Seven classic albums; Mary Wells' "Bye, Bye Baby", Twistin' Kings' "Twistin The World Around", The Miracles' "Hi We're The Miracles" and "Cookin' With The Miracles", Marvin Gaye's "The Soulful Moods Of Marvin Gaye", The Marvelettes' "Please Mr Postman", and The Great Gospel Stars' "The Great Gospel Stars". CD

A sound library tune that really lives up to its title – a De Wolfe library gem that pays tribute to Motown Records, but with a slightly different vibe too! Basil Kirchin's better known for offbeat and moody music – yet here, the tune is certainly a romping groove – but with some unusual fuzz guitar, and even a bit of harmonica used to evoke Little Stevie Wonder! The flipside is another De Wolfe track, but from a few years later – done in this bad-stepping 70s funk mode that feels like it's lifted right off some action soundtrack – cool vibes and fuzz guitar over a groove that also has a bit of conga at the bottom! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A nice selection from the early years of Motown, showcasing some of the great Motor City soul talent that would go on to make the label one of the greatest movers in the R&B and pop world! 10 numbers in all, including "Money" and "Oh I Apologize" by Barrett Strong; "Way Over There", "Shop Around", "Depend On Me" and "Who's Loving You" by the Miracles; "Bye Bye Baby" and "Please Forgive Me" by Mary Wells; and "That's Why I Love You So Much" and "Oh! Lover" by Singin' Sammy & Sherri. LP, Vinyl record album

Marvin's definitely in the groove on this set – cooking on all burners with a host of late 60s Motown hits – bad-stepping his way towards some of the more mature moments to come in the 70s! The album's probably best remembered for the cut "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" – easily one of Marvin's biggest moments of the 60s, and a track whose popularity led to the album's title change from In The Groove to later incarnations as Heard It Through The Grapevine! Other cuts are equally great, and show Gaye really stretching out with mature, masculine confidence – pushing the envelope nicely on cuts that include "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever", "There Goes My Baby", "Change What You Can", "You're What's Happening", "Tear It Down", "You", and "Some Kind Of Wonderful". LP, Vinyl record album

Marvin Gaye's last album for Motown – and a wonderful cap to a great run of sexy soul for the 70s – filled with great mellow grooves that rival the genius of his earlier work in the decade! There's a glowing, slow-burning feel to some of the best numbers here – a vibe that's right out of the I Want You era, with touches of Let's Get It On too. But there's also a slightly more mature approach too – a bit more cautious, even when confident – no doubt informed by the struggles of his Here My Dear album, which also echoes somewhat in this set. The record's more proof that even when not coming across with a classic hit, Marvin's still very much at the top of his game – an artist that stands head and shoulders above his contemporaries – with none of the too-commercial or too-dated modes that held other folks back! Titles include "Life Is For Learning", "Praise", "Funk Me", "Far Cry", "Love Party", and "Love Me Now Or Love Me Later". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice collection of Marvin's bigger hits from the zenith of his career, 10 tracks in all: "Let's Get It On", "I Want You", "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", "What's Going On", "After The Dance", "Can I Get A Witness", "Trouble Man" and "Distant Lover (Live)". CD

Great cuts from the second decade of Marvin Gaye's career at Motown – really magic numbers pulled from that 70s period when he was really taking off with his music! There's a righteous undercurrent here that goes way beyond the simple soul of the 60s – and the set offers a great cross-section of the many moods that Marvin was putting forth at the time. Pure niceness all the way through – with tracks that include "Let's Get It On", "I Want You", "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", "What's Going On", "After The Dance", "Can I Get A Witness", "Trouble Man", and "Distant Lover (Live)". LP, Vinyl record album

The moods of Marvin Gaye are many, even at this early point in his career – as the set has the young Marvin really taking off strongly – hitting hard on classic Motown groovers, but also showing a sensitive side at times too! The album kicks off with some killer rhythms on cuts like "I'll Be Doggone", "Little Darling", and "Take This Heart Of Mine" – really setting the stage for a batch of cuts that makes the album one of Gaye's strongest from the early years, thanks to some bold song writing from Smokey Robinson and other mighty Motown talents. Other cuts include the classic "Ain't That Peculiar", and side two slows things down a bit, showing mellow moods on cuts like "Night Life", "You're The One For Me", "I Worry Bout You", and "One For My Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

