The Complete Motown Singles Collection Vol. 11a: 1971

One can talk about The Jackson 5, The Temptations, The Undisputed Truth or the post-Diana Ross Supremes, for they all certainly released some great stuff in this period. This collection, though, kneels reverently at the feet of one artist. Marvin Gaye. His two colossal numbers included on here were just as much album tracks as they were singles - a notable change for Motown as artists like Gaye and Stevie Wonder took their album releases more seriously than their singles. Songs were no longer all sub-three minutes either. Longer offerings - often more suited as album tracks - were appearing as singles. The nature of the 45 rpm release was changing.

⭐ Star hits

💠 Hidden gems

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Disc One

The Jackson 5 - Mama's Pearl/Darling Dear ⭐

The catchy Mama's Pearl was a big hit single, and is in that ABC-I Want You Back-The Love You Save upbeat, totally irresistible vein. Listening to it even now is just such a pleasure. It is full of youthful vigour and energy. I love it. It was released to compete with The Osmonds' One Bad Apple single, which was very Jackson 5-ish. Both the songs are good ones, let's be honest, but I was always a Jackson 5 kinda kid.

Darling Dear, a Smokey Robinson composition, is an attractive, lush and smoochy soul number in contrast to the pure pop of Mama's Pearl. Michael takes the lead, strongly, but all the boys are on impressive harmonious form.

Joe Hinton - Let's All Save the Children/You Are Blue

An intro that sounds like Stevie Wonder's Heaven Help Us All brings us into this big-production gospelly hope for the future song. Dramatic and somewhat over-the-top, it was Georgia balladeer Hinton's only single for Motown.

You Are Blue is a more-laid-back, late-night love gone bad lament with a nice, warm bass-line. It is actually most pleasant and my preference of these two. 

Brass Monkey - Sweet Water/You Keep Me Hangin' On

Some blue-eyed rock-pop here from, interestingly, a British rock band. Sweet Water is a jangly Creedence Clearwater Revival-sounding song, both musically and in its John Fogerty-esque vocal. It's ok, but it ain't CCR. The riff has hints of Sly & The Family Stone's Everyday People in there somewhere, for me anyway.

You Keep Me Hangin' On is a cover of the Diana Ross & The Supremes number, done in the slowed-down, dramatic style that Barry White would do in 1973. Here it is turned into a big rock ballad. Proggy rockers Vanilla Fudge had done a similar version of the song back in 1967.

Chuck Jackson - Pet Names/Is There Anything Love Can't Do

A couple of average-standard mid-paced soul numbers from the robust-voiced Jackson here. Surprisingly Pet Names is a Smokey Robinson song but it is not considered one of his best. The notes for this collection describe it as "a stinker". I wouldn't go as far as that, however. I have no objection to either of these.

The Temptations - Just Your Imagination (Running Away With Me)/You Make Your Own Heaven And Hell Right Here On Earth ⭐

Just Your Imagination (Running Away With Me) is a sublime, perfect creation and is regularly included in those "all time Motown best of" lists. Rightly so. From the bass intro, via the strings and the backing vocals through to Eddie Kendricks' beautiful lead vocal (his final one for The Temptations) the song is peerless. Oh, and how could I forget Paul Williams "every night on my knees I pray" solo on the bridge? 

You Make Your Own Heaven And Hell Right Here On Earth (covered also by Whitfield's The Undisputed Truth) introduced us to that intoxicating funky beat and cynical, portentous lyrics. It perfectly exemplifies Temptations-style psychedelic soul and provides a real contrast to its classy 'a' side. This is far more down 'n' dirty. 

R. Dean Taylor - Ain't It A Sad Thing/Back Street

Whistly, jaunty country ditty Ain't It A Sad Thing is certainly not R. Dean Taylor's best Motown cut. Indeed, it is possibly his most twee and inessential. Although it is a sad "story song" its breezy melody overshadows that.

More in Taylor's darker style is Back Street, a cautionary tale about an 18 year-old girl leaving home and falling on bad times. This sort of thing is more like we had come to expect from Taylor. It is musically far more upbeat too, in the gutsy style of There's A Ghost In My House.

