The Motown Box [Box set] [Original recording remastered]

Disc: 1
1. The Miracles SHOP AROUND (hit version stereo mix)*
2. The Marvelettes- PLEASE MR. POSTMAN (extended stereo mix)*
3. The Contours- DO YOU LOVE ME (hit version stereo mix)*
4. Mary Wells- TWO LOVERS
5. The Miracles- YOU’VE REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME (extended stereo mix)
See all 20 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
1. Martha & The Vandellas- DANCING IN THE STREET
2. The Temptations- GET READY
3. Kim Weston- TAKE ME IN YOUR ARMS (ROCK ME A LITTLE WHILE)
4. The Supremes- BACK IN MY ARMS AGAIN (extended stereo mix)*
5. The Miracles- GOING TO A GO-GO (extended stereo mix)*
See all 20 tracks on this disc
Disc: 3
1. Martha & The Vandellas- NOWHERE TO RUN
2. The Temptations- SINCE I LOST MY BABY (first-time stereo mix)*
3. The Temptations- YOU’RE MY EVERYTHING
4. The Miracles- (COME ’ROUND HERE) I’M THE ONE YOU NEED
5. The Supremes- MY WORLD IS EMPTY WITHOUT YOU (extended stereo mix)
See all 20 tracks on this disc
Disc: 4
1. The Miracles- I’VE BEEN GOOD TO YOU (extended stereo mix)*
2. Stevie Wonder- PURPLE RAINDROPS (first-time stereo mix)*
3. Marvin Gaye- PRETTY LITTLE BABY (first-time stereo mix)*
4. The Supremes- LET ME GO THE RIGHT WAY
5. The Temptations- YOU’LL LOSE A PRECIOUS LOVE (extended stereo mix)*
See all 12 tracks on this disc

The Motown Box,Various Artists,Motown / Pgd,Motown,Northern Soul,Pop,Pop-Soul,R&B,Rock/Pop Collections,Smooth Soul,Soul,Uptown Soul,Urban,V/a Compilations

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Average customer rating: MONO-TOWN the sound of a young america Longer Songs Pretty Much All You Need This is the Motown sound!

Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971 Various Artists Manufacturer: Motown ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Disco | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Smooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Soul-Jazz & Boogaloo | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Teen Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Girl Groups | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Bubblegum | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music 1960s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music 1970s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music Compilations | Pop | Styles | Music | Dance Pop | Easy Listening | General | Oldies | Traditional Vocalists General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Northern | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Compilations | R&B | Styles | Music Motown | Compilations | R&B | Styles | Music Soul | Compilations | R&B | Styles | Music General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music 1960-1969 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music 1970-1979 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Pop | Box Sets | Stores | Music R&B & Soul | Box Sets | Stores | Music General | Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music Classic Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1972-1992 Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947-1974 Standing in the Shadows of Motown: Deluxe Edition The Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 The Motown Box ASIN: B000006NUW Release Date: 1992-11-03

Tracks:

1. Money (That's What I Want) - Barrett Strong
2. Shop Around - The Miracles
3. Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes
4. Jamie - Eddie Holland
5. The One Who Really Loves You - Mary Wells
6. Do You Love Me - The Contours
7. Beechwood 4-5789 - The Marvelettes
8. You Beat Me To The Punch - Mary Wells
9. Stubborn Kind Of Fellow - Marvin Gaye
10. Two Lovers - Mary Wells
11. You've Really Got A Hold On Me - The Miracles
12. Come and Get These Memories - Martha & the Vandellas
13. Pride And Joy - Marvin Gaye
14. Fingertips- Part 2 - Little Stevie Wonder
15. (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave - Martha & the Vandellas
16. Mickey's Monkey - The Miracles
17. Leaving Here - Eddie Holland
18. The Way You Do The Things You Do - The Temptations
19. My Guy - Mary Wells
20. Devil With The Blue Dress - Shorty Long
21. Every Little Bit Hurts - Brenda Holloway
22. Baby I Need Your Loving - Four Tops
23. Dancing in the Street - Martha & the Vandellas
24. My Smile Is Just a Frown (Turned Upside Down) - Crawford, Carolyn
25. Needle in a Haystack - Velvelettes
26. Baby Love - Supremes
27. Come See About Me - Supremes
28. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) - Gaye, Marvin

Tracks:

1. My Girl - The Temptations
2. He Was Really Sayin Somethin' - The Velvelettes
3. Ask The Lonely - Four Tops
4. Shotgun - Jr. Walker & The All Stars
5. Nowhere to Run - Martha & the Vandellas
6. When I'm Gone - Brenda Holloway
7. OOO Baby Baby - The Miracles
8. I Can't Helf Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) - Four Tops
9. First I Look At The Purse - The Contours
10. The Tracks Of My Tears - The Miracles
11. It's The Same Old Song - Four Tops
12. Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things) - Martha & the Vandellas
13. Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While) - Kim Weston
14. Uptight (Everything's Alright) - Stevie Wonder
15. Don't Mess With Bill - The Marvelettes
16. Darling Baby - The Elgins
17. This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You) - Isley Brothers
18. Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam) - The Monitors
19. Function At The Junction - Shorty Long
20. (I'm A) Roadrunner - Jr. Walker & The All Stars
21. Ain't Too Proud To Beg - The Temptations
22. What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted - Jimmy Ruffin
23. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) - Jr. Walker & The All Stars
24. Love Gone Bad - Chris Clark
25. You Can't Hurry Love - The Supremes
26. Beauty Is Only Skin Deep - The Temptations
27. Heaven Must Have Sent You - The Elgins

Tracks:

1. Reach Out I'll Be There - Four Tops
2. I'm Losing You - The Temptations
3. Standing In The Shadows Of Love - Four Tops
4. It Take Two - Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston
5. The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game - Marvelettes
6. Jimmy Mack - Martha & The Vandellas
7. Bernadette - Four Tops
8. Ain't No Mountian High Enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
9. More Love - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
10. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Gladys Knight & The Pips
11. I Second That Emotion - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
12. I Wish It Would Rain - The Temptations
13. I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You - Rita Wright
14. Does Your Mama Know About Me - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers
15. Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrel
16. Love Child - Diana Ross & The Supremes
17. For Once In My Life - Stevie Wonder
18. Cloud Nine - The Temptations
19. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye
20. Baby, Baby Don't Cry - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
21. Twenty-Five Miles - Edwin Starr
22. My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me) - David Ruffin
23. What Does It take (To Win Your Love) - Jr. Walker & The All Stars
24. I Can't Get Next To You - The Temptations
25. Baby I'm For Real - The Originals
26. Up The Ladder To The Roof - The Supremes

Tracks:

1. I Want You Back - The Jackson 5
2. The Bells - The Originals
3. Gat Ready - Rare Earth
4. ABC - The Jackson 5
5. Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today) - The Temptations
6. The Love You Save - The Jackson 5
7. Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours - Stevie Wonder
8. War - Edwin Starr
9. It's A Shame - The Spinners
10. Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Diana Ross
11. Still Water (Love) - Four Tops
12. I'll Be There - The Jackson 5
13. The Tears Of A Clown - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
14. Stoned Love - The Supremes
15. If I Were Your Woman - Gladys Knight & The Pips
16. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) - The Temptations
17. What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
18. Never Can Say Goodbye - The Jackson 5
19. Nathan Jones - The Supremes
20. I Don't Want To Do Wrong - Gladys Knight & The Pips
21. Smiling Faces Sometimes - The Undisputed Truth
22. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) - Mavin Gaye
23. I Just Want To Celebrate - Rare Earth

Amazon.com

Motown did so many things well in the '60s and early '70s that this overview of the label's smashes (and some lesser-known classics) practically demands four CDs. It gets them, too, filling them with single mixes of more than 100 tracks. That the running order begins with Barrett Strong's statement of purpose "Money (That's What I Want)" and ends with Marvin Gaye's statement of concern "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" says a lot about how far the company moved in its golden decade--but no more so than what the same two cuts' differences in sound get across. The company was able to blend the smooth and the harsh in ways that few other pop entities have ever mastered, thereby getting over not only to the feet and the wallet, but to the heart. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

MONO-TOWN.......2007-02-25

HITSVILLE USA is a box set that's clearly marked as a SINGLES COLLECTION-- that means these 104 tracks are in the original monaural sound. If you're looking for stereo mixes, this isn't the collection for you. That issue aside, the only real criticism of the album is one of programming-- songs tend to be clustered by artist or group. Perhaps a more thorough shuffle was in order.

Each CD jewel case is fronted with a repro of a Gordy Co. label, including one of the very first MOTOWNs, which was pale pink in color. The accompanying 68-page long box book is quite comprehensive. Recording dates for all songs and chart positions are given. There's lots of great photos; artists and groups are given a few pages of bio each. This HITSVILLE USA four-CD box set is fairly extensive, and about all you'd ever need in a compilation of MOTOWN 45s.

TOTAL RUNNING TIMES --
DISC ONE -- 76:10
DISC TWO -- 75:21
DISC THREE -- 77:09
DISC FOUR -- 74:10

the sound of a young america.......2006-12-28

this was my true introduction to the music of motown and now i see why motown was great a lot of these song i frist heard by other artist but hearing the orginals has made appericate the motown sound so much more and i believe anyone who hears these songs will enjoy them for a lifetime and i know i am

Longer Songs.......2006-12-09

The Songs on this are FANTASTIC! I Love Mono Recording. Everyone says that if it's stereo, it "sounds better". I think NOT! It Sounds alright. But, Hey, if you want longer mono versions of the music, without the unnecessary extensions, buy this. For example, Nowhere To Run on this box set-2:58.
Motown Box-Nowhere To Run-2:46-TWELVE SECONDS!There's A Big Difference there.
Also, With Dancing In The Street, my favorite part is on this, when Martha says "Yeah", at the end, on Motown Box, 4 seconds are 'remastered'. (frown)Therefore, it is'nt there. BUT, people, There are a few notable songs missing. Quicksand, By Martha & the Vandellas, Bye Bye Baby, By Mary Wells, Playboy, by the Marvelettes, When The Lovelight starts shining through His eyes, by the Supremes, Hitch Hike, By Marvin Gaye, and others, you know what I mean? So, overall, this is the better box to get.

Pretty Much All You Need.......2006-10-17

There are so many good songs here, you can't go wrong. Don't let the whole 'mono' thing scare you away, either. With a decent stereo, these sound just fine. Just turn up the bass a little and crank it loud. I like about 80% of the songs in this collection, and for the price you can't go wrong; Nice booklet w/ lots of cool pictures included. With this collection, you'd only need to buy a handful of other discs to complete your Motown collection...

