As has become a yearly tradition for the past several years, Motown released a "copyright extension" compilation of previously unreleased tracks at the very end of 2017, only a couple of weeks after last year's similar set got a physical release. Motown Unreleased: 1967 gathers 89 tracks across the equivalent of 4 CDs, all previously unheard treasures from the seemingly inexhaustible Motown vaults.
Like the collections of the past couple of years, there is a wide range of Motown talent on display here. Unlike, however, say last year's compilation, the set is a little light on the label's most popular mainstay artists. They are represented, but the number of tracks from each is not as extensive. Marvin Gaye has the most from this group with a whopping ten unreleased tracks, enough for a whole album. Gaye's repertoire here has him returning a crooner mode while covering standards, something he kept trying to accomplish during his tenure at Motown, but eventually gave up on. In fact, most of the tracks here, like "Fly Me to the Moon," "The Shadow of Your Smile" and "All the Way," Gaye had attempted back in 1965. Those versions, like these, were consigned to the vaults until their release on Motown Unreleased: Marvin Gaye 1965 in 2015. Chris Clark ties Gaye with ten tracks and Billy Eckstine has another six. Other Motown stars on the set include Gladys Knight and the Pips and Jr. Walker & The All-Stars with 3 tracks, Edwin Starr, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Smokey Robinson and Miracles with two songs each, and Jimmy Ruffin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Chuck Jackson and Brenda Holloway with one track apiece.
The set also contains several artists who remain lesser-known in the Motown canon. The most unusual is probably the group The Underdogs. The garage rockers out of Grosse Pointe, Michigan were first signed to Hideout and Reprise Records, garnering three singles total in 1965 and 1966. Towards the end of 1966, Motown signed them to the VIP label. However, only one single was released in early 1967 and the group was off the label by the end of the year. This new compilation contains another nine unreleased songs, surpassing their entire released output! Other more obscure acts here include The Monitors, Rick Witte, The Messengers, Shorty Long, The Agents, Joe Stubbs (younger brother The Four Tops' Levi Stubbs) and the San Remo Golden Strings. Both The Monitors and Shorty Long have had their Motown careers anthologized in the past on Ace Records.
In addition, the set contains a few tracks from artists who had more success after they left Motown. The Spinners have two tracks here. Despite being signed to Motown for seven years, the group only managed to land three singles which were considered hits. It was not until they moved to Atlantic Records in 1972 and teamed with songwriter/producer Thom Bell that they became one of the cornerstones of "Philly" soul and of the biggest soul acts of the 1970s. The Mynah Birds, which featured Neil Young in one lineup, gets another track included here. The group's output was more unreleased than released during their Motown tenure. The band would break up in 1967 with Young going on to become part of Buffalo Springfield and then becoming a rock legend. Of course, one member of the Mynah Birds did become a Motown legend: Rick James, who would have to wait over ten years for solo success after he re-signed with Motown on their Gordy Records label in 1978.
Also included is an early solo track from Valerie Simpson. Beginning in 1966 with Nickolas Ashford, she co-wrote some of Motown's most iconic hits including "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Your Precious Love," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" and "You're All I need to Get By." The pair had tried for a performing career prior to signing with Motown, and Simpson would be a soloist on Quincy Jones' reinvention of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water" in 1970. She had a pair of solo albums on Motown in 1971 and 1972, but it was not until the couple formed the duo Ashford and Simpson and signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1974 that their performing career really took off.
This new compilation is available now from all major digital music providers. We've got the full tracklisting below!
Various Artists, Motown Unreleased: 1967 (Motown, 2017) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)
"Disc" 1
- Poor Side Of Town - The Monitors [alternate lead vocal]
- Winchester Cathedral - The Monitors
- Say The Word - Earl Van Dyke
- Road To Happiness - Billy Eckstine
- Don't Try To Tie Me Down - Rick Witte
- Eyes - Rick Witte
- Bring It On Home To Me - The Underdogs
- Come On Up - The Underdogs
- Emily - Marvin Gaye [1967 version]
- The Whip A Rang - Earl Van Dyke [studio version]
- She Needs Me - Marvin Gaye
- The Shadow Of Your Smile - Marvin Gaye [1967 version]
- I Hear A Rhapsody - Billy Eckstine
- I'll Be Loving You - Billy Eckstine
- Lost - Billy Eckstine
- Come See About Me - The Underdogs
- Last Train To Clarksville - The Underdogs
- Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words) - Marvin Gaye [1967 version]
- Maria - Marvin Gaye [1967 version]
- I Feel Like I'm Falling In Love Again - Jimmy Ruffin
- All The Way - Marvin Gaye [1967 version]
- Funny (Not Much) - Marvin Gaye
"Disc" 2
- More (Theme From Mondo Cane) - Marvin Gaye [1967 version]
- This Will Make You Laugh - Marvin Gaye
- Fanny - Marvin Gaye [1967 version]
- What's New - Marvin Gaye [1967 version]
- Where Are You - Marvin Gaye [1967 version]
- Lost - Barbara McNair
- You Hit Me Where It Hurt Me - The Underdogs
- It's My Time - The Underdogs
- If You Don't Want My Love - The Underdogs
- I Got A Feeling Baby - The Underdogs
- What Goes Up Must Come Down - Four Tops
- Standing In Yesterday - Chris Clark