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On/God Is Love ⭐

I will repeat what I said for Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) on my review for 11b. It is impossible to overstate the seismic effect this single and its album had socially, culturally and musically. Marvin Gaye told Motown he wanted to do a Stevie Wonder and go his own way and release proper "albums" of his own material. This is what he came up with. Now, the hundreds of Motown three minutes and less singles of the 1960s were indeed ground-breaking pop music heaven. However, this is a different beast altogether. Building on the social conscience songs that The Temptations had begin to record in the late 60s, Gaye tapped in to both the urban, dispossessed African-American experience and also the pointless horrors of the Vietnam War with this piece of work. It was both a diatribe against contemporary social and political conditions but also an extolling of God's love. 

While What's Going on is a superbly rhythmic questioning of contemporary society, God Is Love is a comparatively syrupy evocation to a higher power, warning people not to take the Lord's name in vain. Its evangelical fervour is ever so slightly off-putting, particularly in comparison to its 'a' side, although I admire the conviction and sensitivity. 

I don't need to say check out the super-sweet background saxophone on What's Going On, or indeed the percussion, or Gaye's yearning vocal - do I? Motown Heaven.

The Undisputed Truth - Save My Love For A Rainy Day/Since I've Lost You ⭐

Save My Love For A Rainy Day is a soulful, very Temptations-esque song, with supremely soulful vocals that almost be David Ruffin. Again, the song was originally recorded by The Temptations on their 1967 album A Lot O' Soul. 

Since I've Lost You is better known to me as A Temptations song. It is delivered with a deeper vocal here and a more string-dominated backing. It is still overflowing with soul, though. I guess it is just a great soul song, isn't it? I've always loved it. Jimmy Ruffin and Gladys Knight & The Pips also recorded it, before The Temptations, actually. 

Ken Christie & The Sunday People - Don't Pay Me No Mind/Listen To Your Soul

I have no knowledge of this group other than it was Ken Christie who delivered the iconic stomping sound on The Supremes' Where Did Our Love Go, achieved by banging two bits of wood together. Don't Pay Me No Mind is a freaky, hippy-ish piece of vibrant soul-rock as too is Listen To Your Soul. Both feature some highly impressive guitar workouts. Both songs are powerful, big rock productions.

David Ruffin - Each Day Is A Lifetime/Don't Stop Lovin' Me

Each Day Is A Lifetime is a very Four Tops-style number, particularly on its chorus and with Ruffin's powerful Stubbs-ish vocal. His performance is very impressive, but the song didn't make it. Maybe it just wasn't quite hooky enough.

Talking of hooky, Don't Stop Lovin' Me has more of one with a fine chorus and backing jangly guitar line. It goes without saying that David's voice is expressively soulful on both cuts.

Kiki Dee - Love Makes The World Go Round/Jimmy

White English vocalist (and later Elton John protégée) Kiki Dee recorded some reasonable stuff for Motown. Love Makes The World Go Round was a hit for Deon Jackson in 1966. Kiki gives it a smooth and pretty immaculate makeover, it has to be said.

Jimmy is a darker, soulful ballad that had Kiki sounded very English, sixties-style, sort of like Petula Clark all perfect word enunciation. It demonstrated, though, that Kiki had quite a bit of intrinsic soul in her. She deals confidently with both these songs and she later admitted her experience at Motown was invaluable in teaching her how to own a song.

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Disc Two

Stevie Wonder - We Can Work It Out/Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer ⭐

Stevie Wonder delivers a fuzzy, keyboard freakout cover of this Beatles number. So many Motown artists did Motown covers, didn't they? Usually Yesterday. This is a killer, though, grabbing you by the ears and shaking them from its first funky notes. Add to that a Stevie steel harmonica solo, some enthusiastic female backing vocals and you have one hell of a good record. Apparently, it is considered great, musically (technically - something about the 16th note). I wouldn't know, it just sounds good to me.

Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer is as low-key as the 'a' side had been energetic. It is a sumptuous lost love ballad from the 1971 Where I'm Coming From album. It oozes effortless quality and is, as they may say in South Wales - lush. 