This is the Motown sound!.......2006-08-11

What is Motown all about? The answer lies within the music of this rather impressive line-up of songs on "Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971." It's the story of how a gifted songwriter, Berry Gordy, Jr., makes his way on up the ladder of success spearheading one of if not the most successful
of all R&B-based record companies during the golden age of American popular music. Detroit, Michigan, known as the Motor City, gained yet another nickname: Hitsville USA. Everyone referred to it as Motown. In this collection, all of the well-known groups (The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Miracles, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Jr. Walker & the All-Stars, The Jackson 5) are represented as well as the known solo artists (Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Mary Wells, Brenda Holloway). Included also are some wonderful one or two-shot wonders (Shorty Long, Brenda Holloway, Eddie Holland [of Motown's hit-making songwriting trio H-D-H], The Velvelettes, The Elgins, The Monitors, The Contours) and more. What's interesting about this set is that there are many of the well-known songs along with some songs that you probably just don't hear anymore or weren't that well-known. So you get your fair share of both like the Supremes' well-known "Baby Love" and Shorty Long's rare but wonderful "Function at the Junction." The downside of this set is nothing too alarming. Not all the artists' hit songs, big and small, are included and I think that's done so that other little-known-but-definitely-worth-discovering are given a chance at spin time, too; even some from the top artists, too. Think about it: if every single Motown record that made the charts was included, this collection would just balloon up, and there'd be no telling how far. So this is a very nice general overview of those first 12 and golden years of Motown. That's what this is all about: the general overview. Granted, if you want to investiagte further about a certain artist's music, there are numerous collections out there devoted just to them like the single "Ultimate Collection" CDs, or box collections of the artist. But, back to this one. Included within is a very nice 68-page booklet containing essays and phots of ALL the artists, plus musician credits, the track-by-track listing of the whole set, including original release date, label, and chart position.
In the middle of the book the different 45s are pictured all together on a two-page spread which was neat, and on the cover are the picture sleeves. It was an unusual move to put no artists and only songs on the back of the individual discs. The same goes for the back of the box. The paper inserts of the CD cases are record labels that have just the label name: Gordy, Soul, Motown, Tamla. Still, out of all the Motown best of various artists collections, this is the big one! It's great party music and dance music. People young and old will love this. The sound on here is terrific and powerful, but, yes, it is in mono. If you look in the back of the booklet, there is noted that the original single masters were used (the 45 RPM versions), so what does that tell you? Nevertheless, the sound is strong for 1992 remastering. Together, this set is living proof that Motown wasn't just a hit-making machine of a record-company, it was a feeling!

Average customer rating: Not too great Another great Rhino Doo Wop collection. Excellent selection & sound quality Sometimes the second helping is better Great follow up

The Doo Wop Box, Vol. 2 Various Artists Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Doo Wop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Girl Groups | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music 1950s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music 1960s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music Oldies | Compilations | Pop | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music Motown | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music Vintage Rock & Roll | Compilations | Rock | Styles | Music 1960-1969 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music 1950-1959 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Pop | Box Sets | Stores | Music R&B & Soul | Box Sets | Stores | Music General | Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music Classic Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Doo Wop Box Doo Wop Box, Vol. 3: 101 More Vocal Group Gems from the Golden Age of Rock-N-Roll Rock, Rhythm and Doo Wop, Vol. 1: The Greatest Songs From Early Rock 'n' Roll Doo Wop: Vocal Group Greats Golden Era of Rock 'n' Roll: 1954-1963 ASIN: B0000033UQ Release Date: 1996-10-01

Tracks:

1. My Reverie - The Larks
2. Fool, Fool, Fool - The Clovers
3. Where Are You Now (Now That I Need You) - The Mello-Moods
4. Is It A Dream - The Vocaleers
5. I Love You So - The Crows
6. Baby, It's You - TheSpaniels
7. Marie - The Four Tunes
8. My Saddest Hour - The Five Keys
9. A Thousand Stars - The Rivileers
10. Darling Dear - The Counts
11. Secret Love - The Moonglows
12. Dear One - The Scarlets
13. Hey Senorita - The Penguins
14. Oop Shoop - Shirley Gunter & 'The Queens'
15. Ling, Ting, Tong - The Five Keys
16. Smoke From Your Cigarette - The Mellows
17. The Door Is Still Open - The Cardinals
18. Lonely Nights - The Hearts
19. Heaven And Paradise - Don Julian & The Meadowlarks
20. Chop Chop Boom - The Danderliers
21. Life Is But A Dream - The Harptones
22. Soldier Boy - The Four Fellows
23. Smokey Joe's Cafe - The Robins
24. Crazy For You - The Heartbeats
25. I'll Be Forever Loving You - The El Dorados

Tracks:

1. You Baby You - The Cleftones
2. Eddie My Love - The Teen Queens
3. Ruby Baby - The Drifters
4. Zoom - The Cadillacs
5. The Woo Woo Train - The Valentines
6. Up On The Mountain - The Magnificents
7. A Kiss From Your Lips - Flamingos
8. Ka-Ding Dong - The G-Clefs
9. My Prayer - The Platters
10. Castle In The Sky - The Bop-Chords
11. The Angels Sang - The Solitaires
12. Pretty Little Girl - The Monarchs
13. The ABC's Of Love - Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
14. Rubber Biscuit - The Chips
15. You Gave Me Peace Of Mind - The Spaniels
16. Guided Missiles - The Cufflinks
17. Over The Mountain, Cross The Sea - Johnnie & Joe
18. Glory Of Love - The Velvetones
19. Rang Tang Ding Dong (I Am The Japanese Sandman) - The Cellos
20. United - The Love Notes
21. To The Aisle - The Five Satins
22. Mr. Lee - The Bobbettes
23. Can I Come Over Tonight - The Velours
24. Let's Start All Over Again - The Paragons
25. Peanuts - Little Joe & The Thrillers
26. That's My Desire - The Channels

Tracks:

1. Could This Be Magic - The Dubs
2. Zoom Zoom Zoom - The Collegians
3. We Belong Together - Robert & Johnny
4. The Things I Love - The Fidelity's
5. Oh Gee, Oh Gosh - The Kodoks
6. Two People In The World - The Imperials
7. Stormy Weather - The Spaniels
8. You're So Fine - The Falcons
9. Dedicated To The One I Love - The Shirelles
10. This I Swear - The Skyliners
11. Island Of Love - The Sheppards
12. Love Potion No.9 - The Clovers
13. Bad Girl - The Miracles
14. Believe Me - Royal Teens
15. Canadian Sunset - The Impacts
16. Babalu's Wedding Day - The Eternals
17. The Bells Of Rosa Rita - The Admirations
18. Darling Lorraine - The Knockouts
19. Where Or When - Dion & The Belmonts
20. Let It Please Be You - The Desires
21. I Only Want You - The Passions
22. Barbara - The Temptations
23. Step By Step - The Crests
24. Rendezvous - The Desires
25. Diamonds And Pearls - The Paradons

Tracks:

1. Once In A While - The Chimes
2. Valarie - Starlites
3. To Be Loved (Forever) - The Pentagons
4. In My Heart - The Timestones
5. Those Oldies But Goodies (Remind Me Of You) - Little Caesar & The Romans
6. Heart And Soul - The Cleftones
7. Lover's Island - The Blue Jays
8. Pretty Little Angel Eyes - Curtis Lee
9. When We Get Married - The Dreamlovers
10. Runaround - The Regents
11. Look In My Eyes - The Chantels
12. I Really Love You - The Stereos
13. Heartaches - The Marcels
14. Duke Of Earl - Gene Chandler
15. Rip Van Winkle - The Devotions
16. What's Your Name - Don & Juan
17. I Found A Love - The Falcons & Band (Ohio Untouchables)
18. I Love You - The Volume's
19. You Belong To Me - The Duprees
20. What Time Is It? - Jive Five
21. Arabia - The Delco's
22. Play Those Oldies, Mr. Dee Jay - Anthony & The Sophomores
23. Memories Of El Monte - The Penguins
24. Don't Leave Me Baby - The Camelots
25. Till Then - The Classics

Amazon.com

The second set of Rhino Records' The Doo Wop Box includes such gems as Robert & Johnny's "We Belong Together," Gene Chandler's "Duke of Earl" and the Robins' original version of Leiber & Stoller's "Smokey Joe's Café." The box set contains 39 Top 30 R&B hits plus such pop smashes as the Platters' "My Prayer," the Clovers' "Love Potion No. 9," Dion & the Belmonts' "Where or When," the Crests' "Step by Step," the Marcels' "Heartaches" and Don & Juan's "What's Your Name." Putting more emphasis on uptempo tunes than its predecessor, the new box includes both the Cadillacs' "Zoom" and the Collegians' "Zoom Zoom Zoom" as well as Frankie Lymon's giddy, boy soprano on the galloping "ABC's of Love." The first Doo Wop Box is still the better collection, for it had first crack at the widely acknowledged classics of the genre, but The Doo Wop Box II is full of historical milestones and dizzying music. --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews:

Not too great.......2005-09-25

While all of the music is good, there are only a few well know songs so I feel it was a big waste of a lot of money.

Another great Rhino Doo Wop collection........2005-09-21

The Doo Wop Box, Vol. 2 takes up where the excellent Box #1 left off.
For the most part the songs are great, with the notable exception of The Falcons "I Found A Love" which suffers from not being doo-wop (it's proto-soul) and having terrible sound to boot. But only one clunker out of 101 is a pretty good batting average!
The rest of the songs are great and the recording quality is excellent.
This is a must-have set for fans of the genre.

Excellent selection & sound quality.......2005-08-27

Many of these songs are not commonly found on other CD collections. They are all the original versions and are of excellent quality. A couple of them are the same songs as on a Time-Life doo wop CD I bought over 10 years ago and the difference in sound quality is amazing.

Sometimes the second helping is better.......2005-05-25

Most of the great classics of the genre are on the first Doo Wop Box, so Volume II has far fewer readily familiar titles to its credit. But if anything, the relative obscurity of most of these songs makes the second collection fresher and rootsier than the first. It definitely reaches deeper into the doo-wop canon.

Although few of this collection's songs were hits, many of the artists were successful elsewhere in their careers. There are lots of one-hit wonders represented here with their non-hits, quite a few of which have held up better than their more famous song(s). There are also at least two great entries in the "before they were famous" category: "Bad Girl" by the Miracles (about two years before "Shop Around" put them on the map); and the delightfully lush "Dear One" by the Scarlets, featuring a pre-Five Satins Fred Parris. Speaking of the Five Satins, the less famous of their two hits, "To The Aisle," is also here.

The collection is a pretty good mix of ballads and uptempo numbers, but it's heavier on the ballads. There is a surprising number of jazz and pop standards from long before the rock era (it's easy to forget that doo-wop didn't start out as proto-bubblegum!), but some of these are among the collection's best. Standouts include The Larks' "My Reverie," The Moonglows' "Secret Love," and the album's finale, The Classics' "Till Then." A more uptempo entry, The Four Tunes' rendition of "Marie," is less convincing but a lot of fun.

Of course, plenty of the ballads are in the more familiar '50s rock and pop style: The Vocaleers' "Is It A Dream," The Hearts' "Lonely Nights," Robert and Johnny's "We Belong Together," and especially The Five Keys' "My Saddest Hour" are sure to conjure your favorite necking-in-the-backseat scene (as are dozens of other songs included here; those are just my favorites). There are quite a few fast songs thrown in as well, to keep things from getting too misty. My favorites among these are The Cleftones' "Heart and Soul" (did you know that song had words?!), The Falcons' "You're So Fine," "In My Heart" by The Timestones, and The Spaniels' fast but still silky rendition of "Stormy Weather."

And there's more where that came from in all of the above categories. If you liked the first set, don't be gunshy about this one just because you don't know as many of the songs.

Great follow up.......2005-03-11

I loved the first Doo Wop Box (I); for those of us who remember the really early, great groups and singers, it was a thrill to play each cassette. To think that they were able to find enough of the old records to make an entire new box; II. As with Box I, it comes with a thick booklet, crammed with pictures and info on each group/singer. And, the remastering makes the tracks sound new and probably better than the old 45's they came from. Almost beyond belief..!

Average customer rating: Superb Just worth purchasing second hand A Classic The soundtrack of my generation A legandary Box... even if...

