Motown Early Classics [Import]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Budget-priced compilation for the Motown institutions. Featuring 18 'early classics' including the hits, 'It's The Same Old Song', 'Ask The Lonely' and the # 1 hits, 'Reach Out, I'll Be There' and 'I Can't Help Myself'. 1996 release. Standard jewel case.

Motown Early Classics,The Four Tops,Universal Int'l,Motown,Pop,Pop-Soul,Popular Music,R&B,R&B/Soul,Soul,Soul/R & B,United States of America

Tracks:

Uptight (Everything's Alright)
Fingertips (Part 1 & 2)
Little Water Boy
Music Talk
Workout Stevie Workout
Monkey Talk
Frankie And Johnny
Mary Ann
Blowin' In The Wind
Sad Boy
With A Child's Heart
I Was Made To Love Her
Ain't That Love
My Baby's Gone
Yester-me Yester-You Yesterday
Teach Me Tonight
Ebb Tide
Beyond The Sea

Album Description

UK 'Best Of', tracks include 'Uptight (Everything's Alright)', 'I Was Made To Love Her', 'Fingertips' (Parts 1 & 2) plus varied album tracks and a number of rarities making their first appearance on CD. 2000 release. Standard jewel case.

Album Details

UK 18 Track Collection of 'little Stevie's' Earliest Motown Recordings from the Early Sixties.

Customer Reviews:

needs just a few more rarities from the early 60s.......2004-10-11

i give early classics a 3 star rating only because it needs just a few more rarities from stevie's early 60s period.the hits like 'uptight'-'fingertips'-'i was made to love her'-'yester-me, yester-you,yesterday'-have been included in so many of his greatest hits compilations-we hardcore stevie fans would very much like to hear his lesser known or unreleased early material. for example,little stevie recorded a song in the spring of 1963 called 'lois' which is available on motown's "never-before-released masters:from motown's brightest stars-the 1960's"/songs like 'lois' and the ignored 'purple raindrops' should have been included in this collection along with other unreleased unheard classics in motown's vaults.but this compilation does makeup 4 that misstep by including 'little water boy'-a duet with his older mentor clarence paul- the very seldom heard 'with a child's heart'-from his 1966 lp 'uptight'-and also from the 'uptight'album is the upbeat track 'music talk'-and also from 1963 is the funny bright 'monkey talk'-this compilation also includes a few tracks from stevie's 1964 album 'stevie at the beach'-one of my favorite tracks from this album is the beautiful instrumental 'ebb tide'which is so calming and carefree with stevie gliding on clouds with his harmonica with the motown band's cool,calming relaxing groove.this instrumental is so good,i repeat this track over and over again... nonetheless this compilation of stevie wonder as a child genius is good 2 have in your collection...

This was the beginning of a brilliant career.............2004-06-10

Stevie Wonder, or "Little Stevie" the name he went by in the early days of his career, was a musical prodigy (master of the harmonica, soulful singer with a personality, presence and command of songs that was beyond his twelve years). This wonderful little glimpse into the beginning of a R&B master's career contains the songs that made him famous ("Fingertips--Parts 1&2," "Uptight (Everything's Alright)," etc.). Every track on this album is soulful, and the beats range from upbeat and peppy to introspective and full of spirit. I was amazed at the versatility and range of this wonderful artist even before he reached his teens! This album can be enjoyed by people of all ages--from young kids starting out in music to those who have loved Stevie for years. A real treat!

It's soulful Clarence Paul, my dears!.......2004-05-04

brnn64 asked about who that is duetting with Stevie on "Blowin'in the wind". It's his tutor and producer Clarence Paul!

A must have for the serious Stevie fan !.......2001-12-16

This is the only cd in the world that contains one of the most beautiful songs that Stevie Wonder ever recorded. The top 10 R@B hit titled "With a childs heart ". It is a pure soul classic and hasn't been heard on radio probably since it's release in 1966. I searched for this song on cd for 10 years or so. It was always never included on his greatest hits cd's released in America. Everythings great on this cd but it's worth it's weight in gold just to hear the song "With a child's heart " for it's truly,truly, a forgotten classic.

Hard to Find classic Stevie.......2001-08-01

Excellent compilation of Stevie Wonder's early period. Granted, he was not that much of a singer as a child, but he damn sure could make that harmonica smoke and inspired me to pick up this instrument as a youngster. Here we have the seldom-heard "Fingertips pt. 1" (most people are familiar with/pt. 2, with the "Everybody Say yeah," etc.). We have the followup "Workout Stevie Workout" where he really sets the mouthorgan on fire near the end, and the long-lost instrumental "Monkey Talk." Stevie gives Dylan's "Blowin in the Wind" some real justice (does anyone know who is singing with Stevie on that one)? But all in all, a treasure for hardcore R&B fans.