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - I Don't Blame You At All/That Girl ⭐

The follow-up single to the number one hit The Tears Of A Clown, I Don't Blame You At All is a really infectious serving of classic Smokey. It is one I have always loved. Its beat and vocal refrain is pretty irresistible. I can't help singing along to the "I don't blame you at all" chorus part, matching Smokey all the way! I love the catchy, crystal clear percussion and deep bass too. Check out the stereo version on the Motown Gold: The 70s compilation if you can.

The same can be said about the slower but succulent vibe of That Girl. Smokey's vocal is one of his best on here, full of variety - deep and high in equal measure. Both these tracks showed off Smokey and his immaculately-voiced mates at their best.

Eddie Kendricks - This Used To Be The Home Of Johnnie Mae/It's Hard For Me To Say Goodbye 💠

How much do I love the marvellous piece of backwoods-inspired soul that is This Used To Be The Home Of Johnnie Mae? It soars skywards with both Eddie's vocal and the strings that back it. It builds up gloriously. Take us home Eddie. Check out his vocal near the end and the searing guitar solo (similar to the one used at the end of The Carpenters' Goodbye To Love) too. The bass is also wonderful - James Jamerson? I have been unable to verify that. I so love soul like this - a big dollop of down home sentimentality suits me fine. Who was Johnnie Mae, though, and why did she have a man's name? Apart from his 1973-74 hit funkers Keep On Truckin' and Boogie Down, this is my favourite Eddie Kendricks song.

What a wonderfully soulful ballad It's Hard For Me To Say Goodbye is. It was the side that got all the radio play at the time and was a minor hit. Eddie's voice is top notch as is the instrumental backing and the equally appealing backing vocals. 

Sammy Davis Jnr. - In My Own Lifetime/I'll Begin Again

An intriguing appearance from rat-packer Sammy Davis Jnr., doing his best slightly more powerful Frank Sinatra on two big, overwrought Broadway show-style ballads, complete with big band, orchestrated backing. Apparently, Sammy used "his own people" for the production and backing, in true Sinatra style. Sure, the guy could sing and he was showbiz royalty, but these two songs are totally inessential for Motown aficionados.

The Jackson 5 - Never Can Say Goodbye/She's Good ⭐

Never Can Say Goodbye (covered by various other artists) is almost made his own by a precocious Michael. He totally nails the vocals, in a higher pitch to the later single Maybe Tomorrow, so it was probably recorded earlier. These two songs, Maybe Tomorrow and Never Can Say Goodbye, both soulful ballads, were both released as singles, no doubt due to the previous success of I'll Be There. The song was subsequently covered in extended deep voice fashion by Isaac Hayes and a few years later in disco style by Gloria Gaynor. Also, see Impact Of Brass' fine instrumental take on it (covered further down this review).

The already much deeper-voiced Jermaine headed up vocals on the smooth, honeyed ballad She's Good.

R. Dean Taylor - Gotta See Jane ⭐

A superbly atmospheric number here - loaded with all sorts - car noises, rain noises and big orchestration deep bass Motown beats. It tells the story of a guy driving through a wet night desperate to find his lover Jane. It's a great song from the very underrated Taylor.

Gordon Staples & The Motown Strings - Strung Out/Sounds Of The Zodiac 💠

A fantastic serving of keyboard, clavinet and bass-driven funk is found on Strung Out. The track has become a bit of a cult classic, appearing on Motown's Motown Funk compilation. Staples was leader of The Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The sound was very similar to that which Quincy Jones employed and it also had that proto-disco sweeping string backing that ensembles like the Salsoul Orchestra would use as the glitter ball sound took over in 1975-78.

Sounds Of The Zodiac sounds as if it straight out of a Blaxploitation cop movie soundtrack with its string orchestrated but still supremely funky sound and deep bass. 

Edwin Starr - Funky Music Sho' 'Nuff Turns Me On/Cloud Nine

The Temptations also covered Norman Whitfield's Funky Music Sho' 'Nuff Turns Me On (see 12a 1972) but while theirs was a fuzzy "fake live" offering, Edwin Starr's version kicks serious ass. It has that typical Edwin Starr vibrant, muscular sound. Yvonne Fair also covered it well in 1974.

Both The Temptations and Gladys Knight & The Pips had covered Cloud Nine before this version's release. Edwin's version is tough, rhythmic and percussion-driven. While admittedly solid, it can't match The Temptations' version. Let's be honest, very few could compete with The Temptations, could they? Edwin possibly got one over on them with his version of Funky Music, however.

David & Jimmy Ruffin - When My Love Hand Comes Down/Steppin' On A Dream

Talking of Edwin Starr, the Ruffin brothers sure sounded like him on the industrial strength soul of When My Love Hand Comes Down. Equally powerful is Steppin' On A Dream, which has a brief vocal snatch of Auld Lang Syne, for some reason. David spoke fondly in subsequent years of the brothers' recording together. 

Letta - I Won't Weep No More/You Touched Me 💠

Copper-bottomed Motown deep cut fare here from a South African singer for whom this was her only single. I Won't Weep No More is a great, strong soulful offering. You Touched me is less punchy, having more of a late-night sound to it. There is a gospel tone to Letta's voice on both recordings. 

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Disc Three

Diana Ross - Reach Out I'll Be There/(They Long To Be) Close To You

Diana Ross's slowed-down, smoky cover of The Four Tops' classic Reach Out I'll Be There is a damn tough ask, but it is done in an inventive way, and comes off. It has an atmosphere to it and it sort of stands up in its own right, but, of course, nothing matches the original, does it? I like the subtle bass-line that underpins the song.

On They Long To Be) Close To You the spoken intro is pretty awful but it rectifies itself quickly enough, although it has to be said that however fine a voice she had, Ross is no Karen Carpenter. Her shrieking bit near the end just doesn't work. The song should have a vocal dripping with smooth honey. It's not a shouter. The "live" applause at the song's beginning an end is ludicrously overdubbed. Why, oh why? It just doesn't work. 

P. J. - I've Given You the Best Years Of my Life/It Takes A Man To Teach A Woman How To Love

P. J. was Patti Jerome. Here she serves up first a big ballad that was later recorded by Martha Reeves & the bass-line on their 1972 Black Magic album. It is an ok song, but far more to my taste is the brassy, punchy soul of It Takes A Man To Teach A Woman How To Love that reminds me of the sort of material Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes covered on their debut album in 1976. 

Stoney & Meat Loaf - What You See Is What You Get/Lady Be Mine 💠

As on 11b (check that review for more details) - yes this is Meat "Bat Out Of Hell" Loaf. Teaming up with powerful-voiced singer soul Stoney What You See Is What You Get is a hard-hitting rock song with a funky, clavinet-driven edge that sees both singers giving it their all. It is a good rock song but maybe not a catchy hit single, although it was a very, very minor charter (number 71). Funnily enough, the lyrics were written by Patti (P. J.) Jerome (see the review just above).

Lady Be Mine is a strong, bluesy duet between these two fine singers. Their voices complement each other perfectly. Meat Loaf would go on to duet memorably on his famous Bat Out Of Hell and Dead Ringer albums, notably with Ellen Foley and Cher.

The Supremes - Nathan Jones/Happy (Is A Bumpy Road) ⭐

The Supremes released some absolutely great singles during this period. The wonderful Nathan Jones, stands as evidence of those great singles. It is one of the best. What a great track it is. I love it to death. Rumbling bass, thumping drums, clunking piano, wah-wah guitar, intoxicating percussion and the girls on perfect vocal form. It should be in any "best of Motown" compilation. It employed the studio technique known as "phasing" that John Lennon had used on the Beatles' Tomorrow Never Knows, particularly in the middle and end bit. Also joining the group on vocals was well-known vocalist Clyde King.

The upbeat, gospelly and most enjoyable soul of Happy (Is A Bumpy Road) was also covered by The Four Tops (see 12a). It has a Staples Singers feel about it. 

Bobby Darin - Melodie/Someday We'll Be Together 💠

These are probably veteran fifties/sixties singer Bobby Darin's best cuts for Motown. Melodie is superb - a Northern Soul meets Philly souler with an almost unrecognisable soulful vocal from Darin. It reminds me a lot of the Philly-produced soul material Elton John recorded at the end of the seventies with producer Thom Bell. 

Yes, Someday We'll Be Together is the Diana Ross & The Supremes swan-song number from 1969-70. Darin does it justice on a really good rendition. It has a gospelly "call and response" vibe to it, with prominent female backing singers and another vocal from Darin that makes you feel he missed his true calling in the sixties - apparently he always wanted to be a soul/r'n'b singer. A couple of proper deep cut rarities for you here. Check them out. 

Impact Of Brass - Never Can Say Goodbye/So Far, So Good 💠

Talking of deep cut Heaven, try these for size. Two excellent funky instrumentals from this 10-piece outfit. The first is a gently funky, saxophone-led version of Never Can Say Goodbye. It also features that string orchestration that would be so popular during the disco era. Good stuff. 

So Far, So Good is a killer portion of bassy and brassy, instrumental funk. Full of deep ambience and Blaxploitation orchestration it is high up there in that much-mentioned (by me) imaginary list of Motown deep cuts.

King Floyd - Heartaches/Together We Can Do Anything 💠

The rarity gold keeps on a-coming. King Floyd wad best known for his chart-topper from the same year, Groove Me (not released on Motown). The guy had a great, expressive soul voice and he delivers two good ones here in the upbeat, catchy Heartaches (a song that really should have been a hit) and the David Ruffin-ish Together We Can Do Anything. I love both of these numbers. Top quality unknown songs.

Diana Ross & The Jackson 5 - Feelin' Alright/Diana Ross & Bill Cosby - Love Story

A genuine curiosity here. Feelin' Alright is the much-covered Traffic number (notably by Gladys Knight & The Pips) and is a live recording (I think it is a proper live cut this time, not a fake one). Here, Diana Ross has The Jackson 5 join her on her TV show. The result is really good, the artists' moulding perfectly and giving us an impressive rendition of the song.

The 'b' side features Ross with the now-disgraced (I think) Bill Cosby is a huge serving of cheese that is better listened to once and then immediately forgotten. Did people really used to buy this stuff? Actually, they did.

Gladys Knight & The Pips - I Don't Want To Do Wrong/Is There A Place (In This Heart For Me)

I Don't Want To Do Wrong is one of those typical Gladys gospelly soulful ballads. Her vocal is warm and beautiful. The bass is outstanding on it as well. The thing with these Gladys cuts is that they were just such quality that they don't invite any further comment.

Ditto for Is There A Place (In This Heart For Me), although the 'a' side is marginally the better one.

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Disc Four

The Supremes & The Four Tops - You Got To Have Love In Your Heart/I'm Glad About It ⭐

You Got To Have Love In Your Heart was the collaboration's greatest hit and it was an irresistible, joyous celebration of an early seventies Motown song - a bit of a forgotten classic. It is one of those songs that instantly gets my spirits up from the moment it begins. I have known the song for years. I had it on a compilation in the seventies but I can't remember which one it was.

Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson's I'm Glad About It is a powerful ballad with the strong vocals that you would expect from Levi Stubbs and Jean Terrell. 

The Undisputed Truth - Smiling Faces Sometimes/You Got The Love I Need ⭐ 

Smiling Faces Sometimes was most definitely The Undisputed Truth's song (despite The Temptations doing it later). It is pretty much their signature tune. It is a gospel meets street funk, Staple Singers-influenced classic of a song. "Can you dig it"? Sure we can. Great stuff. It was deservedly a hit single for the group. It stands out as one of the best tracks on this collection.

You Got The Love I Need is a rousing, upbeat, very typically Motown-ish number, with excellent vocals and horns. It actually uses the same backing track as was used on The Temptations' 1965 I Got Heaven Right Here On Earth. It is catchy as hell. This was a seriously good pair of songs on one 45. Just how good were The Undisputed Truth? Motown's great underrated group, for sure.

Ivy Jo - I'd Still Love You/I Can Feel The Pain 💠

Ivy Jo Hunter was a man (for years I thought "he" was a she! Anyway, his voice was definitely male. He was better-known as a songwriter and a producer (that is how I first heard of "him"). These are two quality soul offerings, as you may imagine. I Can Feel The Pain is more strident and muscular than the slow, moving and emotive tones of I'd Still Love You. These are both classy soul numbers but they disappeared without trace as part of a single release. It is only thanks to collections like this that they have risen from the dead, so to speak.

