The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 7: 1967

1967 contained a bucketload of classic Motown material. Psychedelic and serious-themed soul had yet to take off, so it was pop all the way - and how. Compared to 1964-66, however, there was just a slight drop-off and vague hints of change in the air, just little ones. Songs such as Bernadette (The Four Tops), Love Is Here And Now You're Gone (The Supremes) and You're My everything (The Temptations) stood as examples of songwriters who were wiling to change style. Smokey Robinson's songwriting was also as clever as ever. 

Diana Ross & The Supremes' (note the leading lady now credited separately from the other two) Reflections was one of the first Motown records to dabble in Sgt. Pepper-style psychedelia with those strange, spacey sound effects, particularly in its intro. 

What Motown's 1967 output ignored, however, were the inner city riots, the Vietnam War and general levels of social unrest that the subsequent years' material began to address. The label stayed firmly a pop/chart oriented one.

⭐ Star hits

💠 Hidden gems

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Disc One

The Underdogs - Love's Gone Bad/Mojo Hannah

Motown's first release of 1967 was a rock record from a white rock band, The Underdogs. They looked a bit like a less goofy Monkees. Love's Gone Bad is an organ-driven, Animals-esque rocker that puts me very much in mind of much of the "garage rock" material of the time. 

The 'b' side, the bluesy rock of Mojo Hannah had previously been recorded for Motown by Henry Lumpkin way back in 1962. The Underdogs do a good job on a song I have always liked. These are two really good 1967 tracks - they're just so un-Motown!

(Diana Ross &) The Supremes - Love Is Here And Now You're Gone/There's No Stopping Us Now ⭐ 

Now it's Diana Ross and her mates, and here we have a typical serving of Supremes soul. It is backed by some catchy keyboards, strings and that archetypal Motown percussion sound. Michael Jackson also covered the song on his 1972 debut solo album. Diana's voice takes centre stage on a song I distinctly remember really getting into in 1977. 

There's No Stopping Us Now is simply classic Supremes - tambourine, pounding drums and Diana leading the girls on a vivacious, incredibly infectious number. It positively overflows with sheer Motown joie de vivre. It's another of those top quality Motown deep cuts. I love the deep saxophone solo mid-song too. 

Jr. Walker & The All-Stars - Pucker Up Buttercup/Anyway You Wannta 💠

The catchy, poppy Pucker Up Buttercup was one hell of a fine single. As you probably know by now, I love Jr. Walker, so that won't come as a surprise. Just listen to those great drums and that wailing sax. Walker Heaven. Now pucker up for this storming piece of groovy, down 'n' dirty funk, y'all.

Anyway You Wannta sees Junior going a bit James Brown on a solid piece of mostly instrumental funk pop, with a few Brown-esque vocal exhortations. Once more it kicks serious saxy, funky ass. 

Shorty Long - Chantilly Lace/Your Love Is Amazing

Little funk fireball Shorty Long took on the Big Bopper's Chantilly Lace, giving it an appealing bluesy funkiness which sort of loses The Bopper's innate goofiness, turning it into a regulation funky soul workout. It's a good one all the same, though.

Your Love is Amazing was The Four Tops' 1965 'b' side to It's The Same Old Song. Here Shorty, backed by The Andantes, sound very much like the Tops, actually, although it is more uptempo than The Tops' version.

Brenda Holloway - Till Johnny Comes

A classic Smokey Robinson ballad covered effectively here by (perhaps appropriately) smokey-voiced Brenda Holloway over a nice, warm, bassy backing. Holloway herself rated it one of her favourites. She recorded many fine ballads for Motown.

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage/Come Spy With Me

The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage is a typical mid-pace piece of Robinson fare enhanced by sumptuous strings and the usual clever and hooky lyrics. This was the first single officially credited to Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, as opposed to simply The Miracles. 

Come Spy With Me is a real Robinson rarity. It was a song from the movie soundtrack of a movie of the same name starring Troy Donahue. It is a pleasantly upbeat, brassy number that I can't help liking. A lesser-known Miracles goodie.

Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Jimmy Mack/Third Finger, Left Hand ⭐

For some reason this track has sort of ended up as a bit of a Motown deep cut. In 1976, when it appeared on the Motown Gold compilation, its stock appeared to be high, but its presence on both compilations and radio play seems to have faded over the years. Consequently, I had almost forgotten about it. I'm not sure why, because it pounds and stomps with the best of them. Check out the saxophone solo too. Hell, it's a Motown corker of a track, let's be honest. 

Equally infectious is the wonderful Third Finger, Left Hand, another one with a killer chorus. Just how good a "b' side was this, by the way? How can such a quality song remain virtually hidden away? That's the prolific Motown catalogue for you. Astonishing, as I have said several times while reviewing this series. 

Stevie Wonder - Travelin' Man/Hey Love

Travelin' Man was a poppy Stevie number in the same vein as A Place In The Sun. It never appeared on an album. The slow-ish soul of Hey Love was from the previous year's Down To Earth album an it ended up as a black radio favourite, apparently, being a bigger r 'n' b chart hit than its 'a' side. It is probably the more quality and mature offering of the two songs.

The Four Tops - Bernadette/I Got A Feeling ⭐

Bernadette is a chunky, gritty number with a muscular Stubbs vocal and some robust backing from The Funk Brothers. Oh, and it has that D.J.-annoying false ending too. Check out that mighty bass too, man. I was never a huge fan of the song until later years when I have warmed considerably to its soulful power. loo, Levi Stubbs is Levi Stubbs, isn't he? I can't not be a fan for long, can I ? Come on. 

Bernadette!!!

The wonderful I Got A Feeling is one of my favourite songs from The Four Tops - although the definitive version is by Barbara Randolph, for me. It is still a great track, however, full of Motown/Northern Soul verve and vibrancy. Good God almighty I love this song. As I write I am really sad because one of my music favourites Steve Harley died today. Playing this cheered me up no end. That's the power of music for you. 

Jimmy Ruffin - Gonna Give You All The Love I've Got/World So Wide, Nowhere To Hide (From Your Heart) ⭐

Another big hit single is up next in the excellent strains of Jimmy Ruffin's Gonna Give Her All The Love I've Got. Jimmy loved getting on trains, it seemed, and he does so here as to tell his baby how much he had missed her. He's not saying goodbye this time. The song is fast and mighty catchy and was also covered by The Temptations, Marvin Gaye and Earl Van Dyke. The latter was an instrumental. 

The 'b' side to this single, World So Wide Nowhere To Hide (From Your Heart), is also fast, with a Northern Soul pounding beat to it. It is yet another of those hidden little gems of which this series is overflowing with. There's another stonker of a saxophone solo in the middle too. 

Chris Clark - I Want To Go Back There Again/I Love You

I Want To Go Back There Again, written by Berry Gordy with tall blonde white singer Chris Clark was one of his favourite songs, apparently. It has a bit of a Burt Bacharach feel to it. It was also recorded by Diana Ross and Thelma Houston. Chris Clark had a smoky, Dusty Springfield quality to her voice which suited the material. 

I Love You is slightly more upbeat and chunky and is in possession of a really deep bassline. Solid stuff.

The Contours - It's So Hard Being A Loser/Your Love Grows More Precious Every Day

Featuring later to be Temptation Dennis Edwards on lead vocals, this would be The Contours final Motown single. Edwards' contribution is strong and soulful. The song is an appealing one, but maybe not quite special enough. It was a minor hit. The 'b' side falls into the same category - solid but not special.

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Disc Two

Brenda Holloway - Just Look What You've Done/Starting The Hurt All Over Again 💠

The Frank Wilson-produced Just Look What You've Done is easily one of Brenda Holloway's most uptempo Motown singles. It is my favourite of hers and the very opposite of the smooth ballads she usually released. It was written by Wilson and R. Dean Taylor. 

The 'b' side, Starting The Hurt All Over Again was a Northern Soul stomper too, surprisingly, written by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. Indeed it was their first ever composition for Motown. They would go on to write so many more. 

