Scott Westerman is a Florida executive who guides the publishing firm Ramirez & Clark and has decades of experience in the telecom sales and marketing sphere. Having been a Michigan on-air radio personality, Scott Westerman has a passion for classic radio and pop groups of the 1960s, such as The Temptations.
One of the landmark songs that came out of The Temptations as the 1960s drew to a close was “Ball of Confusion.” The song came about as a funky jam, with composer Norman Whitfield pairing a bass line that included influences such as Sly & the Family Stone around repeating chord patterns.
Composed in tandem with Barrett Strong, the original 11-minute song was cut to just over four minutes in the studio. Many of the most meaningful lyrics were not cut, and these reflected a tumultuous moment in history. They tackled emerging issues such as war, drugs, and social tension within a catchy, radio-friendly format.
The day following the recording session for “Ball of Confusion,” May 4, 1970, the Kent State shootings occurred, and a strong sentiment against violence and the Vietnam War emerged among young people. This led to Motown head Berry Gordy taking the timely song to market in less than a week, with it peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard chart.
The fire and passion of “Ball of Confusion," the first single from Motown to be overtly political, had a lasting influence. Over the decades, artists such as Tina Turner and the Neville Brothers have created covers that preserve the sense of anger, fire, and quest for a solution.
One of the landmark songs that came out of The Temptations as the 1960s drew to a close was “Ball of Confusion.” The song came about as a funky jam, with composer Norman Whitfield pairing a bass line that included influences such as Sly & the Family Stone around repeating chord patterns.
Composed in tandem with Barrett Strong, the original 11-minute song was cut to just over four minutes in the studio. Many of the most meaningful lyrics were not cut, and these reflected a tumultuous moment in history. They tackled emerging issues such as war, drugs, and social tension within a catchy, radio-friendly format.
The day following the recording session for “Ball of Confusion,” May 4, 1970, the Kent State shootings occurred, and a strong sentiment against violence and the Vietnam War emerged among young people. This led to Motown head Berry Gordy taking the timely song to market in less than a week, with it peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard chart.
The fire and passion of “Ball of Confusion," the first single from Motown to be overtly political, had a lasting influence. Over the decades, artists such as Tina Turner and the Neville Brothers have created covers that preserve the sense of anger, fire, and quest for a solution.
