VA - Hitsville USA, The Motown Story Radio Show [1993] (6 x CDs)

SOUL

VA - Hitsville USA, The Motown Story Radio Show [1993] (6 x CDs)

A very special Thanks to lemonflag who shared this.

Hitsville USA, The Motown Story is a six-part radio documentary originally produced in the early 1980s, later preserved in a rare 6-CD set that remains one of the most elusive and historically rich Motown artifacts. Unlike the commercial box sets that followed, this series was designed for radio syndication, blending full-length tracks with narration, interviews, and archival commentary to tell the story of Motown from its birth in Detroit to its rise as a global cultural force.

The set was never commercially released by Motown Records, making it a prized item among collectors. Most surviving copies are promotional pressings or bootleg transfers, often with handwritten labels or generic sleeves. The audio content is structured chronologically, with each disc covering a distinct era, from the early days of Barrett Strong and The Miracles to the crossover dominance of The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and The Temptations.

What sets this series apart is its format, it’s not just a compilation, but a fully narrated oral history. Berry Gordy’s voice appears alongside Smokey Robinson and other key figures, offering firsthand accounts of songwriting sessions, studio innovations, and the label’s unique artist development system. The transitions between tracks are punctuated by period-specific radio bumpers, giving the listener a sense of how Motown was experienced in real time.

The set occasionally surfaces on collector forums, eBay, and Archive.org, where digitized episodes have been preserved by radio historians. It’s not listed on Discogs as a formal release, but references to the series appear in Motown discographies and fan archives. For archivists, it’s a sonic time capsule, part documentary, part curated anthology, and wholly essential for understanding the label’s cultural and musical legacy. It captures Motown not just as a sound, but as a movement told by the voices who built it. (B)

Be sure to thank lemonflag for this set

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Here is the missing CD3 ...  

For anyone who missed it the first time, the missing disc is here.

https://www.imagenetz.de/bb9ns

OR

https://pixeldrain.com/u/3r5RWpyp

The main page has also been updated to include all volumes in one place.

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Track lists

Hitsville U.S.A. – The Motown Story Radio Show

Date: 1993 Nov 25

CD1

Segment One:

- Shop Around – Miracles

- Please Mr. Postman – Marvelettes

- Do You Love Me – Contours

Segment Two:

- My Guy – Mary Wells

- Really Got A Hold On Me – Miracles

- The Way You Do The Things You Do – Temptations

- How Sweet It Is – Marvin Gaye

Total Running Time, CD1 (with Local Avails): 15:00

CD2

- Heat Wave – Martha & Vandellas

- My Girl – Temptations

- What It Takes – Marvin Strong

- Where Did Our Love Go – Supremes

- Stop In The Name Of Love – Supremes

- I Can't Help Myself – Four Tops

- Shotgun – Jr. Walker

- I Hear A Symphony – Supremes

- Ain't Too Proud To Beg – Temptations

- Reach Out I'll Be There – Four Tops

- What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted – Jimmy Ruffin

Total Running Time, Disc Two (with Local Avails): 59:23

CD3

- Songs by the Marvelettes, Jr. Walker, and Stevie Wonder

- Songs by the Supremes, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, and the Temptations

- Songs by the Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, and the Temptations

- Songs by Four Tops, Diana Ross & the Supremes, and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

Total Running Time, Disc Three: 57:55

CD4

- Songs by the Jackson 5, Diana Ross, and Michael Jackson

- Songs by the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and the Temptations

- Songs by the Isley Brothers, Elgins, and Jimmy Ruffin

- Songs by Four Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and the Supremes

Total Running Time, Disc Four: 56:36

CD5

- Twenty Five Miles – Edwin Starr  

- I Can’t Get Next To You – Temptations  

- My Whole World Ended – David Ruffin  

- I Can’t Help Myself – Four Tops  

- Signed Sealed Delivered – Stevie Wonder  

- Get Ready – Rare Earth  

- Someday We’ll Be Together – Diana Ross & Supremes  

- War – Edwin Starr  

- I Want You Back – Jackson 5  

- Ain’t No Mountain – Diana Ross  

- Reach Out I’ll Be There – Four Tops  

- I Heard It Through The Grapevine – Marvin Gaye  

- What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye  

- Mercy Mercy Me – Marvin Gaye  

- Let’s Get It On – Marvin Gaye  

Total Running Time, Disc Five (with local avails): 1:13:18  

CD6

- Smiling Faces – Undisputed Truth  

- Papa Was A Rolling Stone – Temptations  

- Neither One Of Us – Gladys Knight & The Pips  

- Let’s Get It On – Marvin Gaye  

- Keep On Truckin’ – Eddie Kendricks  

- Boogie Down – Eddie Kendricks  

- Love Machine – Miracles  

- Don’t Leave Me This Way – Thelma Houston  

- I Want You – Marvin Gaye  

Total Running Time, Disc Six (with local avails): 1:02:42

Plus

Promo's and Tags

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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VA - The Complete Motown Singles Volumes 1-12 [2008-2013] (75 x CDs)

Today I hit the big 70! (Steamers and booze optional but encouraged) 

I toyed with the idea of sharing a 70-CD set to mark the occasion, didn’t have one readily on hand, so I figured this would make a pretty great offering instead… Together with lemonflag's Radio Show post.  This is, as they say, The Bees Knees...