Average customer rating:

More than a one-hit wonder

Early Classics
Jimmy Ruffin
Manufacturer: Universal/Spectrum
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Jimmy Ruffin - Motown's Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000024MK3
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Tracks:

What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
Since I've Lost You
How Can I Say I'm Sorry
Baby I've Got It
Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got
96 Tears
You've Got What It Takes
Farewell Is a Lonely Sound
I'll Say Forever My Love
Stand by Me - David Ruffin, Jimmy Ruffin
Set 'Em Up (Move in for the Thrill) - David Ruffin, Jimmy Ruffin
Living in a World I Created for Myself
Lonely Lonely Man Am I
I Want Her Love
I'll Never Let You Get Away
Honey Come Back
Your Love Was Worth Waiting For - David Ruffin, Jimmy Ruffin
Turn Back the Hands of Time - David Ruffin, Jimmy Ruffin

Album Description

UK pressing features a total of 18 tracks. Spectrum. 2004.

Customer Reviews:

More than a one-hit wonder.......2007-04-05

Although entitled Early Classics, this 18-track collection actually spans the period 1964 to 1970, with six tracks taken from the 1970 albums The Groove Governor and I Am My Brother's Keeper, the latter in partnership with his brother David Ruffin from the Temptations. This included the single Stand By Me, a revival of Ben E King's 1960 hit, and a terriffic cover of Tyrone Davis's Turn Back The Hands Of Time.

A further four tracks are taken from the 1969 album Ruff'n Ready, which provided him with some of his biggest hits such as Farewell Is A Lonely Sound and I'll Say Forever My Love. It also contained his unlikely, but very successful cover of 96 Tears, and the Motown standard You've Got What It Takes. Another track, I Will Never Let You Get Away, probably dates from around the same period but didn't surface until 1974 when it became the B-side in the UK of the re-issued Farewell Is A Lonely Sound single.

Taking pride of place at the start of the CD is naturally What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted, which was a huge hit for Jimmy Ruffin in 1966 and again in 1974. Its original B-side, Baby I've Got It, is also included (the only mono selection on the CD). It was never included on an album and is a good reason for considering this collection, though it is now included on the more expensive The Ultimate Motown Collection.

However, it is some of the earliest recordings that were such a revelation to me. His second single, in 1964, was the original version of Since I've Lost You. Later to be covered by Gladys Knight and the Pips, the Temptations and, even later, the Undisputed Truth, here is the definitive blueprint version.

Lonely Lonely Man Am I is best known in the Velvelettes' re-titled version Lonely Lonely Girl Am I from 1965, but had been recorded the year before by Jimmy Ruffin. His version remained in the can until 1968 when it escaped on a B-side (by this time the Temptations' even earlier 1963 version had surfaced on their Gettin' Ready album of 1966 - but that's Motown for you). It is taken at a slower, more desperately soulful and lost pace with a deep groove laid down by the Funk Brothers. They excel on this and on tracks like I Want Her Love, which has some great bass guitar playing and horns, and the tear-jerker How Can I Say I'm Sorry, another great Norman Whitfield production from 1964 that was thrown away as a B-side.

If you want to discover more of the man than the couple of hits you probably know, this budget introduction is a good place to start.

Average customer rating:

Interesting Hodgepodge
CLASSIC ROSS!
HIDDEN TREASURES FINALLY RESURFACE ON CD!!

Early Classics
Diana Ross and the Supremes
Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Reflections: The Definitive Performances 1964-1969
You Keep Me Hangin on
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Stop! In the Name of Love
Love Child/Supremes A-Go-Go

ASIN: B0000073FT
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Tracks:

Stop! In The Name Of Love
You Bring Back Memories
Come On Boy
Time Changes Things
Run, Run, Run
Whisper You Love Me Boy
Where Did Our Love Go
Ask Any Girl
Honey Boy
Any Girl In Love (Knows What I'm Going Through)
Come See About Me
Mother Dear
Baby Love
(I'm So Glad) Heartaches Don't Last Always
You've Really Got A Hold On Me
Baby Doll
Who Could Ever Doubt My Love
I'm In Love Again

Customer Reviews:

Interesting Hodgepodge.......2005-11-26

Sure is an interesting hodgepodge of early Supremes material...

The very oldest items here are "Time Changes Things" and "You Bring Back Memories," which not only appeared on 1963's "Meet The Supremes" ( before anyone really knew who they were) but were single b-sides to, respectively "Let Me Go The Right Way" and "My Heart Can't Take It No More". "Come On Boy" is from this era too, though it didn't see the light of day in the U.S. market until it appeared in 1986 on the 3-LP "25th Anniversary" collection when the recording was over 20 years old. You cannot listen to these tracks ( and loving fans of the group don't) like a critic with scalpel in hand. These three Detroit young ladies hadn't found their niche yet, and despite noble tries by Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson and Clarence Paul, the "right" production approach wasn't discovered for them until paired with Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier & Eddie Holland.

