"Gordon Giltrap/Portrait" by GORDON GILTRAP – October 1968 and October 1969 UK Debut and Second Studio Albums on Transatlantic Records in Stereo (29 May 2020 UK Beat Goes On Reissue – 2LPs onto 1CD – Andrew Thompson Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Hands Of Fate..."

Originally on Bill Leader's groundbreaking Transatlantic Records, Gordon Giltrap's first two albums of largely instrumental British Folk from October 1968 and October 1969 have been reissued on CD like this twice before. First up was August 1993, then November 1997, and in both cases by Essential Music (part of the Sanctuary Group) as two-albums onto 1CD.

Now it’s the turn of England's Beat Goes On (BGO) with shiny new 2020 remasters courtesy of Audio Engineer ANDREW THOMPSON that make Benchley's best virtuoso guitarist shine anew. This disc sounds gorgeous – those doubled acoustic strings rattling around your speakers with air-bending intent. Here's the Folky beef...

UK released Friday, 29 May 2020 - "Gordon Giltrap/Portrait" by GORDON GILTRAP on Beat Goes On BGOCD 1415 (Barcode 5017261214157) offers his first two albums Newly Remastered onto 1CD that plays out as follows (65:02 minutes):

1. Gospel Song [Side 1]

2. Fast Approaching

3. Don't You Feel Good

4. Birth Of Spring

5. Won't You Stay Awhile Suzanne

6. Wilderness

7. Adolescent Years [Side 2]

8. Saturday Girl

9. Don't You Hear Your Mother's Voice

10. Ives Horizon

11. Blythe Hill

12. Willow Pattern

Tracks 1 to 12 are his debut album "Gordon Giltrap" - released October 1968 in the UK on Transatlantic Records TRA 175 - Produced by BILL LEADER (no US release)

13. Portrait [Side 1]

14. Thoughts In The Rain

15. Never Ending Solitude

16. Tuxedo

17. All Characters Fictitious

18. Lucifer's Cage

19. Careful As You Go [Side 2]

20. Free For All

21. William Taplin

22. Hands Of Fate

23. Confusion

24. Young Love

Tracks 13 to 24 are his second studio album "Portrait" - released October 1969 in the UK on Transatlantic Records TRA 202 in Stereo - Produced by BILL LEADER (no US release)

You get the usual card slipcase on the outside that lends these reissues a wee bit of class while the 16-page booklet features in-depth new liner notes from JOHN O’REGAN. Topics covered are his 18-year old signing to Transatlantic Records in 1968 through to his time with Don Partridge and their band Accolade and on to the commercially successful Prog-instrumental years with The Electric Record Company Label and his 1977 "Perilous Journey" album breakthrough. It even mentions 26 March 2020 when GG played an acoustic gig from his doorstep to benefit Front Line Staff in the NHS during the Coronavirus/Covid 19 lockdown. You also get the album rear sleeve blurbs from Bill Leader (1968) and Don Partridge (1969) and the colour cover artwork for both albums on the front and rear pages of the booklet allowing you to invert the booklet if you want "Portrait" facing out.

However, those expecting the holiday program theme song and hit single "Heartsong" should look elsewhere – these tunes are purely Folk and in some cases feature his vocals which unfortunately wasn’t the greatest of ideas. To the early music of an emerging talent...

The two debut album tracks that highlighted his amazing plectrum picking technique on "The Contemporary Guitar Sampler" budget album of 1969 (Transatlantic TRA SAM 14) are both here - "Fast Approaching" and "Ives Horizon"- the first showing his extraordinary playing talent as the rapid flicks and strums come a screaming out of your speakers in lovely clarity – the second with a wall of doubled guitars. But then comes the voice...

Harmonics ping at the beginning of "Don't You Feel Good" but the lovely song is quickly ruined by his whiny voice that is not the strongest (nor are his lyrics). Again beautiful playing opens "Why Won't You Stay A While, Suzanne?" but his how-I-need-you lyrics and voice render the playing mute – the same for the terribly twee "Adolescent Years". Back to racing up and down the steel strings for the far better "Saturday Night". The debut ends on the short instrumental "Blythe Hill" – another racer full of great ideas but fades out on "Willow Pattern" – more bad singing that really should have been nipped in the bud from the get go.

