There's No Town Like Motown

I'll confess that I've cheated a little: whilst all of these artists have been on the Motown roster, not all of the tracks in today's selection were released on the label. But when the songs are this amazing, I'm not going to complain.

Some stone cold classics here, along with a few cover versions and perhaps relatively lesser known songs. No surprise that a third of the selection was written by the mighty Holland-Dozier-Holland but just look at the rest of the songwriters:

Norman Whitfield, William 'Mickey' Stevenson, Barrett Strong, Marvin Gaye, Harvey Fuqua, Johnny Bristol, Vernon Bullock, Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson, Berry Gordy, Jr., Anna Gordy Gaye, Iris Gordy, Janie Bradford, Elgie Stover, Anette Minor, Jack Goga, Johnny Bristol, Peter Green and Ed Cobb, not forgetting Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Ray Manzarek, Robbie Krieger, John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

 

My parents didn't own any Motown albums, but I was exposed to many of these songs via Radio 1 during my childhood in the 1970s and 1980s, regularly played even though most of them were several years old by this point. A few I've discovered as an adult, thanks for various music magazine CDs, compilations by the likes of Saint Etienne or my fellow travellers in the blogosphere. I never get tired of listening to these songs, no matter how familiar they've since become.

 

Play loud.

Side One

1) I Got A Feeling: Barbara Randolph (1967)

2) Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart: Diana Ross & The Supremes (1966)

3) Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While): Kim Weston (1965)

4) Money (That's What I Want): Barrett Strong (1959)

5) Light My Fire (Cover of The Doors): Stevie Wonder (1969)

6) He Was Really Sayin' Somethin': The Velvelettes (1964)

7) What Does It Take (To Win Your Love): Jr. Walker & The All Stars (1969)

8) You're All I Need To Get By: Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (1968)

Side Two

1) Cloud Nine (Album Version By Norman Whitfield): The Temptations (1968)

2) The Bells: The Originals (1970)

3) Reach Out I'll Be There: Four Tops (1966)

4) Didn't You Know (You'd Have To Cry Sometime): Gladys Knight & The Pips (1969)

5) Got To Get You Into My Life (Cover of The Beatles): Chris Clark (1967)

6) Come To Me: Marv Johnson (1959)

7) No One There: Martha Reeves (1971)

8) Every Little Bit Hurts: Brenda Holloway (1964)

Side One (22:46)

Side Two (24:00)