- If I Am Lucky - Barbara McNair
- That's How Strong My Love Is - The Messengers
- I'll Keep Holding On - The Messengers
- My World Is Empty Without You - The Messengers
- Ame Cherie (Soul Darling) - Jr. Walker & the All Stars [with strings]
- Dream Girl - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
- All In The Promise Of Tomorrow - Chris Clark
- Since I Don't Have You - The Temptations
- Seek And You Shall Find - The Messengers
- All I Want Is A Little Bit Of Love - Barbara McNair
- Hi-Lili - Hi-Lo - Shorty Long
- Why Wait - Shorty Long
"Disc" 3
- Baby Don't Put Me Down - Gladys Knight & The Pips
- Is This Why (I Gave My Love To You) - Gladys Knight & The Pips
- I'm In Love (And I Know It) - The Velvelettes [alternate lead vocal]
- Love Woke Me Up This Morning - Valerie Simpson [first version]
- Double 0 And A Half - The Agents
- Jag Jockey - Jr. Walker & the All Stars
- The Things I Do For You - Jr. Walker & the All Stars [alternate version]
- It's My Time - The Mynah Birds [1967 version]
- Turn On Your Lovelight - The Underdogs
- Night Fo' Last - Shorty Long [first version]
- It's Love Baby (24 Hours Of The Day) - Joe Stubbs
- Nothing For Nothing - Jr. Walker & the All Stars
- It Hurts To Be In Love - Chris Clark
- All I Could Do Was Cry - Chris Clark & The Vancouvers
- You've Got What It Takes - Chris Clark
- Since I Fell For You - Chris Clark
- The Glory Of Love - Chris Clark
- I Don't Know What You Got - Edwin Starr
- Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love - Edwin Starr [alternate version]
"Disc" 4
- Walk Down That Road - Billy Eckstine
- The Little White Cloud That Cried - Billy Eckstine
- You Taught Me How To Care - Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
- I Want A Love I Can See - The Underdogs
- Your Sweet Love Is All I Need (Your Love Is Sufficient) - The Spinners
- Don't Take Your Love Away I Can't Stand It - The Spinners
- If You Can Want - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [first version]
- To See The Sun Again - Chuck Jackson [alternate lead vocal]
- Destination: Anywhere - The Marvelettes [alternate lead vocal]
- I'm So Glad It's Twilight Time - Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
- Funky Soul - The Agents
- Soul Line - The Agents
- Alice - The Agents
- Ready In A Jiffy - The Agents
- People Get Ready - Vancouvers
- Day By Day Or Never - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers [alternate version]
- Do Right Baby Do Right - Chris Clark & The Vancouvers
- Got To Get You Into My Life - Chris Clark & The Vancouvers
- I Want To Go Back There Again - Chris Clark & The Vancouvers
- Try - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers
- Sunny - San Remo Golden Strings
- Only A Lonely Man Would Know - Ivy Jo [first version]
- It's Love I Need - Brenda Holloway [alternate lead vocal]
All tracks previously unreleased
Joe Mac Pherson says
MP3 means, no liner notes, no understanding of which which songwriters were involved in each song, what additional vocalists or musicians were involved, no photography, no insights about the music, no printed interviews, or comments from the recording artists, AND, no sale, to me.
CD is the way to truly appreciate this music. I regret this collection will never be added to my music library.
Philip Cohen says
I agree. I won't buy Mp3's, and,so far, there is no lossless availability in the U.S.A., even from download sellers such as "7Digital", who DO offer lossless versions of other "Motown Unreleased" volumes.
Incidentally, I once tried buying from 7Digital, about 2 years ago, despite the fact that 7Digital's site admitted (at the time) that they were having difficulty delivering larger FLAC downloads. Indeed, my attempt to buy the 25-song "Motown Unreleased 1965" could never get past "Pending" (I had never before, or ever again, seen that word on my computer's download progress indicator).
"7Digital" refunded my purchase price, but they also burned their bridges behind them by closing my account, though the situation was obviously 7Digital's fault. After that, the only way to obtain a lossless "Motown Unreleased 1965" was to go to a free download site in Russia. Funny, they had no problem delivering the very same download to my computer. I'll never again take the risk of dealing with an official download site. You could pay good money, have hassles with customer service, then end up with nothing.
But I'll hold out a carrot to the music industry: Offer "Motown Unreleased 1965" on CD, and I'll be there to buy it. I recently bought the 4-CD set of "1966". I hope that the new set is eventually offered on CD.
In one way, downloads (whether official or not) have no value. They have no collectors value.
LeVan says
This is great I received the 1966 for Christmas now 1967!
R. says
Yes and yes...Universal/UME put this collection out on physical media (i.e cd and why not a limited edition vinyl???). I am thoroughly enjoying my Motown unreleased 1966 set (listening to it now!)
Zubb says
Hopefully we will see physical CD release on 1967 as they did with 1966. That is the only way I will buy it.
Fredhiposelect says
I agree .....the only way for me is a physical release. I don’t buy the digital format for this collection. I can’t wait for the 1966 box set I ordered.
Robert Lett says
I won't buy digital, hoping they do CDs on this one too.
Philip Houldershaw says
Universal are selling the Motown catalogue short by trawling the ocean bed, scraping up everything in their path, and spewing it all out as download only, with no liner notes, no photos and clearly no care. It's all too easy to download this stuff for free on dodgy websites.
Thankfully this careless attitude was turned around with the physical release of 'Unreleased 1966'. Hopefully we will see the same for this release. I'm hanging on for it as I definitely won't be buying anything digital.