At the Close of a Century Stevie Wonder Manufacturer: Motown ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Classic R&B | R&B | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music Motown | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Box Sets | Stores | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Box Sets | Stores | Music R&B & Soul | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Master 1961-1984 50th Anniversary Anthology Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection Talking Book A Time To Love ASIN: B00003002I Release Date: 1999-11-23

Tracks:

1. Fingertips Pts. 1 & 2
2. Uptight (Everything's Alright)
3. Nothing's Too Good For My Baby
4. Blowin' In the Wind
5. A Place In The Sun
6. Hey Love
7. I Was Made To Love Her
8. Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)
9. I'm Wondering
10. Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day
11. You Met Your Match
12. For Once In My Life
13. I Don't Know Why
14. My Cherie Amour
15. Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday
16. Never Had A Dream Come True
17. Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours
18. Heaven Help Us All
19. We Can Work It Out
20. If You Really Love Me
21. Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer
22. Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)
23. I Love Every Little Thing About You

Tracks:

1. Superstition
2. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
3. You And I
4. I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)
5. Too High
6. Visions
7. Living For The City
8. Golden Lady
9. Higher Ground
10. All In Love Is Fair
11. Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing
12. He's Misstra Know It All
13. You Haven't Done Nothin'
14. Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away
15. Too Shy to Say
16. Boogie On Reggae Woman
17. Creepin'

Tracks:

1. Sir Duke
2. I Wish
3. Knocks Me Off My Feet
4. Pastime Paradise
5. Isn't She Lovely
6. Ngiculela-Es Una Historia-I Am Singing
7. If It's Magic
8. As
9. Another Star
10. Send One Your Love
11. All I Do
12. Rocket Love
13. I Ain't Gonna Stand For It
14. Master Blaster (Jammin')
15. Lately
16. Happy Birthday

Tracks:

1. That Girl
2. Ribbon In The Sky
3. Do I Do
4. Love Light In Flight
5. I Just Called To Say I Love You
6. Overjoyed
7. Part-Time Lover
8. Go Home
9. You Will Know
10. Skeletons
11. Gotta Have You
12. These Three Words
13. For Your Love
14. How Come, How Long

Amazon.com

At the Close of a Century may seem a rather portentous title for a box set, even one showcasing the work of such a formidable writer-performer as Stevie Wonder. Consider, though, that these discs appear a few months before Wonder's 50th birthday and that he's already spent 36 years making records; he has more right than most to get a little highfalutin when invoking temporal milestones. Despite various retrospectives over the years, Close is the first to cover the arc of Wonder's entire career. By the end of the first disc we've heard his early Motown hits and watched him develop into the masterful artist who'd go on to stack up landmark album after landmark album in the '70s. (Aretha Franklin's Wonder-penned hit "Until You Come Back to Me" is here in a rare version by the composer.) The string of LPs from Talking Book (1972) to Hotter Than July (1980) provides gem after gem on the two middle CDs--with all of 1973's Innervisions save one cut represented--while post-"Master Blaster" winners such as "That Girl" and "Overjoyed" are the meat of the final disc. Add a smart booklet of essays, photos, and a discography, and this handsome package starts to look like a sharp addition to the collections of even hard-core Stevie buffs. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Superb.......2007-02-22

This is a super box set that speaks for its self. Great selection, great sound quality. If you are a casual fan or hardcore, you will find that this is the best collection of stevie wonder hits out there or close to it.

Just worth purchasing second hand.......2007-02-08

This CD is basically "Song Review" + selected bits of "Hotter than July"/"Innervisions" and some things that *should have* been put on the "Song Review" ("Fingertips"/"Rocket Love") but were (probably for marketing reasons).

There are also some surprises here that show Stevie Wonder doing very atypical things for Stevie "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It" (which is his very reasonable interpretation of Country/ Western).

If you are a Stevie Wonder fanatic and have most of his albums, then obviously you can save your money. But if you want a deeper introduction to Stevie Wonder and this is a first album, it is well worth the purchase price-- second hand. This will give you hours of listening enjoyment.

A Classic.......2007-01-11

I recently purchased this cd while deployed to Iraq and it makes me take my mind off of what is going on over here. I will cherish this cd for the rest of my life.

The soundtrack of my generation.......2007-01-11

After the recent death of James Brown, I was moved to bring out some music I hadn't listened to in a while. I brought my treasured "Close of a Century" from the shelf--and was enchanted all over again!

Stevie Wonder's music truly is magic. And listening to this 4 CD set in chronological order reminds me of my initial response to this musical treasure.

I bought the CD for my 40th birthday in 2000. I remember putting the discs on, one by one, and the delight I felt. I grew up listening to Stevie, and the CDs show his parallel growth and development as a master magician and craftsman of music! I became more and more emotional, as I finished Disc 2. It was around midnight when I put in Disc 3. I was profoundly moved by this melodic journey through my childhoood and young adulthood.

By the time the flute solo started in the masterfully crafted, exquisite love song "Another Star" I burst into tears! I had overdosed on Stevie Wonder.

I tried to calm myself by reading the liner notes (actually a nice little booklet). That didn't work, because Stevie wrote and played just about every instrument on nearly all the songs! That made me emothional again, because one of the beauties of this marvelous music is the elegant intricacy of the music. The vocals, the instrumentation, the background singers--everything is meticulously crafted, yet passionate and vibrantly expressive. I realized that Stevie wanted someone on his level of genius for that flute solo...and was humbled by his brilliance.

Okay, enough already! If you enjoy ANY kind of music at all, I don't care what genre, you must add this set to your collection. (I WILL be treating myself to the new reissued version.) This is more than music; it's art. It's our culture, conveyed with hope, joyousness, and unmatched virtuosity.

"At the Close of a Century" is the soundtrack of my generation. What a privilege to have one so beautiful.

A legandary Box... even if..........2007-01-04

the eighties have been very bad for Stevie.
It's incredible how the same musical genius that gave us gems as "Music of my Mind", "Talking Book", "Innervisions", "Fulfillingness' First Finale" and "Songs in the Key of Life" could produce poor albums as say "Characters".
Anyway the '90s were a lot better.
Re-mastering is done wery well i here

Average customer rating: The Definitive Collection For A Motown Legend The Master 1961-1984 Marvin Gaye A Dazzling, Comprehensive Retrospective Master Marvin!!! Marvin Gaye: The Master!

The Master 1961-1984 Marvin Gaye Manufacturer: Motown ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Classic R&B | R&B | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music Motown | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music Quiet Storm | R&B | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music R&B & Soul | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: At the Close of a Century Emperors of Soul The 35th Anniversary Collection Queen of Soul: The Atlantic Recordings Fourever ASIN: B000001A8J Release Date: 1995-04-25

Tracks:

1. Stubborn Kind Of Fellow
2. Pride And Joy
3. Hitch Hike
4. Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)
5. What Do You Want With Him
6. Once Upon A Time
7. What's The Matter With You Baby
8. Can I Get A Witness
9. Couldn't Ask For More
10. You're Wonderful
11. I Wonder
12. You're A Wonderful One
13. It's Got To Be Love
14. Try It Baby
15. Leavin'
16. My Love For You
17. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
18. Baby Don't You Do It
19. Just Like A Man
20. Pretty Little Baby
21. Talk About A Good Feeling
22. I'll Be Doggone
23. Little Darling (I Need You)
24. One More Heartache
25. Ain't That Peculiar
26. You're The One For Me
27. Take This Heart Of Mine
28. Your Unchanging Love

Tracks:

1. It Takes Two
2. I Couldn't Help Falling For You
3. Lonely Lover
4. Without Your Sweet Lovin'
5. Ain't No Mountain High Enough
6. If I Could Build My Whole World Around You
7. Your Precious Love
8. If This World Were Mine
9. Without You (My World Is Lonely)
10. Together We Stand (Divided We Fall)
11. You
12. Chained
13. I Heard It Through The Grapevine
14. You're What's Happening (In The World Today)
15. This Love Starved Heart Of Mine (It's Killing Me)
16. Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing
17. Keep On Lovin' Me Honey
18. You're All I Need To Get By
19. Too Busy Thinking About My Baby
20. More Than A Heart Can Stand
21. How Can I Forget
22. That's The Way Love Is
23. Yesterday
24. The End Of Our Road
25. Good Lovin' Ain't Easy To Come By
26. What You Gave Me

Tracks:

1. What's Going On
2. Save The Children
3. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
4. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
5. I'm Going Home
6. Piece Of Clay
7. You're The Man - Pts. l And ll
8. Checking Out (Double Clutch)
9. Trouble Man
10. Let's Get It On
11. Come Get To This
12. Just To Keep You Satisfied
13. Pledging My Love
14. My Mistake (Was To Love You)
15. Distant Lover (Live)
16. I Want You
17. After The Dance
18. Unknown

Tracks:

1. Got To Give It Up - Pt. l
2. Here, My Dear
3. When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop...
4. Anger
5. Anna's Song
6. A Funky Space Reincarnation
7. When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop..
8. She Needs Me
9. Why Did I Choose You
10. Life Is For Learning
11. Funk Me
12. Love Me Now Or Love Me Later
13. Ego Tripping Out
14. The Star Spangled Banner
15. I Heard It Through The Grapevine
16. Rockin' After Midnight
17. Sexual Healing
18. The Lord's Prayer

Amazon.com essential recording

The cover shot for this four-disc box is a floating image of hands outstretched, desperate to touch "The Master"--a suggestion that might be blasphemous if this weren't Marvin Gaye, one of the most impassioned, visionary, and masterful singers who ever lived, and one who inspired intense devotion among his millions of fans. The Master reveres Gaye with 89 selections, 32 of them hits, including classic solo recordings from "Hitch Hike" and "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" to the stunning "What's Goin' On" and "Sexual Healing," not to mention a "The Lord's Prayer" that makes clear what Master Gaye's divine voice was forever striving to reach. --David Cantwell

Customer Reviews:

The Definitive Collection For A Motown Legend.......2007-03-19

Marvin Gaye revolutionized the sound of soul music. The Master is the definitive collection of 90 tracks over four discs - with an outstanding booklet - that covers every facet of his brilliant career.

Discs one and two encapsulate the formative years with songs like How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), One More Heartache, I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing and That's The Way Love Is.

The third disc is arguably the most essential music, as Gaye packages a political awareness in lyrics and some of the best arrangements ever heard on What's Going On, Save The Children, Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) and Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler).

Thr fourth disc may be the least satisfying, but the funk in Got To Give It Up (Part I) and smoothness of Sexual Healing shows that Gaye was still quite relevant in producing hits.

Gaye made some of the best music to come out of Motown Records. The Master is a breathtaking compilation.

The Master 1961-1984 Marvin Gaye.......2006-06-29

I really enjoy all things that Marvin Gaye has sung. He is a very emotional and earthly person. He takes life and put it into words that anyone can understand.

A Dazzling, Comprehensive Retrospective.......2005-12-29

Marvin Gaye is the gold standard by which all other soul singers are measured. Considering you get 4 CDs crammed full of quality material, without alternate takes to pad them out, this box set is a terrific value.

The first two discs cover the long string of "designed for radio" hits, they are an absolute joy. Songs like, Ain't No Mountain, That's The Way Love Is, If I Could Build My Whole World Around You, etc. are so deeply ingrained into pop culture it's hard to imagine life without them. Whether upbeat or in a ballad, Gaye's voice, passion, and meticulous delivery are irresistible.

The second half of Gaye's career is also well represented, from What's Going On through Let's Get It On and After The Dance. Truly wonderful standouts include live versions of Distant Lover and a rendition of Grapevine featuring Gladys Knight and the Pips.

The only negative is the wretched packaging, a minor complaint that does not interfere with this superb box set. There are many Gaye retrospectives, but this is the only one that really does him justice. Buy it and you will enjoy it for years to come.

Master Marvin!!!.......2005-09-19

All hail Marvin Gaye!! This has to be the best way I have EVER spent my money. Kick me out on the streets, reposses my car, steal all my food. As long as I have THE MASTER 1961-1984 I don't NEED anything else. Don't waste any time, buy this one NOW! It's a WONDERFUL ONE! Too bad this system only goes to 5 stars. I wanna give it 50 stars!