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Marvin Gaye gets some fantastic help here from Norman Whitfield – whose production gives the record a much more righteous sound than some of Gaye's sweeter soul of the 60s – a really heavy undercurrent that strongly hints at modes to come! The vibe here isn't as fuzzed-out as on some of Whitfield's other groups – like The Undisputed Truth or Temptations – but the record definitely shares some of the same spirit, and really uses the sound to deepen Gaye's groove wonderfully. Titles include Marvin's great version of "I Wish It Would Rain", plus "How Can I Forget", "That's The Way Love Is", "Gonna Give Her All The Love I've Got", "Cloud Nine", and "Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few cases in the history of pop music where the record is worth all the hype! Marvin blew everyone's mind when he unleashed this amazing suite of political soul tunes – not only just because he'd moved past the simple love songs of earlier years, but also because he was working with an amazingly complicated approach to soul music, one that would touch the work of others for years to come. David Van DePitte arranged and conducted the whole album – with soaring orchestrations mixed with smooth modern soul, in a style that reminds us a lot of the work of Charles Stepney at Cadet, who'd been doing this sort of thing for years but with less success. In the hands of Marvin Gaye, though, the material has an amazing quality – and all the disparate elements of the album are fused together in one powerful message by Marvin's incredible voice. One that we never tire of, and a record to be listened to all the way through every time. Titles include "What's Goin On", "Save The Children", "Flyin High (In The Friendly Sky)", "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)". This fantastic 50th Anniversary version features new mastering by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, an essay by Hanif Abdurraqib, and a full record of bonus material that includes "What's Going On (stripped)", "What's Going On (rhythm & strings inst)", "What's Going On (mix 1 with no strings or horns)", "Symphony (demo version)", and original mono single mixes of "What's Going On", "God Is Love", "Mercy Mercy Me", "Sad Tomorrows", "Inner City Blues", and "Wholy Holy". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few cases in the history of pop music where the record is worth all the hype! Marvin blew everyone's mind when he unleashed this amazing suite of political soul tunes – not only just because he'd moved past the simple love songs of earlier years, but also because he was working with an amazingly complicated approach to soul music, one that would touch the work of others for years to come. David Van DePitte arranged and conducted the whole album – with soaring orchestrations mixed with smooth modern soul, in a style that reminds us a lot of the work of Charles Stepney at Cadet, who'd been doing this sort of thing for years but with less success. In the hands of Marvin Gaye, though, the material has an amazing quality – and all the disparate elements of the album are fused together in one powerful message by Marvin's incredible voice. One that we never tire of, and a record to be listened to all the way through every time. Titles include "What's Goin On", "Save The Children", "Flyin High (In The Friendly Sky)", "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)". LP, Vinyl record album

The last set of duets from the team of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell – and a sublime set of tracks that really stretches their partnership even further than before! It's no secret that Terrell was Marvin's favorite partner in the studio – and you can really hear his strong feeling for her in the quality of the work here – upbeat and joyous one minute, tender and sensitive the next – all put together with that growing range that Gaye was showing so strongly at the end of the 60s. This one goes way past the standard Motown duo mode – and it's filled with great tracks that include "California Soul", always a favorite round these parts – plus "I'm Your Puppet", "The Onion Song", "Good Lovin Ain't Easy To Come By", "Love Woke Me Up This Morning", "What You Gave Me", and "Satisfied Feelin". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool UK-only set – with titles that include "Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone", "Quicksand", "Wild One", "Happiness Is Guaranteed", "A Love Like Yours", "Forget Me Not", "Jimmy Mack", "Heatwave", and "Nowhere To Run". LP, Vinyl record album

A slightly more-grooving record than some of Smokey's others from the time – done in a style that rolls around in a mostly-midtempo mode. There's almost a gentle 80s groove approach at times, although some of the tunes on the set are definitely in that stone mellow love song style that was Smokey's biggest trademark of the time. Titles include "Are You Still Here", "Tell Me Tomorrow", "Yes It's You Lady", "The Only Game In Town", "International Baby", and "Merry Go Ride". LP, Vinyl record album

Like the sticker on the cover says – 2 record album, 22 hit songs! This one's got just about all you'd need from the early days of Smokey & The Miracles – perfect falsetto harmony soul that shaped a generation of singers, and which was some of Motown's greatest work in the early days. Titles include "Got A Job", "I Need A Change", "Who's Lovin You", "Would I Love You", "Mickey's Monkey", "Shop Around", "(I Need Some) Money", "Bad Girl", "I Cry", "Way Over There", "I Love Your BAby", "What's Good About Goodbye", "A Love She Can Count On", "You've Really Got A Hold On Me", "I Like It Like That", "That's What Love Is Made Of", and "I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying". LP, Vinyl record album

