By Darlene Donloe
Contributing Writer
William “Mickey” Stevenson, the man behind such Motown hits as “Dancing in the Streets” (Martha and the Vandellas), “Beechwood 4-5789” (The Marvelettes), and “It Takes Two” (Kim Weston and Marvin Gaye), has thrown his hat into the political ring, sort of.
At 87, Stevenson, Motown’s founding artists and repertoire man, recently penned and released an election song called, “Put Kamala in the White House,” sung by his wife of three years, Michelle Stevenson.
The song, inspired by Kamala Harris’s presidential candidacy, has an original version and a hip-hop version for younger listeners, both of which can be found on several platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Instagram, Boomplay Music, Facebook and more.
“Put Kamala in the White House” is a variation of a song Stevenson wrote for one of his projects, “Sing It From the Heart,” where Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Lena Horne, Josephine Baker and Eartha Kitt, all discuss the fact that someday there is bound to be a woman in the White House.Upon reflection, Stevenson decided to reshape and remix the song to cater to Kamala Harris’ historical moment.
Some of the lyrics include “There’ll be work for everybody. Food on every table. Every woman. Every man can be all that they can if you’re ready, willing and able. God planned America to be the home of the brave and the land of the free. Put Kamala in the White House today.”
During Motown’s golden era, Stevenson, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2022, was a prolific songwriter and producer. He is credited with being one of the principal architects of the “Motown Sound.”
Stevenson, who put together the legendary Motown studio band called the Funk Brothers, continues to get accolades for being influential in discovering and developing the careers of Stevie Wonder, Martha and the Vandellas, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, and the Temptations.
A personable and witty man with a salt and pepper mane, Stevenson, who said he’s “In the best shape of my life, I feel like I’m 50,” is still at the top of his game. The Stevensons are currently putting the finishing touches on a musical Mickey has written about “The Azusa Revival,” which is about the Holy Spirit coming down in 1906. He hopes to mount it in 2025.
A faith-filled man, Stevenson said he prays he will, once again, strike gold with his song.
Michelle Stevenson is the CEO and founder of Innerverse Enterprises.
I recently spoke to Mickey and Michelle Stevenson, who sang professionally for the first time on this project, about this and their other endeavors. The two, who compliment each other often, and frequently finish each other’s sentences, are excited about the possibilities surrounding the song.
DD: Mickey, how did this song come about?
MICKEY: Smokey [Robinson] and I did a show called “Sing It From the Heart.” In that process, I wrote “Put A Woman in the White House.” Michelle told me, ‘You know what, the time for that song is now.’ The song was originally written about 15 years ago. I switched it up when President Biden passed the torch.
DD: Let me get this straight, this song was already in existence, you changed some of the lyrics so it would work for Kamala?
MICHELLE: To tell you the truth, it was almost like Mickey prophesied that a woman would be in the White House one day. Some years ago, there was a congresswoman who was running, and, she reminded me of a female Martin Luther King. So we did the song for her, too. But when Mickey found out that Kamala Harris was running, I felt like he pulled out the red carpet. He rearranged and reshaped the song. I told him, I thought that he should put his signature on this one by adding the horns that are on “Dancing in the Streets.” He agreed. That’s what we’ll be doing in November. We’ll be dancing in the streets.
DD: Mickey, how did you come up with the lyrics, and are you planning to send it to Kamala Harris?
MICKEY: I studied her speeches and put some of her words in it. Every time she spoke, I recorded it.
MICHELLE: This song is about her energy, gift and purpose. That’s what I wanted to put into the song.
DD: It’s a very catchy tune.
MICHELLE: We bumped into some challenges, though. Some people, and some outlets didn’t want to put it on their page. They thought they would lose followers.
DD: What do you like about Kamala Harris?
MICKEY: I like her attitude, and her believing that she should do this. I like her experience, her knowledge, and how she started in her ability to make things happen. It’s a gift given to her for this reason. We all have gifts. Hers is what she’s doing.
MICHELLE: I like that she’s a Black woman. It’s our time as women. I feel in singing the song, I embody Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, the people who stood and fought for our rights. I love her power. I love that she’s audacious, intelligent and witty.
DD: By putting out a political anthem, do you consider yourselves political activists?
MICKEY: Unconsciously, we are automatically because of our beliefs and thinking.
MICHELLE: That’s what we’re doing. We are standing up for what we believe in.
DD: What do you think about the divisiveness that’s going on in our country?
MICKEY: It’s hard to put a finger on it. God put us all here. The gifts that are given to us are for a reason. Stay your course. We stand solid. Some of this divisiveness is not done with the right understanding.
MICHELLE: It’s important for me that we live in a world that works for everyone. Together we can do more as a family, country and the world. All roads lead to God.
DD: What kind of feedback are you getting about the song?
MICHELLE: Great. Some are inspired by it. There are some naysayers, though. Some outlets and people are afraid to post it.
DD: Mickey, why did you want to feature Michelle on the single?
MICKEY: The idea of her doing the song was easy. I was set on it from day one. She did it, and she was right on. This song is coming from the right place.
DD: Michelle, why did you want to sing it?
MICHELLE: I was intimidated because he (Mickey) was an A&R man for Motown. I would hold back when we would sing together. But doing it was a place to stand in my full power unapologetically. I wanted to sing it, to let go and let God. It’s an honor to sing that song. Once again, we will be dancing in the streets in November.
DD: Michelle, what is it like working with Mickey Stevenson?
MICHELLE: It’s an honor. Every day he amazes me. He’s so focused and dedicated. He’s a man that gets the job done. He’s a genius. He deserves the word legend.
DD: What is your hope for the single?
MICHELLE: I want people to listen to the words. I want it to get to Kamala and women’s groups. Anything is possible. When she wins, I want the song to be playing.
MICKEY: That everybody gets out and votes.
Darlene Donloe is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers who covers South Los Angeles. She can be reached at ddonloe@gmail.com.
