The classic Motown vaults are, once again, open.  This Friday, the U.K.'s Caroline label will release the long-anticipated fifth volume of A Cellarful of Motown, the rarities series which last saw a volume in 2010.  But this 2-CD, 43-song collection promises to have been worth the wait as it features previously unreleased and new-to-CD tracks from such household name artists as Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, Gladys Knight and The Pips, and The (Detroit) Spinners as well as cherished favorites including Chuck Jackson, Barbara McNair, Billy Eckstine, Brenda Holloway, Chris Clark, and the subject of Second Disc Records' 2019 Heart Full of Soul: The Motown Anthology, Blinky.

As usual for the Cellarful series, producer-annotator Paul Nixon has uncovered one unreleased gem after another here.  Cornelius Grant and producer Norman Whitfield teamed with Eddie Holland and Eddie Kendricks to write The Temptations' "I Gotta Find a Way (To Get You Back)," with Kendricks on lead instead of Dennis Edwards as on the final, released version.  Holland is heard on 1965's "There's No Love Left," while his brother Brian's rendition of the standard "Only You" from the year prior is also featured.  The Lewis Sisters, talented tunesmiths in their own rights, are heard on Holland-Dozier-Holland's "Whisper You Love Me Boy" from Motown's West Coast division in 1964.  H-D-H is well-represented here with R. Dean Taylor's Vietnam-era "What in the World's Going On" (marrying a solemn lyric to a quintessential, uptempo Motown groove), Sammy Turner's "Until You Love Someone," and Hearts of Stone's "(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need."  The latter quartet only released one album on Motown, 1970's Stop the World - We Gonna Get On, but "I'm the One You Need" shows them still making great music almost two years later.

Cellarful 5 also shows Motown's willingness to branch out and try something new.  There's 1965's "I Wish I Liked You (As Much as I Love You" from 1950s songstress Connie Haines; she released a lone promo single for the label in 1966.  Before heading to White Whale Records as Dalton and Montgomery and Dot Records as two-fifths of Colours, Jack Dalton and Gary Montgomery were signed to Motown as The Dalton Boys.    They released a pair of singles at Motown, of which the previously unreleased "I Had a Woman" is certainly comparable in its high quality.

Scepter/Wand soul man Chuck Jackson came to Motown after his association with those New York firms, an event heralded with the LP Chuck Jackson Arrives!  Here, you'll hear him wrap his considerable pipes around Michel Legrand and the Bergmans' Oscar-winning film theme "The Windmills of Your Mind" produced by the late, great Deke Richards.  Sammy Turner arrived in Detroit after an association with Big Top Records that yielded the hits "Lavender Blue" and "Always."  Though Motown only released one single of his, there's more in the vaults - including this Mickey Stevenson/Ivy Jo Hunter tune.  Tommy Good's "I Found My Love in You" may well be the last remaining unreleased Motown side from the Northern Soul stalwart.  Frank Wilson's Northern dancer "A Toast to the Lady" was first released on the Tollie label in 1964 by "Eddie Wilson."  For this, its first legitimate issue on CD, Frank's name is restored.

Anita Knorl, one of the earliest Motown girls, has this set's earliest track: Berry Gordy's "Don't Be Too Long," from 1962.  (Chris Clark would later re-record the song utilizing the backing track of Anita's shelved recording.)  Ann Bogan, who had a long association with Harvey Fuqua and went on to write for groups like The New Birth, met the same fate although she appeared on Motown with The Andantes and The Marvelettes.  She steps into the solo spotlight here with two 1963 cuts, "Hold Me, Oh My Darling" (recorded two years before Tammi Terrell's solo version and three before the Marvin Gaye duet) and "There Are Things," both of which were produced by Fuqua.  Oma Page is heard on Gordy's 1964 "When Someone's Good to You" which was quickly reassigned to Carolyn Crawford.  Alas, the label never released any of Knorl, Bogan, or Page's recordings at the time.  One of our favorite of Motown's leading ladies, Blinky, thrills on another Gordy composition, "You'll Never Cherish A Love So True ('Til You Lose It)," presented in a unique mix to the one heard on Heart Full of Soul: The Motown Anthology.

Due to the long gestation period of this release, among the rare cuts here are a number of tracks which have premiered as part of Motown's digital-only Motown Unreleased series over the past few years and are happily now appearing on CD (some in alternate mixes):

• Martha and the Vandellas' cover of Aretha Franklin's "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream" (1968);
• Gladys Knight and The Pips' "Nothing But a Fool" (1966);
• Chris Clark's "I Don't Want You Anymore" (1965);
• Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston's "That'll Be the Day" (1965) and "Just Too Much to Hope For" (1967);
• Brenda Holloway's "Without Love, You Lose a Good Feeling" (1966);
• Ivy Jo Hunter's urgent take on Smokey Robinson's "Determination" (1965);
• Barbara McNair's "A World Without You" (1966);
• Jimmy Ruffin's "I Feel Like I'm Falling in Love Again" (1967);
• Edwin Starr's "I Don't Know What You Got" (1967);
• The Marvelettes' "Sweet Talkin' Guy" (1966);
• Michigan garage rock band The Underdogs with another Smokey tune, "I Want a Love I Can See" (1967);
• The Temptations, led by Paul Williams, with the Robinson co-write "Then" which was later recorded in duet form with Diana Ross and The Supremes (1966);
• Barbara McNair's "All I Want Is a Little Bit of Love" (1967);
• Little Lisa's "It," co-written by Robinson and Berry Gordy (1965);
• Billy Eckstine's "Walk Down that Road" by Ron Miller and Bea Verdi (1967);
• Brenda Holloway's "You Got a Little Bit of Everything," penned by The Lewis Sisters (1966); and
• The Spinners' "While the City Sleeps" (1965).

A trio of Funk Brothers tracks have been uncovered, too, including songs intended for The Isley Brothers  ("It's All Over"), The Supremes ("The Truth Does Hurt"), and Saundra Edwards of The Elgins ("True Fine Boy"), all of which were written and produced by H-D-H.  In the case of these tracks, the lack of vocals can't be considered a disappointment as The Funk Brothers' tight backings are thrilling in and of themselves.

A Cellarful of Motown Volume 5 features a 24-page booklet with an essay by Paul Nixon, his track-by track liner notes, and detailed annotations by Keith Hughes.  Christopher Alexander has mixed the previously unreleased tracks (and collaborated on the mix of "True Fine Boy" with Richard Hughes) while Nick Robbins has mastered the collection.  Look for this treasure trove of the Motor City's rarest grooves this Friday from Caroline Records.  You'll find the track listing and order links below.

Various Artists, A Cellarful of Motown Volume 5 (Caroline CAROLR090CD, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1

1. A Toast to the Lady - Frank Wilson (Eddie Wilson)
2. Don't Let Me Lose This Dream - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
3. (I Gotta Find a Way) To Get You Back - The Temptations
4. True Fine Boy - The Funk Brothers
5. Nothing But a Fool - Gladys Knight & The Pips
6. There's No Love Left - Eddie Holland
7. Whisper You Love Me Boy - The Lewis Sisters
8. I Don't Want You Anymore - Chris Clark
9. That'll Be the Day - Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston
10. Without Love You Lose a Good Feelin' - Brenda Holloway
11. Determination - Ivy Jo Hunter
12. A World Without You - Barbara McNair
13. What in the World's Going On - R. Dean Taylor
14. Hold Me Oh My Darling - Ann Bogan
15. I Feel Like I'm Falling in Love Again - Jimmy Ruffin
16. It's All Over - The Funk Brothers
17. I Don't Know What You Got - Edwin Starr
18. Sweet Talkin' Guy - The Marvelettes
19. I Want a Love I Can See - The Underdogs
20. Don't Be Too Long - Anita Knorl
21. All I Have Left are Memories - Sammy Turner

CD 2

1. Only You - Brian Holland
2. There Are Things - Ann Bogan
3. Then - The Temptations
4. The Truth Does Hurt - The Funk Brothers
5. All I Want Is a Little Bit of Love - Barbara McNair
6. A Miracle Happened - Johnny Bristol
7. In Your Heart - Patrice Holloway
8. I Found My Love in You - Tommy Good
9. When Someone's Good to You - Oma Page
10. Tomorrow's Child - Terry Johnson
11. Just Too Much to Hope For - Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston
12. I Had a Woman - The Dalton Boys
13. It - Little Lisa
14. (Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need - Hearts of Stone
15. I Love the Way He Loves Me - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
16. Walk Down That Road - Billy Eckstine
17. You Got a Little of Everything - Brenda Holloway
18. Until You Love Someone - Sammy Turner
19. You'll Never Cherish a Love So True ('Til You Lose It) - Blinky
20. While the City Sleeps - The Spinners
21. I Wish I Liked You (As Much As I Love You) - Connie Haines
22. Windmills of Your Mind - Chuck Jackson

CD 1, Track 1 from Tollie single T 9033, 1964
CD 1, Track 2 from Motown Unreleased 1968: Part 1, digital release, 2018
CD 1, Tracks 3-4, 6-7, 13-14, 16, 20-21 and CD 2, Tracks 1, 4, 6 8, 10, 12, 14-15, 18, 21-22 previously unreleased
CD 1, Track 5 (*), 9, 10 (**), 12, 18 and CD 2, Tracks 3, 11, 17 (**) from Motown Unreleased 1966, digital release, 2016 & Motown B0027684-02, 2017
CD 1, Tracks 8, 11 and CD 2, Tracks 13 & 20 from Motown Unreleased 1965, digital release, 2015
CD 1, Tracks 17 & 19 and CD 2, Tracks 5, 16 (*) from Motown Unreleased 1967, digital release, 2017
CD 2, Tracks 2, 7 & 9 first issued on Baby I've Got It! - More Motown Girls, Ace CDTOP 1524, 2018
CD 2, Track 18 (*) first issued on Blinky, Heart Full of Soul: The Motown Anthology, Real Gone Music/Second Disc Records RGM-0852, 2019

(*) alternate mix
(**) stereo mix previously released on Brenda Holloway, Spellbound: Rare and Unreleased Motown Gems, Cherry Red/SoulMusic 5163D, 2017