It all started with the 88 keys of an old organ. Frontman Michael Fitzpatrick recalls his ex-girlfriend hurriedly phoning him about the instrument for sale next door, and when Fitzpatrick finally got it home that night, the first pieces of the soon-to-be single "Breaking the Chains of Love" began to form. As he put it, "sometimes, the music gods just give it to you."
Add five musicians, plenty of touring, and a sets of songs that sound straight out of the classic days of Motown, and you've got a pretty good description of Fitz and The Tantrums. The Los Angeles group's latest, Pickin' Up The Pieces, was released this past August.
This segment re-aired on July 28, 2014, as part of World Cafe's Vintage Cafe series.
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