Barbara McNair - Here I Am Baby/My World Is Empty Without You

A similar balladress to Brenda Holloway was the sultry Barbara McNair, who, interestingly, posed naked in Playboy magazine the following year. I wonder what Motown thought about that? 

Both tracks here are emotive slowies, including a soulful, late-night version of The Supremes' My World Is Empty Without You that sounds pretty much like a different song to the original. I like the way that Motown covers of other Motown artists's songs often changed them completely. 

Gladys Knight & The Pips - Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me/Do You Love Me Just A Little Honey ⭐

Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me is Gladys's finest moment on its parent album, Everybody Needs Love. It is another supremely confident vocal over a solid backing with an instantly recognisable baroque-sounding keyboard part. It should have been a much bigger hit than it actually was. As I said, one of Gladys's finest Motown cuts, not just on its album, but in her career. It heralded Norman Whitfield's emergence as a topnotch producer and the first appearance of Rodger Penzabene as a songwriter. 

Do You Love Me Just A Little, Honey is another very laid-back slice of classic soul. It is a lush, smooth ballad also covered by The Supremes & The Four Tops on their 1971 Dynamite album.

(Diana Ross &) The Supremes - The Happening/All I Know About You ⭐

Motown Heaven here. Just sheer joy from beginning to end. The girls are on top form on this oh-so mid-sixties piece of perfect pop. It was the theme song to a film of the same name that has sunk without trace. I have loved the song since the time of release in the sixties when my mother loved it. Not only is it Motown Heaven, it's sixties Heaven too, isn't it? So carefree and breezy. 

Also from the movie's soundtrack was All I Know About You, which was a pretty throwaway piece of sixties pop. Both of these tracks were not archetypal Motown, being far more blatant pop.

The Isley Brothers - Got To Have You Back/Just Ain't Enough Love💠

Got To Have You Back is a lively, buzzy guitar-driven stomper to open with, baroque-sounding keyboards and with a few typically 1967 Eastern influences in its guitar sound. Just Ain't Enough Love is an infectious, full-on stomping number that Eddie Holland had released in his own right back in 1964. Both of these tracks showed just how many quality numbers the Isleys put out. Neither of these are remembered much, but they are certainly not bad ones at all. Two deep cuts for you. 

R. Dean Taylor - There's A Ghost In My House/Don't Fool Around ⭐

Another perhaps surprise hit for the underrated R. Dean Taylor. He had several of these, didn't he? This upbeat, slightly Four Tops-ish pounder of a track proved to be a huge hit on the dance-floors of Northern England. Yes, it became a Northern Soul floor-filler. Check out that fuzzy guitar and stomping beat. It was a huge retrospective UK hit seven years later in 1974, getting to number 3.

Don't Fool Around is an uptempo, enjoyable piece of sixties pop. 

San Remo Strings - Festival Time/Joy Road ⭐

A UK hit in 1971 but dating from here in 1967 was this UK re-release hit instrumental. It is more than a little funky and most appealing. Motown didn't have many instrumental hits. This was one of them. The Commodores' Machine Gun is another that immediately springs to mind. The San Remo Strings contained members of The Funk Brothers moonlighting in their ranks. 

Joy Road is faster than Festival Time and pleasant enough. 

The Marvelettes - When You're Young And In Love/The Day You Take One (You Have To Take The Other) ⭐

A lovely song here. It dated from 1967 but had a feeling of being a much earlier song (I think it originally dated back to 1964, recorded by Ruby & The Romantics). It is packed full of summery atmosphere and an innocent teenage romanticism. I love the bassline too. Incidentally, the song was written by Van ("The Hustle") McCoy. There's a bit of trivia for you.

The Day You Take One (You Have To Take The Other) is a bouncy Smokey Robinson song with a most intricate bassline, one that is said to be impossible to play. Wanda Young Rogers' vocal is excellent too, very late night and bluesy. Just how many great songs did Smokey write for others? The list is endless. Makes you wonder why he didn't keep some for himself. Maybe he saw himself more as a songwriter. I think he did. 

