Today we wish a very happy birthday to the great Paul Riser Sr., one of the key architects of the “Motown Sound.” Mr. Riser was born on Sept. 11, 1943.
Though not a household name, Paul Riser was an integral part of the revered “Motown Sound” and has contributed to many of the great songs of the last half century as a musician and arranger. Known first as a trombonist, Riser became one of Motown’s famed Funk Brothers, with a key role as an arranger on many of the label’s biggest hits, including “My Girl,” “The Tears of a Clown” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” (for which he won a Grammy Award).
Born and raised in Detroit, Riser developed his musical talents at an early age, studying at the renowned Cass Technical High School as well as the Detroit Conservatory of Music and Wayne State University. His strong grounding in both classical music and jazz would later become a defining element of his arranging style, allowing him to bring a sophisticated, orchestral sensibility to soul music recordings.
During Motown’s peak in the 1960s and early 1970s, Riser was one of the label’s most trusted arrangers, working closely with producers such as Smokey Robinson, Norman Whitfield and Ashford & Simpson. His orchestral “sweetening”—particularly his use of strings and horns—became a defining element of the Motown sound, adding drama and emotional depth to recordings. In addition to the hits already noted, his arranging work also appeared on classics such as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
Riser was also a songwriter during this period. Most notably, he co-wrote the Jimmy Ruffin classic “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted,” one of Motown’s most beloved ballads and a song that has been covered and featured in films for decades.
While Motown’s dominance waned in the 1970s, Riser continued as a force, working regularly with other artists and labels. He has been an arranger or conductor for such notable acts as the Doobie Brothers, Luther Vandross, R Kelly and Raphael Saadiq. One of his most notable later contributions came as the arranger and conductor of the orchestration for “I Believe I Can Fly,” a global hit that introduced his work to a new generation of listeners.
His contributions have also extended into film and television, including work connected to projects such as Car Wash, Bamboozled and Standing in the Shadows of Motown, helping to preserve and celebrate the legacy of the era he helped define.
Even as he reached his senior years, Riser remained in demand, working as an arranger with such artists as Kem and Ron Isley. He has also spent much of his time mentoring young artists and helping to tell the story of Motown to the next generation.
While much of the fame from the Motown music machine was limited to a handful of artists, producers and musicians, an incredible, largely unsung talent like Riser is exhibit #1 as to the true once-in-a-generation confluence of musical genius and opportunity that Motown was at its peak. And music fans continue to be still blessed with new music from Riser more than a half century after he began.
By Chris Rizik