The 1969 second album opens on the title track "Portrait" – two and half minutes of lovely playing with pretty cascading runs up and down the fretboard. The second song "Thoughts In The Rain" is about jealousy but again his deadpan vocal delivery makes the song hard to listen to – the same for "Never Ending Solitude" and "All Characters Fictitious". The big chunky chords instrumental "Lucifer’s Cage" would be returned to years later for his 1976 "Visionary" album on The Electric Record Company – here it gets a gimmicky flanging from speaker-to-speaker treatment that kind of ruins the track had it been left alone to play out. And on it goes...

All the virtuoso guitar playing in the world doesn’t help if you don’t have the tunes or in this case – the voice. For his formative years, Giltrap hadn’t really got either. There are undeniably beautiful instrumentals on both records, but suffering the others may prove a step too far for the uninitiated. Fans will love it for sure – especially the great audio – but others should grab a listen first before purchase...

"Derrick Morgan And His Friends" by DERRICK MORGAN and VARIOUS ARTISTS – 1968 UK LP on Island Records featuring The Viceroys, Pauline Morgan and The Loveletts, The Consumates, The Groovers, Alva Lewis, Neremiah Reid, The Black Brothers, The Inventors, The King Twins, Dawn Penn, Frank Brown, Zanda Ferron, Tony King and more (July 2019 UK Doctor Bird 2CD Expanded Edition Reissue – Andy Pearce Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Food Of Love..."

I've been raving for some time now about how good these Doctor Bird CD Reissues are and DBCDD-039 is another belter.

Listed in Record Collector Price Guides at between £150 to £200 for an original British-pressed LP in Mono (that sum in no way reflects just how rare and desirable this fab album is) – this massively expanded 2CD reissue is centered around his second album outing - the 1968 Island Records 12-track LP "Derrick Morgan And His Friends" as pictured on the cover.

With a whopping 24 Bonus Tracks on top of the 12-track album - many rare Island and Unity single-sides from the spring of 1968 make their digital debut here. And along with a seminal genre album that has been off-radar for over 52 years, you even get a few Previously Unreleased Tracks too. There's a lotta Rock Steady to get steady to, so let's have at it...

UK released Friday 12 July 2019 - "Derrick Morgan And His Friends" by DERRICK MORGAN and VARIOUS ARTISTS on Doctor Bird DBCDD-039 (Barcode 5013929273931) is a 36-Track 2CD Reissue/Remaster than plays out as follows:

CD1 (47:03 Minutes):

1. Bad Luck On Me - DERRICK MORGAN [Side 1]

2. Father Killam - DERRICK MORGAN

3. Tears On My Pillow - DERRICK MORGAN

4. Ain't That Crazy - DERRICK MORGAN

5. Lagga Head - DERRICK MORGN

6. Stumbling Block - DERRICK MORGAN and THE VICEROYS

7. I've Been Searching - PAULINE MORGAN and THE LOVELETTS [Side 2]

8. Stop The Wedding - PAULINE MORGAN and THE LOVELETTS

9. Give Me A Chance - PAULINE MORGAN and THE CONSUMATES

10. The More They Get - PAULINE MORGAN and THE CONSUMATES

11. You've Been Saying Things - THE BLACK BROTHERS

12. Music Be The Food Of Love - THE INVENTORS

Tracks 1 to 12 are the album "Derrick Morgan And His Friends" - released spring 1968 in the UK on Island Records ILP 990 in Mono.

BONUS TRACKS:

13. Conquering Ruler - DERRICK MORGAN & THE VICEROYS (March 1968 UK 45 on Island WI-3094, A - for B-side see Track 16, Disc 2)

14. You've Got To Cry - THE GROOVERS (January 1968 UK 45 on Island WI-3080, A - for B-side see Track 16)

15. Lip & Tongue - THE VICEROYS (March 1968 UK 45 on Island WI-3095, A - for B-side see Track 4, Disc 2)

16. I'm Indebted - ALVA LEWIS  (January 1968 UK 45 on Island WI-3080, B - for A-side see Track 14)

17. Family War - NEREMIAH REID (March 1968 UK 45 on Island WI-3102, A - for B-side see Track 3, Disc 2)

18. Someone - DERRICK MORGAN & PAULINE (December 1967 UK 45 on Island WI-3079, A - for B-side see Track 7, Disc 2)

CD2 (47:52 minutes):

