Eddie Willis Talks about Making $5 per Song as a Motown Session Player

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This clip was shot in July, 2005. I drove to Mississippi and interviewed my good friend, Eddie Willis.
Eddie talks about how he got started as a session musician at Motown.
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Пікірлер: 96

  • @MM-rr1kp
    @MM-rr1kp3 жыл бұрын

    as much as we all love the music, we love these people and their stories just as much

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks MM... I appreciate you watching too....Joe

  • @rmelin13231

    @rmelin13231

    3 жыл бұрын

    I SO agree with you. Well said.

  • @outtathyme5679
    @outtathyme56793 жыл бұрын

    Wow. You all are just hitting the stratosphere with these

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    I’m very happy you’re enjoying them 567.......Joe

  • @olesolja1407
    @olesolja14073 жыл бұрын

    Eddie “Cool Breeze” Willis...

  • @vidsforsquids
    @vidsforsquids3 жыл бұрын

    These interviews are my favorites on the web. Candid, laid back, fun & informative. Thanks Joe. We appreciate all your efforts! You’re a champ ⚡️

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Vids.... thanks for watching and such a cool review of these interviews, I appreciate your very kind words too.... best, Joe

  • @broncodeviltexas
    @broncodeviltexas3 жыл бұрын

    Privileged to have been alive when Motown happened. 🎶👍

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Bronco.... I too have felt the very same way for years. Actually you’re including basically the late 50’s through late 70’s. Best.........Joe

  • @broncodeviltexas

    @broncodeviltexas

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum I was 6 when the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan and I remember. Then later when the Supremes and Temptations were on that show it was special. The confluence of talent in the 60s-70s will never be equaled.

  • @joemonroe9402
    @joemonroe94023 жыл бұрын

    Greetings of peace..Joe Sir,hope your fine n injoying the ride..always good to see you here..Mr. Willis made some history for sure...much love to you Joe💜🤴

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Back at you Joe.... best..............Joe

  • @blakewhittington4336
    @blakewhittington43363 жыл бұрын

    Learn something new with every video. This is history that needs to be told thx Joe.

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Blake.....Joe

  • @nellymoriarty_5783
    @nellymoriarty_57833 жыл бұрын

    Wonderful to hear Mr Willis tell that history Great stuff Thanks Joe

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you again too Nelly....Joe

  • @gwatson6082
    @gwatson60823 жыл бұрын

    Always look forward to these interview nuggets. They're Gold. Keep 'em coming Joe.

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks as always for watching G....Joe

  • @adrianlyord5300
    @adrianlyord53003 жыл бұрын

    RIP Eddie and the rest of Funk Brothers who have passed away! The Funk Brothers were incredible musicians who have influenced so many other musicians throughout the world including me and I appreciate that! Kudos to you and posting this and other videos because this is amazing history!

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Adrian.... I really appreciate it...Joe

  • @adrianlyord5300

    @adrianlyord5300

    2 жыл бұрын

    Sorry to hear about Joe Messina passing away recently. I definitely want to come and visit your Musicians Hall of Fame this summer! Thanks for all your great interviews you’ve done with these great and talented people!

  • @estimatedleighton6389
    @estimatedleighton63893 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Mr. Chambers! Your videos make my day!!

  • @tomw9875

    @tomw9875

    3 жыл бұрын

    mine too!

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Hi EL.....I’ve said it before... you’re watching my interviews means as much or more to me.... Thanks, Joe

  • @garcemac
    @garcemac3 жыл бұрын

    As a 57 year old "kid" who made a living playing guitar for the last 40 odd years.... Joe, this is THE BEST KZread channel for musicians. You are an inspiration, and these interviews help keep me going and focused through these troubled times. God bless you, sir. From a friend in Canada.