Marvin Gaye: The Master!.......2005-08-24

Marvin Gaye has got to be my favorite artist. His music is sexy, passionate and just a joy to listen to. If you dont own any Marvin Gaye album and want only one Marvin set in your collection then this is the one to get.

Average customer rating: Yes Yes Yes Station H.A.P.P.Y.!!! Keep On Dancin' 3 1/2 Stars; All Great Songs But Many Essentials Missing Good, But 80 Songs Are From Complete

Disco Box Various Artists Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Disco | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Disco | Compilations | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music 1970s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music Motown | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Philly Soul | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music Quiet Storm | R&B | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Box Sets | Stores | Music General | Pop | Box Sets | Stores | Music R&B & Soul | Box Sets | Stores | Music Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Have A Nice Decade: The '70s Pop Culture Box The Funk Box Whatever: The '90s Pop and Culture Box Get Down Tonight: The Disco Explosion Like, Omigod! The '80s Pop Culture Box (Totally) ASIN: B00000HZEM Release Date: 1999-02-16

Tracks:

1. Love's Theme - Love Unlimited Orchestra
2. Dancing Machine - The Jackson 5
3. Rock The Boat - The Hues Corporation
4. Honeybee - Gloria Gaynor
5. Doctor's Orders - Carol Douglas
6. Get Dancin' - Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes Featuring Sir Monti Rock III
7. Shame, Shame, Shame - Shirley (& Company)
8. Never Can Say Goodbye - Gloria Gaynor
9. Get Down Tonight - KC & The Sunshine Band
10. The Hustle - Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony
11. It Only Takes A Minute - Taveres
12. Fly, Robin, Fly - Silver Convention
13. I'm On Fire - 5000 Volts
14. Love Machine (Part 1) - The Miracles
15. You Sexy Thing - Hot Chocolate
16. Boogie Fever - The Sylvers
17. That's The Way (I Like It) - KC & The Sunshine Band
18. More, More, More (Part 1) - Andrea True Connection
19. Young Hearts Run Free - Candi Staton
20. Beat Around - Vicki Sue Robinson

Tracks:

1. (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty - KC & The Sunshine Band
2. Get Up And Boogie - Silver Convention
3. A Fifth Of Beethoven - Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band
4. Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry
5. Car Wash - Rose Royce
6. Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston
7. The Best Disco In Town - The Ritchie Family
8. Disco Inferno - The Trammps
9. Boogie Nights - Heatwave
10. I Feel Love - Donna Summer
11. Keep It Comin' Love - KC & The Sunshine Band
12. Dance With Me - Peter Brown
13. Everybody Dance - Chic
14. Shame - Evelyn 'Champagne' King
15. Boogie Oogie Oogie - A Taste Of Honey
16. Get Off - Foxy
17. I Love The Nightlife (Disco 'Round) - Alicia Bridges
18. In The Bush - Musique
19. Hot Shot - Karen Young
20. Got To Be Real - Cheryl Lynn

Tracks:

1. Shake Your Groove Thing - Peaches & Herb
2. Y.M.C.A. - Village People
3. Le Freak - Chic
4. I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
5. Livin' It Up (Friday Night) - Bell & James
6. Instant Replay - Dan Hartman
7. You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) - Sylvester
8. I Want Your Love - Chic
9. Knock On Wood - Amii Stewart
10. Disco Nights (Rock-Freak) - G.Q.
11. Love And Desire (Part 1) - Arpeggio
12. He's The Greatest Dancer - Sister Sledge
13. Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now - McFadden & Whitehead
14. Ring My Bell - Anita Ward
15. Bad Girls - Donna Summer
16. Born To Be Alive - Patrick Hernandez
17. Good Times - Chic
18. Don't You Want My Love - Debbie Jacobs
19. H.A.P.P.Y. Radio - Edwin Starr
20. I Shoulda Loved Ya - Narada Michael Walden
21. We Are Family - Sister Sledge

Tracks:

1. Heart Of Glass - Blondie
2. Lost In Music - Sister Sledge
3. I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair) - Inner Life
4. Got To Love Somebody - Sister Sledge
5. Funkytown - Lipps, Inc.
6. Celebration - Kool & The Gang
7. A Lover's Holiday - Change
8. I Like What You're Doin' To Me - Young & Company
9. The Glow Of Love - Change
10. Cruisin' The Streets - The Boystown Gang
11. On The Beat - The B.B. & Q. Band
12. Forget Me Nots - Patrice Rushen
13. Get Down On It - Kool & The Gang
14. It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls
15. Last Night A D.J. Saved My Life - Indeep
16. I.O.U. - Freeez
17. Give It Up - KC
18. Change Of Heart - Change
19. Fresh - Kool & The Gang

Amazon.com

Despite its mirror-ball packaging, The Disco Box presents the music as it was heard on AM radio, not in clubs. The 80 tunes are well-chosen, but almost all are heard in their single-edit version rather than in the often cathartic extended tracks that were one of the form's trademarks. Also, some of disco's best-loved divas (Loleatta Holloway, Taana Gardner) are left out of this history. Still, for those whose record collections don't represent one of pop's most glorious, insane (try 5000 Volts' "I'm On Fire"), inspiring moments, these four CDs are a worthy primer. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Yes Yes Yes.......2007-01-13

If you like disco then you want to pick up this box set. It's fun to pop a cd in and have the girls over and do the "bump" and other dances from that era, great box

Station H.A.P.P.Y.!!!.......2006-03-20

Some people have written that this four CD box is not thorough enough in terms of which songs are presented here-and they have a point. Nevertheless, this boxed set is not to be overlooked--I consider this four CD set with its huge 60 page book to be an absolute essential for lovers of disco music everywhere. The sound quality is excellent, even on a small portable CD player; and the packaging is really cool with its shimmering white/grey coloration!

The CDs themselves are labeled rather simply with stars and the number of the CD; the song sets are written on the reverse of the box and inside the book as well with credits and the rankings each song achieved on the charts. You get great color photos in the 60 page book, too: The Jackson 5, Gloria Gaynor, Silver Convention, KC & The Sunshine Band, and many, many more! The liner notes are by Vince Aletti; and there is an essay by Brian Chin, too.

The booklet also includes commentary by DJs who played the trendy New York City clubs and hot spots elsewhere during the great years of disco. A really great treat full of insight and an awesome walk down memory lane! A list of "50 essential disco album" is included, too! A disco EXPLOSION!

Now, I have to say this, as I wrote above: This is not a completely thorough compilation of the disco era. There are few, if any, rarities. Sigh. You will not find the extended 12 inch forms of the songs, either--there's just not enough room for that here--even on a four CD set. Instead you get a lot of what were most likely the "AM radio" shorter versions of these songs. And, as Anthony Nasti (another Amazon reviewer) wrote, The Bee Gees and Diana Ross are not featured here. A big wagging finger of shame! That will cost this set one star.

So, you call this a tawdry period? No way! Disco produced a lot of great hits, good times in the disco clubs--and high profits for the artists, too. I give it four stars mostly because certain artists are not represented here. Therefore this is a superlative introduction to disco, or maybe part of a more comprehensive collection of disco hits for the more serious disco fans and collectors.

Keep On Dancin'.......2005-12-04

Although this 4-disc, 80-song set was released a few years ago, there's good reason that The Disco Box is out front and center on the display shelf for all Christmas shoppers to admire. One look at the silver packaging, reminiscent of the original disco balls that used to hang in our favorite dance clubs, and you'll be pulled in like steel to a magnet. I was immediately impressed with the meticulous array of songs that are laid out in chronological order. The set begins with the birth of disco in 1974 with the Love Unlimited Orchestra's infectious and stunning instrumental "Love's Theme" and takes us all the way through to Kool & the Gangs' #1 smash "Fresh." Of the 78 other tracks, the ride through the 70's and early 80's gets even better with hits that include the original queen of disco Gloria Gaynor and her club anthem "Honeybee," to her successor Donna Summer and the dawn of electronic dance, the brilliant "I Feel Love." If you're looking for rarities, this isn't the set, but if it's radio and club hits such as Carol Douglas' "Doctor's Orders," Candi Staton's "Young Hearts Run Free," Karen Young's "Hot Shot," Sister Sledge's "He's The Greatest Dancer," McFadden & Whitehead's "Ain't No Stopping Us Now," Chic's "Good Times" and Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Nots," you've come to the right place. And of course, there are the disco staples from Thelma Houston, The Weather Girls, Blondie, Sylvester, Village People, Cheryl Lynn and several more. Didn't see your favorite? Chances are it's on this set. But don't take my word for it, dance on down to the record store and feast your eyes and ears on this exquisite time capsule and the era that we all hold near and dear to our hearts...and feet! Trust me, it's "The Best Disco In Town." Yes, that song is also included. When's the last time you heard dance music this good? Artists are still delivering dance music, just check out Madonna's latest ode to disco, but can you honestly say it's as good as this golden era of music? Pass me a fan and a tambourine - this collection is worth its price in platform shoes.

3 1/2 Stars; All Great Songs But Many Essentials Missing.......2004-07-17

Whether you love it or hate it, you can't deny disco's appeal on the music community. For years, disco collections have been released numerous timea and all of them were basically trash. In 1999, Rhino Records tried to rectify that problem with the 4 - disc "Disco Box". White it comes close, it still isn't the definitve collection we're hoping for.

For starters, discs 1 and 2 contain little if any rarities. This one includes just the standard fare: "Dancing Machine" by the Jackson 5, "Shake Your Booty" by K.C. and the Sunshine Band (one of three songs by them on this disc alone), "Fly Robin Fly" by the Silver Convention", "Boogie Fever" by the Sylvers, and "Disco Inferno" by the Trammps, to name a few. Even if you are new to disco, it's highly unlikely that you haven't heard these songs on the radio or at a party. The only song here I consider a rarity is, unfortunately, the dreadful "I'm On Fire" by 5000 Volts.

Discs 3 and 4 get a little more adventurous by including a few disco rarities like "I Shoulda Loved Ya" by Narada Michael Walden (who later rose to fame by producing Whiteney Houston's biggest hits), "I'm Caught Up" (In A One Night Love Affair)" by Inner Life and two Sister Sledge masterworks, "Lost In Music" and "I Got To Love Somebody". But once again, standard fare like "We Ae Family", 'I Will Survive" (probably the perennial disco anthem), "Celebration" and "Heart Of Glass" outweigh any rarities.

Here are my major complaints. Several artists who were known for recording contemporary rock and pop music scored with one - time forays into disco. I'm talking about artists like Barry Manilow ("Copacabana"), The Rolling Stones ("Miss You")and Rod Stewart ("Da Ya Think I'm Sexy"). All these songs remain party staples today. More tellingly, three of discos biggest innovators, The Bee Gees, Barry White and Diana Ross (though the latter hardly if ever gets credit for it), are not featured at all. For The Bee Gees (called the Kings of Disco) created such rumpshakers as "Jive Talkin'" and "Stayin' Alive", to name two of the many.. White crafted songs like "You're The First, The Last, My Everything", "I'll Do For You Anything You Want Me To" and "Your Sweetness Is My Weakness". And what about Ms. Ross. Does anybody remeber "Love Hangover" (I would have also liked to have seen the original Fifth Dimension version included here), "The Boss", "Upside Down" and "I'm Coming Out"? Of course you do. Plus, Madonna gave us "Holiday" and "Like A Virgin", which could've easily been hits in 1979 as they were in 1983 and 1985, well after disco's so - called "death".

So, not essential. But if you want a good set of party songs that will get you on our feet, better this than the cheap, single - disc sets that I mentioned earlier.

Good, But 80 Songs Are From Complete.......2004-05-25

Rhino Records can usually be counted on to release high - quality essential collections for the obsessive music fan. To capitalize on the cravings of the many disco fans still around today, they released this slapdash collection which features 4 discs of some great music. But still, with 80 songs, you can't help but feel the incompleteness.