1. Gimme Back - DERRICK MORGAN (March 1968 UK 45 on Island WI-3101, A)

2. Send Requests - THE VICEROYS (March 1968 UK 45 on Island WI-3101, B)

3. Give Me That Love - NEREMIAH REID (March 1968 UK 45 on Island WI-3102, B - for A-side see Track 17, Disc 1)

4. When Am I Gonna Be Free - DAWN PENN (March 1968 UK 45 on Island WI-3095, B - for A-side see Track 15, Disc 1)

5. Give It To Him - THE VICEROYS (as THE HOT TOPS) - Not Originally Released In The UK

6. Every Day (True, True, True) - ZANDA FERRON - Not Originally Released In The UK

7. Do You Love Me - DERRICK & PAULINE (December 1967 UK 45 on Island WI-3079, B - for A-side see Track 18, Disc 1)

8. Some Come, Some Go - FRANK BROWN (March 1968 UK 45 on Island WI-3103, B - for A-side see Track 14, Disc 2)

9. Give Me Loving - THE BLACK BROTHERS - Not Originally Released In The UK

10. Let Him Go - THE VICEROYS - Not Originally Released In The UK

11. A Prisoner In Love - DERRICK MORGAN - Not Originally Released

12. Lonely World - ZANDA FERRON - Not Originally Released In The UK

13. Treat Me Right (Trying To Keep Me Down) THE KING TWINS (Errol Dunkley) - Not Originally Released In The UK

14. Do It Now - THE CONSUMATES (March 1968 UK 45 on Island WI-3103, A - for B-side see Track 8, Disc 2)

15. Bedweight - DERRICK MORGAN (1970 UK 45 on Unity UN 569, B-side to "The Conqueror")

16. Red Rum Ball - LLOYD & DEVON (March 1968 UK 45 on Island WI-3094, B - for A-side see Track 13, Disc 1)

17. Bum Ball (Chapter II) - TONY KING (December 1970 UK 45 on Smash SMA-2302, A and 1970 UK 45 on Unity UN 565, B – for A see Track 18)

18. More Balls - MARC ANTHONY & THE JETS (December 1970 UK 45 on Smash SMA-2302, A and 1970 UK 45 on Unity UN 565, A)

Compiled by Reggae and Ska historian and aficionado LAURENCE CANE-HONEYSETT (Author of "Young Gifted And Black: The Story Of Trojan Records" – see my Review) – the 16-page booklet offers up two pages of those uber-rare single labels (nine on each) – Island, Unity, Morgan's own Hop Records, Jamaican white labels as well as black and white snaps on DM in his trademark Pork Pie hat. There are interviews conducted across the decades with the great man that include contributions from Bunny Lee. The distinctive orange and black eye Island Records label for "Derrick Morgan And Friends" is repro'd on Page 7 while the album's rear sleeve (advertising all those tasty 1967 impossible to find Island and Sue LPs) is on the last page of the booklet.

You get track by track credits and mastering is by one of my fave Audio Engineers – ANDY PEARCE – a name Universal has used for Budgie, Free, Rory Gallagher, ELP, Spooky Tooth, Wishbone Ash and loads of these difficult to get right Reggae compilations (him and his audio partner Matt Wortham have mastered over 50 of these sets so they know their way around a few tape boxes and vinyl dubs). Given the recordings vintage and notorious made-in-a-bucket origins – the audio here is once again kicking. I'll never be able to afford these sevens or the LP and to have it here in such cool Audio is – well, cool. To the music...

Unusual for the time, all 12 tracks on the LP were not singles and their flipsides, but exclusive to it. That irresistible chug-rhythms kick in straight away with "Bad Luck On Me" - will someone hear my plea - Derrick asks - yes we will mate. "Tears On My Pillow" would be covered by so many - here its simple Rock Steady beat also features a neat guitar solo. There's a new bird across the street that's making Derrick take notice in "Ain't That Crazy" while he riles against stupidity in local youths in "Lagga Head". Other faves on the album are "Stop The Wedding" where Pauline Morgan sounds like Reggae Girl Group and the fantastic vocalist in The Consumates commenting on greed with "The More They Get".

Island Records enthusiasts will look down those WI catalogue numbers and beam. Derrick's "Conquering Ruler" starts a run of ten rarities - each with that identikit chug-rhythm. Highlights include the mind your "Lip & Tongue" walkie-talkie song by The Viceroys, the soft and pretty "I'm Indebted" by Alva Lewis and "Family War" by Neremiah Reid - a co-write between Derrick and Duke Reid. CD2 opens with a 1968 version of "Gimme Back" while Neremiah Reid tackles another co-write with Duke on the "Give Me That Love" love song. Of the songs not previously released in the UK - "A Prisoner In Love" feels like a real find (lovely audio). This is no time to relax Derrick demands in the rather cool "Bedweight". And on it goes...