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Mac.... I am very happy you’re enjoying watching them. Thanks for the nice comment. Sincerely.....Joe

  • @sapelesteve
    @sapelesteve3 жыл бұрын

    Pure Motown Gold Joe! I would love to have met Eddie myself. You were really lucky to have him as a friend & be able to spend that time interviewing him. Hope that you are doing well......👍😉

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks again Steve... yeah... I always felt really lucky to know much less truly be friends with all these guys. So many times I guess because our interest were so much the same we seemed to feel like old friends after our first meetings. Very strange how they said that same thing to me. Thanks as always....Joe

  • @srercrcr
    @srercrcr3 жыл бұрын

    Wonderful interview. Eddie was blessed to be around all those Motown greats.

  • @RickMcCargar
    @RickMcCargar3 жыл бұрын

    Great story, thanks! Side note: $5 in 1965 is equivalent to about $40 in 2021. Mr. Willis mentions they would sometimes do 7-8 tunes a day...that would be $300 a day. Good money for songs that mostly never made any money.

  • @ernestoborrego5102
    @ernestoborrego51023 жыл бұрын

    Man, great stories this man has... thanks, Joe.

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Ernesto...Joe

  • @vickielewallen3799
    @vickielewallen37993 жыл бұрын

    Watch "Standing in th Shadows of Motown" if you can, its awesome, and the musicians/Funk Brothers FINALLY got the credit they deserve, for all those Motown Hits. That credit was a long time coming, and some of the musicians had died before they ever got any recogniton at all. You can watch it on Netflix, and it is something you'll never forget..

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Vickie.... yes that’s a great documentary... really started all the documentaries about studio musicians.... Best, Joe

  • @billmccabe6188
    @billmccabe61883 жыл бұрын

    I put you guys on hold and listened to Marv sing Come To Me. I liked it, interesting. I liked Eddie a lot too. Seems like a really nice man.

  • @JimFothergill
    @JimFothergill3 жыл бұрын

    Another interesting interview!!!! Thank you!!!!!

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Jim.....Joe

  • @lefty5757
    @lefty57573 жыл бұрын

    What a great interview Joe, thank you so much!

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    David… thanks for watching… Joe

  • @rmelin13231
    @rmelin132313 жыл бұрын

    Awesome stories, great interview with another Motown great. Thanks Joe, as always.

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you too Roger......Joe

  • @tuskedbeast
    @tuskedbeast3 жыл бұрын

    Lots to take in here. Another excellent interview. Thanks Joe!

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks again Tusked....Joe

  • @efhs1970
    @efhs19703 жыл бұрын

    Joe, really enjoy Eddie’s stories, hope there’s more! Awesome interview! RIP Eddie Willis!💫

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks again Larry....Joe

  • @tomstiel7576
    @tomstiel75763 жыл бұрын

    Being a Detroiter, and living thru that era,,,,,we never thought that much about it,,,stuff was good as well as plentiful,,, from motown to Bob Seger to Mitch Ryder and Alice and on and on,,,thats what life was. I didnt realize what a impact Detroit had on the musical influences of the world till much later in life. I remember seeing the Supremes at the bandshell at the state fairgrounds,. pre teen years,,,,was just another day back then

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Great memories Tom... thanks for sharing...and watching....Best, Joe

  • @BrianKlobyGuitar
    @BrianKlobyGuitar3 жыл бұрын

    Most awesome :) Thank you

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Brian.... Joe

  • @WryGrass100
    @WryGrass1003 жыл бұрын

    A great interview!

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks 100..... Joe

  • @brcisna
    @brcisna3 жыл бұрын

    Interesting hearing Eddie's music history. Eddie followed his passion and made it happen. Sure seems like a heck of a fine genletmen to boot. Thanks for capturing this music history.

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Barry... I appreciate your supporting our videos...Joe

  • @chrisbrowning6102
    @chrisbrowning61023 жыл бұрын

    Love these interviews. The Funk Brothers were amazing. Keep up the great work, Joe.