The Temptations - All I Need/Sorry Is A Sorry Word 💠

The upbeat and typically 1966-67 Motown sound of All I Need is simply superb. It is soul that just lifts you higher and higher. As indeed is Sorry Is A Sorry Word. It has a bit of a Four Tops feel about it with David sounding as close to Levi Stubbs as he had ever got. One great song after another from The Temptations here. Both are comparatively overlooked tracks too, making them perfect hidden gems candidates.

Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Ain't No Mountain High Enough/Give A Little Love 💠

This was the original of the song that was such a huge hit for Diana Ross. Marvin and Tammi do a great job on it. It is far more upbeat and less dramatic than Diana Ross's version. Nickolas Ashford had apparently written the song while walking on Central Park And West and intended it for a female solo performance, (presumably Tammi Terrell), but Marvin and Tammi's chemistry was so good on it that they released it. 

Give A Little Love is a fine one too. Anything these two did is ok by me. Incidentally, it was originally intended as a Marvin Gaye/Kim Weston duet, but, once again Tammi cut the mustard. She always did, didn't she? Such a tragedy to have her taken way too soon. She was an angel of a singer. 

The Four Tops - 7 Rooms Of Gloom/I'll Turn To Stone ⭐

Seven Rooms Of Gloom is up next as the hits just keep coming. It is actually quite a complex song, with what is, I am sure, a difficult vocal to deliver and a huge, pulsating bass line. I love the keyboard line. It is solid and robust as opposed to pure pop and not quite as instantly catchy as some songs, but, before you know it, it's got you. It is one of those ones that not only grows on me but sticks in my head too. Blondie also covered the song live in the late seventies.

I'll Turn To Stone is another Motown classic, which found popularity in the seventies on the UK Northern Soul scene. It is one of my favourite Four Tops tracks - an uplifting, lively, soulful and underrated song. Top quality fare.

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Disc Three

Paul Petersen - Chained/Don't Let It Happen To Us

Paul Petersen was a white kid who sounded ever so slightly like Stevie Wonder in his teenage years. Not really, but a little. Chained was a Frank Wilson composition/production. Unfortunately it was not a hit. It sounds like a genuine Motown recording though, in that I mean by a black artist. The alternate mix of the song is bassier and even more "Motown" sounding, complete with fuzzy guitar. 

Don't Let It Happen To Us is another Frank Wilson composition that doesn't sound quite so authentic. It's ok, but certainly nothing special. 

The Spinners - For All We Know/I Cross My Heart

This was The Spinners only 45 release in 1967, but they did have an album out, The Original Spinners, from which these two tracks came. For all we know was an old Tin Pan Alley song that dated from 1934, given a thumping Motown treatment here. It doesn't represent the group at their best, for me. 

Far more "Motown", by far, is the excellent, lively, melodic and bassy Cross My Heart, a song that is very typical of Motown in 1967. 

Stevie Wonder - I Was Made To Love Her/Hold Me ⭐

I Was Made To Love Her was a catchy hit single guaranteed to chart. It had a great bassline, a catchy refrain and told a tale of the young Stevie's romantic past. Oh and it had a killer harmonica solo too. We would get used to those. The Beach Boys did an impressive cover of it on their late 1967 Wild Honey album. Lyrically, it harked back to childhood, although Wonder wasn't born in Little Rock, Arkansas as the song says - co-writer Sylvia Moy's mother was, though, and it was her that provided the inspiration. Stevie ad libs at the end of the song with the "you know Stevie ain't gonna leave her" line.

Hold Me dated two years back to 1965's Uptight album and, despite a fine, warm bassline, you can definitely tell. The 'a' side sounded far more "up to date" than this did. 

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - More Love/Swept For You Baby

More Love is a ballad but an incredibly melodic, catchy one. Smokey wrote it directly for his wife, Claudette, hoping to "heal her heart", as he said, after several miscarriages.