For sure hearing 36 songs with essentially the same Rock Steady rhythms and sound can be trying after a while, but this is a typically great Doctor Bird reissue - making available once again music that shouldn't be condemned to the Brixton Market of over 50 years ago. Big red bum ball and a smile...

"It's All About" by SPOOKY TOOTH - July 1968 UK Debut LP on Island Records in Stereo – featuring Mike Harrison, Gary Wright, Luther Grosvenor, Greg Ridley and Mike Kellie with Production and Song Co-Writes by Jimmy Miller (September 2016 UK Universal UMC/Island Expanded Edition CD Reissue with Ten Bonuses – Paschal Byrne and Ben Wiseman Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

"...Love Really Changed Me..."

Underrated debuts, there's a shed load of them - and you can add July 1968's "It's All About" by SPOOKY TOOTH to that list.

Principal band member and lead vocalist Mike Harrison had come up through the 60ts R&B ranks with The V.I.P.'s in 1963 through to the Psych sounds of ART on Island Records (they made one revered album called "Supernatural Fairy Tales" in 1967) before forming Spooky Tooth with Keyboardist and Lead Vocalist Gary Wright, Lead Guitarist Luther Grosvenor, Bassist Greg Ridley and Drummer Mike Kellie (later 70ts ranks of the band would feature Mick Jones of Foreigner).

Between 1968 and 1974 Spooky Tooth popped out seven accomplished albums all of which have been Remastered and Reissued for these exemplary CD series (September and October 2016 releases). Their debut was actually issued in three configurations in the UK and America (different artwork too) and this CD reissue will allow punters to sequence all three. It's all about a roundabout indeed, to the rainbow details...

UK released 30 September 2016 - "It's All About" by SPOOKY TOOTH on Universal UMC/Island 570 547-1 (Barcode 602557054712) offers their 1968 debut album in Stereo in an 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue and Remaster with 10 Bonus Tracks that plays out as follows (72:01 minutes):

1. Society's Child [Side 1]

2. Love Really Changed Me

3. Here I Lived So Well

4. Too Much Of Nothing

5. Sunshine Help Me

6. It's All About A Roundabout [Side 2]

7. Tobacco Road

8. It Hurts You So

9. Forget It, I Got It

10. Bubbles

Tracks 1 to 10 are their debut album "It's All About" - released July 1968 in the UK on Island ILPS 9080 in Stereo and September 1969 in the USA as "Spooky Tooth" on Bell Records BELL 6019 with the tracks in a different running order. Produced by JIMMY MILLER (of Rolling Stones fame) - it didn't chart in either country.

To sequence that American LP use the following:

Side A: 1. It's All About A Roundabout 2. Tobacco Road 3. It Hurts You So 4. Forget It, I Got It 5. Bubbles

Side B: 1. Society's Child 2. Love Really Changed Me 3. Here I Lived So Well 4. Too Much Of Nothing 5. Sunshine Help Me

The American LP was reissued again in June 1971 on A&M Records SP-4300 with different artwork but with the original 1968 British album line up of songs (Tracks 1 to 10 above). The only difference being that "Too Much Of Nothing" was replaced as Track 4 on Side 1 with a cover version of The Band classic "The Weight" (Track 13 in the Bonuses).

BONUS TRACKS:

11. Sunshine Help Me (Original Version, Recorded 13 October 1967)

12. Weird (January 1968 UK 7" single on Island WIP 6022, non-album B-side to "Sunshine Help Me")

13. The Weight (September 1968 UK 7" single on Island WIP 6046, A, non-album track, cover of The Band classic)

14. Do Right People  (September 1968 UK 7" single on Island WIP 6046, B-side of "The Weight", non-album track)

15. Love Really Changed Me (Single Version) (June 1968 UK 7" single on Island WIP 6037, A)

16. Luger's Groove (June 1968 UK 7" single on Island WIP 6037, B-side of "Love Really Changed Me", non-album track)

17. It Hurts You So (Mono Mix)

18. Sunshine Help Me

19. Too Much Of Nothing (Tracks 18 and 19 are from a BBC Radio One "Top Gear" Session recorded 21 February 1968)

20. The Weight (Track 20 is from a BBC Radio One "Top Gear" Session recorded 30 September 1968)

The 12-page booklet is a pleasingly fact-filled affair although it could have featured the different US artwork for the "Tobacco Road" version of the album that also has the song "The Weight" substituted for "Too Much Of Nothing" – but alas. What you do get is new liner notes from MARK POWELL of Esoteric Recordings that features interviews with two of the band’s principal players – Mike Harrison and Gary Wright – both reminiscing with affection of their time with the eclectic Rock Band. There are also colour photos from the album cover shoot of the boys amidst the vegetation, other period snaps, a rare foreign picture sleeve for "Bubbles" and the usual musician/reissue credits.

