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Welcome to Mark Barry's Review Blog - SOUNDS GOOD, LOOKS GOOD... It features in-depth reviews for Quality CD Reissues and Remasters - all with Discography Info (six times Amazon 'Hall of Fame' Reviewer). With over 2,600 posts - genres covered include Rock, Pop, Soul, Funk, Jazz Fusion, Blues, Rhythm 'n' Blues, Doo Wop, Vocal Groups, 1960s and 1970s, Prog, Psych, Folk, Blues-Rock, Goth, Punk, New Wave, 1980s, Reggae and more. I also review FILMS, TV Shows, BLU RAYS and BOOKS. Enjoy the reads...

Showing posts with label Complete Motown Singles Series. Show all posts

Saturday 23 January 2021

"The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 11A: 1971" (January to June) by VARIOUS ARTISTS – featuring The Jackson 5, Joe Hinton, Brass Monkey, Chuck Jackson, R. Dean Taylor, Marvin Gaye, The Undisputed Truth, Ken Christie And The Sunday People, David Ruffin, Kiki Dee, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Eddie Kendricks, Sammy Davis Jr., Gordon Staples & The Motown Strings, Edwin Starr, David & Jimmy Ruffin, Letta, Diana Ross, P.J. (Patti Jerome), Stoney & Meatloaf, The Supremes, Bobby Darin, The Impact Of Brass, King Floyd, Bill Cosby, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Four Tops, Ivy Jo, The Crusaders, Hugh Masekela & The Union Of South Africa, Arthur Adams, The Stylists, Hearts Of Stone, Rare Earth and Tom Clay (February 2009 US Hip-O Select/Motown 5CD 119-Track Compilation – Hardback DigiBook Set With Front-Cover Attached 45 Vinyl Single – A Non-Numbered Limited Edition of 8000 Copies – CD Volumes Nos. 56 to 60 in the Series - Ellen Fitton Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...What's Going On..."

Thankfully, as I perused the Soul Section of Oxford Street’s HMV Megastore in early 2009, I saw the Marvin Gaye US 45 for "What's Going On" attached to the front cover of this thing-of-beauty and was a goner. Had to have it. I had diligently collected all of these now-legendary Hip-O Select American-issued Hardback DigiBook Volumes except of course (like a pillock) the elusive and expensive Vol. 6 covering 1966 (a very stupid oversight that will now set you back about £300 or more). I was not about to make that 'I'll pick it up later' mistake yet again.

Volume 11A featured all 45-singles issued January to June 1971, whilst 11B did July to December 1971. You get the Tamla, Motown, Rare Earth, V.I.P., Soul, Ecology, MoWest and Chisa labels all featured and even unreleased alternate mixes and rare promo-only versions. So much to discuss, so let's hear those 'spend it on the have-nots' lyrics one more time, but with proper praise...

US released February 2009 - "The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 11A: 1971" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Hip-O Select/Motown B-0011579-02 (Barcode 602517776555) is a 5CD 119-Track Book Set covering January to June 1971. It comes with a Front-Cover Attached Vinyl 45 (a repro of the US single "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye on Tamla T 54201 inset into a die-cut hole so you can see the label) and is a Non-Numbered Limited Edition of 8000 Copies (CDs are Volumes 56 to 60) that plays out as follows:

CD1, Disc 56, 73:38 minutes (23 Tracks)
The A&B-sides of 11 US singles by The Jackson 5, Joe Hinton, Brass Monkey, Chuck Jackson, The Temptations, R. Dean Taylor, Marvin Gaye, The Undisputed Truth, Ken Christie And The Sunday People, David Ruffin and Kiki Dee (extra track is an Alternate Mix of the Kiki Dee A-side "Love Makes The World Go 'Round")

CD2, Disc 57, 77:50 minutes (25 Tracks)
The A&B-sides of 10 singles by Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Eddie Kendricks (extra track is a Long Promo Version of the A-side "This Used To Be The Home Of Johnnie Mae" on Tamla T 54203), Sammy Davis Jr. (extra track is a Stereo Promo Version of the A-side "In My Own Lifetime" on Ecology E 10000), The Jackson 5, R. Dean Taylor, Gordon Staples & The Motown Strings (two extra tracks are a Long Promo Version and Stereo Promo Version of the A-side "Strung Out" on Motown M 1180), Edwin Starr, David & Jimmy Ruffin, Letta and Stevie Wonder (extra track is the Stereo Promo Version of "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer", originally the B-side of "We Can Work It Out" on Tamla T 54202 in March 1971, reissued as a double-sided promo-only 45 to promote the "Where I'm Coming From" LP)