Disc1 and 2 will only appeal to the casual disco fan, as they stand out as the ones with the most familliar songs. Tracks like "Love's Theme" by The Love Unlimited Orchestra, "Dancing Machine" by The Jackson 5, "Get Down Tonight" and "That's The Way (I Like It) by KC and the Sunshine Band, "Disco Inferno" by The Trammps and "Shame" by Evelyn "Champagne" King remain radio staples today. Alas, there is some rarely heard stuff here, like 5000 Volts' "I'm On Fire" and the forgotten Candi Staton standard "Young Hearts Run Free" remain some of the best rumpshakers ever.

Discs 3 and 4 should appeal more to the hardcore disco fans, as there's a lot of rare tracks here, like "Instant Replay" by Dan Hartman, "Love And Desire (Part 1)" by Arpeggio, "I Shoulda Loved Ya" by Narada Michael Walden, "I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair)", "A Lover's Holiday" by Change", and "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" by Indeep. Still the classics like "I Will Survive", "We Are Family", "Le Freak" and "YMCA" weigh out the rarer stuff.

It's okay, but far from complete. There are lot of rarely heard disco stuff not here that would have made it more interesting and appealing to the buyers. What songs? Songs like "My Sweet Summer Suite" by The Love Unlimited Orchestra, "I Don't Wanna Lose You" by Hall And Oates", I Caught You Act" by The Hues Corporation", "Catfish and "H.E.L.P", both by The Four Tops". And if that's not enough. Even some essential classics are missing. I would've loved to see "Love Hangover, "Best Of My Love", "Shadow Dancing", "September", "Boogie Wonderland", "You're The First, The Last, My Everything" and any Bee Gees song here. Aso, a few dance classics from the 1980s' are missing, like "Holiday" by Madonna, "Take Your Time" by The S.O.S. Band, and "Out Of Touch" by Hall and Oates.

If you are an obsessive disco fan, than I highly suggest this set. Otherwise, please consider other collections before buying this.

Average customer rating: No Sam or Stevie? Rhino 4CD Soul Box Familiar , "Spectacular" Starter Set A True Spectacular Even Without Mr. Cooke! Brilliant, Cooke or no Cooke for one reason only

Soul Spectacular! The Greatest Soul Hits of All Time Various Artists Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Disco | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Doo Wop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Girl Groups | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Beach Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music Motown | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Philly Soul | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Southern Soul | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Memphis Soul | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Northern | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music Quiet Storm | R&B | Styles | Music Soul | Compilations | R&B | Styles | Music Southern Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Box Sets | Stores | Music R&B & Soul | Box Sets | Stores | Music Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Funk Box Superstars of Seventies Soul Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947-1974 Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1972-1992 Old School Soul Party ASIN: B00005Y1NY Release Date: 2002-02-19

Tracks:

1. Whats I Say Parts I & II - Ray Charles
2. Money (Thats What I Want) - Barret Strong
3. Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes
4. I Count The Tears - The Drifters Featuring Ben. E. Kinf
5. Last Night - Mar-Keys
6. Twist And Shout - The Isley Brothers
7. Stand By Me - Ben E. King
8. Any Day Now (My Wild Beautiful Bird) - Chuck Jackson
9. Its Gonna Work Out Fine - Ike & Tina Turner
10. Youll Lose A Good Thing - Barbara Lynn
11. Do You Love Me - The Contours
12. Green Onions - Booker T. & The MGs
13. Youve Really Got A Hold On Me - The Miracles
14. Hello Stranger - Barbara Lewis
15. Just One Look Doris Troy
16. The Monkey Time - Major Lance
17. Heat Wave - Martha & The Vandellas
18. Cry Baby - Garnet Mimms & The Enchanters
19. Its All Right - The Impressions
20. Walking The Dog - Rufus Thomas
21. My Guy - Mary Wells
22. My Girl - The Temptations

Tracks:

1. Where Did Our Love Go - The Supremes
2. Shotgun - Jr. Walker & The All Stars
3. The In Crowd - Dobie Gray
4. Hurt So Bad - Little Anthony & The Imperials
5. Got To Get You Off My Mind - Solomon Burke
6. Yes, Im Ready - Barbara Mason
7. Sitting In The Park - Billy Stewart
8. I Cant Help Myself - Four Tops
9. In The Midnight Hour - Wilson Pickett
10. Rescue Me - Fontella Bass
11. (I Got You) I Feel Good - James Brown
12. Seesaw - Don Covay & The Goodtimers
13. Cooljerk - The Capitols
14. Barefootin - Robert Parker
15. When A Man Loves A Woman - Percy Sledge
16. Sunny - Bobby Hebb
17. B-A-B-Y - Carla Thomas
18. Knock On Wood - Eddie Floyd
19. But Its Alright J.J. Jackson
20. Love Is A Hurtin Thing - Lou Rawls
21. Tell It Like It Is - Aaron Neville
22. The Dark End Of The Street - James Carr

Tracks:

1. Sweet Soul Music - Arthur Conley
2. Respect - Aretha Franklin
3. Tramp - Otis & Carla
4. Show Me - Joe Tex
5. Soul Finger - Bar-Kays
6. Gimme Little Sign - Brenton Wood
7. Im Your Puppett - James & Bobby Purify
8. (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher - Jackie Wilson
9. Soul Man - Sam & Dave
10. Memphis Soul Stew - King Curtis
11. Tighten Up - Bell & The Drells
12. Expressway To Your Heart - Soul Survivors
13. Boogaloo Down Broadway - The Fantastic Johnny C
14. (Sittin On) The Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding
15. La-La-Means I Love You - The Delfonics
16. Cowboys To Girls - The Intruders
17. Slip Away - Clarence Carter
18. Youre All I Need To Get By - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
19. Love Makes A Woman - Barbara Acklin
20. Whos Making Love - Johnnie Taylor
21. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye
22. Soulful Strut - Young-Holt Unlimited
23. Rainy Night in Georgia - Brook Benton

Tracks:

1. I Want You Back - The Jackson 5
2. Turn Back The Hands Of Time - Tyrone Davis
3. Backfield In Motion - Mel & Tim
4. Give Me Just A Little More Time - Chairmen Of The Board
5. Band Of Gold - Freda Payne
6. O-o-h Child - The 5 Stairsteps
7. Want Ads - Honey Cone
8. Groove Me - King Floyd
9. Respect Yourself - The Staple Singers
10. Treat Her Like A Lady - Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
11. In The Rain - Dramatics
12. Lets Stay Together - Al Green
13. Betcha By Golly, Wow - The Stylistics
14. Oh Girl - Chi-Lites
15. Back Stabbers - OJays
16. One Of A Kind (Love Affair) - Spinners
17. If You Dont Know Me By Now - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
18. Me And Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul
19. Midnight Train To Georgia - Gladys Knight & The Pips
20. Lookin For A Love - Bobby Womack
21. Sideshow - Blue Magic
22. Kiss And Say Goodbye - Manhattans

Amazon.com

Nothing's ever topped the golden age of soul for party music, and this four-CD set offers the distilled essence of the good times from those difficult years. Where Rhino's Beg, Scream & Shout! and Can You Dig It? compilations are thoughtful, wide-reaching surveys of the range of soul music in the '60s and '70s, respectively, Soul Spectacular! has exactly one thing on its track listing: mammoth crossover hits that add up to one blockbuster of a party. Of its 90 tracks (all presented in their original single versions), 47 were No. 1 and 15 topped the Pop and R&B charts. As such, the poles the set revolves around are Detroit (the Apollonian glories of Motown and Hot Wax: refined, orchestrated, and quality controlled) and Memphis (the Dionysian thrills of Stax, Volt, and the scene around them: raw jams that sounded like they'd been caught on tape by happy accident), but every other place in the country that was capable of turning out a national smash is represented, too. The '60s, for these purposes, extend back to definitive 1959 hits by Ray Charles and Barrett Strong; the '70s of soul peter out sometime around 1974, with a final appearance courtesy of the Manhattans' aptly named "Kiss and Say Goodbye," from 1976. By then, the vocal intensity of soul was taking a back seat to the new and slicker beats of funk and disco. But Soul Spectacular! is also a tribute to an era of independence and innovation, the years when tiny labels (their names like found poetry: Nola, Arctic, Par-Lo, Ovide, Bamboo) could make the whole country dance for a few weeks, if only because they found a groove nobody had discovered before. --Douglas Wolk

Album Description

Subtitled - The Greatest Soul Hits of All Time featuring 90 classic soul hits on 4 CD's (cross-licensed from many labels). Over half of them number 1's. Artists include Ray Charles, Marvelettes, Dobie Gray, Solomon Burke, Aretha Franklin, Bar-Kays, Four Tops, Martha & the Vandellas, The Impressions & more. Rhino Records. Four standard jewel cases housed in a box (12 x 6 x 1 1/4). 2002.

Customer Reviews:

No Sam or Stevie?.......2006-03-02

I ain't dropping stars for this one because it is absolutely brilliant as far as I am concerned. Love every track from head to toe BUT not only is there no Sam Cooke but there's no Stevie Wonder either. So maybe the title should have been 'The Greatest Soul Hits of all Time without arguably the 2 MOST influential Soul artists of all Time' certainly 2 of the top 5 eh? Aretha, Ray and Otis are here. Anyway back to the set and it is a fantastic list of brilliant, well known and some hidden, gems! Production is good - sounds like the originals to me! 'Cept they don't have that little crackle that my record player used to create! If you wanna buy this and are just checking the reviews to tip the scales - I say DO IT! You WILL love it, but you might just wanna get a Sam & Stevie best of set to go with it.

Rhino 4CD Soul Box Familiar , "Spectacular" Starter Set.......2004-12-23

If Rhino's 4CD "Soul Spectacular" had been released in the mid-1980s it may have stood with Clapton's "Crossroads" and Bob Dylan's "Biograph" as among pop's essential box sets. Success of films like "Dirty Dancing" and "The Big Chill" returned many of these songs to public awareness as baby boomers recognized them as part of the idealized soundtrack of their lives. As Ben Edmonds says in the liner notes, "This music isn't simply of its time; it embodied it." This was a far cry from music critic Dave Marsh once wondering in the mid-1970s if Wilson Pickett and other soul giants would one day be available only on bootlegs.

But the more than 20 years since have seen these songs anthologized countless times on soundtracks,hits and anthology collections (yours truly once owned every one of these songs in one recorded format or another) and played daily on oldies radio. (Barbara Mason's grand 1965 original, "Yes I'm Ready," far from the biggest hit here, has aired more than one million times.)

This collection's best and worst point is its familiarity. Even casual pop music fans know the signature songs of the Temptations, Mary Wells, Percy Sledge, Ben E. King and others here. No choice is a glaring misstep but some are questionable: why "I Count the Tears" from the Drifters instead of 1964's more popular "Under the Boardwalk" or 1959's more influential "There Goes My Baby?" Why James Brown's now-cliched "I Got You (I Feel Good)" over "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," one of music's most aggressive, important singles? Let alone essential performers (Sam Cooke? The Dells? Jerry Butler?) left out altogether. Motown, pop culture's most active recycling plant, whips through 1962-3 songs from the Miracles, Vandellas and Supremes; only three Motown hits are heard across discs 2-3.

Those two middle discs are the set's best as they zip through a variety of styles: Muscle Shoals soul (Sledge, Brook Benton) Philadelphia (Fantastic Johnny C, Intruders, Delfonics), Chicago (Barbara Acklin, Billy Stewart) and, of course, Memphis and Detroit giants. Each artist is represented by one song except Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding, featured on solo and duet track each. The liner notes tell little more than oft-told tales of Stax and Motown's records respective founding.

"Soul Spectacular" is just that; 90 clear-sounding classics worth playing at any party or road trip without a dud in the bunch (at least until deep into disc four with one too many smooth Philadelphia International ballads in a row.) It's a first-class soul starter set, with greatest hits sets from any major individual artist listed an essential buy.

A True Spectacular Even Without Mr. Cooke!.......2004-06-30

It is truly one of the best collections I have ever seen/heard!
Ok, it doesn't include Sam Cooke, but hey, you can't have everything! It has NEARLY everything BUT Sam Cooke!
Rhino obviously couldn't obtain the rights to Sam's music, but they have done a great job of obtaining some of the best of the Stax/Volt, Atlantic, Motown and other great Soul Recording Labels!
Several of these tunes have been PLAYED TO DEATH by 'Oldies' radio formats-- MOST OF THE MOTOWN STUFF--, but there are many gems in this set of CD's amongst the 'standards'--Gems like CRY BABY by Garnett Mimms, WALKING THE DOG by Rufus Thomas, MEMPHIS SOUL STEW by King Curtis, LOVE IS A HURTIN' THING by Lou Rawls, and oh so many more! There are 88 songs to choose from, and if you want a decent collection of Soul & R&B oldies, this is it!
I am a bit of a musicologist and
have studied this music for 20 plus years, and I must say that this is a very groovy 4 CD set for Musical Novices and Experts alike! I'm impressed!
I didn't rate it 5 stars because I agree that leaving Mr. Cooke out is not cool!

Brilliant, Cooke or no Cooke.......2002-05-18

Often when a particular artist is not included in a collection it is because rights were not available for use of his/her recordings. That aside, this box set could not have a more accurate title -- it is spectacular in every sense. The PBS tie-in concert is a fund-raising staple for good reason -- 40 years of brilliant music performed by some of the greatest entertainers of the century. See it, hear it, buy it, love it!

for one reason only.......2002-05-08

Not one Sam Cooke song? You've got to be kidding.

Average customer rating: Not the Motown I Know and Love Order from Amazon.com directly instead. El supremo follow up to Motown V-1 CLASSIC MUSIC@IT'S FINEST!!!!! Great selection

Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1972-1992 Various Artists Manufacturer: Motown ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Disco | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music House | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music 1970s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music 1980s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music 1990s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music Motown | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Compilations | R&B | Styles | Music Soul | Compilations | R&B | Styles | Music General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music Quiet Storm | R&B | Styles | Music New Jack | R&B | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music 1970-1979 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music 1980-1989 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music 1990-1999 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Box Sets | Stores | Music Techno & House | Dance & DJ | Box Sets | Stores | Music General | Pop | Box Sets | Stores | Music R&B & Soul | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971 Soul Spectacular! The Greatest Soul Hits of All Time The Funk Box Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947-1974 The Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 ASIN: B00004U04R Release Date: 2000-06-27

Tracks:

1. Got To Be There - Michael Jackson
2. Floy Joy - The Supremes
3. A Simple Game - Four Tops
4. Walk In The Night - Jr. Walker & The All Stars
5. Ben - Michael Jackson
6. Papa Was A Rolling Stone - The Temptations
7. Silly Wasn't I - Valerie Simpson
8. Superstition - Stevie Wonder
9. Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye) - Gladys Knight & The Pips
10. Touch Me In The Morning - Diana Ross
11. Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye
12. Keep On Truckin' (Part 1) - Eddie Kendricks
13. Boogie Down - Eddie Kendricks
14. Dancing Machine - Jackson 5
15. Do It Baby - The Miracles
16. Shoe Shoe Shine - The Dynamic Superiors
17. Harmour Love - Syreeta
18. Love Power - Willie Hutch
19. It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday - G.C. Cameron
20. Love Machine (Part 1) - The Miracles
21. Walk Away From Love - David Ruffin

Tracks:

1. Quiet Storm - Smokey Robinson
2. Love Hangover - Diana Ross
3. I Want You - Marvin Gaye
4. Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston
5. Got To Give It Up (Pt. 1) - Marvin Gaye
6. Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder
7. Easy - The Commodores
8. You Can't Turn Me Off (In The Middle Of Turning Me On) - High Inergy
9. Brick House - The Commodores
10. You And I - Rick James
11. Three Times A Lady - The Commodores
12. There'll Never Be - Switch
13. Heaven Must Have Sent You - Bonnie Pointer
14. Sail On - The Commodores
15. Cruisin' - Smokey Robinson
16. Still - The Commodores
17. With You I'm Born Again - Billy Preston & Syreeta
18. Let's Get Serious - Jermaine Jackson
19. I Need Your Lovin' - Teena Maria
20. Being With You - Smokey Robinson

Tracks:

1. Upside Down - Diana Ross
2. Give It To Me Baby - Rick James
3. One Day In Your Life - Michael Jackson
4. Square Biz - Teena Marie
5. Lady (You Bring Me Up) - The Commodores
6. Super Freak - Rick James
7. Right In The Middle (Of Falling In Love) - Bettye LaVette
8. Let It Whip - Dazz Band
9. All Night Long (All Night) - Lionel Richie
10. Time Will Reveal - DeBarge
11. Don't Look Any Further - Dennis Edwards
12. I Just Called To Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder
13. Treat Her Like A Lady - The Temptations
14. Ebony Eyes - Rick James
15. Nightshift - The Commodores
16. Rhythm Of The Night - DeBarge
17. Somebody's Watching Me - Rockwell
18. In My House - Mary Jane Girls

Tracks:

1. Part-Time Lover - Stevie Wonder
2. Who's Johnny - El Debarge
3. Lady Soul - The Temptations
4. Nail It To The Wall - Stacey Lattisaw
5. Talk To Me - Chico Debarge
6. Just To See Her - Smokey Robinson
7. One Heartbeat - Smokey Robinson
8. Dial My Heart - The Boys
9. Him Or Me - Today
10. Your Sweetness - The Good Girls
11. Where Do We Go From Here - Stacy Lattisaw
12. Rub You The Right Way - Johnny Gill
13. Slow Motion - Gerald Alston
14. Iesha - Another Bad Creation
15. Motownphilly - Boyz II Men
16. I Love Your Smile - Shanice
17. End Of The Road - Boyz II Men

Customer Reviews:

Not the Motown I Know and Love.......2006-07-11

I have loved the Motown sound ever since I was a little kid. So many of those songs have added pleasure to my life. A few years ago I bought the first box set and voraciously consumed it. Every song there was a classic. I only wished it included a lot more music.

I recently saw that there was a second installment to Hitsville USA. I bought it immediately, and I was encouraged by the generally good reviews here on Amazon. But, wow, I regretfully must report to you that this set does not have the Motown Sound that I know and love. Perhaps a quarter of these songs are very good, but the other three-quarters I do not like at all. They are campy, disco-like atrocities which in my mind are the antithesis of the earthy, passionate, natural sound of real Motown. I do like soul music outside of Motown, but these songs do not come close to even good, authentic soul music. Most of these are bad disco songs which have the second-generation Motown label affixed for prestige. Please don't get this expecting the classic Motown sound, because you won't find it here. Even the small percentage of good songs here don't sound like Motown; I'm not sure exactly how you would categorize them.

The remaining 75% of the music on these discs is of that category of "Music that I Affirmatively Try to Avoid." If Motown was one of the pinnacles of modern music, many of these songs are the valleys. Real Motown was silk; this is a plastic tarp. Again, I emphasize the synthetic, synthesizer-intensive foundation, with the pre-pubescent, screechy, annoying vocals. Motown is all about a thumping, plodding deep bass, with a great guitar groove, and supernaturally beatiful lyrics and voices. Even most of Smokey's stuff here doesn't do much for me, and I love Smokey. The amazing documentary film "In the Shadow of Motown" might have discussed this period in Motown's history, if it did, I'm sure it is characterized as the (steep, almost vertical) decline. The folks who were the subject matter of that film were REAL MUSICIANS, the best musicians the world has ever known; they weren't a bunch of beeping, buzzing computers and polyester-wearing prancing disco-dancers.

I will never listen to these discs straight-through again. I'll just skip over to the few good tracks. The preponderance of these songs were downright painful, they represent the worst of the 70's and 80's. I wish they had merely augmented the collection of real Motown, rather than used the songs which rode on the coat-tails of the real (and legendary) Motown.

Order from Amazon.com directly instead........2006-03-16

In the past years I have ordered from individuals via Amazon as opposed to Amazon.com directly. This time, this particular item was offered through Amazon at basically the same cost and I received the item faster than I ever had before. From now on if Amazon offers any item I wish to purchase, I'll order it through Amazon directly.

El supremo follow up to Motown V-1.......2006-02-21

Not quite as strong as the first Motown boxed set but then again I'm partial to the earlier songs during the illustrious Motown of the '60s. 4.5 stars.

CLASSIC MUSIC@IT'S FINEST!!!!!.......2004-09-06

ALL I CAN SAY IS IF YOU LIKE THE MOTOWN SOUND THEN YOU WOULD LIKE THIS CD. I LIKE IT AND ENJOY IT AND I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND ANYONE WHO LIKES THE MOTOWN SOUND OF YESTERYEAR TO BUY THIS ALBUM BECAUSE YOU WOULD DEFINITELY ENJOY IT.

Great selection.......2004-05-12

The tunes on these disks are varied in style and sound quite different from one another. The older selection from 59-71 has a real sound from yesteryear.
They are both great selections of singles from their day.

Average customer rating: Mono is the place to start (and maybe stop) questionable choices and a 34 minute rip-off Total Jams old skool- Motown Box Oh No They DIDN"T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Set your control to "Stereo"

The Motown Box Various Artists Manufacturer: Motown ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music Motown | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Northern | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Compilations | Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Box Sets | Stores | Music R&B & Soul | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: Heaven Must Have Sent You: The Holland/Dozier/Holland Story Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1972-1992 Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971 The Funk Box Soul Spectacular! The Greatest Soul Hits of All Time ASIN: B000A0GPOK Release Date: 2005-08-02

Tracks:

1. The Miracles SHOP AROUND (hit version stereo mix)*
2. The Marvelettes- PLEASE MR. POSTMAN (extended stereo mix)*
3. The Contours- DO YOU LOVE ME (hit version stereo mix)*
4. Mary Wells- TWO LOVERS
5. The Miracles- YOUVE REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME (extended stereo mix)
6. Marvin Gaye- HITCH HIKE
7. Stevie Wonder- FINGERTIPS PT. 2
8. Martha & The Vandellas- (LOVE IS LIKE A) HEAT WAVE (single version, extended stereo mix)*
9. Martha & The Vandellas- QUICKSAND (extended stereo mix)*
10. The Miracles- MICKEYS MONKEY (extended stereo mix)
11. Marvin Gaye- CAN I GET A WITNESS
12. The Marvelettes- TOO MANY FISH IN THE SEA
13. Four Tops- BABY I NEED YOUR LOVING (extended stereo mix)
14. The Temptations- THE WAY YOU DO THE THINGS YOU DO
15. The Supremes- WHEN THE LOVELIGHT STARTS SHINING THROUGH HIS EYES
16. The Supremes- WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO (extended stereo mix)
17. The Temptations- DONT LOOK BACK
18. The Elgins- HEAVEN MUST HAVE SENT YOU
19. Marvin Gaye- YOURE A WONDERFUL ONE
20. The Supremes- COME SEE ABOUT ME (extended stereo mix)

Tracks:

1. Martha & The Vandellas- DANCING IN THE STREET
2. The Temptations- GET READY
3. Kim Weston- TAKE ME IN YOUR ARMS (ROCK ME A LITTLE WHILE)
4. The Supremes- BACK IN MY ARMS AGAIN (extended stereo mix)*
5. The Miracles- GOING TO A GO-GO (extended stereo mix)*
6. The Miracles- THE TRACKS OF MY TEARS (extended stereo mix)*
7. Jr. Walker & The All Stars- SHOTGUN (extended stereo mix)*
8. Four Tops- ITS THE SAME OLD SONG (alternate stereo mix)
9. The Isley Brothers- THIS OLD HEART OF MINE (IS WEAK FOR YOU) (alternate stereo mix)
10. Jimmy Ruffin- WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKENHEARTED (alternate spokenword beginning, extended stereo mix)*
11. The Spinners- ILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU
12. Marvin Gaye- ILL BE DOGGONE
13. Stevie Wonder- UPTIGHT (EVERYTHINGS ALRIGHT)*
14. The Temptations- AINT TOO PROUD TO BEG (extended stereo strings mix)*
15. Four Tops- I CANT HELP MYSELF (SUGAR PIE, HONEY BUNCH) (extended alternate background vocals stereo mix)
16. Four Tops- SOMETHING ABOUT YOU
17. The Supremes- STOP! IN THE NAME OF LOVE (extended stereo mix)*
18. Mary Wells- MY GUY
19. The Temptations- MY GIRL (extended stereo mix)*
20. The Miracles- MY GIRL HAS GONE (extended stereo mix)*

Tracks:

1. Martha & The Vandellas- NOWHERE TO RUN
2. The Temptations- SINCE I LOST MY BABY (first-time stereo mix)*
3. The Temptations- YOURE MY EVERYTHING
4. The Miracles- (COME ROUND HERE) IM THE ONE YOU NEED
5. The Supremes- MY WORLD IS EMPTY WITHOUT YOU (extended stereo mix)
6. The Supremes- I HEAR A SYMPHONY (alternate stereo mix)
7. Four Tops- REACH OUT, ILL BE THERE (extended stereo mix)*
8. Four Tops- STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF LOVE
9. Stevie Wonder- A PLACE IN THE SUN
10. Four Tops- SHAKE ME, WAKE ME (WHEN ITS OVER)
11. The Supremes- LOVE IS LIKE AN ITCHING IN MY HEART (extended stereo mix)
12. Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell- IF I COULD BUILD MY WHOLE WORLD AROUND YOU
13. Martha & The Vandellas- JIMMY MACK (single version, extended stereo mix)*
14. Four Tops- BERNADETTE
15. Stevie Wonder- I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER
16. The Marvelettes- DONT MESS WITH BILL
17. Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell- AINT NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH (extended stereo mix)*
18. Gladys Knight & The Pips- I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE
19. Marvin Gaye- I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE (extended soundtrack version)
20. Diana Ross & The Supremes- REFLECTIONS (extended stereo mix)

Tracks:

1. The Miracles- IVE BEEN GOOD TO YOU (extended stereo mix)*
2. Stevie Wonder- PURPLE RAINDROPS (first-time stereo mix)*
3. Marvin Gaye- PRETTY LITTLE BABY (first-time stereo mix)*
4. The Supremes- LET ME GO THE RIGHT WAY
5. The Temptations- YOULL LOSE A PRECIOUS LOVE (extended stereo mix)*
6. Chris Clark- LOVES GONE BAD LOVE (extended stereo mix)*
7. Martha & The Vandellas- THIRD FINGER, LEFT HAND (first-time stereo mix)*
8. Gladys Knight & The Pips- STEPPIN CLOSER TO YOUR HEART (first-time stereo mix)*
9. Four Tops- SINCE YOUVE BEEN GONE
10. The Andantes- (LIKE A) NIGHTMARE (first-time stereo mix)*
11. Brenda Holloway- JUST LOOK WHAT YOUVE DONE (extended stereo mix)*
12. The Marvelettes- FOREVER (first-time stereo mix)*

Customer Reviews:

Mono is the place to start (and maybe stop).......2006-04-28

This box makes great listening on its own, but if you directly compare it to the Hitsville USA box of mono masters, the differences are quite dramatic. The stereo sound is softer, smoother and more colorful, but the mono tracks have a punch and intensity that the stereo tracks only occasionally match. I don't think anything has been botched here- the stereo mixes (where unaltered) are very similar to my LP box of stereo Motown hits- it's simply the best their equipment could do back then. Some of the remixes appear to have been done with a genuine effort to match the organic power of the mono tracks, and the results are fascinating. But I'd say the Hitsville USA has it where it matters- it swings harder, is more authentic, and costs less. Get over mono-phobia- Hitsville USA is the mandatory purchase.

questionable choices and a 34 minute rip-off.......2006-03-31

with so many hits to choose from there is bound to be debate about what should be included in this set. there are some great works here, not my 1st choices, but as a 50 year old human i find myself reliving part of my childhood with each listening. the problem is with cd #4 which clocks in at 34 minutes which blows my mind. there are literally 1000s of hours of motown available and to fill a cd to less than 1/2 of it's capacity is a total rip-off. shame on you.

Total Jams old skool- Motown Box.......2006-01-14

Have you ever listened to a song that you herd all your life.
Then you here a different version of it. You go what was that?
So when Old Skool got to playing this Motown Box his ears opened wide. I have always herd the Miracles Shop Around but it was in mono.The version in the Motown Box is in stereo, the first time in my life to here it so. The box has extended mix's,or alternate mix's, of all the old jam's you thought you remembered. So if you are a big Motown fan like T.J. Old Skool you have to put this on your list of got to have now !!

Oh No They DIDN"T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2005-12-30

I was going to buy this, but I was reading the reviews and I would have been LIVID. I grew up with this music and in MY opinion, I like the MONO sound better than the stereo mixes because sometimes they can ruin the sound. Like for instance. On the Temptations "Get Ready" cd. Did you notice that "Say You" is in MONO but the rest of the stuff is in stereo. And who ever mixed "Fading Away" killed it. They brought the violins up way too high during the instrumental part. I will have to admit, the stereo of "This old heart of mines" (on the album by the Isley Bros" is a much crisper cleaner sound than the MONO version. Man, i was going to buy this but the more reviews I read, the more i did not want it. So I'll stick to Motown's Ultimate Collection. Thank you all for your realness and honesty about this

Set your control to "Stereo".......2005-11-25

Ever since I heard the stereo version of The Supremes' "Nothing But Heartaches" in the Summer of Love from their Greatest Hits album (I had purchased "More Hits By The Supremes" in mono in the summer of '65) I wondered if their were any more stereo surprises because usually the stereo LP versions were so much shorter than the 45s. When they finally started mastering the single versions on countless of anthologies, I felt vindicated.

While collecting some of the individual artists albums (most recently The Millennium Collection by Kim Weston), I was greatly impressed with some of the full-length stereo versions, especially the duets with Marvin Gaye and "Helpless". Then, the latest anthologies by The Temptations and The Miracles with their many extended stereo mixes more than made my decade!

This latest collection of Motown re-mixes is remarkable because it shows our old favorites in a new setting. I understand the first reviewer's frustration in that some of the vocals or instrumentation is hard to hear (for instance, Joe Swift's "what key, what key?" question during the latter part of "Fingertips"). One has to come to grips with the fact that if the piano track is brought up, the reeds may not be so audible. The purpose of this set is not to bring the original product as we heard it on AM radio, but to present it in a different light. The constant cluck cluck cluck of the guitar in "Dancing In The Street", the banjo-like rhythm guitar in "Helpless" (heard on "The Best Of Kim Weston" and not here, unfortunately) and even things we've never heard like the alternate vocal of "I Hear A Symphony". The only waste of time on this set was "This Old Heart Of Mine", which was not an extended mix at all. The full length stereo version has always existed on the title album and on Rhino's "Isley Brothers' Story, Vol. 1. What is not credited as being an extended stereo mix is "Heaven Must Have Sent You" by The fabulous Elgins. I've never heard this version. The real surprises are "Reach Out, I'll Be There" and "The Tracks Of My Tears" which both flesh out to four minutes!

So, will these new stereo mixes ever take the place of the originals? Well, no, but they do justice to already great sounding records and it is nice to have multiple mixes of them.

Average customer rating: This is hands down a fantastic collection! Great Package Great collection for true fans Pricey...........BUT WORTH EVERY PENNY! Killer first disc

Emperors of Soul The Temptations Manufacturer: Motown ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Classic R&B | R&B | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music Motown | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music R&B & Soul | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: Fourever The Master 1961-1984 The 35th Anniversary Collection The Supremes Get Ready: Definitive Performances 1965-1972 [DVD] - The Temptations ASIN: B000001ALS Release Date: 1994-09-20

Tracks:

1. Come On - Otis Williams & The Distants
2. Oh, Mother Of Mine
3. Romance Without Finance
4. Check Yourself
5. Dream Come True
6. Mind Over Matter (I'm Gonna Make You Mine) - The Pirates
7. I'll Love You 'Til I Die - The Pirates
8. Paradise
9. Slow Down Heart
10. I Couldn't Cry If I Wanted To
11. Witchcraft (For Your Love)
12. I Want A Love I Can See
13. The Further You Look, The Less You See
14. Farewell My Love
15. A Tear From A Woman's Eyes
16. The Way You Do The Things You Do
17. I'll Be In Trouble
18. The Girl's Alright With Me
19. Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)
20. Baby, Baby I Need You
21. My Girl
22. (Talking 'Bout) Nobody But My Baby
23. It's Growing
24. You'll Lose A Precious Love
25. Since I Lost My Baby
26. You've Got To Earn It
27. My Baby
28. Don't Look Back

Tracks:

1. Get Ready
2. Fading Away
3. Ain't Too Proud To Beg
4. Too Busy Thinking About My Baby
5. Who You Gonna Run To
6. Beauty Is Only Skin Deep
7. I Got Heaven Right Here On Earth
8. (I Know) I'm Losing You
9. All I Need
10. Sorry Is A Sorry Word
11. I'm Doing It All
12. No More Water In The Well
13. You're My Everything
14. Just One Last Look
15. Angel Doll
16. (Loneliness Made Me Realize) It's You That I Need
17. Don't Send Me Away
18. Hello Young Lovers
19. Ol' Man River
20. I Wish It Would Rain
21. I Truly, Truly Believe
22. I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)
23. Please Return Your Love To Me
24. How Can I Forget
25. For Once In My Life (Live)
26. My Girl (A Capella)

Tracks:

1. Cloud Nine
2. Why Did She Have To Leave Me (Why Did She Have To Go)
3. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me - Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations
4. I'll Try Something New - Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations
5. Runaway Child, Running Wild
6. Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down
7. I Can't Get Next To You
8. Message From A Black Man
9. War
10. Psychedelic Shack
11. Hum Along & Dance
12. Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today)
13. Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite The World)
14. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
15. Take A Look Around
16. It's Summer
17. Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)
18. I Ain't Got Nothin'
19. Mother Nature
20. Papa Was A Rolling Stone

Tracks:

1. Masterpiece
2. Plastic Man
3. Hey Girl (I LIke Your Style)
4. Law Of The Land (Alt. Mix)
5. Let Your Hair Down
6. Heavenly
7. You've Got My Soul On Fire
8. Happy People
9. Shakey Ground
10. Glasshouse
11. A Song For You
12. Memories
13. Keep Holdin' On
14. Darling, Stand By Me (Song For My Woman)
15. Who Are You
16. In A Lifetime
17. Power
18. Isn't The Night Fantastic
19. Aiming At Your Heart

Tracks:

1. Standing On The Top (Pt. I)
2. Sail Away
3. Treat Her Like A Lady
4. My Love Is True (Truly For You)
5. Do You Really Love Your Baby
6. Magic
7. Lady Soul
8. I Wonder Who She's Seeing Now
9. Look What You Started
10. Soul To Soul
11. Special
12. My Kind Of Woman
13. Hoops Of Fire
14. Error Of Our Ways
15. Givin' U The Best
16. Elevator Eyes
17. Blueprint For Love

Amazon.com essential recording

The Temptations prospered by their gifts and their very name, which stood for the best of so much of what the soul-group tradition had to offer--standout lead vocalists, killer harmonies, and steps and suits that mortal men could only envy. By the '90s, though, the words "The Temptations" were as much a branding device as a guarantee of excellence. Fortunately, the five-CD Emperors of Soul spends most of its time winding through the act's various changes of style and personnel; this is the group, after all, that confidently leapt from romance classics such as "My Girl" to the ultrafunky "I Can't Get Next to You" and the downright scary "Papa Was a Rolling Stone." Like all royalty, they're a fallible institution, but if it's a big, big box of Tempts you want, Emperors is the one. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

This is hands down a fantastic collection!.......2007-07-25

Even if you do own all or most of this group's individual albums or cd's, this box set is still worth purchasing and having in your archives. The title of this box set definitely fits this group to a tee. They are indeed "The Emperors of Soul". They recorded songs that will stand the test of time. Their music is indelible and the songs still sound just as good today as they did some 30 and 40 years ago. If you are a real Temptation fan like myself, then it is imperative that you get this box set collection. You won't regret it!