The Four Tops - In These Changing Times/Right Before My Eyes

Social comment was a big thing in 1971, particularly at Motown. Here the Four Tops get in on the act with In These Changing Times with a lush, smooth ballad that manages to merge a lyric about change with romantic failure. It was not a chart success, comparatively, but despite that, Levi Stubbs' vocal is a really strong one.

Right Before My Eyes is archetypal Four Tops soul - that peerless voice, the lyrics of crushing romantic heartbreak, an impressive, robust backing (check out those organ breaks near the end). All classic Tops ingredients, aren't they? As a 'b' side, this certainly packs a punch, possibly more so than the 'a' side. 

The Crusaders - Pass The Plate/Greasy Spoon 💠

From this release on, The Jazz Crusaders became just The Crusaders. Pass The Plate is a seriously fast, frantic, saxophone-led instrumental (save a few hey-hey muffled backing vocals whooping encouragement to the musicians and a request to "pass the plate" right at the end). It puts me in mind of Jnr. Walker, but a wired-up one. The pace doesn't let up for a minute. This single release is an edit from the full 15 minute album version.

Greasy Spoon is one of those fine funky, orchestrated instrumentals from the period that make you think that vocals are not always necessary. It is packed full of soul and atmosphere without any singing in it. 

Hugh Masekela - Dyambo (Weary Day Is Over)/Shebeen

Talking of quality brass, here we have South African trumpet legend Hugh Masekela turning up briefly at Motown. Dyambo (Weary Day Is Over) is a mightily appealing, catchy toe-tapper of a track, sung in Xhosa and highlighting Masekela's superb trumpet playing. The track is punchy as hell, full of energy and rhythm. Get it on that Motown rarities playlist - right now. 

Shebeen is a mid-pace and totally delicious groove that features Masekela's trumpet-blowing at its finest. The lilting guitar riffs are straight from South Africa's townships. It is less South Africa and more Detroit, however. 

Arthur Adams - Uncle Tom/Mornin' Train

Arthur Adams is better known as a blues guitarist. This single was never released. That was a shame, as Uncle Tom is a fine soul song concerning true-life experience of racial prejudice and seeing his father struggling against the odds. It was hard-hitting, maybe too much so, even in the febrile times of 1971. "I ain't gonna be no Uncle Tom, like my father was" sings a bullish Adams. 

Mornin' Train is a solid kick-ass number with a vibrant edge to it. It is sort of gospelly but as if everyone's had a few too many drinks, such is its energetic, raw liveliness. 

The Stylists - What Is Love/Where Did The Children Go 💠

The Stylists were later to change their name to The Naturals (see 12b) due to the similarity with successful Philadelphia group The Stylistics. The ballad What Is Love is sort of Stylistics-ish, but it sounds more like The Delfonics to me.

Where Did the Children Go is a bit of a different kettle of fish, as it is a hard-hitting "message" song that has hints of The Temptations and The Undisputed Truth in it. It is a song of social change, with some anti-war lyrics, backed by some sweeping big-production strings and a really deep, throbbing bass. This is a good song, and not simply another the sort of regulation ballad fare you would expect from this sort of group. It's a bit of a hidden gem.

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Crazy About The La La La/Oh Baby I Love You

After the excellent 45s Tears Of A Clown and I Don't Blame You At All, this was the next in line. It was a good one, with a really good guitar, percussion and vocal break half way through the song. It just doesn't quite have that special "something" that the previous two had, though. It contains a surprising lyric from American Smokey about "fish and chips". 

I really like Oh Baby I Love You Too. Both songs have fine sound quality and, of course, Smokey's voice is instantly recognisable as one of serious class. However, there was just a feeling that Smokey and the group had begun going through the motions a bit by now, their Mojo possibly having been mislaid.

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Disc Five

Marvin Gaye - Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)/Sad Tomorrows ⭐

The second of three killer singles from Marvin Gaye's seminal What's Going On album, along with the title track and Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler). Here, Marvin takes on the decaying environment with a venom. Over a sumptuous, syncopated, beautifully rhythmic backing, Marvin tells us that fish can no longer swim in our foul water. The saxophone's beauty contrasts with the bleak message. Of course, what Marvin was saying still has supreme relevance today, probably more so.