CD3, Disc 58, 75:24 minutes (24 Tracks)
The A&B-sides of 9 singles by Diana Ross (two extra tracks are a Long Stereo Promo Version and Short Stereo Promo Version of the A-side "Reach Out I'll Be There" on Motown M 1184), P.J. (Patti Jerome), Stoney and Meatloaf (extra track is a Stereo Promo Version of the A-side "What You See Is What You Get" on Rare Earth 5027), The Supremes (extra track is a Stereo Promo Version of the A-side "Nathan Jones" on Motown M 1182), Bobby Darin, The Impact Of Brass (extra track is a Stereo Promo Version of the A-side "Never Can Say Goodbye" on Rare Earth 5028), King Floyd, Diana Ross with The Jackson Five (B-side is Diana Ross & Bill Cosby) and Gladys Knight & The Pips (extra track is a Stereo Promo Version of the A-side "I Don't Want To Do Wrong" on Soul S 35083),

CD4, Disc 59, 75:22 minutes (24 Tracks)
The A&B-sides of 9 singles by The Supremes & The Four Tops (extra track is a Stereo Promo Version of the A-side "You Gotta Have Love In Your Heart" on Motown M 1181), The Undisputed Truth, Ivy Jo (extra track is a Stereo Promo Version of the A-side "I'd Still Love You" on V.I.P. 25063), The Four Tops, Diana Ross (extra track is a Mono Promo Version of "Reach Out I'll Be There" on Motown M 1184 issued May 1971 – see Disc 58 for original), The Crusaders (extra track is a Stereo Promo Version of the A-side "Pass The Plate" on Chisa C 8013), Hugh Masekela & The Union Of South Africa (extra track is a Stereo Promo Version of the A-side "Dyambo (De-Yambo) Weary Day Is Over" on Chisa C 8014, Arthur Adams, The Stylists and Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (extra track is Stereo Promo Version of the A-side "Crazy About The La La La" on Tamla T 54206F),

CD5, Disc 60, 78:49 minutes (23 Tracks)
The A&B-sides of 8 singles by Marvin Gaye (extra track is a Stereo Promo Version of the A-side "Mercy Mercy (The Ecology)" on Tamla T 54207F), Hearts Of Stone (extra track is a Stereo Promo Version of the A-side "If I Could Give You The World" on V.I.P. 25064), Ken Christie & The Sunday People (extra track is a Stereo Promo Version of the A-side "The Reverend John B. Daniels" on Rare Earth 5029F), R. Dean Taylor (extra track is a Stereo Promo Version of the A-side "Candy Apple Red" on Rare Earth 5030F), Rare Earth (extra track is a Stereo Promo Version of the A-side "I Just Want To Celebrate" on Rare Earth R 5031F), The Jackson 5 (extra track is a Stereo Promo Version of the A-side "Maybe Tomorrow" on Motown M 1186F), Tom Clay (extra track is a Short Promo Version of the A-side "What The World Needs Now/Abraham, Martin and John" on MoWest 5002F) and The Temptations

The thing about a set like this is how it allows you to go deeper - acts like Ken Christie And The Sunday People, Gordon Staples & The Motown Strings, Letta, The Stylists, The Impact Of Brass, Brass Monkey, Tom Clay, P.J. or even Ivo Jo (who turns out to be Ivory Joe Hunter of Atlantic Records fame) are not exactly household names that trip of your average Soul fan's tongue. Marvin Lee Aday and Cheryl "Shaun" Murphy are the real names of Meatloaf and Stoney, while P.J. is the life loving and damn sexy Patti Jerome – wife of Harry Balk – a musical power couple who went back to the end of the 50ts and beginning of the 60ts. And while Groove-Ambassador for his troubled country Hugh Masekela and crossover Rock-Soul-Funk crews like The Undisputed Truth and Rare Earth will up any compilation with class and swivel-hips - how cool is it to see great names like Guitarist Arthur Adams, male and female Soulful vocalists from different sides of the pond in the shape of Sammy Davis Jr. and Kiki Dee – all sided by the best Jazz-Funk band on the planet - The Crusaders. There are an awful lot more Stereo Promo Versions too – one for almost all of the singles on CD60.

