Sort of a disco effort from Motown, featuring a group led by keyboardist Michael L. Smith, and featuring David T. Walker, Sonny Burke, James Gadson, Lee Ritenour, and Roland Bautista. The tracks are long dancefloor cuts, with a bit of a space disco sound, and titles like "Space Dance", "Groove Time", "You Don't Like To Party (Like I Do)", and "Rich Love, Poor Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning look at the great Mary Wells – one of Motown's first female acts of the 60s, and one of the decade's most important early soul figures as well! Mary's work on record is very well-known, but the story behind the music is completely different, and surprisingly dark at times – a tale of a talented artist often caught between larger corporate forces, and personal antagonists as well – not to mention her own personal demons. Peter Benjaminson does a great job of getting at all these details without being overly sensational – and he works in lots of wonderful personal recollections from friends and colleagues who really help illuminate the more private moments. The book is over 300 pages, hardcover, with some black and white photos. Book

Just when you think you know everything there is to know about Motown, here comes a set to open your ears and blow your mind all over again! The set unearths a huge amount of rare work by The Contours – the rollicking group who gave Motown a sweet album and handful of singles in the 60s, but who also recorded a lot of other work that was never issued at the time – including a sweet array of tracks that feature a young Dennis Edwards as their lead vocalist! Edwards is best known for his work in the Temptations – but these tracks predate that time, when Dennis was brought in to give fresh focus to the ailing Contours – and lent his strong lead vocals to their massively grooving sound. The package features a whopping 26 tracks – 14 issued here for the first time ever, and a lot more pulled from only collections of rare Motown releases – and titles include "Determination", "I'll Turn To Stone", "I Like Everything About You", "Can't Do Without Your Love", "Come See About Me", "I Grow Deeper In Love Every Day", "Our Last Rendezvous", "Which Way To My Baby", "Need Your Lovin", "What's So Good About Goodbye", "Sunny", and "I'm Here Now That You Need Me". CD

A never-heard album from this excellent Detroit vocal group – recorded for Motown at the end of the 60s, but appearing here for the first time ever – and compiled with lots of bonus tracks from the vaults! The Fantastic Four never hit the bigger heights of some of the big Motown male groups of the 60s – but in some way, especially at this time in the label's history, they were a much more cohesive, organic ensemble – one that's a bit like The Originals in their strong commitment to great harmonies, and ability to always hold onto their own sort of personality, even amidst the larger Motown production machine. As with most great "lost" projects, we're not sure why this record never saw the light of day – because every aspect is great, from the vocals down through the arrangements and instrumentation – and although a few shorter singles came out over the years the rest of the set is wonderful – and matched here by another 13 rare bonus tracks, including many other unreleased singles! Titles include "A Little Too Much", "We Can Work It Out", "Take Him Back If It Makes You Happy", "You Turn Me Around", "I Feel Like I'm Falling In Love Again", "How Big Is Your Heart", "It Keeps Raining Down Tears", "In A Bad Way", "Fan The Flame", "I Shall Not Be Moved", "Double Cross", and "Loving You Is Hurting Me". CD

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A huge amount of rare material from one of the coolest, classiest singers to work for Motown Records in the 60s – the wonderful Brenda Holloway, who may well be represented here by as much unreleased material as the label ever issued by her back in the day! Holloway's got a style that's a bit different than some of her labelmates – sometimes a bit more adult, sometimes a bit more suited to tunes with jazzy currents – although still served up with all the soulful richness you'd expect from Motown! Some of the tracks here have surfaced as digital downloads, in this era when the Motown vaults have been opened up wider than before – and some are making their debut here, in a 2CD collection that's overflowing with wonderful material that really reshapes the role of the singer at the label. Titles include "The Star", "I'm Spellbound", "Can't Hold The Feeling Back", "Girl On the Run", "Deep Freeze", "Don't Compare Me With Her", "What Have I Don't To Myself", "The Land Of Make Believe", "I'm The Exception To The Rule", "Lucky My Boy", "I Don't Want Anybody Perfect", "Today I Sing The Blues", "Strange Things", "This Time Last Summer", "I'm Giving Up", "The Lonely Heart & Lonely Eyes Of Lonely Me", "Without Love You Lose A Good Feelin", and "I Still Get Butterflies". 33 tracks in all! CD

