Motown
I'm sure there are plenty of threads on this already... if only the search function worked...
Anyway, this is a huge area that I've never really got stuck into - recommendations for specific tracks or, even better, any good compilations would be really welcome. Albums too, but I guess that wasn't really the point with Motown.
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the only thing i can think to say
is that it still amazes me that the onion song is a thing that exists
everything by Sam and Dave, Smokey Robinson
Sam and Dave are great but nothing to do with Motown
They recorded for Stax/Atlantic in Memphis - very much the other side of the 60s soul divide.
The most recent Motown Gold comp is a good starting point
Avoid the Motown rarities comps; have found them a massive time waster. They really started to scrape the barrel about ten years ago.
^This on Smokey Robinson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfOnYPYDpWs
this to motown gold
absolute belter
Motown Gold is one of those records everyone should own
Even if they don't really like 'that sort of thing'
In terms of individual artist albums -
What's Going On by Marvin Gaye
Songs In The Key of Life by Stevie Wonder
Make it Happen by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
Would be my starter pack (I don't claim to be any kind of Motown expert though)
.
I totally disagree about the rarities thing, there's great stuff the whole way through.
The stuff in the 70s on MoWest, and the more psychedelic soul leaning stuff that Norman Whitfield was doing with the Temptations is great. As is the lesser heard Four Seasons album from the mis-70s (check out The Night).
I did a mix a while ago with some lesser known songs, and b-sides
http://www.mixcloud.com/halfmachine/motown-non-hits/
Nah
There's some serious filler and downright shite on the later rarities comps. Just because they found a tin with an alternate vocal take on it doesn't mean it'll be any good.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for scouting out deep cuts (that Eddie Holland track is great, btw). But one of the reasons Motown did so well was that they knew how to pick a winner. Releasing chaff just dilutes the legacy a bit for me.
Also
I did a Motown playlist on Spotify for a friend, has pretty much all the hits and some non-hits. It was partially based on the Mojo feature on Motown a few years ago, where fans picked the best songs released on the label. Goes from Frank Wilson, through Stevie Wonder and up to Rockwell and Lionel Ritchie. A good overview if nothing else.
Balls.
And here's the link - spotify:user:rjonslow:playlist:2eB6FkJ6peTTUFn8NgZtkd
I've got an existing Spotify playlist with lots of that stuff on there
http://open.spotify.com/user/subjectiveyes/playlist/0iR2DbP8zbQyhptnEPxpd3
Of course, the playlist def mixes a lot of motown with Stax plus some other random stuff, but a lot of it is related....
Compilation-wise, Motown Chartbusters is/was the classic series
And you can pick up triple-disc boxes of Vols 1-3 and 4-6 for under a fiver each.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Motown-Chartbusters-Vol-Triple-Set/dp/B00005TO20/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358793959&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Motown-Chartbusters-Vol-Triple-Set/dp/B00005TO1Z/ref=pd_sim_m_h__1
Agree with the Motown Gold suggestion
It's superb. Every so often I buy a full length LP by an artist on there (Supremes, Temptations etc) but they rarely rate above 6/10. They were a terrific bunch of people at recording singles and produced hit after hit, meaning that unlike most artists or labels they're actually best enjoyed on a compilation.
Often when a song was written, everyone on the label would have a stab at it and the one that charted highest got remembered, but it's pretty interesting to hear versions of classic Motown songs rendered totally differently by fellow artists.
just stay away from Phil Collins's covers
David Ruffin's (singer with the Temptations) first 4 albums
Which you used to be able to buy on limited edition cd boxset but now sells for huge amounts. Can still download for a good price.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Motown-Solo-Albums-1/dp/B000BPGJFY/ref=sr_1_9?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1358804103&sr=1-9