Though "Run, Run, Run" faltered as a single, gold was struck only months later ( in 1964) with "Where Did Our Love Go". From the same-titled LP, this disc also plucks the successive hits "Baby Love" and "Come See About Me" as well as "Baby Love's" flipside, "Ask Any Girl".

Next in the Supremes album discography was "A Bit Of Liverpool," and we come to "You've Really Got A Hold On Me." This was actually first recorded by the Supremes' labelmates The Miracles, but then the Beatles did it, then the Supremes covered it, which is how it got "A Bit" Liverpool. Get it?

Spring of 1965 brought the tough-to-get-through "Supremes Sing Country Western & Pop" and this disc only samples "Baby Doll" from that misfire before wisely mining their next H-D-H album, "More Hits By The Supremes" for its greatest number of selections.

"Stop! In the Name of Love," "I'm In Love Again," "I'm So Glad Heartaches Don't Last Always," "Mother Dear," "Honey Boy," "Whisper You Love Me Boy" and "Who Could Ever Doubt My Love" all saw their long-player debut on that July 1965 album, which even carried "Ask Any Girl" for the second time on an LP.

"Any Girl In Love Knows What I'm Going Through" first appeared on the "I Hear A Symphony" album in February 1966, the least oldest of the 18 tracks here. As "Early Classics" did with its Mary Wells entry, this Supremes set wisely includes a handful of their hit singles, but then goes for some of the better near-forgotten B-sides and album tracks. Nicely done, and certainly recommended for those who lost or never had the original albums mentioned here.

CLASSIC ROSS!.......2000-09-09

A well rounded compilation, featuring Diana Ross and the Supremes vastly unknown material such as the catchy YOU BRING BACK MEMORIES (slightly reminiscent to The Contours hit, DO YOU LOVE ME), TIME CHANGES THINGS, COME ON BOY, ASK ANY GIRL (a great catchy number which would have been a mega hit if released as a single), BABY DOLL, ANY GIRL IN LOVE (KNOWS WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH) and a perfect cover version of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, YOU'VE REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME. This wonderful compilation is exactly as the title says, focusing on the many tracks they cut before hitting the jackpot in 1963 and also highlighting their early success with tracks such as the ground breaking, WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO, BABY LOVE and STOP! IN THE NAME OF LOVE. It also gives an airing to classic album cuts such as WHO COULD EVER DOUBT MY LOVE and (I'M SO GLAD) HEARTACHES DONT LAST ALWAYS (both plucked from the classic album, MORE HITS BY THE SUPREMES ; 1965). A great collectors item as compilations of these of Diana Ross and the Supremes are quite rare now, unfortunatley! Good to very good and very much recommended!

HIDDEN TREASURES FINALLY RESURFACE ON CD!!.......1998-12-06

SUPREMES EARLY CLASSICS IS A SUPER COLLECTION FOR THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE ALL OF THEIR ALBUMS ON CD. THIS COLLECTION MAINLY FOCUSES ON THE ALBUM TRACKS RELEASED DURING THE GIRLS MASSIVE STREAK OF HITS. LOST TREASURES LKE "YOU BRING BACK MEMORIES" AND "TIME CHANGES THINGS"FROM THEIR FIRST LP "MEET THE SUPREMES"NOT YET RELEASED OR RERELEASED ON CD!!THEIR FIRST FOUR NUMBER ONE HITS ARE HERE ALSO (MOST FANS KNOW WHAT THEY ARE)SIX TRACKS FROM "MORE HITS BY THE SUPREMES", "MOTHER DEAR" "HONEY BOY","WHISPER YOU LOVE ME BOY", "I'M IN LOVEAGAIN", I'M SO GLAD (HEARTACHES)", AND"WHO COULD EVER DOUBT MY LOVE", MOST FANS KNOW THAT THESE TRACKS ARE NEARLYIMPOSSIBLE TO FIND ON CD!! "BABY DOLL"AND "YOU REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME" FROM"C & W AND POP" AND "A BIT OF LIVERPOOL"ADD A NICE TOUCH, "RUN RUN RUN", "ASK ANY GIRL", "ANY GIRL IN LOVE" AND "COME ON BOY" FROM THE LPS "WHERE DID OUR LOVEGO" "I HEAR A SYMPHONY", ROUND OUT A SUPERB COLLECTION. WHY DO THE AMERICAN FANS HAVE TO SHOP THE WORLD FOR SUPEMES MUSIC?? IF ANY ONE FROM MOTOWN READS THIS REVIEW PLEASE GET WITH THE PROGRAM-RELEASE ALL OF THE SUPREMES ORIGINAL ALBUMS ON CD IN THE U.S. ALL OF THE FANS ARE WAITING PATIENTLY. THE BIGGEST SELLING AMERICAN GROUP OF THE SIXTIES,DESERVES A LOT BETTER THAN A FEW ANTHOLOGY ALBUMS RELEASED EVERY 3 OR 4 YEARS, GIVE US THE ALBUMS!!! ON CD!!

Average customer rating:

Great insite into the Temptations

Early Classics
The Temptations
Manufacturer: Umvd Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Love Songs
Motown Early Classics
The Temptin' Temptations
Meet the Temptations
Gettin' Ready

ASIN: B0000074E5
Release Date: 1999-12-28

Tracks:

My Girl
I'll Be in Trouble
Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)
Girl's Alright with Me
Get Ready
(You're My) Dream Come True
I Couldn't Cry If I Wanted To
You're the One I Need
You'll Lose a Precious Love
Ain't Too Proud to Beg
Who's Lovin' You
Nobody But You
I Gotta Know Now
Too Busy Thinking About My Baby
You've Got to Earn It
Everybody Needs Love
It's Growing
Don't Look Back

Album Description

'My Girl' 'I'll Be In Trouble', '(Girl) Why You Wanna Make Me Blue', 'The Girl's Alright With Me', 'Get Ready', '(You're My) Dream Come True', 'I Couldn't Cry If I Wanted To', 'You're The One I Need', 'You'll Lose A Precious Love', 'Ain't Too Proud To Beg', 'Who's Lovin' You', 'I Gotta Know Now', 'Too Busy Thinking About My Baby', 'You've Got To Earn It', 'Everybody Needs Love', 'It's Growing', 'Don't Look Back'.

Customer Reviews:

Great insite into the Temptations.......2000-06-26

This is the 1st Temptations CD I have ever purchased. I bought it because of the hits that I liked to sing to in my car, but I was more elated with the songs I've never heard. This CD is accessible because of hits like My Girl and Aint to Proud to Beg, but numbers like Girl's Alright with Me and Who's Lovin You make the CD. Even my friend's who are more familiar with their music love this cd and keep asking to borrow it (which reminds me I have to get it back from my mother). A must buy if you are new to their music, and for lifetime fans.

Average customer rating:

Useful introduction
Great helping of hits and neglected gems

Motown Early Classics
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Motown Early Classics
Early Classics

ASIN: B000007UEE
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Tracks:

Dancing In The Street
Third Finger, Left Hand
Jimmy Mack
I'll Have To Let Him Go
There He Is (At My Door)
Hitch Hike
Moments (To Remember)
(Love Is Like A) Heatwave
Hello Stranger
In My Lonely Room
Wait Till My Bobby Gets Home
The Jerk
Dance Party
Motoring
Dancing Slow
Wild One
Nowhere To Run
Never Leave Your Baby's Side

Customer Reviews:

Useful introduction.......2006-03-17

Since the release of this compilation the Motown catalogue has been extensively revamped and in the UK all the original Martha (Reeves) and the Vandellas albums have become available, along with some non-album bonus tracks, in the excellent 2 Classic Albums 1 CD series. Several of the other artists that were featured in the Early Classics series of the mid-nineties have been afforded the same treatment.

The purpose of the series was to present early album tracks and B-sides alongside some more familiar singles, and so has to some extent been superceded by the more recent releases, though they still serve as a useful low-priced introduction, and still feature some extra titles.

10 of the tracks here are now duplicated on the stereo CDs featuring the albums Come And Get These Memories, Heatwave and Dance Party. There He Is (At My Door) is the later Dance Party version as found on the flip of Dancing In The Street. Hitch Hike is best known in the Marvin Gaye hit version, on which the Vandellas sang in 1962. Their own version was recorded during the same period but wasn't released until Dance Party (1965).

However, unlike the 2 Classic Albums 1 CD series, Jimmy Mack is the mono single remix version (1967), and its B-side Third Finger, Left Hand is the original 2.45 mono version. I'll Have To Let Him Go, their debut single, is also the mono single mix (not the longer stereo version found on Come And Get These Memories). Jennel Hawkins' Moments To Remember (also recorded by Irma Thomas), from Come And Get These Memories, is here in its original mono mix.

My personal preference is for stereo versions though I realise that many find the mono mixes they maybe first heard on the radio at the time to be more authentic. Wild One (sounding great, incidentally, with the Andantes adding extra vocal depth) and Nowhere To Run are both stereo mixes of the single edits, slightly shorter than the album versions.

Never Leave Your Baby's Side was covered in the UK by the Tony Jackson Group, who presumably found it on the flip of My Baby Loves Me (1966). Neither of these sides has been added to any of the 2 Classic Albums 1 CD series, though the top side is now on the SoulSatisfaction 2 compilation. This appears to be the only place one can currently find Never Leave Your Baby's Side, one of my favourite of their B-sides, though an alternative version appeared in mono on Live Wire! 1962-1972 (1993). The original version here is also mono although a stereo version of the song was available in, I think, the eighties.