Two of Universal’s leading Audio Engineers BEN WISEMAN and PASCHAL BYRNE have handled the analogue to digital transfers, mixes and Remasters – and this sucker boogies. Spooky Tooth always made somewhat of a chaotic and cluttered racket with moments of Psych and Rock Funk punctuating the guitars and keyboards and this Remaster handles the lot with admirable aplomb.

Their debut opens with a cover of Janis Ian's "Society Child" which like their version of Loudermilk's oft-copied "Tobacco Road" further on in the album is a radically reworked thing. But for me the album really opens with one of their own - the Luther Grosvenor, Jimmy Miller and Gary Wright composition "Love Really Changed Me" where they get piano funky on the intro only to go into 'save me' vocals towards the melodramatic end. Spooky Tooth had a certain sound that felt like a mash-up of Traffic, Moby Grape and Procol Harum - a sort of Soulful Rock meets art-house Psych - evidenced on the slow and trippy "Here I Lived So Well" (gorgeous Remaster on those etherial vocals and punchy bass).

Another cover gets Toothed - Bob Dylan's "Too Much Of Nothing" first aired by Peter, Paul & Mary in 1967 - bending guitar notes soon start going into a high-vocal Rock boogie - like Uriah Heap having too much fun. One of the album's best tracks, the Harpsichord opening and funky 'crazy dreams' "Sunshine Help Me" feels like Prog Rock Donovan meets Blood, Sweat & Tears (the single version is one of the bonus tracks). The short two minutes of "It's All About A Roundabout" opened the American LP on Side 1 and you can hear why - a poppy hippy moment that maybe Radio or DJs might hook into to. But my faves are two Jimmy Miller and Gary Wright songs - the hide and seek "It Hurts You So" and the brilliant "Forget It, I Got It" - a sort of Joe Cocker "Feelin' Alright" piano bopper that at times feels like Marriott and The Small Faces having an Immediate Records whig-out. Of the Bonuses, a real digital winner is the rarely heard B-side "Do Right People" – a Funky Rock charmer that could easily have been on the album. Speaking of those who like their 60ts on a funky tip – the 21 June 1968 45 on Island WIP 6037 has a winner non-LP B-side instrumental called "Luger's Groove" - Spooky Tooth having a sort of Santana goof off moment – speedy guitar soloing anchored by piano rolls – very cool indeed.

Mike Harrison did three solo albums on Island and Good Ear Records between 1971 and 1975 (see my review of those on Beat Goes On CDs), Luther Grosvenor joined Stealers Wheel for a brief stint in 1972, then changed his name to Ariel Bender and joined Mott The Hoople for their seventh album "The Hoople" in 1974. Gary Wright later had two huge No. 2 US hit singles with the Yacht Rock of "Dream Weaver" and "Love Is Alive" in 1976 – both from his 1975 platinum Warner Brothers album "The Dream Weaver".

For sure July 1968's "It's All About" is something of an acquired taste in May 2020 – but it sounds good to me and those ten bonuses make it taste a whole lot better too...

SPOOKY TOOTH

September and October 2016 

Universal/Island CD Expanded Edition Remaster Series:

1. It's All About (1968 Debut) - 30 Sep 2016 CD release on Universal/Island 570 547-1 (Barcode 602557054712) with 10 Bonus Tracks

2. Spooky Two (1969 2nd LP) - 7 Oct 2016 CD release on Universal/Island 570 547-3 (Barcode 602557054736) with 9 Bonus Tracks

3. Ceremony: An Electronic Mass (1969 3rd LP with Pierre Henry) - 7 Oct 2016 CD release on Universal/Island 570 547-0 (Barcode 602557054705) with 6 Bonus Tracks

4. The Last Puff (1970 4th LP) - 7 Oct 2016 CD release on Universal/Island 570 547-5 (Barcode 602557054750) with 6 Bonus Tracks

5. You Broke My Heart...So I Busted Your Jaw (1973 5th LP) - 30 Sep 2016 CD release on Universal/Island 570 547-8 (Barcode 602557054781)

6. Witness (1973 6th LP) - 30 Sep 2016 CD release on Universal/Island 570 547-7 (Barcode 602557054774) with 1 Bonus Track

7. The Mirror (1974 7th LP) - 30 Sep 2016 CD release on Universal/Island 570 547-6 (Barcode 602557054767)

"1968 - VOODOO CHILE" - Your All-Genres Guide To Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters - A SOUNDS GOOD MUSIC BOOK by Mark Barry...