But first - you have to talk about the presentation of these things that in every case will have a Motown/Soul Music fan weak at the knees. I have bought and reviewed a lot of tasty Hip-O Select reissues – Muddy Waters, Jimmy Cliff, Emitt Rhodes, Tammi Terrell, Howlin’ Wolf, The 15-Disc Chess Story, Stephen Bishop, Buddy Miles and so on. But these Motown Volumes are the best they ever did – a profoundly fab project that eventually stretched out from 1959 to 1972 with 75 CDs and 1847 Tracks. All transfers were taken from original tapes and included the Single Mono Mixes, Stereo Versions if on Promo 45s, Previously Unreleased Variants and full annotation for every single song. You get catalogue numbers, musician personnel, Producers, overdub details, Billboard R&B and Pop chart placements (if any) and long paragraphs on the recording and its history.

As the packaging has to fit a 45 single on the front cover – the 140 pages of text are large inside the hardback book – allowing full-page colour plates that are genuinely some of the most beautifully rendered photos of Soul Artists that I’ve ever seen (even Sammy Davis Jr. looks hip with his head band). The five discs are housed in individual card leaves at the back with three indexes preceding them – By Artist, By Title and By Label. This allows collectors a way of tracking what they need – very thorough. The only minor miscall for UK fans would be that every catalogue number is American – if you want their British equivalents – I cannot recommend enough a book I reviewed a good few years ago now called “TAMLA MOTOWN: The Stories Behind The UK Singles” by TERRY WILSON - a tall paperback with over 710 pages published by Cherry Red Books. It provides both the US and UK details and is the very best reference source on TM you can get.

The Audio comes via an Engineer I’ve sung the praises of before – ELLEN FITTON – one of Universal’s top Remaster types. Across a total of 119 tracks, you get 47 singles and there are just so many great discoveries in here – the beautifully soulful Joe Hinton urging us to "Let's All Save The Children" – a one-off single that was also featured on one of the rarest Motown LPs ever issued called "Souvenir" – an album handed out to attendees only at a Benefit gig in April 1971 in Detroit, the wall of male-singer class that was Chuck Jackson on his "Is There Anything Love Can't Do" and the lovely voice of Letta Mbulu from Soweto.

And of course you get to return to absolute Mono classics as you would have heard them on the radio of the day – the film-staple "Reach Out I'll Be There" by Diana Ross, the flange-tastic "Nathan Jones" by The Supremes and Stevie Wonder doing the Fabs with his excellent cut of "We Can Work It Out". Then there are probably three of my all time rave-faves in the Soul World - "Smiling Faces Sometimes" by The Undisputed, "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" by The Temptations and the sublime heaven that is "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye ("Mercy Mercy Me (Ecology Song)" is probably up there too). And so much more...

The physical product in 2021 ranges from £80 to over £125 - with the MP3 download version somewhere about £75 (individual tracks are usually 99p). But it's the real deal that you need. Either way - if you want to hear 'The Sound Of Young America' at its best – then look no further my fellow traveller. Stunning...

"The Complete Motown Singles" Series by Hip-O Select

(14 Hardback Digibook Releases as of January 2021)

75 x CD Volumes, 1847 CD Tracks Plus 28 Tracks On 14 x 7" Vinyl Singles

1. Volume 1: 1959-1961, Released January 2005, Catalogue No. Hip-O Select B-0003631-02 (Barcode 602517643310), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 5000 (Non-Numbered), 155 Tracks, CDs are Volumes 1 to 6

2. Volume 2: 1962, May 2005, 4CDs, B-00004402-02 (Barcode 602517807552), Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non Numbered), 112 Tracks, Volumes 7 to 10

3. Volume 3: 1963, October 2005, B-0005352-02 (Barcode 602517845691), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 7500 (Non-Numbered), 119 Tracks, Volumes 11 to 15

4. Volume 4: 1964, February 2006, B-0005945-02 (Barcode 602517882443), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non-Numbered), 163 Tracks, Volumes 16 to 21

5. Volume 5: 1965, August 2006, B-0006775-02 (Barcode 602517789414), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non-Numbered), 166 Tracks, Volumes 22 to 27

6. Volume 6: 1966, November 2006, B-0007872-02 (Barcode 602517092761), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 6000 (Non-Numbered), 125 Tracks, Volumes 28 to 32

7. Volume 7: 1967, May 2007, B-0008993-02 (Barcode 602517341906), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 6000 (Non-Numbered), 120 Tracks, Volumes 33 to 37