With a smattering of top singles such as the timeless Dancing In The Street, with its snow-chains percussion, and a choice selection of lesser known songs, this makes a great introduction to one of Motown's finest.

I would like to see a new budget series, though, that mopped up some of the stray A-sides and B-sides left out of the re-issue packages. In the Vandellas' case this would include My Baby Loves Me, Darling I Hum Our Song, You've Been In Love Too Long and Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things).

Great helping of hits and neglected gems.......2005-11-26

If I could program all my Martha & the Vandellas vinyl into a jukebox and hit `random' this collection is sort of what I would come back with, and I mean that as a compliment. Like all such Motown works of the "Early Classics" line this one gives you heaping scoop of famous singles, filled out with near-forgotten album tracks and B-sides from the group's heyday.

From their debut, "Come and Get These Memories" album we get "I'll Have To Let Him Go," "Moments To Remember" and "There He Is At My Door" ( the latter repeated on 1965's "Dance Party").
"Wait Till My Bobby Gets Home," and especially "Hello Stranger" were two of the finer cover versions of then-popular tunes the group did on their hastily assembled 1963 "Heat Wave" LP ( according to Martha's 1993 autobiography, the entire album recorded in one night). The great single "In My Lonely Room," from 1964, got itself included on their '66 "Greatest Hits" but left off their 1975, 2-disc "Anthology".

"Dancing In the Street" and it's subsequent album, "Dance Party" were next and this is the one most heavily mined here: "Wild One," "Nowhere To Run," "Motoring," "Dancing Slow," "Hitch Hike," "The Jerk," and the title song. "Dancing Slow" originally was the b-side of "Wild One" and, other than inclusion in this album, never appeared again in any vinyl collections of the 60s and 70s. Nor did the respective b-sides of "My Baby Loves Me" and "Jimmy Mack", but they're here: "Never Leave Your Baby's Side" and "Third Finger, Left Hand".

If you have to have every A-side hit by the group, then "Ultimate Collection" fills that bill, but this one is equally satisfying for those of us who didn't think twice about flipping the group's singles over, soon as we got them home, and made ourselves just as familiar with the alleged `non-hits'.

Average customer rating:

A chance to delve
Essential collection
Good overview of Miracles' output between 1960 and 1967,

Early Classics
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
Manufacturer: Umvd Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Early Classics
Motown Early Classics
Motown Early Classics
The Ultimate Collection
The Essential Collection

ASIN: B0000073DI
Release Date: 2000-05-23

Tracks:

The Tracks Of My Tears
You've Really Got A Hold On Me
Shop Around
You Never Miss A Good Thing
Way Over There
Determination
Everybody's Gotta Pay Some Dues
If Your Mother Only Knew
What's So Good About Goodbye
Since You Won My Heart
Such Is Love, Such Is Life
The Monkey Time
The Wah-Watus!
I Gotta Dance To Keeo From Crying
From Head To Toe
Would I Love You
Let Me Have Some
Going To A Go-Go

Customer Reviews:

A chance to delve.......2006-10-03

Apart from acting as a useful sampler to newcomers to early Motown, the Early Classics series also serves the useful purpose of putting back into catalogue some B-sides and album tracks that cannot otherwise be found on CD, despite the lumbering re-issue programme currently underway.

More than any other performing artist, Smokey Robinson was responsible for getting the Motown imprints off the ground with founder Berry Gordy, his administrative and business skills being matched by his talents as singer, writer, producer and arranger. All of these are clearly evidenced by the 18 tracks on offer here, including eight A-sides, though all of these
are readily available elsewhere. The set begins with the timeless single Tracks Of My Tears and goes out with a bang on the fabulous Going To A Go-Go.

There are three non-album B-sides here: You Never Miss A Good Thing (B-side of I'll Try Something New), If Your Mother Only Knew (B-side of Way Over There) and Would I Love You (flip of That's What Love Is made Of). Would I Love You can be found on Lost And Found - Along Came Love in a longer mix, and in a new stereo mix on The Motown Box, but the others don't seem to be currently in catalogue. The other B-sides also appeared on albums, but not all of these are in print at the moment.

Therefore this album affords a unique opportunity to hear tracks from Cookin' With The Miracles, I'll Try Something New, The Fabulous Miracles and The Miracles Doin' Mickey's Monkey. I had never heard Determination before, knowing it only in a later version by the Contours. I was especially pleased to hear the three dance tracks from The Miracles Doin' Mickey's Monkey, in stereo mixes, these being Major Lance's Monkey Time, the Orlons' The Wah-Watusi, featuring a rare lead vocal from Claudette Robinson, and the Holland-Dozier-Holland original I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying. Also in stereo are the five tracks from the album Going To A Go-Go, though this album is easy to obtain. Motown love their mono mixes and all the other tracks included are not in stereo.