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A real lost gem from Motown – and a whole lot more! Greetings! We're The Monitors is the only full album ever cut by The Monitors – a 3-man, 1-woman vocal group who were in a popular Motown mixed harmonies mode. The quartet had a wonderfully strong vocal presence – blasting away at most tracks with a strength that groups like The Miracles or Gladys Knight & The Pips could never match – and like those groups, they bridge that key period between late doo wop-oriented harmonies, and tighter 60s group soul. The LP brings together singles the Monitors cut for Motown during the previous few years, but it also works extremely well as a unified album – and it's a refreshing change from some of the oft-heard Motown material. Titles include "Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam)", "Number One In Your Heart", "Bring Back The Love", "Step By Step (Hand In Hand)", and "Baby Make Your Own Sweet Music". This incredible anthologogy from Kent starts off with that album and includes 12 unissued tracks – a whole album's worth – plus 2 B-Sides. Unissued tracks include "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" , "The Letter", "Poor Side Of Town", "Anything", "Guilty" and more. 26 tracks in all! CD

How can you go wrong with a name like the Royal Funkharmonic Orchestra? Medleys performed by a large, string laden group, in a very disco style – includes six medleys that features hits by The Supremes, Temptations, Four Tops, Commodores, Rick James, and a Motown Medley. LP, Vinyl record album

The first Motown full length record by the Spinners – Original Spinners from '67 – followed by an impeccably well-chosen collection of bonus material! It's excellent stuff – an overlooked album with some very hard to find Motown work by this early version of the legendary Spinners – with lead vocals by Bobby Smith and Edgar Edwards. The tracks have a mixture of sweet and raw harmonies – crafted with an elegantly soulful sound that would later take the group way over the top during the 70s, and which here sounds sublime next to some of the group's Motown contemporaries! The first 12 tracks on this excellent Kent compilation are the Original Spinners tracklist – including "Sweet Thing", "I Cross My Heart", "I'll Always Love You", "Truly Yours", "Like A Good Man Should", "For All We Know", "How Can I", "It Hurts To Be In Love", "Nobody Else But You", "Where Is That Girl", "Tomorrow May Never Come" and "That's What Girls Are Made For". Most of the 14 bonus tracks are previously unreleased masters – revelatory stuff from earlier in the 60s – formative, yet beautifully realized recordings with productions by Harvey Fuqua and Ivy Joe Hunter! Titles include "Darling", "Words Can't Describe", "12 O'Clock", "Just Another Guy", "We're Gonna Be More More Than Friends" and more. CD

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A cool UK collection, with some nice non-hit material – 16 tracks that include "You" by Marvin Gaye, "The Composer" by Diana Ross & The Supremes, "Here Comes The Judge" by Shorty Long, "I Guess I'll Always Love You" by The Isley Brothers, "Nitty Gritty" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "I Miss You Baby" by Marv Johnson, "Don't You Miss Me A Little Bit Baby" by Jimmy Ruffin, "You Met Your Match" by Stevie Wonder, "Doggone Right" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, and "What Is A Man" by The Four Tops. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just a "cellarful" of Motown – a wealth of great tracks, all of which are previously unreleased! This incredible 2CD set is a landmark in the history of both Motown and Northern Soul – as it brings together 40 tracks that were recorded in the glory days of the Detroit scene, but never issued at the time. A number of cuts on the set have risen to fame over the years as bootlegs floating around the UK club scene, and they're issued properly here for the first time ever, along side other lost gems that will soon become new classics to a generation of soul fans – all wrapped up in one great package filled with notes on the music, and listing the origins of the tunes! Titles include "My Sugar Baby" by Frank Wilson, "Baby A Go Go" by Barbara McNair, "How Can I" by Brenda Holloway, "He Was Really Sayin Somethin" by Earl Van Dyke, "Until You Came Along" by Carolyn Crawford, "Before It's Over" by Sammy Ward, "Long Gone Lover" by Velvelettes, "If You Ever Get Your Hands On Me" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "Lucky Lucky Me" by Jimmy Ruffin, "I Wish I Liked You" by Marvin Gaye, "You Made Me Feel Like" by Syreeta, "Don't Let Me Down" by Kim Weston, "Don't Put Off Till Tomorrow What You Can Do Today" by The Monitors, and "It Must Be Love Baby" by Chuck Jackson & Yvonne Fair. Lots lots more, and filled with wonderful tunes! CD

