The music world suffered another huge loss tonight with the news that Nick Ashford has passed away from throat cancer at the age of 70. With his wife Valerie Simspon, Ashford was one of the most important songwriters in soul music history. The duo penned many of Motown’s biggest hits before having their own success as a duo in the late 70s and early 80s. Tonight we take a look back at Ashford & Simpson’s influence on music.
Although Ashford and Simpson recorded music for several labels in the mid 60s, they would find initial success from their songwriting talents. Their big break was penning “Let’s Go Get Stoned” and “I Don’t Need No Doctor” for Ray Charles, who then recommended their talents to Motown founder Berry Gordy. They signed on exclusively with Motown in 1966. Their first project was creating hits for another upstart duo, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Ashford and Simpson did the majority of their colleagues singles, including the classics “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” and “You’re All I Need to Get By.” The latter would be remade into a modern Hip-Hop classic via Method Man and Mary J. Blige, and also receive interpolations of Tammi’s vocal’s through Janet Jackson, LL Cool J and The Notorious B.I.G.
METHOD MAN & MARY J. BLIGE “YOU’RE ALL I NEED”
JANET JACKSON “MY NEED” (CHORUS)
LL COOL J “DEEPEST BLUEST” (CHORUS, BACKGROUND VOCALS)
NOTORIOUS B.I.G. “MY DOWNFALL” (CHORUS 2:12 MARK)
Diana Ross would offer her own take on “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” in 1970. It would be this version that Jadakiss handled for his lively 2009 single “Can’t Stop Me.” Their work a year later on Ross’ 1971 track “Surrender” would be used for Busta Rhymes’s “Fire.”
DIANA ROSS “AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH” (2:53 MARK)
JADAKISS “CAN’T STOP ME”
DIANA ROSS “SURRENDER” (BEGINNING NOTES)
BUSTA RHYMES “FIRE”
1971 would also be the year Valerie Simpson reestablished her solo career with the LP Valerie Simpson Exposed. In 1972 she dropped a self-titled album that featured “Silly Wasn’t I,” a song that decades later would find new life with 50 Cent’s “Best Friend” and Murs’ “Silly Girl.
VALERIE SIMPSON “SILLY WASN’T I”
50 CENT “BEST FRIEND”
MURS “SILLY GIRL”
By the mid 70s, the duo felt they had exhausted everything possible at Motown. They moved on Warner Bros. as performers, where they released nine albums (three going gold). One of their best grooves from this period was 1978’s “It Seems to Hang On,” which Zhane used as the basis for their 1997 single “Request Line.”
“IT SEEMS TO HANG ON”
ZHANE “REQUEST LINE”
They moved on to their last major label, Capitol Records, in 1982. Their first album there, Street Opera, featured “Street Corner,” used by singer Tyrese and underground rapper Nutso.
“STREET CORNER”
NUTSO FT. TORAE, PUNCHLINE AND PANCHI “STREET CORNER”
TYRESE “YOU GET YOURS”
Ashford & Simpson’s 1984 gold-selling Solid was fueled by the popular single of the same name. MC Lyte would use the vocalization of the words “as a rock” for the chorus of one of her most well-known singles, “Lyte As a Rock.”
“SOLID” (:29 MARK)
MC LYTE “LYTE AS A ROCK”
Nick Ashford is survived by his wife Valerie and two daughters. On behalf of Beats, Boxing & Mayhem, I send my condolences to the fans, friends and family of Nick Ashford.
Discography
Gimme Something Real (1973)
I Wanna Be Selfish (1974)
Come as You Are (1976)
So So Satisfied (1977)
Send It (1977)
Is It Still Good to Ya (1978)
Stay Free (1979)
A Musical Affair (1980)
Performance (1981)
Street Opera (1982)
High-Rise (1983)
Solid (1984)
Real Love (1986)
Love or Physical (1989)
Been Found (1996)
The Real Thing (1996)
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 