The earlier tracks, both ballads and up-tempo rockers, have quite a raw quality, which is precisely what I like about them. They have a passion and a lack of inhibition that is far removed from the music Smokey and the Miracles were to make later in their careers. A recommended delve into a rich back catalogue, especially when available so inexpensively.

Essential collection.......2004-10-06

I own many albums by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, but out of all of the albums and collections, this is the one that I will listen to most often. The songs on here are all essential, and some of them are very difficult to find otherwise. This album comes with my highest recommendation, and if I had to own just one Miracles album, it would be this one.

Good overview of Miracles' output between 1960 and 1967,.......1999-08-03

A wonderful import album for the Motown Fan. This collection does give you different tracks than that of the also wonderful 35th anniversary box set. This disc features the ballad "Would I Love You" from 1964 which was left off the box set. Other cuts like "If You Mother Only Knew" and "Such Is Love, Such Is Life" give the listener a chance to experience the maturation of Smokey as a songwriter and singer. Recommended for the Motown fan like myself.

Average customer rating:

No superlative good enough for this found in my thesaurus
I Love Those Boys!
Very Essential

Early Classics
Michael Jackson & the Jackson 5
Manufacturer: Umvd Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Music and Me
Lookin' Through the Windows/Goin' Back to Indiana

ASIN: B00000715E
Release Date: 2000-05-01

Tracks:

I Want You Back
Can You Remember
Who's Lovin' You
True Love Can Be Beautiful
In Our Small Way
Goin' Back to Indiana
Can I See You in the Morning
I'll Bet You
Rockin' Robin
People Make the World Go Round
Doggin' Around
Never Can Say Goodbye
Lookin' Through the Windows
We've Got a Good Thing Going
Young Folks
My Little Baby
(We've Got) Blue Skies
With a Child's Heart

Album Details

18 Super Classics from the Family Band from Gary, Indiana that Conquered the Pop and Soul Charts as Well as the Hearts of Many. Not Just the Hits, this Disc Compiles More LP Tracks as Well for a More Complete Portrait of the Group.

Customer Reviews:

No superlative good enough for this found in my thesaurus.......2006-03-16

Below you will find a lengthy analysis of one song on this record "I want you back." If a single song can generate this kind of response, imagine the musical content of the entire 21 song record.

This song obliterates me. All the performances are incredible, including, to quote a friend, Michael's astounding, dumbfounding lead vocal.

The bass part sounds to me as if it came straight from the composer and arranger, but in any matter it's stuffed full with inventive ideas and super fonky! Given the calculated nature of this recording I would expect the arranger to have worked out the bass part note for note. The recording is a careful tapestry of many sounds that blend together to give the overall effect. The intro is a good example. The melody played by the bass is wonderful, but that melody is doubled by other instruments plus other things are woven around that melody, all indicating that the arranger wrote it all out note for note, the bass player serving to faithfully play the arrangement.

(Un)fortunately, any excellence in other portions of this song is obscured by Michael's unbelievable vocal. So much stuff, so much soul, so much range and flexibility. This vocal is way in the unbelievable range for any artist. But to come from a brand new 11 year old is, as my friend put it so well, "dumbfounding." (If this selection does not feature sound clips, look at other Jackson 5 records here on Amazon to hear the mentioned snippets.)
*He sounds a little hoarse and that increases the authority.
*The way he uses subtle, rhythmic vibrato on the word "me" in the phrase "won't you please let me back in your heart." (Hear this on the Amazon snippet.)
*The pause and surprise attack on the word "back" in the same phrase. (Hear this on the Amazon snippet.)
*The screaming with 100% authority.
*The drifting out of tune on the words "now, baby, yeah" in the phrase "Yes I do now, Oh oh baby, yeah yeah yeah yeah, Nah Nah no no." (Is there a technical term for this "drifting out of tune" vocal technique?) (Hear this on the Amazon snippet.)
*The authority and inventiveness and soul of the scatting on that same phrase and other scats in the song, including the various fun "Huh"s.
*The natural way he does the call and response sections with his brothers.
*The perfect timing all over the place, including jumping on some of the responses a little early.
*The exciting vocal build on the phrase "All I want, all I need, all I want, all I need!" with the fantastic atonal exclamation on the second "all I want."
And on and on. You could almost analyze every single note the guy sings. The fact that this guy could do this at 11 years old shows beyond any question that singing at this level requires talent given to you directly by God. You can't get it and you can't learn it. God either gave it to you or He didn't. My guess is that some genius worked out most of this stuff and recorded a track for Michael to sing along with during the session. I mean God given talent or not, Michael could not have come up with that stuff on his own, atonal, drifting out of tune, etc. But to even sing along and get these results....incredible. Plus, who was that singing genius that came up with all that stuff?

Other great parts of the song are the pervasive background vocals, the excellent call and response, the subtle, almost inaudible use of strings and background vocalizing, and the various guitar parts that weave an interesting tapestry.

One thing that I think is ground breaking but at the same time takes away from this arrangement is the calculated, restrained drum part. The drum part sounds completely canned, written out and played note for note. It's not exuberant; instead it's carefully restrained. To my ears it sounds too mellow for this joyous, raucous romp. But it's groundbreaking because this style of drumming became prevalent later and today in the 2000s you rarely hear any drum pyrotechnics in favor of a steady drum beat that does not break the flow of the song.

I wonder if all the vocals on this recording are Jacksons? I assume they are and that shows the talent of this family and the quality of this product.

Excellence and analysis of each individual part aside, the real value of this song, besides Michael's vocal which you simply can not retire to the background, is the overall sound. Each part is carefully calculated and blended to create a unique, exuberant, joyful, new, and instantly recognizable sound that's unlike anything that had been heard before. Though each part is worthy of study, perhaps the best way to listen to this song is with a 6 inch speaker through an AM radio in your car. And isn't that the way it was meant to be?

Larry Brown

I Love Those Boys!.......2003-03-24

This album I played over and over when I had it!The songs I most like to hear are "Can You Remember","Look'in Through the Windows" and "Can I See You In the Morning".Sometimes I played it 'til it was skipping (lol),but I enjoyed it so much.I've been a Jackson 5 FAN since I was 11 or 12,now I'm 16.I love Michael's voice,I just fell in love with it.I love the other guys too!Especially Jermaine,he was real "good-look'in" back in the day and he wore some nice clothes. If your a Jackson 5 Fan or Fanatic you got to get this album,I enjoyed it!

Very Essential.......2000-05-02

Their's Only One Michael Jackson.He is Still The Man.His Voice here Sounds Incredible.The Jackson 5 on a Whole are tight&Very talented.Who's Loving You Has Michael Singing The Blues.So Many Styles from This Genius.All THe Brothers Have Good Solid Harmony.A Must Have.

Average customer rating:

Soul lovers: you need this!

Early Classics
Edwin Starr
Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Classic R&B | R&B | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

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Northern | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

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Essential Collection

ASIN: B00000742U
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Tracks:

Stop Her on Sight (S.O.S.)
Agent Double-O Soul
Headline News
My Weakness Is You
If My Heart Could Tell the Story
Way Over There
You Beat Me to the Punch
Oh How Happy
Love Is My Destination
Time Is Passin' By
Mighty Good Lovin'
I Am the Man for You Baby
I'm Glad You Belong to Me - Edwin Starr, Blinky Williams
I Am Your Man
Backyard Lovin' Man
Twenty-Five Miles
She Should Have Been Home
We'll Find a Way - Edwin Starr, Blinky Williams

Customer Reviews:

Soul lovers: you need this!.......2001-10-14

"The Very Best Of" may be enough for the casual fan, but all serious soul lovers should get this and "Essential Collection" (both UK imports). Together they provide virtually everything you need by the great Edwin Starr.

Average customer rating:

Serviceable sampler
Too much of a good thing! Seek out individual albums!!
A MUST for ANY collection.. ANY genre..
This has got to be an import...
Very Essential

Early Classics
Marvin Gaye
Manufacturer: Umvd Import
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

Quiet Storm | R&B | Styles | Music

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Early Classics
Motown Early Classics
Motown Anthology

ASIN: B000006YXY
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Tracks:

How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
No Good Without You
I'll Take Care Of You
You've Been A Long Time Coming
Lucky Lucky Me (Original 1965 Version)
Little Darling (I Need You)
Stubborn Kind Of Fellow
Never Let You Go (Sha-Lu-Bop)
I'm Yours, You're Mine
Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)
One Of These Days
Got To Get My Hands On Some Lovin'
She's Got To Be Real
Can I Get A Witness
Now That You've Won Me
You're A Wonderful One
Stepping Closer To Your Heart
Need Somebody

Album Description

1996 collection for the one of the most gifted, visionary, & enduring talents ever launched into orbit by the Motown hit machine. 18 tracks. Karussell.

Album Details

18 Great Tracks from One of the Sweetest Voices that Ever Sang a Song. Includes Many of his Biggest Hits and Other Tracks from Various Albums.

Customer Reviews:

Serviceable sampler.......2006-03-28

With the Motown catalogue in disarray for many years, it was only through budget compilations such as the Early Classics series that many underrated gems were in catalogue. The purpose of the series was to present B-sides and early album tracks in the context of the more familiar singles.

With most of Marvin Gaye's early albums back in catalogue, this now serves as a useful low-priced sampler, with five single A-sides (including Can I Get A Witness? from 1963, which wasn't on an album, with the Supremes clearly audible in the background); 8 album tracks from That Stubborn Kinda' Fella, How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You and Moods Of Marvin Gaye; 1 oddity and 4 B-sides.

