The story of Sondra "Blinky" Williams has long been shrouded in mystery. The soulful singer came to Motown Records in 1967 following stints at Vee-Jay and Atlantic, bringing her passionate and powerful deep soul sound to Hitsville, USA. Despite recording dozens of tracks between 1968 and 1973, only a small handful saw release: a mere four 45s plus an album of duets with Edwin Starr, two live cuts, and a couple of one-off recordings, including a key moment on the best-selling soundtrack of Lady Sings the Blues.  Blinky's voice was heard on television week after week, however, singing the famous theme to Norman Lear's Good Times with Jim Gilstrap.  Over the years, a sampling of her Motown tracks trickled out on compilation releases, prompting fans worldwide to clamor for more and even launch a "Free Blinky from the Vaults" campaign. Now, Blinky is free at last - and her full story can be told.

Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music are proud to mark Motown's 60th anniversary with a collection that has truly been decades in the making.  Tomorrow is the U.S. release date for Heart Full of Soul: The Motown Anthology, the ultimate tribute to Motown's great lost superstar. Over two CDs and almost 50 songs, Blinky's Motown journey is chronicled with songs written and produced for her by the label's greatest talents including Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, Frank Wilson, Hal Davis, Gil Askey, Deke Richards, Jerry Marcellino and Mel Larson, Don Hunter, Stevie Wonder, Willie Hutch, and Clay McMurray, who unexpectedly passed away last week and to whom this release is dedicated. Expect to hear one-of-a-kind takes of songs by many of those Motown greats as well as Jimmy Webb ("This Time Last Summer"), James Taylor ("Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight"), John Lennon and Paul McCartney ("The Fool on the Hill"), Mick Jagger and Keith Richards ("(I Don't Get No) Satisfaction"), Graham Gouldman ("Heart Full of Soul"), and Thom Bell and Linda Creed (an epic "People Make the World Go Round").

The first disc presents Blinky's never-before-released 1970 album Sunny and Warm in complete form for the first time along with all of her released singles plus rarities and live tracks. The second disc premieres over 20 never-before-heard recordings, both in original Motown stereo mixes and brand-new mixes by Kevin Reeves, that showcase the depth and breadth of Blinky's remarkable voice.

Released with the full cooperation of the artist, Heart Full of Soul: The Motown Anthology has been produced and annotated by the team of Joe Marchese and Andrew Skurow (Bobby Darin's Go Ahead and Back Up: The Lost Motown Masters, The Supremes' The Ultimate Merry Christmas), and mastered by Kevin Reeves (The Supremes' Expanded Editions) from the original tapes. The deluxe booklet designed by John Sellards is housed in a six-panel digipak and features rare photographs, extensive liner notes drawing on a comprehensive, new interview with Blinky, and exclusive commentary from Blinky's longtime friend Edna Wright of The Honey Cone and legendary members of the Motown family such as Janie Bradford, Clay McMurray, Raynard Miner, Shelly Berger, Don Hunter, Mary Wilson, Chris Clark, and Iris Gordy.

Gospel, jazz, R&B, funk, pop, soul, and, of course, the classic Sound of Young America all come together with the distinctive voice of Motown's greatest "lost" artist, Blinky. Heart Full of Soul has to be heard to be believed.  It's available now in the U.K. and TOMORROW in the U.S., and you'll find the track listing and pre-order links below!

Blinky, Heart Full of Soul: The Motown Anthology (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1

Sunny & Warm (unreleased LP scheduled for release as Motown 712, 1970, cancelled)

1. I Wouldn't Change the Man He Is
2. Rescue Me
3. How You Gonna Keep It
4. This Man of Mine
5. It's Gonna Be Always
6. How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone
7. Shine On Me
8. For Once in My Life
9. I'll Always Love You
10. Is There a Place (In His Heart for Me)
11. This Time Last Summer
12. Your Love Is Worth Waiting For

Bonus Tracks

13. God Bless the Child (from Rock Gospel - The Key To The Kingdom, Motown M 743L, October 1971)
14. The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game (first issued on Motown Sings Motown Treasures, Motown 314530960-2, 1998)
15. Can I Get A Witness (first issued on A Cellarful of Motown! Vol. 3, 2007)
16. T'Ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do (from Lady Sings the Blues)
17. Money (That's What I Want) (Single Version) (Mowest single MW 5019F-A, 1972)
18. For Your Precious Love (Single Version) (Mowest MW 5019F-B, 1972)
19. T'Ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do (Single Version) (Mowest single 5033F-A, 1973)
20. What More Can I Do (Mowest single 5033F-B, 1973)
21. You Get A Tangle In Your Lifeline (Motown single M1233-F-A, 1973)

Live from the Motortown Revue

22. I Can't Turn You Loose (first issued on Motortown Revue Live, Motown MS 668, 1969)
23. I Wouldn't Change the Man He Is (first issued on Motortown Revue Live, Motown MS 668, 1969)
24. God Bless the Child (previously unreleased)

CD 2 (all tracks previously unreleased)

1. Heart Full of Soul
2. Don't Leave Your Baby
3. I'd Feel a Lot Better
4. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
5. Let's Stay Together
6. Soul Brother
7. Thank You God
8. It's Been a Long Time Happenin'
9. I've Gotta Get You Back
10. The Fool on the Hill
11. A Little Bit of Heaven (On A Little Patch Of Earth)
12. How Can I Go On
13. Inside
14. You'll Never Cherish a Love So True ('Til You Lose It)
15. I'm Just a Woman (Not Strong)
16. You're the Loser Now
17. You Keep Telling Me Lies
18. One Half Of Love
19. I'll Make It Up To You
20. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
21. You're My Morning Light
22. People Make the World Go Round