The SOUNDS GOOD MUSIC BOOKS Series...

1968
VOODOO CHILE

Your All-Genres Guide To

Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters 

Classic Albums, Compilations, 45s

258 In-Depth Reviews

Huge 2,330 E-Pages of Information from the discs themselves...

* 2,330 E-pages, in-depth information, CD reissues from all genres, March 2024 Version

* 258 Entries featuring 1968 Albums and Rare Singles by a wide range of artists 

* Formats included - CD, SACD [Super Audio CD], HDCD [High Density Compatible Digital], Japan SHM-CD and Japan Platinum SHM-CD  [Super High Materials]

* Major Label Box Set Retrospectives from – EMI, Sony/Legacy, Universal and WEA

* Best Independent Reissue Labels highlighted...

– Ace, Audio Fidelity, Bear Family, Beats Goes On, Big Break Records (BBR), Cherry Red, Earth, Edsel, Esoteric Recordings, Grapefruit, Hip-O Select, Lemon, Light In The Attic, Mobile Fidelity, Raven, Repertoire, Rev-Ola, Rhino, Salvo, Soul Music Records, Sundazed and Panegyric

* Technical data from the discs themselves (total playing times and more)

* Release Date, Catalogue No and Barcode to locate the correct issue

* CD Track lists and Details on Bonus material (if any)

* VINYL Discographies referencing CD Box sets (track numbers to sequence singles and albums from the discs – huge number of record labels covered

* UK and US catalogue numbers and release dates for original vinyl albums, 7” singles and EPs within each review

* Remaster/Tape Transfer Engineers highlighted

* Packaging descriptions, size of booklets, what’s contained within, who wrote the liner notes, repro artwork explained

* Reference to the Audio Quality of the CD - analysis of songs

* Guest Musicians highlighted – Cover Versions noted

Having worked for RECKLESS RECORDS in London for over 20 years as one of their principal Vinyl and CD buyers (one of the best secondhand record shops in the West End) and having been an Amazon 'Hall Of Fame' Reviewer Six Times - as you can imagine - I did and still do come across a huge number of reissues - some far more worthy than others.

To that end I've collated together these SOUNDS GOOD MUSIC BOOKS as guides to Exceptional CD Remasters offering up in-depth reviews on a wide range of titles. And it doesn’t have to cost the earth to Sound Good either – you just need to know which CD is the right issue to buy. Many entries in this large and unique book cost less than £10 while others are under a fiver. And even if some Box Sets/Deletions have acquired a price tag - because they’re the best I’ve included them along with artists and titles that deserve your attention…

Enjoy the reads - MARK BARRY (March 2024)

"The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 8: 1968" by VARIOUS ARTISTS – featuring Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Isley Brothers, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Shorty Long, The Marvelettes, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, The Temptations, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Stevie Wonder, Barbara McNair, The Spinners, Abdullah, Marv Johnson, The Fantastic Four, The Detroit Wheels, Jimmy Ruffin, Edwin Starr, Blinky and more (October 2007 US Hip-O Select/Motown 6CD Compilation - Book Set With Front-Cover Attached 45 Single – A Non-Numbered Limited Edition of 6000 Copies – CD Volumes Nos. 38 to 43 in the Series - Ellen Fitton Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With Nearly 195 Others Is Available in my

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

"SOUL GALORE!" 

60ts Soul, R&B, Northern Soul

Mod, New Breed, Funk, Rare Grooves

Atlantic, Chess, Motown, Stax Labels and many more...

 

Your Guide To The Best CD Reissues and Remasters 

Thousands of E-Pages

All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs 

(No Cut and Paste Crap)

 

<iframe sandbox="allow-popups allow-scripts allow-modals allow-forms allow-same-origin" style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=mabasreofcdbl-21&language=en_GB&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B08YS58MPX&asins=B08YS58MPX&linkId=3962ed6fb1283b3f93519653796b8ade&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe>

"...The Real Thing..."

I've made mistakes in life. Selling state secrets to the Russians, trusting my horoscope to conspiracy theorist David Icke, not sleeping with Scarlet Johansson when I had the chance but instead canoodling with ugly farmyard animals that looked pretty good after a few kegs of Scrumpy - and then, just recently - trusting a haircut to my wife and her DIY scissors techniques in a Coronavirus lockdown. You know, the usual growing pains of a record shop employee.

