ACTUALLY...THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE BEEN ASKED THAT.THE ANSWER IS NO,HE IS NOT.
MIKE CHANGED HIS LAST NAME TO CHAMPION WHEN HE BECAME AN ACTOR.HE DID MANY TV SHOWS,COMMERCIALS,AND MOVIES.HIS BIGGEST PART WAS IN "TOTAL RECALL" WITH ARNOLD SWARZENNEGER.
WE ALWAYS CALLED HIM "CRAZY" MIKE.HE HAD A REPUTATION FOR SOME OUTLANDISH BEHAVIOR.THE FIRST DAY ON THE SET OF TOTAL RECALL MIKE TOLD ARNOLD TO F::K OFF!!
THEY ACTUALLY BECAME GOOD FRIENDS AFTER THAT.I GUESS HE LIKED SOMEONE THAT WOULD STAND UP TO HIM FOR A CHANGE.
IT WOULD BE HARD TO FORGET JUST ABOUT ANYTHING THAT MIKE DID.THE WORD OUTRAGEOUS IS TOO TAME FOR MIKE.JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT YOU'D SEEN EVERYTHING,HE'D COME OUT OF LEFT FIELD WITH SOME STUNT THAT WOULD BLOW YOU AWAY.WHAT A MAD GENIUS!!
I'm so looking forward to reading your book when it hits the shelves.
Ray
I wish you'd write one! I'm tempted to suggest the title "The Other Side of the Earth" but of course there's the Funk Brothers and the HDH sessions and so much more.
"Time Takes Such Funny Turns" (penned by Ron Miller & Tom Baird) sounds like a gem from the Ron Miller-led "Charlene" sessions of 1976.
"Oh, Holy Rollers" shoulda been a single from said LP. By the way, did ya know that the composer, Billy Batson, is also the name of the alter ego of Captain Marvel in the comic books? No kidding. That same little fella that sez "SHAZAM!" Wonder if it was a nom-de-chanson?
"Never Comin' Back" written by Ex-Sunliner Steve Fisher, arranged by Commodores associate James Carmichael, and produced by Russ Terrana...with drums by, I believe, Earl Palmer, Sr. is an out-and-out ROCKER!
"Slow Down" - the grand finale - penned by Nick Zesses and Dino Fekaris...was ACE!
The interesting thing is...as prolific a writer & instrumentalist that Campbell was at Motown...he did *not* write or play *anything* on this LP...at ALL! He, as producer, personally selected the songs from his Motown buddies...and just sang. Quite the gracious gentleman, eh?