8. Volume 8: 1968, October 2007, B-0009708-02 (Barcode 602517431775), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 6000 (Non-Numbered), 144 Tracks, Volumes 38 to 43

9. Volume 9: 1969, December 2007, B-0010270-02 (Barcode 602517507722), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 6000 (Non-Numbered), 148 Tracks, Volumes 44 to 49

10. Volume 10: 1970, June 2008, B-0011056-02 (Barcode 602517659209), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non-Numbered), 144 Tracks, Volumes 50 to 55

11. Volume 11A: 1971, February 2009, B-0011579-02 (Barcode 602517776555), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non-Numbered), 119 Tracks, Volumes 56 to 60

12. Volume 11B: 1971, January 2010, B-0012227-02 (Barcode 602517876903), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non Numbered), 120 Tracks, Volumes 61 to 65

13. Volume 12A: 1972, May 2013, B-0012935-02 (Barcode 602527044453)), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 7500 (Non Numbered), 117 Tracks, Volumes 66 to 70

14. Volume 12B: 1972, December 2013, B-0019213-02 (Barcode 602537532193), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 7500 (Non Numbered), 100 Tracks, Volumes 71 to 75

Wednesday 2 September 2020

"The Complete Motown Singles Volume 10: 1970" by VARIOUS ARTISTS (June 2008 US Hip-O-Select 6CD Book Set 146-Track Compilation - Book Set With Front-Cover Attached 45 Single – A Non-Numbered Limited Edition of 8000 Copies – CD Volumes Nos. 50 to 55 in the Series - Ellen Fitton Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With 100s Of Others Is Available in my

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

HIGHER GROUND
70ts Soul, RnB and Funk
Exception CD Remasters

Just Click Below To Purchase for £6.95

Thousands of E-Pages - All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs

(No Cut and Paste Crap)

"…Good God Y'All!"

This extraordinary Hip-O Select series began in the States in January 2005 with Volume 1 covering 1959-1961 and ended a total of 14 book sets later in December 2013 with Volume 12B covering the second half of 1972. For Motown fans - it's been an exhilarating if not costly ride - a whopping 75 numbered-volumes on CD, 14 specially pressed 7" singles attached to the front and a staggering 1847 songs. Each 'Book Set' gives you the USA 7" single mixes in true MONO from the original Motown Master Tapes – promo STEREO versions where applicable and even Rare and Alternate Takes. Each volume is a sumptuous wow (see full list below). I own them all except Volumes 1 and the ever-elusive Volume 6 (now extortionately expensive).

"1970" (like much of 1969) saw Motown on the cusp of change (and badly needed it was too). Norman Whitfield and others saw Motown tentatively move away from the naïve but lucrative 'love on a Saturday night' song-writing machine that dominated Tamla’s Sixties output - to individual Artists and Producers expressing themselves and the real social change sweeping across America and the world ("Ball Of Confusion" by The Temptations and Edwin Starr's explosive "War"). Not that they didn't have their eye on the commercial – you get all the big hits of the year as well. So like 1969’s Volume 9 – Volume 10 is a strange hybrid of the right-on versus the happy-wappy. Here are the Tears Of A Clown…

Released June 2008 in the USA on Hip-O Select's B0011056-02 (Barcode 602517659209) – "The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 10: 1970" by VARIOUS ARTISTS has 6CDs housed in a hardback book set with a 148-page oversized book inside and a 7” single on the front – "The Tears Of A Clown" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (a repro of Tamla T 54199). It’s a non-numbered Limited Edition of 8000 and plays out as follows (basic breakdown)…

Disc 1 (Volume 50), 25 songs, 77:30 minutes:

Disc 2 (Volume 51), 23 songs, 70:13 minutes:

Disc 3 (Volume 52), 25 songs, 75:54 minutes:

Disc 4 (Volume 53), 24 songs, 78:22 minutes:

Disc 5 (Volume 54), 23 songs, 74:50 minutes:

Disc 6 (Volume 55), 24 songs, 76:02 minutes:

The first thing that hammers you (as with all of these releases) is the glory of the packaging – surely a standard by which all others are to be judged. The 7" single lodged in the front lip is not surprisingly "The Tears Of A Clown" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – an exact repro of the October 1970 USA R&B No. 1 single on Tamla T 54199. But inside is the real deal – 147-pages of stunning liner notes and full-colour artist plates – some of which will literally stop you in your tracks they're so beautifully rendered. Stevie Wonder is on Page 24, The Supremes (Trio) on Page 31, Marvin Gaye on Page 62, Rare Earth on Page 77, Martha Reeves And The Vandellas on Page 102, Edwin Starr on Page 113 and so on. The in-depth BILL DAHL liner notes are fabulous giving you a full history of each song and if the B-side is on a previous volume – he tells you which one. Each entry has catalogue numbers, master details, playing credits, Pop and R 'n' B chart positions and so on. There are even three Indexes at the rear – by Artist, Title and Catalogue Number so you find anything easily. And while the packaging is gorgeous – the Audio Remastering is just as thrilling…

Digitally remastered from original Motown Master Tapes by ELLEN FITTON – she’s handled the entire series – and stunning is the only word for it. Most of these single mixes are in MONO – so the punch is pretty lethal when it comes out of your speakers. The effect is to feel like you’re hearing these things anew.

Disc 1 opens with a beauty – "The Bells" and "I'll Wait For You" by The Originals – with both sides co-written by and produced by Marvin Gaye. Edwin Starr gets his production day too with the kicking "Time" while dancing enthusiasts will dig the obscure "Expressin' My Love" by Stu Gardner. Highlights on Disc 2 include the gritty Soul Rock of The Rustix with "Come On People", the lovely ballad "On The Brighter Side Of A Blue World" by The Fantastic Four, while Motown's in-house guitarist Arthur Adams sees his ultra-rare Chisa single "My Baby's Love" b/w "Loving You" get a CD outing for the first time since its 1970 release. And Chuck Jackson's double-ender "Two Feet From Happiness" b/w "Let Somebody Love Me" is one of those singles that should have done better.

Disc 3 and 4 sees the emergence of Soul Artists getting real with what was going on all around them in American politics both National and International - "Ball Of Confusion" by The Temptations and Edwin Starr's extraordinary "War" (apparently done in one take – Good God Y'all!). The commercial side is "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Diana Ross & The Supremes, "I'll Be There" by The Jackson 5 and the underrated "Still Water (Love)" by The Four Tops. Obscure - but none the less winning are Kiki Dee, Bob & Marcia, Blinky, Danny Hernandez and Yvonne Fair. I also love The Jazz Crusaders, Jr. Walker and Rare Earth on Discs 5 and 6. In truth – like all of these compilations – there is a lot of filler – and it's easy to see why so many of these songs and acts fell by the wayside – but overall the listen is voyage of joy and discovery. Any compilation with the fabulous "Hum Along And Dance" by The Temptations gets my vote.

What I would give to see someone tackle ATLANTIC or STAX or CHESS SINGLES in this manner – but that’s another strengthened shelf sometime in the future. Genius and then some…

"The Complete Motown Singles" Series by Hip-O Select

(14 Releases as of September 2020)

75 x CD Volumes, 1847 CD Tracks Plus 28 Tracks On 14 x 7" Vinyl Singles

1. Volume 1: 1959-1961, Released January 2005, Catalogue No. Hip-O Select B-0003631-02 (Barcode 602517643310), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 5000 (Non-Numbered), 155 Tracks, CDs are Volumes 1 to 6

2. Volume 2: 1962, May 2005, 4CDs, B-00004402-02 (Barcode 602517807552), Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non Numbered), 112 Tracks, Volumes 7 to 10

3. Volume 3: 1963, October 2005, B-0005352-02 (Barcode 602517845691), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 7500 (Non-Numbered), 119 Tracks, Volumes 11 to 15

4. Volume 4: 1964, February 2006, B-0005945-02 (Barcode 602517882443), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non-Numbered), 163 Tracks, Volumes 16 to 21

5. Volume 5: 1965, August 2006, B-0006775-02 (Barcode 602517789414), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non-Numbered), 166 Tracks, Volumes 22 to 27

6. Volume 6: 1966, November 2006, B-0007872-02 (Barcode 602517092761), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 6000 (Non-Numbered), 125 Tracks, Volumes 28 to 32

7. Volume 7: 1967, May 2007, B-0008993-02 (Barcode 602517341906), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 6000 (Non-Numbered), 120 Tracks, Volumes 33 to 37

8. Volume 8: 1968, October 2007, B-0009708-02 (Barcode 602517431775), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 6000 (Non-Numbered), 144 Tracks, Volumes 38 to 43