A long-overdue fifth entry in this amazing series – and like the previous volumes, a double-length set of rare material from the Motown vaults! 20 of the 43 tracks on the set are previously unreleased – and all of the material here goes way past the hits – to really show the full amazing scope of music that Motown was recording back in the day – with obscure cuts from the big names on the label, and some equally great tracks from artists who never fully got their due! The groove is upbeat on most tracks – very much in the Northern Soul spirit of the label – and titles include "Whisper You Love Me Boy" by The Lewis Sisters, "True Fine Boy" by The Funk Brothers, "A Toast To The Lady" by Frank Wilson, "I Want A Love I Can See" by The Underdogs, "Don't Be Too Long" by Anita Knorl, "All I Have Left Are Memories" by Sammy Turner, "Hold On To Me Darling" by Ann Bogan, "Determination" by Ivy Jo Hunter, "I Don't Want You Anymore" by Chris Clark, "There's No Love Left" by Eddie Holland, "Then" by The Temptations, "A Miracle Happened" by Johnny Bristol, "All I Want Is A Little Bit Of Love" by Barbara McNair, "In Your Heart" by Patrice Holloway, "Tomorrow's Child" by Terry Johnson, "It" by Little Lisa, "When Someone's Good To You" by Oma Page, "Too Much To Hope For" by Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston, "I Wish I Liked You" by Connie Haines, "The Truth Does Hurt" by Funk Brothers, "I Don't Know What You Got" by Edwin Starr, "Only You" by Brian Holland, and "I Found My Love In You" by Tommy Good. CD

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The sprawling soul sounds of Motown, circa '72 – with all the amazing singles from January to July of that huge and historic year – collected here in the first of a 2 box set grand finale for the Complete Motown Singles series! Creatively, the first half of '72 was an incredible period. Veterans like Stevie Wonder, The Temptations and The Four Tops sound freshly inspired, Marvin Gaye is hitting his peak, Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5 are in full stride, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas and The Supremes are still cutting gorgeous singles. In other words, there's still a whole lot of distinctively Motown magic happening! But '72 also finds the label branching out into funk, funk rock and both sunnier and grittier material by a variety artists – from Undisputed Truth and Sisters Love, to Frankie Valli and Rare Earth. The label would soon make the move to the west coast, so it's truly the end of an era – therefore as apt of a point as possible for Hip-O Select to begin closing up their beautiful series. Vol 12A has 113 tracks on 5CDs – encased in a hardcover, 130-page full color book with essays and notes on each track – including songs by all the above, plus Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, David Ruffin, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, The Commodores, Syreeta, Edwin Starr, Thelma Houston, The Devastating Affair, Bobby Darin, Blinky, Posse, The Marvelettes, Blue Scepter, GC Cameron, The Originals, Eddie Kendricks, Gladys Knght & The Pips and more! Also includes a bonus 45 by The Blackberries – "Somebody Up There" backed by "But I Love You More" – with the Mowest logo on the inner label! Love this! Can't wait for Vol 12B! CD

More great soul music than we ever hoped to find in a single place – and a massive 6CD collection that looks at the key year of 1965 at Motown Records! The package is every bit as wonderful and thorough as the others in this series – with a whopping 166 songs collected in a lavish, full-color book that features nearly 150 pages of notes, photos, and wonderful images from the 60s! And as with other sets, the ultra-cool package even features a replica 45 stuck inside the front cover – a rare vinyl treasure that's almost as great as the CDs. But over and above the packaging, the music's the real thing to rave about here – as 1965 has Motown growing into even new levels of maturity and quality – as demonstrated by the work here by artists who include Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Chris Clark, Frank Wilson, The Elgins, The Miracles, Earl Van Dyke, The Marvelettes, Barbara McNair, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Jimmy Ruffin, The Dalton Boys, The Four Tops, Brenda Holloway, Little Lisa, Richard Anthony, The Lewis Sisters, Danny Day, The Contours, The Vows, The Hit Pack, Kim Weston, The Freeman Brothers, JR Walker, and many others! All singles offered up with both a and b-sides! CD

Motown leaps boldly into the 70s – building strongly off the changing grooves during the label's late 60s years, and serving up an amazing array of differently-styled singles! There's a really great blend here of some of the more familiar 60s modes and the hipper grooves to come in the new decade – a sound that's definitely maturing Motown, but still with most of the label's big talent in place, alongside some key younger acts and a few great surprises from left field! As with other volumes in this amazing series, there's a hell of a lot of music here – not just hits, but every single from the year, presented with both a and b-sides – so that you really get an idea of what the label was up to at the time. The whole thing's packaged in a hardcover book-style package, with a bonus 45 in the front cover – and it includes over 150 tracks by artists who include Hearts Of Stone, Hugh Masekela, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Allan Nichols, The Originals, Rare Earth, The Jazz Crusaders, Diana Ross, Arthur Adams, Jimmy Ruffin, Yvonne Fair, Gladys Knight, Bob & Marcia, Buzzie, Blinky, The Jackson 5, Danny Hernandez, Ivy Jo, The Fantastic Four, R Dean Taylor, Chuck Jackson, and lots more! CD

