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"…Everybody's Got To Pay Some Dues…"
You can’t accuse Hip-O Select
of scrimping on this one - 5 albums across 2CDs, loads of non-album single
sides and even Previously Unreleased. The presentation is lovely and the
remasters absolutely top notch. There’s a huge amount on here so let’s get to
those three-minute Soul Serenades straight away…
Released January 2009 in the
USA on Hip-O Select B0012855-02 (Barcode 602527073071) – "Depend On Me: The
Early Albums" by THE MIRACLES fans out as follows:
Disc 1 (79:04 minutes):
1. Who’s Lovin’ You
2. (You Can) Depend On Me
3. A Heart Like Mine
4. Shop Around
5. Won’t You Take Me Back
6. Cause I Love You
7. Your Love
8. After All
9. Way Over There
10. Money (That’s What I
Need)
11. Don’t Leave Me
Tracks 1 to 11 are their
debut LP "Hi, We're The Miracles" – released June 1961 in the USA on Tamla 220
and July 1963 in the UK on Oriole PS 40044
12. That’s The Way I Feel
13. Everybody’s Got To Pay Some
Dues
14. Mama
15. Ain’t It Baby
16. Determination
17. You Never Miss A Good
Thing
18. Embraceable You
19. The Only One I Love
20. Broken Hearted
21. I Can’t Believe
Tracks 12 to 21 are their 2nd
LP “Cookin’ With The Miracles” – released November 1961 in the USA on Tamla 223
(No UK release)
BONUS TRACKS – NON-LP
SINGLES:
22. Mighty Good Lovin’ –
B-side of “Broken Hearted”, a USA 7” single released June 1961 on Tamla 54044
23. The Feeling is So Fine –
A-side of a USA 7” single released September 1959 on Tamla 54028 but withdrawn
24. Shop Around (Second
Regional A.K.A. “Slow” Version) – Second Pressing of a USA 45 on Tamla 54034
released September 1960
25. I’ll Try Something New –
A-side of a USA 7” single released April 1962 on Tamla 54059
26. What’s So Good About Good
Bye – A-side of a USA 7” single released December 1961 on Tamla 54053
27. He Don’t Care About Me –
Recorded Late 1961
28. A Love That Can Never Be
– Recording Details Unknown
29. I’ve Been Good To You –
B-side of “What’s So Good About Good Bye” – see 26 – tracks 25 to 29, see also
1 to 5 on Disc 2
Disc 2 (74:44 minutes):
1. Speak Low
2. On The Street Where You
Live
3. If Your Mother Only Knew
4. I’ve Got You Under My Skin
5. This Swear, I Promise
Tracks 25 to 29 on Disc 1,
Tracks 1 to 5 on Disc 2 are their 3rd album “I’ll Try Something New” – released
July 1962 in the USA on Tamla 230 (No UK release)
6. You’ve Really Got A Hold
On Me
7. I’ve Been Good To You
8. Such Is Love, Such Is Life
9. I Can’t Take A Hint
10. Won’t You Take Me Back
11. A Love She Can Count On
12. Whatever Makes You Happy
13. Heartbreak Road
14. Happy Landing
15. Your Love
Tracks 6 to 15 are their 4th
album "The Fabulous Miracles" – released May 1963 in the USA on Tamla 238 and
November 1964 in the UK on Stateside SL 10099
16. Mighty Good Lovin’ (Live)
17. A Love She Can Count On
(Live)
18. Happy Landing (Live)
19. I’ve Been Good To You
(Live)
20. What’s So Good About Good
Bye (Live)
21. You’ve Really Got A Hold
On Me (Live)
22. Way Over There (Live)
Tracks 16 to 22 is their 5th
album “Recorded Live On Stage” – released May 1963 in the USA on Tamla 241 and
October 1963 in the UK on Tamla Motown TML 10055 (Mono) and STML 10055
(Stereo). 16 to 18 were recorded live at the Regal Theater, Chicago and 19 to
22 at The Apollo in New York.
23. Shop Around (First
Regional Version) – A-side, 1st pressing, issued as a 7” single in the USA on
Tamla 54034 in September 1960
24. The Only One I Love
(Single Version) – B-side of “Ain’t It Baby”, A USA 7” single released March
1961 on Tamla 54036
The card digipak folds out
into four-leaves and is very tastefully done in a sort of sepia feel – a bit of
a trademark in Hip-O Select presentation. The 24-page booklet is gorgeous with
detailed liner notes from STU HACKEL (profiled The Miracles many times before),
black and white and colour publicity photos and indepth track-by-track
annotation. But the absolute bomb is a foldout concertina of the colour album
sleeves – it’s kept in the first flap and on the rear of each ‘detachable’ card
is the back sleeve artwork – American Album covers that most fans simply never
see. You get "Hi We're The Miracles" (June 1961), "Cookin' With
The Miracles" (Nov 1961), "I'll Try Something New" (July 1962),
"The Fabulous Miracles" (May 1963) and "Recorded Live On Stage"
(May 1963). It’s a really nice touch and the ‘colour’ is beautiful.
Better still is the ELLEN
FITTON remasters from first generation tapes. She’s been involved in huge
swathes of Motown reissues for both Universal and especially Hip-O Select (she did
all 13 of the award-winning “Singles” book sets. These are mostly MONO
recordings not exactly put down in audiophile conditions – so her work here
with the tapes is superb.
Musically these are early
days – most of it is more Vocal Group than Sixties Soul. That nonchalant
slow-paced Vocal Group vibe permeates “Who’s Lovin’ You”, “A Heart Like Mine”
and “What’s So Good About Good Bye”. There are shades of the Marvelettes in
“Ain’t It Baby” and heaps of Echo on “I’ll Try Something New” giving it a feel of
Summer Nights at the Drive-In. The stand alone single “Mighty Good Lovin’” is a
great dancer and the pleader “You Never Miss A Good Thing” has huge sound (and
strings). It doesn’t say who the female vocalist on the rather excellent “He
Don’t Care About Me” is (probably Claudette – Smokey’s wife) or the male lead
on “A Love That Can Never Be” – but both are nice additions as is the mid-tempo
B-side “I’ve Been Good To Soul”.
Despite its lovely
presentation – there’s stuff on here that’s awful like their cheesy cover of
“On The Street Where You Live” or Frankie’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”.
Things improve immeasurably with Smokey’s wicked “You’ve Really Got A Hold On
Me” – and easy to hear why it was an R&B Number 1. A nice bopper is “I Can
Take A Hint” and the bluesy “Won’t You Take Me Back” even has a Joe Turner
piano R&B feel. I find most of the live album unlistenable – crude
recordings – but at least “Happy Landing” has some life in it. “The Only One I
Love” was transferred from a mint 45 and noise-reduction technology used to
dampen the crackle – and it sounds great.
Musically – I find the
earliest Motown hard work – and these are no different. But if you’re a fan –
the great sound, presentation and rarity value is going to be a huge draw…
PS: this 'limited edition'
set is now deleted and commands heavy price tags in some quarters. (No pun
intended) shop around - it can be bought for a lot less...