9. Volume 9: 1969, December 2007, B-0010270-02 (Barcode 602517507722), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 6000 (Non-Numbered), 148 Tracks, Volumes 44 to 49

10. Volume 10: 1970, June 2008, B-0011056-02 (Barcode 602517659209), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non-Numbered), 144 Tracks, Volumes 50 to 55

11. Volume 11A: 1971, February 2009, B-0011579-02 (Barcode 602517776555), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non-Numbered), 119 Tracks, Volumes 56 to 60

12. Volume 11B: 1971, January 2010, B-0012227-02 (Barcode 602517876903), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non Numbered), 120 Tracks, Volumes 61 to 65

13. Volume 12A: 1972, May 2013, B-0012935-02 (Barcode 602527044453)), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 7500 (Non Numbered), 117 Tracks, Volumes 66 to 70

14. Volume 12B: 1972, December 2013, B-0019213-02 (Barcode 602537532193), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 7500 (Non Numbered), 100 Tracks, Volumes 71 to 75

PS: Volume 10 (like so many of the others) is Deleted in September 2020 with used copies trading for as much as £250. But Amazon offer the whole set as an MP3 download for £59.99. Use link provided above for details...

Wednesday 20 May 2020

"The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 8: 1968" by VARIOUS ARTISTS – featuring Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Isley Brothers, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Shorty Long, The Marvelettes, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, The Temptations, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Stevie Wonder, Barbara McNair, The Spinners, Abdullah, Marv Johnson, The Fantastic Four, The Detroit Wheels, Jimmy Ruffin, Edwin Starr, Blinky and more (October 2007 US Hip-O Select/Motown 6CD Compilation - Book Set With Front-Cover Attached 45 Single – A Non-Numbered Limited Edition of 6000 Copies – CD Volumes Nos. 38 to 43 in the Series - Ellen Fitton Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With Nearly 195 Others Is Available in my

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"SOUL GALORE!"

60ts Soul, R&B, Northern Soul

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Atlantic, Chess, Motown, Stax Labels and many more...

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"...The Real Thing..."

I've made mistakes in life. Selling state secrets to the Russians, trusting my horoscope to conspiracy theorist David Icke, not sleeping with Scarlet Johansson when I had the chance but instead canoodling with ugly farmyard animals that looked pretty good after a few kegs of Scrumpy - and then, just recently - trusting a haircut to my wife and her DIY scissors techniques in a Coronavirus lockdown. You know, the usual growing pains of a record shop employee.

But the biggest mistake I ever made was not buying Volume 6 of "The Complete Motown Singles" which covered the year 1966. Man that was a doozy. I diligently collected all of the other 13 Volumes from 1 to 12B (see list below), but for some reason put 1966 on the long finger, and now of course it regularly clocks in at £250 to £350 depending on the source. So when I win the Lottery (or hear back from Moscow about that Cayman Island account and their really good face surgeon, called, oddly enough, Shorter Long) – I'll snap it up.

Which brings me to this gorgeous reissue – the kind of thing that actually is worth standing up Scarlett for (well maybe). Let's hear it from the grapevine...

US released October 2007 - "The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 8: 1968" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Hip-O Select/Motown B0009708-02 (Barcode 602517431775) is a 6CD Book Set with Front-Cover Attached 45 (a repro of the US single "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye) – A Non-Numbered Limited Edition of 6000 Copies (CDs are Volumes 38 to 43) that plays out as follows:

CD1, Disc 38, 67:48 minutes (25 Tracks)

The A&B-sides (see NOTE) of 13 US singles by Rita Wright, Shorty Long, Four Tops, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Chuck Jackson, Debbie Dean, Billy Eckstine, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Chris Clark, Jimmy Ruffin, Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Isley Brothers

(NOTE: Chris Clark and Diana Ross & The Supremes, A-sides only).