Swept For You Baby came from the group's 1965 Away We A Go-Go album. The song is notable for its drum roll half way through, just before the song's bridge.

The Elgins - It's Been A Long Long Time (A Long Time)/I Understand My Man

It's Been A Long Long Time (A Long Time) was an old doo-wop style ballad that dated from 1962, when it would have been fine. As it was, it simply sounded hopelessly dated in 1967. Possibly a better choice would have been the solid ballad I Understand My Man which featured a fine vocal from Saundra Mallett.

Gladys Knight & The Pips - Everybody Needs Love

Everybody Needs Love is a sumptuous typical mid-sixties Motown slowie, great backing, orchestration and soulful vocals. Mary Wells did this Norman Whitfield song back in 1964 and you can tell how it suited her. It sounds a tad dated here in 1967. Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me was a far better single from Gladys. 

Marvin Gaye - Your Unchanging Love/I'll Take Care Of You

Your Unchanging Love was very similar to How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), particularly on the piano lines. It dated from eighteen months earlier and appeared on Gaye's 1966 Moods Of Marvin Gaye album. Motown were finding it difficult to get Marvin into the studio at this time, so they mined his back catalogue. Berry Gordy chose this over I Heard It Through The Grapevine in a Motown quality control meeting, unbelievably. 

I'll Take Care Of You sounds like an early/mid-sixties song. It didn't appear anywhere else apart from as the 'b' side here. 

The Temptations - You're My Everything/I've Been Good To You ⭐

The hit single, You're My Everything, with Kendricks back on lead vocals for The Temptations has a singalong, irresistible refrain. Boy, just how beautifully deep is that bassline? Truly Heaven-sent. The song, on one of its album versions, is a capella apart from the bass. Superb stuff. It was quite groundbreaking. This one includes sweeping strings and powerful drums behind the vocal and bass. the added instrumentation gives it a real oomph, however. 

I've Been Good To You was A Smokey Robinson slowie and it had appeared on the group's 1966 Gettin' Ready album. It has that early sixties feel about it that renders it slightly incongruous, particularly in comparison to its sumptuous 'a' side. 

Jr. Walker & The All-Stars - Ain't That The Truth

Some "my woman done gone left me" bluesy semi-instrumental, swirling, blaring sax angst from Jr. Walker here. It was taken from his 1965 Shotgun album. It was notable at this time that quite a few singles were being sourced from a couple of years earlier, which may indicate a wish to somehow stay in the past, resisting change.

Jimmy Ruffin - Don't You Miss Me A Little Bit Baby ⭐

Don't You Miss Me A Little Bit Baby gives us a wonderful Temptations-esque vocal from Ruffin. The sound is great on this. There is a floor-shaking bass solo half way through backed by some seriously groovy percussion. 

The Isley Brothers - That's The Way Love Is/One Too Many Heartaches 💠

That's The Way Love Is, also done by Gladys Knight, Marvin Gaye and The Temptations, is performed here with a great, floor-shaking vitality. Excellent stuff. A real Motown Northern Soul number. Check out those urgent early breaks and the groovy drum work too. A classic hidden gem here.

One Too Many Heartaches is a lovely, Smokey Robinson-esque melodic ballad, with real hints of The Temptations and Jimmy Ruffin in it too. Love that bassline too - that's a regular thing with this material. 

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Disc Four

Diana Ross & The Supremes - Reflections/Going Down For The Third Time ⭐

A classic hit here in Reflections, with its psychedelic-style spacey keyboard introductory interjections (which the producers came across by accident while fiddling around with machines). While it had a typical Motown sound in its percussion, there was something contemporary about it that fitted with 1967-68. It was possibly inspired by The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper album and its use of sound effects. It stands out on this collection as (possibly) the pick of the crop. Cindy Birdsong had replaced Florence Ballard in the group by this one, by the way. Changes were afoot in many ways.

Going Down For The Third Time is a vibrant, punchy piece of Supremes deep cottage. It has become a Northern Soul favourite. Yu ca hear why, its pace never lets up, guaranteed to fill the floor.

Martha Reeves & The Vandellas  Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone/One Way Out ⭐

Two copper-bottomed numbers from Martha and the girls here. Love Bug has a killer bassline and a bit of an air of mystery about it, while One Way Out is a typical Holland-Dozier-Holland stomper. Martha herself loved Love Bug. 

Barbara McNair - Steal Away Tonight/For Once In My Life

Barbara McNair served another of her classy ballads here in Steal Away Tonight. Stevie Wonder's For Once In My Life is slowed down to an absolute walking pace. Barbara's delivery is right on the money, but give me Stevie's groovy version all day long. 

Brenda Holloway - You've Made Me So Very Happy/You've Got To Find It

Brenda Holloway's version of this Berry Gordy/Frank Wilson/Brenda & Patrice Holloway song was the first release of this song that became a huge jazz-soul hit for David Clayton-Thomas and Blood Sweat & Tears. Their version sounded the way Brenda had imagined it to sound, a sound Gordy had rejected out of hand - he made many mistakes, didn't he? This one duly wasn't a hit and it proved to be Brenda's final single for Motown. She quit soon after, aged just 21, due to what she perceived as Gordy's intransigence towards her and her career. Shame. 

You've Got To Find It is a fine Frank Wilson-penned ballad too. 

Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Your Precious Love/Hold Me Oh My Darling

Your Precious Love is a finger-snapping sexy soul classic. It goes without saying that the vocal synergy between the two is superb on both songs. Marvin said that "when we were singing we were in love, but when the music ended we kissed each other on the cheek and said goodbye". Songwriter Nickolas Ashford said of the pair's chemistry - "Marvin had a special way of creating romance and its real meaning in his voice. Tammi was the icing on the cake. I thought their blend was really good. I think that was why people tuned into them. You could feel that from the both of them on the wax...". I couldn't have said it better myself. Of course, I couldn't. I didn't write the song. PS - note the spelling mistake of "Tammy" on the promotional poster pictured here too. 

The 'b' side, Hold Me Oh My Darling had a bit of a retro feel about it. Indeed, it dated as far back as 1963, when it was intended for Ann Bogan.

The Four Tops - You Keep Running Away/If You Don't Want My Love ⭐

You Keep Running Away was another of those powerful, grinding soulful numbers with a beautifully deep bassline (there's a surprise!). Songs like this were quite typical of the Four Tops' 1966-68 output. I love the loose, semi-funky drum sound that backs this too. It was actually the final Holland-Dozier-Holland composition for The Four Tops.

If You Don't Want My Love features The Andantes on those high backing vocals, making it sound a bit unlike most of The Four Tops' output. 

Chris Clark - From Head To Toe/The Beginning Of The End 💠

Just how impossibly groovy and toe-tapping is this one? Smokey Robinson covered his own carefree, jazzy and deliciously uptempo song with The Miracles on their 1965 Going To A Go-Go album. Elvis Costello also covered it impressively in the early eighties. Elvis knew his Motown. The song appeared on Chris's debut album, Soul Sounds. In my opinion, the dice just didn't fall in Chris Clark's favour. She was a fine singer and released some really good material, all of which became sadly overshadowed. Was it a marketing thing? Maybe. Or was it simply bad luck? Probably a mix of the two. 

The Beginning Of The End is a sumptuous ballad in comparison to its catchy 'a' side. Diana Ross & The Supremes later covered it on their 1969 album (and final one) Cream Of The Crop. I prefer Chris's version, actually. 

The Messengers - Window Shopping/California Soul 

White six-piece rock group The Messengers covered R. Dean Taylor's Window Shopping sounding just like The Monkees. It had a summery, poppy vitality to it. California Soul suited them fine, although there are better version of the much-covered song out there, notably by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell and The Undisputed Truth.

Barbara Randolph - I Got A Feeling/You Got Me Hurtin' All Over 💠

This is quite simply one of my favourite Motown-Northern soul songs ever. In fact, whenever I make those Northern Soul "best of" lists, it ends up as number one. It is absolutely infectious and just lifts my spirits whenever I hear it. Randolph was a sometime actress who got a chance to record this and she didn't let anyone down. My goodness she didn't. The Four Tops covered it too (see earlier in this collection) but Barbara outdid even Levi Stubbs and his mates. Barbara had been lined up for the Cindy Birdsong slot in the Supremes but Diana Ross refused to speak to her, for some reason. Miserable old Diana. No real surprises there. Finally, I have to say Barbara's enunciation of "luurve" is a tad weird, however. No matter, the song is still a total joy from beginning to end.

You Got Me Hurtin' All Over was a mid-pace, chunky ballad with a bit of a My Girl bassline in places. Listen to it and you'll know what I mean. 

Stevie Wonder - I'm Wondering/Every Time I See You I Go Wild

I'm Wondering was an upbeat, rhythmic cooker of a Stevie number. The boy was growing into an artist capable of releasing endless examples of mature pop like this. While retaining its pop thump and danceable stomp, the song was still a clever composition. I love the vocal-drum-harmonica bit near the end. These songs of Stevie's were mighty impressive, both musically and lyrically.

The Four Tops-esque Every Time I See You I Go Wild was another excellent cut, covered by Northern Soul artist J. J. Barnes as well. Wonder's version is the superior one, though, largely due to the backing. Sublime rumbling bass and buzzsaw guitar on it. Fantastic sound reproduction too. 

The Temptations - (Loneliness Made Me Realise) It's You That I Need/Don't Send Me Away

(Loneliness Made Me Realise) It's You That I Need is an uplifting, little-mentioned but infectious number. It is full of bassy warmth and a great David Ruffin vocal. Don't Send Me Away is a late fifties-influenced crooner with Otis Williams on the second of only two lead vocals for the Temptations. Both are quality tracks from 1967's With A Lot O' Soul album.

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Disc Five

Gladys Knight & The Pips - I Heard It Through The Grapevine/It's Time To Go Now ⭐

Now we get what was actually the original version of I Heard It Through The Grapevine. Gladys’s version is upbeat and soulfully delivered, and possessing a killer percussion-driven intro, but Marvin Gaye’s version is now so iconic that you can’t help but compare it unfavourably to his one. Poor old Gladys. This happened several times to her. Anyway, back to the record, from the very outset it is a groover, but in a totally different way to Marvin Gaye's version. I have always loved Gladys's gritty, soulful, gospelly version, but, as I said, it is always going to come second. Both versions can be enjoyed, however, because they are just so different. 

It's Time To Go Now is a late fifties-influenced soulful ballad. Actually, there was much better material on Gladys's album from 1967 (Everybody Needs Love) that could have been used as the 'b' side, for me. 

Edwin Starr - I Want My Baby Back/Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love 💠

I Want My Baby Back is a marvellously muscular stomper from Edwin Starr. No wonder he was such a success on the Northern Soul circuit. Check out that absolute killer mid-song saxophone. 

Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love had been covered by several others - Jimmy Ruffin, Marvin Gaye and The Temptations - and Edwin's is probably the worst, but his version is still good. That's just how much quality there was at Motown. 

Tammi Terrell - What A Good Man He Is/There Are Things 💠

This was Tammi's last solo single before she tragically died. What A Good Man He is a fine Smokey Robinson song that is full of lively soul. There Are Things is equally lively, but has one of those slightly retro vibes to it. 

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - I Second That Emotion/You Must Be Love ⭐

For me, this is the definitive version of the song, also covered by Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations. Smokey's voice does it for me, and the backing is brassily punchy too. Also, Smokey wrote it, so he deserves the accolades. 

You Must Be Love is classic slow, romantic Robinson. 

Diana Ross & The Supremes - In And Out Of Love/I Guess I'll Always You

Florence Ballard's last recording with The Supremes. The song has always had a slight lo-fi feeling about it, for me, raised by Diana's emotive vocal. The group's stuff was so good, though, that any mild criticism really is splitting hairs. I still love the song!