Great Package.......2007-01-25

The product is exquisitely packaged and arrived on time. Although some of my favorite songs e.g. Hurry Tomorrow and Ma were omitted, the collection was still treasurable.

Great collection for true fans.......2006-10-27

If you are a fan of the Temptations, and as well as everyone should be, then this is the only set you need. With around 110 songs that they recorded through theyears digitally remastered on 5 CD's, you get almost every song they every had. Not to mention the highly detailed case and accompanying book with biographies, background information, albums, songs and their highest spot reached on the top #100 and tons of interesting stories and facts about the group, tons of pictures, oh yeah did I mention the tons of great songs that come along with the package that they released throught he years. A must have set for true fans!!

Pricey...........BUT WORTH EVERY PENNY!.......2006-08-20

I bought this a few years ago for my mother as a Christmas present and she still plays it every so often to this day! Its basically every hit this legendary group ever made by the original members!

I know $75 dollars seems a lot of money but trust me on this, you won't miss it once you start playing these CD's! Get it today!

Killer first disc.......2006-07-18

This collection is worth the price for the first disc alone, which collects some killer early sides from their first two Lp's & singles, as well as unreleased tracks, many featuring the late, great Paul Williams on lead. Williams was sadly pushed aside once David Ruffin came into the band, but you can hear for yourself the depth of his artistry.

CDs two & three collect all the obvious hits, plus some interesting album tracks & B-sides. Disc four starts off strong, with some of Norman Whitfield's more adventurous productions, & then starts to grow flaccid as the group loses their way. Disc five is pretty much completely disposable as the music becomes ever more synthesized, the songwriting becomes weak & predictable, & the Tempts lose touch with the sound that made them famous. This, sadly, describes most of their output over the last 15 years as they mistakenly try to update their sound for "contemporary tastes," rendering it as banal & lifeless as the majority of contemporary R&B.

Now if they were smart they'd get back to basics & cut an album with the Funk Brothers!

Average customer rating: Wheres "Do Whatcha Gotta Do" motown legends !! AT LONG LAST Best ever box set Best ever box set

Fourever The Four Tops Manufacturer: Hip-O Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Classic R&B | R&B | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music Motown | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music R&B & Soul | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: Emperors of Soul The 35th Anniversary Collection The Master 1961-1984 The Supremes On Top/Reach Out ASIN: B00005O6NA Release Date: 2001-09-25

Tracks:

1. Could It Be You (Single Only Release, U.S.)
2. Ain't That Love (Single Only Release, U.S.)
3. Pennies From Heaven (Single Only Release, U.S.)
4. Until I Met You - Alternate Mix (Previously Unreleased)
5. Baby I Need Your Loving - Single Mix
6. Where Did You Go - Single Mix
7. Without The One You Love (Life's Not Worth While) - Single Mix
8. Left With A Broken Heart - Original Lp Mix
9. Ask The Lonely - Alternate Stereo Mix
10. Just A Little Love (Before My Life Is Gone) (Previously Unreleased)
11. My Heart Is Calling You (Previously Unreleased)
12. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) - Alternate Mix(Previously Unreleased)
13. It's The Same Old Song - Alternate Berry Gordy Single
14. Is There Anything That I Can Do - Original Lp Mix
15. Something About You - Single Mix
16. No Good Without You (Previously Unreleased)
17. Just As Long As You Need Me - Single Mix
18. Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over) - Single Mix
19. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever - Single Mix
20. Brenda - Alternate Lawrence Payton Vocal (Previously Unreleased)
21. For Once In My Life - Single Mix

Tracks:

1. Reach Out I'll Be There - Single Mix
2. Standing In The Shadows Of Love - Single Mix
3. Bernadette - Single Mix
4. 7-Rooms Of Gloom - Alternate Mix(Previously Unreleased)
5. I'll Turn To Stone (Live At The Roostertail ) - Original
6. You Keep Running Away - Single Mix
7. Walk Away Renee - Single Mix
8. Your Love Is Wonderful - Single Mix (Single Only Release, U.S.)
9. If I Were A Carpenter - Single Mix
10. Just Another Lonely Night - With The Temptations (Previously Unreleased)
11. Oh, I've Been Blessed - 'Levi & The Vandellas' (Previously Unreleased)
12. Yesterday's Dreams - Single Mix
13. Can't Seem To Get You Out Of My Mind - Single Mix
14. I'm In A Different World - Single Mix
15. What Is A Man - Single Mix
16. So Far (Previously Unreleased)
17. Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me - Single Mix
18. Do What You Gotta Do - Original Lp Mix
19. Macarthur Park - Original Lp Mix
20. I'll Pay Double (Previously Unreleased)
21. Nothing - Original Lp Mix
22. Barbara's Boy - Original Lp Mix
23. Stranded On The Road Of Love - With Edwin Starr (Previously Unreleased)

Tracks:

1. Its All In The Game - Single Mix
2. Love (Is The Answer) - Single Mix
3. Still Water (Peace) / Still Water (Love) - Unedited Version (Previously Unreleased)
4. Ballad To: The One I Love (Previously Unreleased)
5. River Deep - Mountain High - The Supremes & Four Tops - Original Lp Mix
6. I'm Glad About It - The Supremes & Four Tops - Original Lp Mix
7. Just Seven Numbers (Can Straighten Out My Life) - Single Mix
8. In These Changing Times - Single Version
9. A Simple Game - Original Unedited Mix (Previously Unreleased)
10. You Stole My Love - Single Mix (Single Only Release, Previously Unreleased In The U.S.)
11. So Deep Within You - Single Mix (Single Only Release, Previously Unreleased In The U.S.)
12. I Can't Quit Your Love - Single Mix
13. (It's The Way) Nature Planned It - Single Mix
14. Keeper Of The Castle - Original Lp Mix
15. Ain't No Woman (Like The One I've Got) - Original Lp Mix
16. Love Music - Original Lp Mix
17. Remember What I Told You To Forget - Original Lp Mix
18. Are You Man Enough - Soundtrack Version
19. Sweet Understanding Love - Original Lp Mix
20. I Just Can't Get You Out Of My Mind - Original Lp Mix
21. One Woman Man - Original Lp Mix
22. Main Street People (Intro) / Main Street People - Original Lp Mix

Tracks:

1. One Chain Don't Make No Prison - Original Lp Mix
2. Midnight Flower (Live) - Original Lp Mix
3. Seven Lonely Nights - Original Lp Mix
4. We All Gotta Stick Together - Original Lp Mix
5. Catfish - Original Lp Mix
6. For Your Love - 12-Inch Version (Single Only Release, Previously Unreleased In The U.S.)
7. When She Was My Girl - Original Lp Mix
8. Tonight I'm Gonna Love You All Over (Live) (Previously Unreleased)
9. I Believe In You And Me - Original Lp Mix
10. The Temptations And Four Tops Medley (Live) - Original 12-Inch
11. I Just Can't Walk Away - Original Lp Mix
12. Sexy Ways - Single Mix
13. Hot Nights (Single Only Release, U.S.)
14. Red Hot Love (Previously Unreleased)
15. Indestructible - 12-Inch Edit With Smokey Robinson
16. Loco In Acapulco - Original Lp Mix
17. If Ever A Love There Was - The Four Tops Featuring Aretha Franklin & Kenny G
18. Till You Return To Me - Grover Washington, Jr.
19. The Four Of Us (Single Only Release, Previously Unreleased In The U.S.)

Amazon.com

Those only familiar with the Tops' 1960s Motown heyday may be surprised at just how prolific the foursome remained after leaving the mother ship in 1972. While this four-disc set does include 53 tracks from their peak Motown tenure, it also offers a much more comprehensive look at their entire career, reaching all the way back to a 1956 Chess single and continuing into the 1990s. Of particular note are a number of topflight selections from their years on Dunhill and ABC (1972-1979), when hits such as "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)" and "Keeper of the Castle" as well as a few lesser-known gems successfully updated their trademark sound to include elements of funk and disco while still remaining true to their defining trait: the balance of Levi Stubbs's robust growl and the ethereal harmonies of his mates. Their early-1980s Casablanca period also yielded notable additions to their repertoire, such as the buoyant "When She Was My Girl" and the ballad "I Believe in You and Me," which would become a wedding staple. Still, nothing can compare to their Motown classics, when the songs of the Holland-Dozier-Holland hit machine joined forces with the Tops' appealing style to the delight of a generation. Fans content with the Motown hits are advised to pick up the single-disc Ultimate Collection, but those looking for a deeper investigation will enjoy this thorough survey. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Wheres "Do Whatcha Gotta Do".......2005-07-28

This is a very comprehensive review of Four Tops "cuts' what I simply can't understand is why none of these 'Hit Lists' do not include what I believe to be one their greatest, Jimmy Webbs, Do Whatcha Gotta Do! Other than this terrific song I love the rest of the Boxed set immenesly

motown legends !!.......2004-09-03

the four tops are fourever ,nuff said !! j.h. "hitsville usa" p.s. just play them golden memories !!

AT LONG LAST.......2004-04-16

At last we have a box set for the very gifted and often overlooked TOPS. The Tops were together longer than any other Motown group. Yet they tended to be overshadowed by the other acts from the same stable. This set stands as a testimony to how great they really were. All the hits, plus some rarities, all of them true gems. Their music continues to stand the test of time. I have been a fan from the beginning and, thanks to this collection, can continue to spread their legacy to future generations.

Best ever box set.......2002-06-28

This is a must for all tops fans and truely is magnificant, it brings out the best from these four familiar guys, wonderfully put together and deserves every tops fan, s attention if you want to hear levi and the guys giving there best this does just that , what an exellent compilation.

Best ever box set.......2002-06-28

This is a must for all tops fans and truely is magnificant, it brings out the best from these four familiar guys, wonderfully put together and deserves every tops fan, s attention if you want to levi and the guys giving there best this does just that , what an exellent compilation.

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2. The Soul Mixtape
3. The Velvet Rope
4. Toni Braxton
5. TP-2.Com [Explicit Lyrics]
6. Turning Point [Content/Copy-Protected CD]
7. Ultimate Collection
8. Van Hunt [Enhanced]
9. Voices
10. Voodoo [Explicit Lyrics]

Christian Music

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America Remembers

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Slim Beltbuckle [Explicit Lyrics]

Bedouin Cafe

Alkymia

Anti-State: Anarcho-Punk, Vol. 2 [Import]

Almost Here

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A Kind of Magic

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3DVOZ [Import]

A2g

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Always Alive: 1976-1986