CD2, Disc 39, 65:43 minutes (24 Tracks)

The A&B-sides (see NOTE) of 13 singles by Stevie Wonder, Edwin Starr, Barbara McNair, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, The Monitors, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, R. Dean Taylor, Four Tops, The Temptations, The Detroit Wheels, The Marvelettes, Shorty Long, The Volumes,

(NOTE: Barbara McNair, The Monitors, A-sides only)

CD3, Disc 40, 65:02 minutes (24 Tracks)

The A&B-sides (see NOTE) of 13 singles by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Gladys Night & The Pips, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Jimmy Ruffin, Stevie Wonder, Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, Four Tops, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Temptations, Jr. Walker & The All-Stars, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas

(NOTE: Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, A-sides only)

CD4, Disc 41, 65:38 minutes (22 Tracks)

The A&B-sides (see NOTE) of 12 singles by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Paul Petersen, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Billy Eckstein, Barbara Randolph, Marvin Gaye, The Ones, The Monitors, Elvets Rednow (Stevie Wonder spelt backwards), The Marvelettes, The Detroit Wheels, Marvin Gaye [A] with Gladys Knight & The Pips [B],

(NOTE: Barbara Randolph, Marvin Gaye, A-sides only)

CD5, Disc 42, 69:12 minutes (24 Tracks)

The A&B-sides of 11 singles by Four Tops, The Fantastic Four, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Barbara McNair, Marv Johnson, Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, Abdullah, The Spinners

CD6, Disc 43, 73:53 minutes (25 Tracks)

The A&B-sides of 12 singles by The Temptations, Edwin Starr, The Isley Brothers, Blinky, Jimmy Ruffin, Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, The Marvelettes

As you can see from the lists above, the first four CDs in this 6-disc set contain tracks by Barbara McNair, Diana Ross & The Supremes and Smokey Robinson & The Miracles that have only the A-side – this will be because the flip will have been on Volume 7 for 1967 or Volume 6 for 1966 and so on. The liner notes tell where to find the B. Also, if you take CD6, you notice that it has 25 tracks for 12 singles (24 sides) – that’s because the Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations ensemble song "The Impossible Dream" on Motown M 1137 had two different B-sides – both are included.

You have to talk about the presentation of these things - that in every case will have a Soul/Motown fan weak at the knees. I have bought and reviewed a lot of tasty Hip-O Select reissues – Muddy Waters, Jimmy Cliff, Emitt Rhodes, Tammi Terrell, Howlin’ Wolf, The 15-Disc Chess Story, Stephen Bishop, Buddy Miles and so on. But these Motown Volumes are the best they ever did – a profoundly fab project that eventually stretched out from 1959 to 1972 with 75 CDs and 1847 Tracks. All transfers were taken from original tapes and included the Single Mono Mixes, Stereo Versions if on Promo 45s, Previously Unreleased Variants and full annotation for every single song. You get catalogue numbers, musician personnel, Producers, overdub details, Billboard R&B and Pop chart placements (if any) and long paragraphs on the recording and its history.

As the packaging has to fit a 45 single on the front cover – the 132 pages of text are large inside the hardback book – allowing full-page colour plates that are genuinely some of the most beautifully rendered photos of Soul Artists that I’ve ever seen. The six discs are housed in individual card leaves at the back with three indexes preceding them – By Artist, By Title and By Label. This allows collectors a way of tracking what they need – very thorough. The only minor miscall for UK fans would be that every catalogue number is American – if you want their British equivalents – I cannot recommend enough a book I reviewed a good few years ago now called “TAMLA MOTOWN: The Stories Behind The UK Singles” by TERRY WILSON - a tall paperback with over 710 pages published by Cherry Red Books. It provides both the US and UK details and is the very best reference source on TM you can get.

The Audio comes via an Engineer I’ve sung the praises of before – ELLEN FITTON – one of Universal’s top Remaster types. Across a total of 144 tracks, you get 71 singles and there are just so many great discoveries in here – the sexy sway of Blinky, the kick-ass motion of The Detroit Wheels and the unsung heroines of Motown Barbara Randolph and Chris Clark tackling tunes like "Can I Get A Witness" (made famous by Marvin) and the lesser heard Holland-Dozier-Holland sweetie "Whisper You Love Me Boy". And of course you get to return to absolute classics, as you would have heard them on the radio of the day - "Cloud Nine" by The Temptations, "For Once In My LIfe" by Stevie Wonder and what many rate as the greatest Soul single (ever) – the mighty "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye – an album afterthought that quickly became his signature tune.

If you can't afford the physical product in 2020 (which ranges from £80 to over £100) - the MP3 version of 1968 is available from Amazon as a Download for £39.99 (individual tracks are usually 99p). Spend the money, man! I did, and am a well happy bunny because of it. Stunning...

"The Complete Motown Singles" Series by Hip-O Select

(14 Releases as of May 2020)

75 x CD Volumes, 1847 CD Tracks Plus 28 Tracks On 14 x 7" Vinyl Singles: