it's two drummers and its Benny that is to the forefront. To go on a bit more, Martha recorded that song in German (we asked her yet again on this tour) She said that she was assisted by people from Berlitz (who if my memory serves me well, was an organisation that used to help people to learn a foreign language). Martha also knows the flip side to the proposed 45, a la "Moonlight and Kisses" for the Supremes (meaning it's not your typical Motown Sound).

I can't speak German so I dont know what it means. Die Welt Is Grosse Liebe...I guess at The world is full of love

By detroit gal (152.163.195.206 - 152.163.195.206) on Tuesday, May 28, 2002 - 01:33 pm:

Boy I can't state for certain but I'd be awfully surprised if it's Marvin Gaye on the finished take.

Just get Pistol Allen or Uriel Jones going on how good a drummer Marvin was. He got by ...

I'm out of pocket most of this week so I won't have time to track Mickey down yet. I'll look for a number and pass it on to Millie.

By John Lester (213.1.136.171 - 213.1.136.171) on Wednesday, May 29, 2002 - 06:57 am:

It reminds me of an earlier message on this forum when it was in its infancy......someone suggested that some of the early Motown keyboard passages were from Berry Gordy Jr - but that suggestion was quickly put down with the comment.....no way, although Berry got by!

Still, I applaud anyone that can get by, when I was about 8, I used to play an organ (now stop it lads!) but I could never play it at the speed people wanted.

Your efforts to track down Mr Stevenson will be appreciated by us all on the site.

Susan - have you got any Hank Cosby stories?