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Glad you’re enjoying them Chris....Joe

  • @JohnnyNowhere
    @JohnnyNowhere3 жыл бұрын

    Eddie nails it. When you have the Muse working in you, you can DO that stuff you normally wouldn't. Great vid, Joe.

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks again Johnny....Joe

  • @deebassman9877
    @deebassman98773 жыл бұрын

    Awesome store thank you

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Dee.... thank you for watching too....Joe

  • @edselman58
    @edselman583 жыл бұрын

    The Funk Brothers would often accompany the artist live on the road and at times on tv shows.You can often see them in the background backing the artist on those shows from the '60's.They were a great "house band" for Motown just like Booker T and the MG's were for Staxx.This was an interesting interview Joe,thanks!...ken.

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you too Ken....Joe

  • @mlhdlh
    @mlhdlh3 жыл бұрын

    Great music history!!

  • @mrDCunningham
    @mrDCunningham3 жыл бұрын

    Stuff of LEGENDS. Just great Joe. 👍🏻😎

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks again for watching David......Joe

  • @steveclark4291
    @steveclark42913 жыл бұрын

    I sure miss that music on the radio ! Now days it just seems to be nothing but noise instead of music ! Now I have listened to all kinds of music from Classical , Rock N Roll ! Heavy Metal and Rap not so much because Heavy sounded like noise and Rap at times it was hard to understand the words ! I like to be able sit back just melt into the music enjoy all of the words and the beat ! Now I just get out my 78's , 33's , 45's , 8 Tracks , Cassettes , Reel to Reel , CD's and a few others ! Just plain miss listening to it all on the radio !

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts Steve.....Joe

  • @davenutter8252
    @davenutter82523 жыл бұрын

    Thank you Joe!

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you too Dave....Joe

  • @robt8889
    @robt88893 жыл бұрын

    jeeze thank you

  • @nativenuyorker8878
    @nativenuyorker88783 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much for sharing these interviews. These musicians are unsung, yet their music and contributions to the culture and history will live on forever. They should all be millionaires. I enjoyed each and every interview with the exception of the one that came of pompous, racist, and thought he was better than the others because he was paid more. Y’all can figure out who that was. However, that interview was important, documented and we now know that there was someone who was privileged and did not respect their colleagues or the music. Also Rest in Paradise Mary Wilson!

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching. Yes.....Mary was great. She helped us induct the Funk Brothers into our hall of fame at our first ceremony in 2007. She was a pleasure to be around. Best, Joe

  • @johnvender
    @johnvender3 жыл бұрын

    What a legend

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching John.........Joe

  • @JohnDoe-jc3cl
    @JohnDoe-jc3cl3 жыл бұрын

    Joe..... Another interesting and informative interview with a musician. You do a good job interviewing people. I wish I could sit down and have some catfish and orange crush and cornbread with Sourwood honey with you guys ! You’re a little bit of all right, Joe! (Jim, guitar player for 40 years up here in Chicago )

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Jim....That sounds good to me too...Joe

  • @JohnDoe-jc3cl

    @JohnDoe-jc3cl

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@MusiciansHallofFameMuseum Thanks Joe! Request: If any of Jimi Hendrix’s house band members are still alive ( the King Kasuals).... please interview them. But please ask the technical musical questions for us : What was it like sitting around deciding on what songs to practice to play in the club, how quickly could they pick up a song? Did they have any ear training exercises that would help them? did they try to turn everyone into a voodoo trance? Did they try and seduce any of the women while there were playing? Did they try and work on their ESP and modulate to a different chord while playing? Just a few, way out- - un average questions to ask. Above all, Thanks Joe

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    The women question.... yes :) the others ....I doubt it;) Best, Joe

  • @delstanley1349
    @delstanley13493 жыл бұрын

    7:22 Of all the many, many sessions he did at Motown the one he chose to do as a demo for Joe was the Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin On" who first lyrics are "Set me free." Freudian slip regarding what BG was ultimately paying him?

