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Get…"
Released May 2009 as a 3CD
non-numbered Limited Edition of 5000 - "Forever: The Complete Motown
Albums Volume 1" by THE MARVELETTES is yet another superlative trawl
through the Tamla Motown archives by the award-winning Hip-O Select label of the
USA. And as it's been given a European release this time (Hip-O stuff is
normally US-only and therefore a pricey import) which is rare.
Long-time label associate
ELLEN FITTON has remastered the first generation master tapes with typically
superb results. The fully featured 30-page booklet is a treat to look at and an
informative read - while the 3-way gold card digipak lends the whole package an
element of real class.
The 87-tracks of "Forever: The Complete Motown
Albums Volume 1" by THE MARVELETTES offers Soul fans a huge treasure trove
of early Motown girl group music for a very reasonable price. So here's a
detailed breakdown for Hip-O Select B-0011516-2 (Barcode 602517756052) - all
catalogue numbers are USA (unless otherwise stated):
Disc 1 (78:41 minutes):
1. Angel
2. I Want A Guy
3. Please Mr. Postman
4. So Long Baby
5. I Know How It Feels
6. Way Over There
7. Happy days
8. You Don't Want Me No More
9. All The Love I Got
10. Whisper
11. Oh I Apologize
Tracks 1 to 11 are the debut
LP "Please Mr. Postman" issued on Tamla 228 in November 1961
12. Mashed Potato Time
13. Love Letters
14. The One Who Really Loves
You
15. Twistin’ The Night Away
16. Hey! Baby
17. Twistin’ Postman
18. Good Luck Charm
19. Slow Twistin’
20. Lover Please
21. Dream Baby (How Long Must
I Dream)
Tracks 12 to 21 are the LP
"Smash Hits Of '62" [aka "The Marvelettes Sing"] issued on
Tamla 229 in April 1962
22. Playboy
23. Mix It Up
24. Beechwood 4-5789
25. I’m Hooked
26. I Think I Can Change You
27. Forever
28. Someday, Someway
29. Goddess Of Love
30. You Should Know
31. (I’ve Got To) Cry Over
You
Tracks 22 to 31 are their 3rd
album "Playboy" issued on Tamla 231 in July 1962
Disc 2 (74:01 minutes):
1. Strange I Know
2. I Forgot About You
3. Looking Up My Heart
4. Which Way Did He Go
5. Silly Boy
6. It’s Gonna Take A Whole
Lot Of Doing (To Undo The Damage You’ve Done)
7. Smart Aleck
8. My Daddy Knows Best
9. Too Strong To Be Strung
Along
10. Why Must You Go
Tracks 1 to 10 are the LP
"The Marvelous Marvelettes" issued on Tamla 237 in February 1963
11. Beechwood 4-5789 (Live)
12. Strange I Know (Live)
13. Someday, Somehow (Live)
14. Locking Up My Heart
(Live)
15. Twistin' Postman (Live)
16. Tossin' And Turnin'
(Live)
17. So Long Baby (Live)
18. Playboy (Live)
Tracks 11 to 18 are the LP
"On Stage: Recorded Live" issued on Tamla 243 in July 1963
Track 19 is "Strange I
Know (Live)", a Previously Unreleased Unedited Version
Track 20 is "Medley:
Please Mr. Postman/Playboy/Strange I Know/Someday, Someway" from the LP
"Recorded Live: The Motortown Revue Vol.2" issued on Motown 615 in
April 1964
Track 21 is "Tie A
String Around Your Finger", a non-album track, the B-side to "My
Daddy Knows Best" issued on Tamla 54082 in July 1963
Tracks 22 and 23 are
"Too Hurt To Cry, Too Much In Love To Say Goodbye" b/w "Come On
Home" - both are credited to THE DARNELLS and are non-album tracks issued
on Gordy 7024 in November 1963
Track 24 is "Finders
Keepers, Losers Weepers" issued in the UK only on Tamla Motown TMG 1000 in
August 1975
Track 25 is "Knock On My
Door", first issued on the compilation "Never Before Released Masters
From Motown's Brightest Stars" on Motown in 1986
Tracks 26 and 27 are "On
The Other Side Of Town" and "Because I Love Him", both are