Massive Motown from 1971 – the ultra-hip second part of this key year for the monumental label! Motown was going through plenty of changes in 1971 – a year that saw Marvin Gaye's new righteous musical vision, a wave of fresh talent from the west coast, and the label's further push into sounds that went way beyond standard soul music – moves that are summed up beautifully here by artists who include Rare Earth, Popcorn Wylie, Stevie Wonder, Undisputed Truth, The Supremes, PJ, Jackson 5, Bobby Taylor, The Rustix, Jr Walker, Martha Reeves, Virgil Henry, Tom Clay, Diana Ross, Suzee Ikeda, Sunday Funnies, Chuck Jackson, My Friends, Valerie Simpson, Jack Hammer, The Messengers, Lodi, David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, and even Bobby Darin! As usual, Hip-O Select have done an amazing job with the package – pulling together 120 tracks that also includes some rare bits not on the official singles, and wrapping the whole thing up in a hardcover book that also features a bonus Michael Jackson 45 in the cover. The book is over 120 pages, with loads of notes, essay material, and rare photos that document this amazing point in the label's history! CD

A sweet little tune lifted from India's Voyage To India album – a warmly thumping number with some very nice work on bass, and a cool flanged out vocal style that bubbles up nicely to our ears! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A great little concept album – and one that really shows the continuing sophistication and growth of Jerry Butler's music in the 70s! The record is dedicated to the "single girl" of the 70s (portrayed with the sad little photo of a brown bag lunch and a Gucci purse on the cover) – the new professional woman in the workplace – a surprisingly popular theme for many other singers of the period, but handled here by Butler with way more poise and class than any of his contemporaries! Arrangements are by James Mack and Paul Wilson, who often bring a great mellow mode to the best cuts – almost a Leon Ware style of laidback sensuality. A few other tunes are groovers, but still fit in just right – and titles include "Suite For The Single Girl", "I Wanna Do It To You", "Music In Her Dreams", "Only Pretty Girls", "Let's Go Get Out Of Town", "Chalk It Up", and "Ms Fine". LP, Vinyl record album

A near-lost chapter in the career of Jean Carn – her one and only album recorded for Motown, cut in the early 80s with production by Norman Connors! Oddly, although Connors was the first producer to give Jean Carn a chance back in the 70s as a smooth soul vocalist – finding her voice a perfect fit for his warm and jazzy arrangements – here, he's going for a style that's a bit more conventionally soul-based, with more guitars and mainstream production than you'd expect. Jean's still pretty great, though, showing why she was one of the best female soul artists of the modern soul era – on tunes that include "My Baby Loves Me", "Don't Let Me Slip Away", "Steady On My Mind", "Completeness", and "Better To Me". CD

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The Commodores tenth album – as you might guess from the big X on the cover – and a set that features some of the last great moments of Lionel Richie with the group! The album's a bit overlooked, but has a really great groove – kind of a middle ground between The Commodores' heavier funk and mellower ballads – served up here with the tight instrumentation that always made the group a self-contained standout – and arranged and produced to perfection by the great James Anthony Carmichael. Richie's lead is strong, but understated too – and titles include "Old Fashion Love", "Heroes", "Sorry To Say", "All The Way Down", "Wake Up Children", "Mighty Spirit", and "Celebrate". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit a hit for a live soul album as the 70s ever saw – and a great document of the versatility of the Commodores in the years when they still had their funky chops up strong enough! The live setting has the group running through some of their heavier earlier numbers, and veering strongly into the pop funk that made them crossover favorites from the get-go. Includes very lively versions of "Slippery When Wet", "Zoom", "Easy", "I Feel Sanctified", "Brick House", "Funny Feelings", "Fancy Dancer", "Won't You Come Dance With Me", "Come Inside", and "Sweet Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Lots of Midnight Magic from The Commdores – still nice and funky at the start of the evening, but also chilling out in the wee hours too – really finding a great way to follow the trajectory of the night with the tracks in this set! The album sparkles with strong arrangements and production from James Carmichael – who furthers the vibe perfected on Natural High, yet continues to avoid most of the cliches that would slow down the group in later years. Lionel Richie's given room to step forth on the ballads "Still" and "Sail On" – but the group feel is still nicely maintained on the rest of the record – which also features the tracks "Getting It", "You're Special", "Wonderland", "Sexy Lady", and "Might Magic". LP, Vinyl record album