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Del... thanks for sharing your thoughts...Joe

  • @delstanley1349
    @delstanley13493 жыл бұрын

    11:34 Willis says Motown wouldn't let the remaining five Funk Brothers of Detroit jam together on sessions in LA after they moved there. The reason? Willis says "if they let us work together we would have took over the city. Seriously." Not to get in any debate about what cities across the US had the best session crews, BUT LA already had the Wrecking Crew, and nobody from anywhere was going to replace that group! I personally think the real reason they didn't jam together was because BG (Berry Gordy) wanted to keep premium players as cheap as possible with the least amount of hassle. Of course all managers want to pay the help as little as possible, it's business, but at least the mangers of the Wrecking Crew recognized that group's talent and were fair in their compensation to keep them there and busy. I suppose BG thought keeping the remaining remnants of the Funk Brothers together might create a little ex-Detroit union. They might talk to the Wrecking Crew and learn how underpaid they were. Together the FB could walk out in unison, and heaven forbid that could squeeze money from BG's pockets! So, "break em up." Again, it was about money, not "taking over the city." They could have never done that (in my opinion). Willis obviously had a lot of pride in his own group, but LA, Detroit, Memphis, Philly, Nashville, NYC, etc. all were great session cities with talented musicians in those days.

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts Del.........Joe

  • @bryanmcdermott4204
    @bryanmcdermott42043 жыл бұрын

    Tremendous stories

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Toob.......Joe

  • @c5back9
    @c5back93 жыл бұрын

    I’ve long felt that many “session players” were routinely shafted. I’m guessing there were very few successful records on which session players didn’t contribute enhancements and embellishments that greatly improved the original song. In my mind, their very significant contributions to making songs great has been so largely overlooked that it seems almost criminal. The session players who reworked and rearranged songs to help improve them possibly should have be given co-writer’s credit in addition to the $5 per song rate they received.

  • @gibsondrummer

    @gibsondrummer

    3 жыл бұрын

    Sidemen who add parts and licks to songs never get anything , im a drummer who had some limited commercial success in the 80’s We rehearsed the new songs like it was our job because it was , i came up with things that added to all of the songs we recorded Stops , riffs , fills , accents and stuff in the middle eights etc It was never acknowledged , we just did it , all the musicians did it because we were bandmemebers We got a piece of the mechanical royalties as part of our partnership agreement but no writing credit for arrangement contribution

  • @c5back9

    @c5back9

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@gibsondrummer: I know that’s the way it’s been done for many years, but I’ve always felt like it wasn’t quite right if you get my drift. Just my 2C.

  • @blueticecho5690
    @blueticecho56903 жыл бұрын

    And all that time old Berry Gordy was getting richer and richer one of the reasons Stevie Wonder jump ship when he turn 21.. Sad deal..

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks again for watching Blue....Joe

  • @nativenuyorker8878

    @nativenuyorker8878

    3 жыл бұрын

    Stevie got what he wanted when he was 21 so he did not jump ship. He played his hand correctly and timing is everything. Yes, the overwhelming majority of these great artists were ripped off.

  • @jx14aby

    @jx14aby

    3 жыл бұрын

    I bet they were recording thousands of songs that became nothing. A few hit it big. It's called show business.

  • @zororosario
    @zororosario3 жыл бұрын

    Pleasead? 70 Years later I am trying to figure out? How are You playing this ? It's very Important threee quarterters a century later?.

  • @zororosario
    @zororosario3 жыл бұрын

    Anything he has to say I want to listen??

  • @jodylowe8476
    @jodylowe84763 жыл бұрын

    Wow, these great muscians got ripped off.

  • @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    @MusiciansHallofFameMuseum

    3 жыл бұрын

    Hi Jody... yes they did. Thanks for watching...Best, Joe

  • @Oldpigsass
    @Oldpigsass2 ай бұрын

    Did Eddie play the intro of "Let's Get It On"? I think so.

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