exclusive to the UK-only CD compilation "Essential Collection" issued
by Sequel Records in 2000
Track 28 is "Little
Girls Grow Up" first issued on the UK-only 2CD set "A Cellarful Of
Motown, Vol.3" in 2007
Disc 3 (72:19 minutes):
1. Don’t Mess With Bill
[Stereo]
2. You’re My Remedy [Stereo]
3. Locking Up My Heart
[Stereo]
4. As Long As I Know He’s
Mine [Stereo]
5. Too Many Fish In The Sea
[Stereo]
6. Danger: Heartbreak Dead
Ahead [Stereo]
7. Please Mr. Postman
[Stereo]
8. Playboy [Stereo]
9. Strange I Know [Stereo]
10. Forever [Stereo]
11. Twistin' Postman [Stereo]
12. Beechwood 4-5789 [Stereo]
Tracks 1 to 12 are the album
"Greatest Hits" [Stereo Version] issued on Tamla 253 in February 1966
Tracks 13 and 14 are "As
Long As I Know He's Mine" b/w "He Won't Be True (Little Girl
Blue)" - a non-album 7" single issued October 1963 on Tamla 54088
Track 15 is "He's A Good
Guy (Yes he Is)" - a non-album track issued as the A of a 7" single
in January 1964 on Tamla 54091
Tracks 16 and 17 are
"You're My Remedy" b/w "A Little Bit Of Sympathy, A Little Bit
Of Love" - a non-album 7" single issued June 1964 on Tamla 54097
Tracks 18 and 19 are
"Too Many Fish In The Sea" b/w "I'll Keep On Holding on" -
a non-album 7" single issued October 1964 on Tamla 54105
Tracks 20 and 21 are
"I'll Keep On Holding On" b/w "No Time For Tears" - a
non-album 7" single issued May 1965 on Tamla 54116
Tracks 22 and 23 are
"Danger: Heartbreak Dead Ahead" b/w "Your Cheating Ways" -
a non-album 7" single issued July 1965 on Tamla 54120
Tracks 24 and 25 are
"Don't Mess With Bill" b/w "Anything You Wanna Do" - a
non-album 7" single issued November 1965 on Tamla 54126
Track 26 is "I Should
Have Known Better" - previously unreleased track first issued on the 1979
Natural resources US LP "From The Vaults"
Tracks 27 and 28 are "I
Just Can't Let Him Down" and "Maybe I Dried My Tears (For The Last
Time)" - previously unreleased tracks first appeared on the UK-only CD
compilation "Essential Collection" on Sequel Records in 2000
One of the big surprises for
me is the non-descript looking "Greatest Hits" set from early 1966 -
all 13 tracks are in STEREO and barring some bad distortion at the beginning of
the opening track "Don't Mess With Bill", the sound on the other 12
is really FABULOUS. "Danger: Heartbreak Ahead" in particular is now
filled with that wonderful Sixties Motown joy. Another treat is the rare
non-album B-side "Tie A String Around Your Finger" - as lovely a
ballad as HDH have ever produced. And for British fans there's the £100+ single
rarity "Finders Keepers, Losers Keepers" - recorded in 1964, but only
released on a UK 45 on Tamla Motown TMG 1000 in 1975 when the whole Northern
Soul club scene was in full flight in Britain. "Which Way Did He Go"
from "The Marvelous Marvelettes" (their 1st LP in the UK) is another
track that sounds truly fantastic.
I'd admit that the Live Album
is not something I'll ever listen to again - and after 80 slices of non-stop
upbeat 60t's sunshine - the whole thing can grate the nerves a bit...but I know
there's gems on here that I'll be dipping into for years to come. "Limited
Edition" is stamped on the rear of the digipak in gold - so get this while
you can...
PS: Volume 2 will feature
their sophisticated mid to late Sixties stuff and is to follow soon. And for
those interested in the excellent Hip-O Select label - I've posted a list of 25
recommended purchases in Listmania. And see also my review of Terry Wilson's
astonishing 2009 UK paperback "TAMLA MOTOWN - The Stories Behind The UK
Singles" - over 700 pages of soul joy and info...