A really mixed bag of grooves from the Crusaders – but still an album that's quite tasty if you dig their work on the Chisa label! The record appears to be a greatest hits collection – with the "best" in the title – but it's more a summation of the styles they'd been digging on previous records, as some tracks feature a tight funky groove, others have a mellower electric one, and still others have a straight jazz approach. Highlights include the African-sounding "Time Has No Ending", the Sly Stone cover "Thank You Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Agin", and a nice reading of Wilton Felder's "Way Back Home". LP, Vinyl record album

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Bobby D's last LP – a real return to classic form, recorded live in Vegas, and also featuring a few cuts for the Lady Sings The Blues soundtrack! LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty darn big collection of work from the 4 Tops – one that spans both their Motown and ABC years, and which also throws in some surprising bits that we wouldn't have expected! The set's got a few previously unreleased mixes, but overall, all the material has been out before – just never in such a comprehensive or well-done package! There's a total of 48 tracks on the set, and titles include "Seven Lonely Nights", "Ain't No Woman", "Sweet Understanding Love", "A Simple Game (UK single mix)", "River Deep Mountain High (stereo single)" with the Supremes & Four Tops, "MacArthur Park (part 2)", "Just Seven Numbers", "Yesterday's Dreams", "If I Were A Carpenter", "Walk Away Renee (alternate mix)", "Something About You", "Nature Planned It", "HELP", "Catfish", "When She Was My Girl", "Are You Man Enough", "7 Rooms Of Gloom", "Standing In The Shadows Of Love", "Indestructible (7 inch extended)", "In These Changing Times", and "I'll Turn To Stone". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

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Given how much you hear this sort of stuff on the radio, you could easily forget that the Four Tops are actually a heck of a great vocal group, with harmonies that blew away many of their contemporaries, and which keep their work shining long past the hits. This second volume of hits has 12 tracks, including "In These Changing times", "Still Water (Love)", "Still Water (Peace)", "Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me", "What Is A Man", "You Keep Running Away" and "Yesterday's Dreams". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hardest, rawest Four Tops album on 60s Motown – a unique live session, recorded at the Roostertail Nightclub in Detroit – with a sound that shows that the Tops could maybe shine even more away from the studio! Levi Stubbs' leads are especially incredible – not just a powerful force at the head of the songs, but a key factor in driving the energy of the performance – as he reaches out to the crowd with his calls, and whips the rest of the group into a soulful frenzy – no matter what the material. The set includes live takes on Four Tops classics like "It's The Same Old Song", "Reach Out I'll Be There", and "Baby I Need Your Loving" – plus some nice material that's less-iconic, including "The Girl From Ipanema", "I'll Turn To Stone", "I Like Everything About You", and "It's Not Unusual". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Titles include "I'm Ready For Love", "Don't Tell Me That It's Over", "Easier Said Than Done", "Maybe Tomorrow", and "Again". LP, Vinyl record album

Why did Motown ever let the Four Tops get away? This album was their last for the label – and it's an excellent one, filled with soul, sweetness, and some of the best arrangements the group had in their later years! The soul component is super-high – with tight group instrumentation that reminds us of the best Philly backing combos of the same time, but leaner too – as Dennis Coffey and Wah Wah Ragin are on guitars, Jack Ashford handles percussion, and Leonard Caston adds some nice funky keyboards. The real talent, though, is the group – and Levi Stubbs is in fine fine form on cuts like "She's An Understanding Woman", "I Am Your Man", "If You Let Me", "Nature Planned It", "Walk With Me, Talk With Me Darling", and "Happy (Is A Bumpy Road)". Even includes a great version of Todd Rundgren's wonderful track "We Gotta Get You A Woman"! LP, Vinyl record album

A classic 60s album by the Four Tops – really one of their better efforts of the period – a record that finds the group working some soulful magic on a couple of their best known tunes, as well as adding a dose of deeper emotion to some hit songs of the time! Like other Motown success stories from that time, this set features some pop tunes and standard chart material, done by the group in their inimitable harmony style – with a few hits like "Reach Out, I'll Be There" and "7 Rooms Of Gloom" – plus wonderful interpretations of songs like "Walk Away Renee", "Last Train To Clarksville", and "I'm A Believer". Also includes "What Else Is There To Do", "Bernadette", and "Standing In The Shadows Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A mix of pop and soul – but in the hands of the Four Tops, just about any song takes on a new soulful life! The record features their minor hit "Yesterday's Dreams" – plus groovy versions of "Sunny", "Never My Love", "Daydream Believer", and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix". Also includes nice lesser-known material like "Can't Seem To Get You Out Of My Mind", "Once Upon A Time", and "I'm In A Different World". LP, Vinyl record album