MOTOWN

VA - The Complete Motown Singles Volumes 1-12 [2008-2013] (75 x CDs)

The Complete Motown Singles Volumes 1-12 box set series was released by Hip-O Select, a specialty imprint of Universal Music Group. This monumental series documents every Motown single released from 1959 through 1972, across 12 volumes issued between 2005 and 2013. To engage with The Complete Motown Singles Volumes 1-12 is to enroll in a sonic university, one where rhythm, resistance, romance, and reinvention are the core subjects. This twelve-volume anthology is more than a series of box sets. It is a living archive of Black American artistry, entrepreneurship, and cultural transformation. Each disc is a lesson, each track a primary source, and each liner note a footnote in the syllabus of soul.

Motown’s founder Berry Gordy envisioned a “hit factory,” modeled after Detroit’s auto assembly lines. But what emerged was far more organic: a community of artists, producers, and songwriters who crafted a sound that was both universally appealing and deeply rooted in African American experience. From the doo-wop echoes of Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want)” to the psychedelic soul of The Temptations’ “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” these volumes trace the evolution of a label that mirrored, and often led, the changing tides of American music and society.

Volume 1 begins with the birth of Tamla Records, where raw ambition meets minimal resources. The early singles are stripped-down, urgent, and often recorded in Gordy’s home studio. As the volumes progress, we witness the rise of the Funk Brothers, Motown’s house band, whose uncredited genius underpins nearly every hit. Their grooves are the connective tissue of the label’s sound, tight, melodic, and unmistakably Motown.

By Volume 4, the label’s roster has expanded: Mary Wells, The Miracles, Martha & The Vandellas, and a young Stevie Wonder begin to dominate the charts. The songwriting teams, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Ashford & Simpson, Norman Whitfield, become as iconic as the performers. Their compositions blend pop structure with gospel emotion, creating songs that are both danceable and profound.

Volumes 7 through 9 mark Motown’s golden era. The Supremes, Four Tops, and Marvin Gaye deliver polished, chart-topping singles that define mid-60s radio. Yet beneath the polish lies a growing complexity. Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and Gladys Knight’s version of the same song reveal a label willing to explore darker emotional terrain. The music begins to reflect the turbulence of the times, civil rights, Vietnam, urban unrest.

By Volumes 10 to 12, Motown is no longer just a hit machine, it’s a cultural institution. The sound diversifies: psychedelic soul, socially conscious lyrics, and experimental arrangements emerge. The Jackson 5 explode onto the scene, bringing youthful exuberance and crossover appeal. Meanwhile, artists like Edwin Starr and Marvin Gaye push the boundaries of pop with protest anthems like “War” and “What’s Going On.”

Taken as a whole, The Complete Motown Singles Volumes 1-12 offer more than nostalgia, they provide a curriculum in American history, Black excellence, and musical innovation. They teach us how a small Detroit label reshaped global pop, how art can respond to injustice, and how rhythm can carry both joy and resistance. To listen is to learn. To study is to honor. (B)

Included in this set are the following:

VA - The Complete Motown Singles Volume 01 1959-1961 [2004] (6 x CDs)

VA - The Complete Motown Singles Volume 02 1962 [2005] (4 x CDs)

VA - The Complete Motown Singles Volume 03 1963 [2005] (5 x CDs)

VA - The Complete Motown Singles Volume 04 1964 [2006] (6 x CDs)

VA - The Complete Motown Singles Volume 05 1965 [2006] (6 x CDs)

VA - The Complete Motown Singles Volume 06 1966 [2006] (5 x CDs)

VA - The Complete Motown Singles Volume 07 1967 [2007] (5 x CDs)

VA - The Complete Motown Singles Volume 08 1968 [2007] (6 x CDs)

VA - The Complete Motown Singles Volume 09 1969 [2008] (6 x CDs)

VA - The Complete Motown Singles Volume 10 1970 [2008] (6 x CDs)

VA - The Complete Motown Singles Volume 11 A 1971 [2009] (5 x CDs)

VA - The Complete Motown Singles Volume 11 B 1971 [2009] (5 x CDs)

VA - The Complete Motown Singles Volume 12 A1972 [2009] (5 x CDs)

VA - The Complete Motown Singles Volume 12 B 1972 [2013] (5 x CDs)

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Track lists

THE FULL TRACK LIST FOR ALL BOX SETS - MOTOWN Vol. 01-12 can be found here:

https://pixeldrain.com/u/LBzxYKGq

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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VA - Hitsville USA, The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971 [1992] + Hitsville USA Vol. II, The Motown Singles Collection 1972-1992 [1993] (8 x CDs)

HITSVILLE

VA - Hitsville USA, The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971 [1992] + Hitsville USA Vol. II, The Motown Singles Collection 1972-1992 [1993] (8 x CDs)

VA – Hitsville USA, The Motown Singles Collection 1959–1971 [1992] This 4-CD box set, released by Motown in 1992 as part of their Master Series, is a treasure trove of the label’s formative years. It pulls together 104 tracks in their original mono single mixes—the exact versions that lit up AM radios and jukeboxes across America. That detail matters: these aren’t album cuts or stereo remixes, but the punchy, radio-ready mixes that Berry Gordy’s team crafted for maximum impact.

The set opens with Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want)” and closes with Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” tracing a remarkable arc from raw R&B to socially conscious soul. You get the big names—The Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson—but also deep cuts from artists like Brenda Holloway, Shorty Long, and The Velvelettes. These lesser-known tracks are part of what makes the set so valuable: they show how wide Motown’s reach was, and how much talent never got its due.

The mastering is clean and respectful to the original tapes, and the accompanying booklet is packed with session details, producer credits, and historical notes. It’s not just a listening experience—it’s a guided tour through the rise of one of the most influential labels in pop history.

VA – Hitsville USA Vol. II, The Motown Singles Collection 1972–1992 [1993] Released just a year later in 1993, Volume II picks up where the first set left off, chronicling Motown’s evolution after its move from Detroit to Los Angeles. This 4-CD follow-up features 81 tracks, again using the original single mixes, and showcases how the label adapted to changing sounds and audiences over two decades.

Here, you’ll find Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On,” Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” and Rick James’ “Super Freak”, songs that defined the ’70s and ’80s. But it also includes early solo hits from Michael Jackson, Diana Ross’s reinvention, and Smokey Robinson’s smooth comeback. The set moves through funk, disco, quiet storm, and synth-pop, showing how Motown stayed relevant while still holding onto its emotional core. Like Volume I, the packaging includes full credits and rich liner notes, making it a perfect companion piece. 

Together, these two sets offer a panoramic view of Motown’s journey, from basement studios to global stardom, always driven by rhythm, soul, and storytelling.

If you care about the roots and evolution of soul, pop, funk, and R&B, or just want to hear how American music history was written one 45 at a time, these two box sets are essential companions. Volume I gives you the raw, mono magic of Motown’s Detroit years, where every track feels like it was made to move feet and stir hearts. Volume II picks up the baton and runs through two decades of reinvention, showing how Motown adapted, expanded, and kept its emotional core intact. Together, they’re not just collections, they’re living archives, packed with rarities, original mixes, and the full sweep of a label that changed everything. (B)

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Track lists

Vol. I

CD1

01 Barrett Strong - Money (That's What I Want) 2:37

02 Miracles - Shop Around 2:51

03 Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman 2:31

04 Eddie Holland - Jamie 2:25

05 Mary Wells - The One Who Really Loves You 2:29

06 Contours - Do You Love Me 2:54

07 Marvelettes - Beechwood 4-5789 2:14

08 Mary Wells - You Beat Me to The Punch 2:45

09 Marvin Gaye - Stubborn Kind of Fellow 2:45

10 Mary Wells - Two Lovers 2:48

11 Miracles - You've Really Got A Hold on Me 2:59

12 Martha & The Vandellas - Come and Get These Memories 2:25

13 Marvin Gaye - Pride and Joy 2:08

14 Little Stevie Wonder - Fingertips - Part 2 3:12

15 Martha & The Vandellas - (Love is Like A) Heat Wave 2:48

16 Miracles - Mickey's Monkey 2:47

17 Eddie Holland - Leaving Here 2:33

18 Temptations - The Way You Do The Things You 2:41

19 Mary Wells - My Guy 2:50

20 Shorty Long - Devil With The Blue Dress 3:13

21 Brenda Holloway - Every Little Bit Hurts 2:59

22 Four Tops - Baby I Need Your Loving 2:46

23 Martha & The Vandellas - Dancing in The Street 2:40

24 Carolyn Crawford - My Smile is Just A Frown (Turn 3:03

25 Velvelettes - Needle in A Haystack 2:32

26 Supremes - Baby Love 2:37

27 Supremes - Come See About Me 2:42

28 Marvin Gaye - How Sweet it is (To Be Loved B 2:58

CD2

01 Temptations - My Girl 2:57

02 Velvelettes - He Was Really Sayin' Somethin' 2:32

03 Four Tops - Ask The Lonely 2:48

04 Walker Junior & The All Stars - Shotgun 3:00

05 Martha & The Vandellas - Nowhere to Run 2:58

06 Brenda Holloway - When I'm Gone 2:09

07 Miracles - OOO Baby Baby 2:45

08 Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie 2:46

09 Contours - First I Look at The Purse 3:06

10 Miracles - The Tracks of My Tears 3:03

11 Four Tops - It's The Same Old Song 2:46

12 Martha & The Vandellas - Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Thin 2:57

13 Kim Weston - Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me 2:58

14 Stevie Wonder - Uptight (Everything's Alright) 2:54

15 Marvelettes - Don't Mess With Bill 2:50

16 Elgins - Darling Baby 2:36

17 Isley Brothers - This Old Heart of Mine (Is Wea 2:46

18 Monitors - Greetings (This is Uncle Sam) 3:03

19 Shorty Long - Function at The Junction 2:50

20 Walker Junior & The All Stars - Roadrunner 2:48

21 Temptations - Ain't Too Proud to Beg 2:34

22 Jimmy Ruffin - What Becomes of The Brokenhear 3:03

23 Walker Junior & The All Stars - How Sweet it is ( to Be Loved 3:03

24 Chris Clark - Love's Gone Bad 2:24

25 Supremes - You Can't Hurry Love 2:52

26 Temptations - Beauty is Only Skin Deep 2:24

27 Elgins - Heaven Must Have Sent You 2:33

CD3

01 Four Tops - Reach Out I'll Be There 3:01

02 Temptations - (I Know) I'm Losing You 2:28

03 Four Tops - Standing in The Shadows of Lov 2:39

04 Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston - It Takes Two 3:00

05 Marvelettes - The Hunter Gets Captured By Th 2:52

06 Martha & The Vandellas - Jimmy Mack 2:54

07 Four Tops - Bernadette 3:02

08 Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Ain't No Mountain High Enough 2:29

09 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - More Love 2:49

10 Gladys Knight & The Pips - I Heard it Through The Grapevi 2:56

11 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - I Second That Emotion 2:42

12 Temptations - I Wish it Would Rain 2:53

13 Rita Wright - I Can't Give Back The Love I F 2:40

14 Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers - Does Your Mama Know About Me 2:48

15 Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Ain't Nothing Like The Real Th 2:18

16 Diana Ross & The Supremes - Love Child 3:03

17 Stevie Wonder - For Once in My Life 2:52

18 Temptations - Cloud Nine 3:38

19 Marvin Gaye - I Heard it Through The Grapevi 3:15

20 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Baby, Baby Don't Cry 3:59

21 Edwin Starr - Twenty-Five Miles 3:22

22 David Ruffin - My Whole World Ended (The Mome 3:30

23 Jr. Walker & The All Stars - What Does it Take (To Win Your 2:31

24 Temptations - I Can't Get Next to You 2:56

25 Originals - Baby I'm for Real 3:20

26 Supremes - Up The Ladder to The Roof 3:16

CD4

01 Jackson 5 - I Want You Back 3:01

02 Originals - The Bells 2:56

03 Rare Earth - Get Ready 2:49

04 Jackson 5 - ABC 2:59

05 Temptations - Ball of Confusion (That's What 4:04

06 Jackson 5 - The Love You Save 3:05

07 Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm 2:48

08 Edwin Starr - War 3:28

09 Spinners - It's A Shame 3:09

10 Diana Ross - Ain't No Mountain High Enough 3:31

11 Four Tops - Still Water (Love) 3:15

12 Jackson 5 - I'll Be There 3:45

13 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - The Tears of A Clown 3:06

14 Supremes - Stoned Love 3:01

15 Gladys Knight & The Pips - If I Were Your Woman 3:14

16 Temptations - Just My Imagination (Running A 3:53

17 Marvin Gaye - What's Going On 3:57

18 Jackson 5 - Never Can Say Goodbye 3:02

19 Supremes - Nathan Jones 3:04

20 Gladys Knight & The Pips - I Don't Want to Do Wrong 3:24

21 Undisputed Truth - Smiling Faces Sometimes 3:17

22 Marvin Gaye - Mercy Mercy Me ( The Ecology) 2:31

23 Rare Earth - I Just Want to Celebrate 2:53

Vol. II

CD1

01 Michael Jackson - Got to Be There 3:25

02 Supremes - Floy Joy 2:35

03 Four Tops - A Simple Game 2:58

04 Jr. Walker & The All Stars - Walk in The Night 4:12

05 MIchael Jackson - Ben 2:47

06 Temptations - Papa Was A Rolling Stone 7:00

07 Valerie Simpson - Silly Wasn't I 2:11

08 Stevie Wonder - Superstition 4:15

09 Gladys Knight & The Pips - Neither One of Us (Wants to Be TheFirst to Say Goodbye) 4:23

10 Diana Ross - Touch Me in The Morning 3:28

11 Marvin Gaye - Let's Get it On 4:03

12 Eddie Kenricks - Keep on Truckin' (Part 1) 3:34

13 Eddie Kendricks - Boogie Down 3:52

14 Jackson 5 - Dancing Machine 2:42

15 Miracles - Do it Baby 3:04

16 Dynamic Superiors - Shoe Shoe Shine 3:47

17 Syreeta - Harmour Love 3:38

18 Willie Hutch - Love Power 3:34

19 G.C. Cameron - It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday 3:27

20 Miracles - Love Machine (Part 1) 3:01

21 David Ruffin - Walk Away From Love 3:18

CD2

01 Smokey Robinson - Quiet Storm 4:04

02 Diana Ross - Love Hangover 3:50

03 Marvin Gaye - I Want You 3:58

04 Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me This Way 3:41

05 Marvin Gaye - Got to Give it Up (Pt. 1) 4:15

06 Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke 3:57

07 Commodores - Easy 4:24

08 High Inergy - You Can't Turn Me Off (In The Middle of TurningMe On) 3:33

09 Commodores - Brick House 3:35

10 Rick James - You and I 3:13

11 Commodores - Three Times A Lady 3:39

12 Switch - There'll Never Be 3:36

13 Bonnie Pointer - Heaven Must Have Sent You 3:35

14 Commodores - Sail On 3:57

15 Smokey Robinson - Cruisin' 4:30

16 Commodores - Still 3:47

17 Billy Preston & Syreeta - With You I'm Born Again 3:42

18 Jermaine Jackson - Let's Get Serious 3:36

19 Teena Marie - I Need Your Lovin' 3:53

20 Smokey Robinson - Being With You 4:00

CD3

01 Diana Ross - Upside Down 3:40

02 Rick James - Give it to Me Baby 3:54

03 Michael Jackson - One Day in Your Life 4:18

04 Teena Marie - Square Biz 3:44

05 Commodores - Lady (You Bring Me Up) 4:01

06 Rick James - Super Freak (Pt. 1) 3:21

07 Betty LaVette - Right in The Middle (Of Falling in Love) 3:43

08 Dazz Band - Let it Whip 4:08

09 Lionel Richie - All Night Long (All Night) 4:19

10 DeBarge - Time Will Reveal 4:07

11 Dennis Edwards featuring Siedah Garrett - Don't Look Any Further 4:06

12 Stevie Wonder - I Just Called to Say I Love You 4:25

13 Temptations - Treat Her Like A Lady 4:09

14 Rick James featuring Smokey Robinson - Ebony Eyes 4:03

15 Commodores - Nightshift 4:25

16 DeBarge - Rhythm of The Night 3:55

17 Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me 4:01

18 Mary Jane Girls - In My House 3:56

CD4

01 Stevie Wonder - Part Time Lover 3:45

02 El Debarge - Who's Johnny 4:11

03 Temptations - Lady Soul 4:46

04 Stacy Lattisaw - Nail it to The Wall 3:56

05 Chico Debarge - Talk to Me 3:52

06 Smokey Robinson - Just to See Her 4:04

07 Smokey Robinson - One Heartache 4:06

08 Boys - Dial My Heart 4:25

09 Today - Him Or Me 4:22

10 Good Girls - Your Sweetness 4:04

11 Stacy Lattisaw With Johnny Gill - Where Do We Go From Here 4:20

12 Johnny Gill - Rub You The Right Way 4:17

13 Gerald Alston - Slow Motion 5:08

14 Another Bad Creation - Iesha 4:21

15 Boyz II Men - Motownphilly 3:54

16 Shanice - I Love Your Smile 4:25

17 Boyz II Men - End of The Road 5:50

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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VA - Tamla Motown Presents... 40 Mod Classics (45th Anniversary Remastered Expanded Deluxe Edition) [2024] (2 x CDs)

 

K SPECIAL

VA - Tamla Motown Presents... 40 Mod Classics (45th Anniversary Remastered Expanded Deluxe Edition) [2024] (2 x CDs)

In celebration of exactly 45 years since this 2LP series was initially released in 1979 and 1980, here is my personal compilation of these 40 classic Motown tracks

presented as they were originally released in their 7" 45 mono single versions.

These two albums have never been released on CD, and many have requested for years that they be, so this is a true first. They were originally released on vinyl and cassette.

Tamla Motown played a huge part of the original mod scene in the 1960s, and many bands included Motown covers in their sets and album releases.

The Action were an English band of the 1960s, formed as the Boys in August 1963, in Kentish Town, North West London. They were part of the mod subculture, and played soul music-influenced pop music.

They were renowned for their own arrangements of American Tamla Motown songs and releasing them as singles.

The Action first auditioned for Decca on May 31, 1965, with an assortment of demos such as "In My Lonely Room", "You'll Want Me Back", "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)", and "Fine Looking Girl".

In 1965, they signed to Parlophone with producer George Martin, head of Associated Independent Recording (AIR). Released in October 1965, "Land of a Thousand Dances" b/w "In My Lonely Room" was well received by critics.

In 1966, the band released two more singles "I'll Keep Holding On" and "Baby, You've Got It". "I'll Keep Holding On" was not only the most highly regarded Action 45, but also one of the few Motown covers that is markedly superior to the original. The single was released in February 1966, and entered the Melody Maker single charts. It managed to reach No.42 (on March 5, 1966), and even as high as No.39. On June 3, 1966, the band made an appearance on the Dick Clark show Where the Action Is, performing their single "I'll Keep Holding On", while being filmed outside the Royal Albert Hall, in South Kensington, London.

"I'll Keep Holding On" is a song composed by Mickey Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter and recorded by Motown singing group The Marvelettes, who released the single on the Tamla imprint in 1965. Peaking at #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 (and #11 on the R&B charts), This was among the first A-side singles that longtime Marvelettes member Wanda Young sung lead on. Before 1965, the majority of the leads in Marvelettes songs had belonged to original member Gladys Horton. The single features a woman determined to win the love of an unknowingly conquest telling him that she'll convince him to love her "until my will to resist is gone". Her Marvelettes band mates Gladys Horton and Katherine Anderson egg her on with her ad-libbing "oh yeah/sho' nuff" in the bridge leading up to the chorus.

"Heat Wave" is a 1963 song written by the Holland–Dozier-Holland songwriting team. It was first made popular by the Motown vocal group Martha and the Vandellas, who issued it as a single on July 10, 1963, on the Motown subsidiary Gordy label. The single reached number one on the Billboard Hot R&B chart - where it stayed for four weeks - and peaking at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Who included a cover of the song on their 1966 album 'A Quick One’ and also covered "Motoring", again originally recorded and released by Martha and the Vandellas as the B-side to their single "Nowhere to Run" in February 1965.

Later in 1979, The Jam covered "Heat Wave", including it on their Setting Sons album and also releasing it as a single in both the US and Japan.

The Jam also covered "Back in My Arms Again", originally recorded by The Supremes in 1965, and was released as the B-side as part of a medley recorded live at London's 100 Club on 11 September 1977 on their October 1977 single "The Modern World".

"Back in My Arms Again" is a 1965 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label.

Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland-Dozier–Holland, "Back in My Arms Again" was the fifth consecutive and overall number-one song for the group on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in the United States from June 6, 1965, through June 12, 1965, also topping the soul chart for a week.

All recordings on this 2CD set are the original mono takes of songs released as 45rpm singles between August 1959 and September 1967 - "Fingertips (Part 2)", "Come and Get These Memories" and "Mickey's Monkey" on the Oriole American label during 1963; "The Way You Do the Things You Do", "In My Lonely Room" and " I Like It Like That" on the Stateside label during 1964; all remaining songs were released on the Tamla Motown label.

Both original albums were released in the UK only and manufactured and distributed by EMI Records Ltd. in conjunction with the Motown Record Corporation.

A 7" vinyl single featuring the Tamla Motown classics 'Heatwave' and 'Dancing in the Street' by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas was also released to promote the album '20 Mod Classics' in 1979.

For this 45th anniversary special edition, I have expanded each disc by 9 tracks, therefore adding an additional 18 tracks to the original LP and cassette releases.

In keeping with the Motown/Mod tradition, the bonus tracks have all been long time Mod favourites danced to in the clubs over the years.

Here’s a review of volume 2:

If ever a better Motown compilation came out on record, I never discovered one. It’s rare that a second volume surpasses a first, but this one just managed it –…

https://www.survivefrance.com/t/tamla-motown-presents-20-mod-classics-vol-2/9663/18

CD1: Tracks 1-29 Time: 79:01

CD2: Tracks 1-29 Time: 78:11

Enjoy!

K

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Track lists

CD1

01 Marvin Gaye - Can I Get a Witness (Original 1963 7" Mono Single Version) 2:49

02 Martha and the Vandellas - Heat Wave (Original 1963 7" Mono Single Version) 2:48

03 The Miracles - I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying (Original 1963 7" Mono Single Version) 2:39

04 The Supremes - When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes (Original 1963 7" Mono Single Version) 3:06

05 Martha and the Vandellas - Quicksand (Original 1963 7" Mono Single Version) 2:46

06 The Marvelettes - As Long As I Know He's Mine (Original 1963 7" Mono Single Version) 2:32

07 Marvin Gaye - You're a Wonderful One (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) 2:50

08 Mary Wells - My Guy (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) 2:48

09 The Temptations - The Girl's Alright with Me (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) 2:53

10 Stevie Wonder - Hey Harmonica Man (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) 2:33

11 Martha and the Vandellas - Dancing in the Street (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) 2:40

12 The Marvelettes - You're My Remedy (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) 3:04

13 The Temptations - Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue) (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) 2:13

14 The Miracles - That's What Love Is Made Of (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) 2:57

15 Marvin Gaye - How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) 2:59

16 The Velvelettes - Needle in a Haystack (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) 2:31

17 The Marvelettes - Too Many Fish in the Sea (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) 2:27

18 The Supremes - Come See About Me (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) 2:41

19 The Temptations - My Girl (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) 2:56

20 The Velvelettes - He Was Really Sayin' Somethin' (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) 2:31

21 Barrett Strong - Money (That's What I Want) (Original 1959 7" Mono Single Version) (Bonus Track) 2:39

22 The Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman (Original 1961 7" Mono Single Version) (Bonus Track) 2:30

23 Eddie Holland - Leaving Here (Original 1963 7" Mono Single Version) (Bonus Track) 2:32

24 Earl Van Dyke - Soul Stomp (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) (Bonus Track) 2:33

25 The Miracles - Going to a Go-Go (Original 1965 7" Mono Single Version) (Bonus Track) 2:49

26 The Monitors - Number One In Your Heart (Original 1966 7" Mono Single Version) (Bonus Track) 2:42

27 Martha and the Vandellas - Jimmy Mack (Original 1967 7" Mono Single Version) (Bonus Track) 2:53

28 Chris Clark - From Head to Toe (Original 1967 7" Mono Single Version) (Bonus Track) 2:44

29 Brenda Holloway - Every Little Bit Hurts (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) (Bonus Track) 2:56

CD2

01 Little Stevie Wonder - Fingertips (Part 2) (Original 1963 7" Mono Single Version) 3:12

02 Martha and the Vandellas - Come and Get These Memories (Original 1963 7" Mono Single Version) 2:28

03 The Miracles - Mickey's Monkey (Original 1963 7" Mono Single Version) 2:46

04 The Temptations - The Way You Do the Things You Do (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) 2:38

05 Martha and the Vandellas - In My Lonely Room (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) 2:31

06 The Miracles - I Like It Like That (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) 2:35

07 Junior Walker & the All Stars - Shotgun (Original 1965 7" Mono Single Version) 2:58

08 Martha and the Vandellas - Nowhere to Run (Original 1965 7" Mono Single Version) 2:52

09 Brenda Holloway - When I'm Gone (Original 1965 7" Mono Single Version) 2:08

10 Marvin Gaye - I'll Be Doggone (Original 1965 7" Mono Single Version) 2:52

11 The Supremes - Back in My Arms Again (Original 1965 7" Mono Single Version) 2:57

12 The Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) (Original 1965 7" Mono Single Version) 2:44

13 The Velvelettes - Lonely, Lonely Girl Am I (Original 1966 7" Mono Single Version) 2:11

14 The Detroit Spinners - I'll Always Love You (Original 1965 7" Mono Single Version) 2:46

15 The Contours - First I Look at the Purse (Original 1965 7" Mono Single Version) 3:03

16 Kim Weston - Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While) (Original 1965 7" Mono Single Version) 2:55

17 Marvin Gaye - Ain't That Peculiar (Original 1965 7" Mono Single Version) 2:59

18 Stevie Wonder - Uptight (Everything's Alright) (Original 1965 7" Mono Single Version) 2:53

19 Kim Weston - Helpless (Original 1966 7" Mono Single Version) 2:37

20 Junior Walker & the All Stars - (I'm a) Road Runner (Original 1966 7" Mono Single Version) 2:47

21 Frank Wilson - Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) (Original 1965 7" Mono Single Version) (Bonus Track) 2:33

22 R. Dean Taylor - There's a Ghost in My House (Original 1967 7" Mono Single Version) (Bonus Track) 2:26

23 The Elgins - Heaven Must Have Sent You (Original 1966 7" Mono Single Version) (Bonus Track) 2:33

24 The Supremes - You Keep Me Hangin' On (Original 1966 7" Mono Single Version) (Bonus Track) 2:47

25 Gladys Knight & the Pips - Just Walk in My Shoes (Original 1966 7" Mono Single Version) (Bonus Track) 2:26

26 Barbara McNair - You're Gonna Love My Baby (Original 1965 7" Mono Single Version) (Bonus Track) 2:57

27 Martha and the Vandellas - Motoring (Original 1965 7" Mono Single Version) (Bonus Track) 2:47

28 The Marvelettes - I'll Keep Holding On (Original 1965 7" Mono Single Version) (Bonus Track) 2:27

29 Tammi Terrell - Come On and See Me (Original 1966 7" Mono Single Version) (Bonus Track) 2:23

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VA - Motown Rare Grooves (A Butterboy Compilation) CD1+CD2+CD3+CD4

 

RARE MOTOWN GROOVES

VA - Motown Rare Grooves (A Butterboy Compilation) CD1+CD2+CD3+CD4

Motown Records was one of the most successful and influential record labels in the history of popular music, producing a vast array of hits and launching the careers of numerous legendary artists. However, there are still some lesser-known Motown gems that are worth exploring. Here are a few rare Motown songs you may enjoy. 

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Pt.1     Pt.2 

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Track lists

CD1

01 Willie Hutch - So Excited 5:03

02 Barbara Mcnair - Steal Away Tonight 3:03

03 David Ruffin - It's Gonna Take A Whole Lot Of Doin' 2:53

04 Stevie Wonder - Just Enough To Ease The Pain 3:06

05 Mary Wells - When I'm Gone 2:20

06 Mable John - You Made A Fool Out Of Me 2:23

07 Herman Griffin - Sleep (Little One) 2:47

08 Terry Johnson - My Springtime 2:33

09 Suzy Wallis - A Time For Us 2:13

10 Earl Van Dyke & The Soul Brothers - Too Many Fish In The See 2:19

11 Lorraine Chandler - What Can I Do 2:39

12 Satintones - A Love That Can Never Be 2:42

13 Tommy Good - Baby I Miss You 2:58

14 Paul Petersen - Don't Let It Happen To Us 3:09

15 Creations - This Is Our Night 2:14

16 Connie Van Dyke - It Hurt Me Too 2:36

17 Marvin Gaye - Witchcraft 2:26

18 Valadiers - I Found A Girl 2:44

19 Debbie Dean - Stay My Love 2:47

20 Temptations - Masterpiece 13:37

CD2

21 Diana Ross & The Supremes - Stormy 3:03

22 Elgins - Darling Baby 2:35

23 Joan Moody - Don't Do Me That Way 2:38

24 Serenaders - If Your Heart Says Yes 2:48

25 Hattie Littles - Is It True (What They Say About You) 2:22

26 Sandra Mallett; The Vandellas - It's Gonna Be Hard Times 2:31

27 Eric & The Vikings - It's Too Much For Man To Take Too Long [Stereo Promo Version] 3:31

28 Dalton Boys - I've Been Cheated 2:35

29 Sylvia St. Claire - Just Love Me 2:37

30 Andre Williams - Rosa Lee (Stay Off The Bell) 2:28

31 J.J. Barnes - Show Me The Way 1:51

32 Beans Bowles & The Swinging Tygers - Snake Walk, Pt. 1 2:28

33 Beans Bowles & The Swinging Tygers - Snake Walk, Pt. 2 2:45

34 Chuck Jackson - The Day The World Stood Still 3:02

35 Anita York - Think It Over 2:27

36 Charters - Trouble Lover 2:06

37 Little Iva & Her Band - When I Needed You 2:55

38 Patti Austin - You'd Better Know What You're Getting 2:31

39 Kim Weston - Helpless 2:50

40 Christine Schumacher; The Supremes - Mother You, Smother You 2:28

CD3

41 Eddie Holland - Jamie 2:23

42 Jonah Jones - For Better Or Worse 2:55

43 Rhetta Hughes - I Can't Stand The Pressure 2:17

44 Barbara Mcnair - I Know Better 2:29

45 Spinners - In My Diary 2:47

46 Toys - On Backstreet 2:43

47 Lee Alan - Set Me Free 2:40

48 Chris Clark - Something's Wrong 2:44

49 Satintones - Sugar Daddy 2:48

50 Lollipops - Cheating, Is Telling On You 2:41

51 Velvelettes - That's A Funny Way 2:48

52 Mary Wells - The One Who Really Loves You 2:27

53 Sammy Ward - Who's The Fool 2:42

54 Amanda Love - You Keep Calling Me By Her Name 3:00

55 Isley Brothers - Guess I'll Always Love You 2:39

56 Gladys Knight & The Pips - If You Ever Get Your Hands On Love 2:52

57 Chico Leverett - I'll Never Love Again 2:31

58 Supremes - I Want A Guy 3:05

59 Marvelettes - Your Love Can Save Me 2:36

60 Jr. Walker & The All Stars - Brainwasher (Part 1) 2:53

CD4

61 Spinners - I'll Always Love You 2:47

62 Supremes - A Breath Taking Guy 2:25

63 Frank Wilson - Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) 2:31

64 Bobby Taylor - It Should Have Been Me Loving Her 2:59

65 Marva Josie - Later For You Baby 2:23

66 Monitors - Number One In Your Heart 2:42

67 Brenda Holloway - Play It Cool, Stay In School 2:31

68 Vibrations - Since I Fell For You 2:17

69 Terry Johnson - Suzie 2:47

70 Tony Martin - Ask Any Man 2:40

71 Blinky - How You Gonna Keep It (After You Got It) 2:39

72 Patrice Holloway - (He Is) The Boy Of My Dreams 2:10

73 Downbeats - Your Baby's Back 2:34

74 Kim Weston - You Hit Me (Where It Hurt Me) 2:49

75 Oma Heard - Lifetime Man 2:10

76 Velvelettes - A Bird In Hand (Is Worth Two In The Bush) 2:52

77 Miracles - Got A Job 2:43

78 Jackson 5 - Doctor, My Eyes 3:14

79 Ron & Bill - Don't Say Bye Bye 2:01

80 Debbie Dean - But I'm Afraid 2:52

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