The 'b' side, Sad Tomorrows, is two minutes of vocal and instrumental musing that functioned much better as part of its album's suite of songs where it was re-titled Flyin' High In The Friendly Sky (this was an early version of the song).

Hearts Of Stone - If I Could Give You the World/You Gotta Sacrifice (We Gotta Sacrifice)

Hearts Of Stone were a four piece vocal harmony group. Indeed, Norman Whitfield said they had the best vocal harmonies he had ever heard. A strong ballad, featuring those harmonies, If I Could Give You the World has an intro that reminds me of Chairmen Of The Board's Everybody's Got A Song To Sing. 

You Gotta Sacrifice (We Gotta Sacrifice) is a fuzzy, pounding Undisputed Truth/Temptations/Edwin Starr/Rare Earth-sounding message song, featuring lots of guitar, powerful drums and started vocals of different pitches. It's a really good one too, worth checking out. It had that whole 1971 Whitfield/Temptations/Sly & The Family Stone vibe to it. Indeed I was surprised that it was not a Norman Whitfield song.

Ken Christie & The Sunday People - The Reverend John B. Daniels/Jesus is The Key 💠

Some "gospel rock" for you here, brothers and sisters. That style of music had become quite big in the early seventies with the success of Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell. The Reverend John B. Daniels visits the same territory as Neil Diamond's Brother Love Travelling Salvation Show as it tells of the fervour of the charismatic titular character as he delivers his fire and brimstone sermon. Good God Almighty - can I get a witness? It is a great song, packed full of atmosphere, you almost feel you are in that church.

Jesus Is The Key is a really enjoyable, guitar-driven, energetic rock freakout that I just can't help but like.

R. Dean Taylor - Candy Apple Red/Woman Alive

Never one to write a simple song of love and satisfaction, Taylor covered the subject of suicide here. Unsurprisingly, it proved a difficult sell. After the prison tale of Indiana Wants Me, Taylor was setting out his stall here as a dark songwriter. This is a sombre, quite heartbreaking song. incidentally, Candy Apple Red refers to the shade of lipstick worn by the song's victim. "Somebody pray for me on Sunday" she says, before taking her own life. Very moving. 

Woman Alive covered another controversial subject - this time a frustrated, bored 9 to 5 woman wanting to be noticed and taking to the after dark bars for male company. It has that big, orchestrated sound that Indiana Wants Me had as well. In fact, it remains the most overdubbed song in the history of Motown in Detroit. Perfectionist Taylor was seemingly never happy with it. 

Rare Earth - I Just Want To Celebrate/The Seed

I Just Want To Celebrate was the 1971 One World album's successful single and it is a few minutes of typically Rare Earth fuzzy guitar rock mixed with soul rhythms. There are hints of The Band and Creedence Clearwater Revival in its rock parts, and Sly & The Family Stone and The Jackson 5 in its soul ones. A fine mix indeed. It was one of the group's biggest hits, going top ten. It was slightly more soulful than the all-out rock of Born To Wander, but it is still pretty essentially a rock tune. 

The Seed expresses ecological concerns that were also popular at the time on a confident bit of soulful rock, featuring a great guitar solo. It rocks out in true Rare Earth fashion. 

The Jackson 5 - Maybe Tomorrow/I Will Find A Way

The Jackson 5 are back with what was a surprisingly low-key single release, their third of the year thus far in a year that would yield four 45 rpm releases. Maybe Tomorrow is a sweet, Delfonics-style ballad sung by the increasingly voice-cracking Michael.

The funky-ish I Will Find A Way, sung largely by Jermaine, was more typical Jackson 5 fare.

The Temptations - It's Summer/I'm The Exception To The Rule

It's Summer was the only traditional, Motown-style love song with those typical Temptations harmonies to the fore on its album, 1970's Psychedelic Shack. However lovely it is, though, it sits somewhat incongruously with the rest of the album's "conscious" offerings.

I'm The Exception To The Rule, previously recorded by The Marvelettes in 1964, is a big production, dramatic ballad. After the dynamic, psychedelic impact of the previous three albums, it came as something of a surprise to hear these sweet soul grooves replacing all the fuzzy guitar and funky wah-wah sounds. 

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