But the biggest mistake I ever made was not buying Volume 6 of "The Complete Motown Singles" which covered the year 1966. Man that was a doozy. I diligently collected all of the other 13 Volumes from 1 to 12B (see list below), but for some reason put 1966 on the long finger, and now of course it regularly clocks in at £250 to £350 depending on the source. So when I win the Lottery (or hear back from Moscow about that Cayman Island account and their really good face surgeon, called, oddly enough, Shorter Long) – I'll snap it up.

Which brings me to this gorgeous reissue – the kind of thing that actually is worth standing up Scarlett for (well maybe). Let's hear it from the grapevine...

US released October 2007 - "The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 8: 1968" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Hip-O Select/Motown B0009708-02 (Barcode 602517431775) is a 6CD Book Set with Front-Cover Attached 45 (a repro of the US single "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye) – A Non-Numbered Limited Edition of 6000 Copies (CDs are Volumes 38 to 43) that plays out as follows:

CD1, Disc 38, 67:48 minutes (25 Tracks)

The A&B-sides (see NOTE) of 13 US singles by Rita Wright, Shorty Long, Four Tops, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Chuck Jackson, Debbie Dean, Billy Eckstine, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Chris Clark, Jimmy Ruffin, Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Isley Brothers

(NOTE: Chris Clark and Diana Ross & The Supremes, A-sides only).

CD2, Disc 39, 65:43 minutes (24 Tracks)

The A&B-sides (see NOTE) of 13 singles by Stevie Wonder, Edwin Starr, Barbara McNair, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, The Monitors, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, R. Dean Taylor, Four Tops, The Temptations, The Detroit Wheels, The Marvelettes, Shorty Long, The Volumes,

(NOTE: Barbara McNair, The Monitors, A-sides only)

CD3, Disc 40, 65:02 minutes (24 Tracks)

The A&B-sides (see NOTE) of 13 singles by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Gladys Night & The Pips, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Jimmy Ruffin, Stevie Wonder, Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, Four Tops, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Temptations, Jr. Walker & The All-Stars, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas 

(NOTE: Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, A-sides only)

CD4, Disc 41, 65:38 minutes (22 Tracks)

The A&B-sides (see NOTE) of 12 singles by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Paul Petersen, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Billy Eckstein, Barbara Randolph, Marvin Gaye, The Ones, The Monitors, Elvets Rednow (Stevie Wonder spelt backwards), The Marvelettes, The Detroit Wheels, Marvin Gaye [A] with Gladys Knight & The Pips [B],

(NOTE: Barbara Randolph, Marvin Gaye, A-sides only)

CD5, Disc 42, 69:12 minutes (24 Tracks)

The A&B-sides of 11 singles by Four Tops, The Fantastic Four, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Barbara McNair, Marv Johnson, Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, Abdullah, The Spinners

CD6, Disc 43, 73:53 minutes (25 Tracks)

The A&B-sides of 12 singles by The Temptations, Edwin Starr, The Isley Brothers, Blinky, Jimmy Ruffin, Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, The Marvelettes

As you can see from the lists above, the first four CDs in this 6-disc set contain tracks by Barbara McNair, Diana Ross & The Supremes and Smokey Robinson & The Miracles that have only the A-side – this will be because the flip will have been on Volume 7 for 1967 or Volume 6 for 1966 and so on. The liner notes tell where to find the B. Also, if you take CD6, you notice that it has 25 tracks for 12 singles (24 sides) – that’s because the Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations ensemble song "The Impossible Dream" on Motown M 1137 had two different B-sides – both are included.

You have to talk about the presentation of these things - that in every case will have a Soul/Motown fan weak at the knees. I have bought and reviewed a lot of tasty Hip-O Select reissues – Muddy Waters, Jimmy Cliff, Emitt Rhodes, Tammi Terrell, Howlin’ Wolf, The 15-Disc Chess Story, Stephen Bishop, Buddy Miles and so on. But these Motown Volumes are the best they ever did – a profoundly fab project that eventually stretched out from 1959 to 1972 with 75 CDs and 1847 Tracks. All transfers were taken from original tapes and included the Single Mono Mixes, Stereo Versions if on Promo 45s, Previously Unreleased Variants and full annotation for every single song. You get catalogue numbers, musician personnel, Producers, overdub details, Billboard R&B and Pop chart placements (if any) and long paragraphs on the recording and its history.