I Guess I'll Always love is a cover of The Isley Brothers' hit from the previous year. The Isleys is the superior one, just. 

Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Honey Chile/Show Me The Way ⭐

Another robust, upbeat and singalong gutsy number from my beloved Martha Reeves & The Vandellas. From the first drum beats and the brass breaks the song has kick-ass balls. There's always something just so muscularly soulful about MR & The V's songs. Lyrically, the song harked back to co-writer Sylvia Moy's childhood, as Stevie Wonder's I Was Made To Love Her also had.

Show Me the Way is an infectious grinder of a number, with an upbeat bluesiness to it. It was first recorded by Northern Soul favourite J. J. Barnes. Both songs here had The Andantes replacing The Vandellas on back-up vocals to Martha. The Vandellas were still credited, however. They both appeared on the 1968 Ridin' High album. It was considered that within The Andantes there was the greater vocal range, hence their being used, often uncredited on many Motown records. 

Jr. Walker & The All-Stars - Come See About Me/Sweet Soul

Sweet Lord Almighty this version of Come See About Me kicks serious ass! Waker and his mates turn the song into a gospelly male voice groover as opposed to Diana Ross' original sweet-sounding female vocal. Without putting too crude a point on it, they give it balls. 

Appearing on the later 1969 album Home Cookin', Sweet Soul features some incredible sax blowing from Junior. My, that guy could play, couldn't he? This is a phenomenal performance of instrumental virtuosity.

The Ones - You Haven't Seen My Love/Happy Day

Along with The Messengers and The Underdogs, here was some more Motown blue-eyed soul. You Haven't Seen My Love features some very 1967 Procol Harum/The Animals-style organ backing. Basically, it's a rock-soul number that sits somewhat incongruously on a Motown compilation such as this, really.

Happy Day is cut from the same cloth. It reminds me of The Box Tops in some ways. 

Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Two Can Have A Party/If I Could Build My Whole World Around You/If This World Were Mine ⭐

Tammi Terrell was now in hospital so Motown raided the pair's United album for 'a' and 'b' side material. The stand-out track of these three is the excellent, brassily glorious If I Could Build My Whole World Around You. It is another of those songs that has Marvin and Tammi uniting perfectly. I bet Southside Johnny loved it, listening to that brass. Two Can Have A Party is a clear It Takes Two re-make. Marvin had a hit with that song with Kim Weston, of course, in 1966. While Two Can Have A Party is fun it is too close to It Takes Two to be convincing.

If This World Were Mine is a beautifully sparse and romantic ballad that gets stronger as it progresses. 

The Marvelettes - My Baby Must Be A Magician/I Need Someone 💠

This great, catchy single had a punchy, full sound and is a bit of an unknown, totally infectious gem. It featured Melvin Franklin of The Temptations on shared vocals. 

Equally addictive is the very Diana Ross & The Supremes-sounding I Need Someone, a song which is classic Motown girl group fare. I love it. 

The Temptations - I Wish It Would Rain/I Truly, Truly Believe ⭐

The simply magnificent I Wish It Would Rain is a great way in which to remember David Ruffin's incredible contribution to The Temptations. His voice on it is just wonderful. Maybe his finest moment. Yes, he may have been an egoist and a disruptive influence on the group's dynamic, but by God the guy could sing. It is one of the great Motown songs, for me.

Melvin Franklin's basso profundo is given an outing on I Truly, Truly Believe. Unfortunately for him it isn't that great. Probably because it is up against one of, as I said above, the greatest Motown soul songs on the 'a' side in I Wish It would Rain and the mighty Ruffin. It sounds better in its original single mix to the alternative one which also appears on this collection.

Marvin Gaye - You/At Last (I Found A Love)/Change What You Can

You is a slightly unusual Marvin Gaye song in that it sounds really robust and Four Tops-ish, as if Levi Stubbs had come in on vocals. At Last (I Found A Love) is a really vibrant number featuring some great vocals and Change What You Can is almost as energetic. All three of these tracks appeared on Gaye's 1968 album In The Groove.

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