A great debut from Tata Vega – her first album for Motown, and a sparkling soul effort – recorded after an early career stretch with some headier crossover groups! Vega's got a positive, upbeat feel on the record that's mighty nice – a sort of energy that really draws from her roots, but points things in a sparkling new direction – still mostly sticking in mature soul modes, and avoiding any of the easier disco pitfalls that might have been taken at the time! Al Johnson handles the arrangements – with the same sort of balance of smooth and mature styles he brought to his own great records – a balance that works perfectly for Tata, as it allows her to work the full, wide range of her vocals, yet without ever going too far to end up as a cliche. Titles include "Try Love From The Inside", "Full Speed Ahead", "Keep It Coming", "Just As Long As There Is You", "Just When Things Are Getting Good", and "Music In My Heart". CD features 3 bonus tracks – "Full Speed Ahead (disco version)", and the cuts "Sunshine Man" and "Soul Eyes", both recorded with Tata's old group, Earthquire! CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A fantastic 70s classic from Stevie Wonder – part of a great run of records in which he broke completely from his earlier Motown sound – and showed the world that he was one of the true musical visionaries of the decade! The righteous currents of his previous few albums are fully in place here, taken with a bit more focus that helped the record gain Stevie a few new followers in the crossover market, while still offering up plenty to please all the minds that had already been blown by is initial work of the 70s! There's some fantastic themes here, and so many new ideas too – and titles include the slow-funk moog classic "Creepin", which has these wonderful washes of sound throughout, weird vocals by Stevie, and some drums that bump around in off-kilter little patterns just at the right moments. The album also includes the hit "Boogie On Reggae Woman", plus "Too Shy To Say", "You Haven't Done Nothin", "It Ain't No Use", "Bird Of Beauty", and "Please Don't Go". CD

A fantastic 70s classic from Stevie Wonder – part of a great run of records in which he broke completely from his earlier Motown sound – and showed the world that he was one of the true musical visionaries of the decade! The righteous currents of his previous few albums are fully in place here, taken with a bit more focus that helped the record gain Stevie a few new followers in the crossover market, while still offering up plenty to please all the minds that had already been blown by is initial work of the 70s! There's some fantastic themes here, and so many new ideas too – and titles include the slow-funk moog classic "Creepin", which has these wonderful washes of sound throughout, weird vocals by Stevie, and some drums that bump around in off-kilter little patterns just at the right moments. The album also includes the hit "Boogie On Reggae Woman", plus "Too Shy To Say", "You Haven't Done Nothin", "It Ain't No Use", "Bird Of Beauty", and "Please Don't Go". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best Stevie Wonder albums ever! Stevie's moving into god-like territory here – handling a multitude of styles, all well, and crafting some of the most sophisticated soul of his generation. The album's got the same jazzy references you'll find on the best work by Donny Hathaway – best heard on the sublime track "Golden Lady", which gets our clear vote for one of the best songs ever! Just about every track is great, though – and the album features the big hits "Living For The City", "All In Love Is Fair", "Higher Ground", and "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" – plus "He's Misstra Know It All", "Jesus Children Of America", and "Too High". LP, Vinyl record album

Very high concept work from Stevie Wonder! The record is, in fact, about the "secret life of plants" – partially used as a soundtrack for a film of the same name, but also acting as kind of a storybook in itself! Stevie's exploring a wide range of plant life and plant themes on the set – often in a way that has his keyboards taking center stage in little symphonies of soul that unfold like the petals of a flower in the morning sun – and which stand out as quite different from some of his vocal work, marking him as a talented electronic musician in his own right. Many tracks do have lyrics, too – often with themes of growing, seeding, and other garden metaphors that are easily translated to the human experience. Titles include "Secret Life Of Plants", "Outside My Window", "A Seed's A Star", "Race Babbling", "Black Orchid", "Send One Your Love", "Tree", "Come Back As A Flower", and "Ai No Sono". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album from Stevie Wonder – one of his first really heady records, and a tremendous little set from start to finish! The Wonder heard here is light years from the simple pop of the early days – really stretching out both as a songwriter and musician – coming up with a richly spiritual sound that's completely amazing. Stevie also produced the record himself – and takes his talents to the next level in the effort – layering sounds together beautifully, and making them come out with a crystal clear realization of his new musical vision. A wonderful place to start digging Stevie Wonder – with the killer classics "Superwoman" and "I Love Every Little Thing About You" – plus "Love Having You Around", "Seems So Long", "Girl Blue", and "Happier Than The Morning Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful batch of rare Motown material from Detroit singer Marv Johnson – a vocalist who started out working for Berry Gordy in the late 50s, recording the some of the first material to be released on the Tamla Motown label, and recorded all of the terrific material on this set for Motown from the mid 60s to the start of the 70s! Johnson didn't find his way into the historical canon the way many of the great solo singers and groups he helped pave the way for, but he's no less worthy! This set from Kent UK includes all the tracks from the I'll Pick A Rose For My Rose LP plus previously unreleased numbers numbers and rare mono single mixes – really beautiful stuff and a vital rediscovery of Marv's overlooked work at Motown! Titles include "I'll Pick A Rose For My Rose", "I'm Not A Plaything", "Why Do You Want To Let Me Go", "Bad Girl", "I Miss You Baby (How I Miss You)", the previously unreleased gems "There Goes A Lonely Man", "Understanding", "Farewell Is A Lonely Sound" and more, plus mono versions of several album tracks. 26 tracks in all! CD