As the packaging has to fit a 45 single on the front cover – the 132 pages of text are large inside the hardback book – allowing full-page colour plates that are genuinely some of the most beautifully rendered photos of Soul Artists that I’ve ever seen. The six discs are housed in individual card leaves at the back with three indexes preceding them – By Artist, By Title and By Label. This allows collectors a way of tracking what they need – very thorough. The only minor miscall for UK fans would be that every catalogue number is American – if you want their British equivalents – I cannot recommend enough a book I reviewed a good few years ago now called “TAMLA MOTOWN: The Stories Behind The UK Singles” by TERRY WILSON - a tall paperback with over 710 pages published by Cherry Red Books. It provides both the US and UK details and is the very best reference source on TM you can get.

The Audio comes via an Engineer I’ve sung the praises of before – ELLEN FITTON – one of Universal’s top Remaster types. Across a total of 144 tracks, you get 71 singles and there are just so many great discoveries in here – the sexy sway of Blinky, the kick-ass motion of The Detroit Wheels and the unsung heroines of Motown Barbara Randolph and Chris Clark tackling tunes like "Can I Get A Witness" (made famous by Marvin) and the lesser heard Holland-Dozier-Holland sweetie "Whisper You Love Me Boy". And of course you get to return to absolute classics, as you would have heard them on the radio of the day - "Cloud Nine" by The Temptations, "For Once In My LIfe" by Stevie Wonder and what many rate as the greatest Soul single (ever) – the mighty "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye – an album afterthought that quickly became his signature tune.

If you can't afford the physical product in 2020 (which ranges from £80 to over £100) - the MP3 version of 1968 is available from Amazon as a Download for £39.99 (individual tracks are usually 99p). Spend the money, man!  I did, and am a well happy bunny because of it. Stunning...

"The Complete Motown Singles" Series by Hip-O Select 

(14 Releases as of May 2020)

75 x CD Volumes, 1847 CD Tracks Plus 28 Tracks On 14 x 7" Vinyl Singles:

1.    Volume 1: 1959-1961, Released January 2005, Catalogue No. Hip-O Select B-0003631-02 (Barcode 602517643310), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 5000 (Non-Numbered), 155 Tracks, CDs are Volumes 1 to 6

2.    Volume 2: 1962, May 2005, 4CDs, B-00004402-02 (Barcode 602517807552), Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non Numbered), 112 Tracks, Volumes 7 to 10

3.    Volume 3: 1963, October 2005, B-0005352-02 (Barcode 602517845691), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 7500 (Non-Numbered), 119 Tracks, Volumes 11 to 15

4.    Volume 4: 1964, February 2006, B-0005945-02 (Barcode 602517882443), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non-Numbered), 163 Tracks, Volumes 16 to 21

5.    Volume 5: 1965, August 2006, B-0006775-02 (Barcode 602517789414), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non-Numbered), 166 Tracks, Volumes 22 to 27

6.    Volume 6: 1966, November 2006, B-0007872-02 (Barcode 602517092761), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 6000 (Non-Numbered), 125 Tracks, Volumes 28 to 32

7.    Volume 7: 1967, May 2007, B-0008993-02 (Barcode 602517341906), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 6000 (Non-Numbered), 120 Tracks, Volumes 33 to 37

8.    Volume 8: 1968, October 2007, B-0009708-02 (Barcode 602517431775), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 6000 (Non-Numbered), 144 Tracks, Volumes 38 to 43

9.    Volume 9: 1969, December 2007, B-0010270-02 (Barcode 602517507722), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 6000 (Non-Numbered), 148 Tracks, Volumes 44 to 49

10. Volume 10: 1970, June 2008, B-0011056-02 (Barcode 602517659209), 6CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non-Numbered), 144 Tracks, Volumes 50 to 55

11. Volume 11A: 1971, February 2009, B-0011579-02 (Barcode 602517776555), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non-Numbered), 119 Tracks, Volumes 56 to 60

12. Volume 11B: 1971, January 2010, B-0012227-02 (Barcode 602517876903), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 8000 (Non Numbered), 120 Tracks, Volumes 61 to 65

13. Volume 12A: 1972, May 2013, B-0012935-02 (Barcode 602527044453)), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 7500 (Non Numbered), 117 Tracks, Volumes 66 to 70

14. Volume 12B: 1972, December 2013, B-0019213-02 (Barcode 602537532193), 5CDs, Ltd Edition of 7500 (Non Numbered), 100 Tracks, Volumes 71 to 75