The oddity is the fabulous Lucky Lucky Me, recorded in January 1965 but unreleased in his lifetime. Instead, a fine instrumental version using the same backing track was released featuring Earl Van Dyke on Hammond organ, with the new title All For You. Marvin's original version was first released in 1994, along with new remixes and an alternative version recorded in 1966, and has since appeared on other CD collections, notably Lost And Found - Love Starved Heart. Lost And Found is recommended as it consists entirely of good quality material, only released posthumously and not duplicated on his re-issued albums.

As for the four B-sides, one (You've Been A Long Time Coming) can be easily found on Moods Of Marvin Gaye, but the other three are not so readily available. I'll Take Care Of You is the B-side of Your Unchanging Love and She's Got To Be Real is on the other side of Ain't That Peculiar. Neither are to be found on the albums that those A-sides come from, or as bonus tracks on the recent re-issues. Never Let You Go (Sha-Lu-Bop), with its rock and rolling piano and doo wop harmonies, was the B-side of 1961's Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide, also found on the currently unavailable album The Soulful Moods Of Marvin Gaye. These three tracks are therefore now the most valuable items on the CD, until a collection comes out that mops up the stray A-sides and B-sides left out of the re-issue packages.

Ten of the tracks are stereo, the exceptions being all the tracks from That Stubborn Kinda' Fella and earlier, and the B-sides I'll Take Care Of You and She's Got To Be Real.

Too much of a good thing! Seek out individual albums!!.......2003-12-26

Perhaps it is a peculiar problem to have, but the problem with this compilation is that it is way too much of a good thing. Granted, there are only 18 tracks on it, but they all sound the same. I hate to say it, but after a while the repetition of format, sound, & composition causes one song to blend into the next until it jangles one's nerves and causes him to change to another album reaching the end. I bought this with the expectation that it would be like another compilation of Mr. Gaye's early songs that I own, only with more tracks. On this latter there were, I suppose what a reviewer below would characterize as 'the usual suspects.' In my mind this is a good thing because the present album suffers for not including the beauty of the beautiful tracks that made Mr. Gaye a soul music superstar. More importantly they showcase the broad range of sound and musical finesse that this fine singer had. As I write this I have one of Al Green's early compilations playing in the background and it is a beautiful experience because the producers chose to mix it up and give us a broad spectrum of that vocal genius's musical oevre. I give Mr. Gaye's 'Early Classics' album just two stars because it is going to be great only for hardcore fans. For those of us who like his music but want to experience more than a unidimensional artist, I recommend buying other albums that showcase his work. Sorry.

A MUST for ANY collection.. ANY genre.........2003-07-13

By FAR this cd is one of the BEST compilations I have ever been delighted to add to my collection.. From the first track right on, this cd promises delightful listening.. The first song that really captivated me is the amazingly written and recorded I'll Take Care Of You.. This cd is worth picking up alone for this track.. This song shows full well not only Marvin's genius, but why he is heralded as one.. Lucky Lucky Me is an adrenaline laced tune with a great beat, a Holland/Dozier classic production. A Long Time Coming is SMOOTH to say the least; A beauty it really is.. Stubborn Kinda Fellow is one of those forgotten hits of the day, and really shows how progressive the sound of Motown was versus other genres of the time.. Check out this cd, it's SURE to please.. And by the way, this review is coming from a 22 year old.. So if you're not sure about getting your feet wet with the classic Motown sound, trust me.. This is the first one you should try out!

This has got to be an import..........2002-04-29

because it seems that only countries outside of the U.S. release Marvin's lesser known 60's material on CD (whereas here in the good old U.S. of A. the same 5 or 10 songs keep getting put out over and over on various compilation CD's). It's refreshing to see Marvin's 60's work get some love because it is long overlooked by the hip-hop generation of today (it seems young folks can't go back any farther than "What's Going On"). It's also refreshing to see the so-called album "filler" songs get to see the light of day on compact disc. Most of these so-called "fillers" are great songs that will not disappoint. Buy this CD if for no other reason than getting "She's Got To Be Real" on CD (because this song is not released on any other CD anywhere). Come on, kids! Don't be afraid to step back into 60's soul music. You'll be surprised, and you just might like it :o)

Very Essential.......2000-05-23

Marvin Gaye is One Of The Most Influential&Greatest Artists Ever.He Really Sounds Strong On this Set.The Scary Thing About MR.Gaye is that His VOice,Soul&Ideas Got Stronger with Time.The Man Had So Much Talent&Depth that it Still Blows The Mind.You Feel That Energy&Vibe on these Songs.Wherever I Lay My Hat is one Of His Signature Stylings.this is a Great Set.His Genius is TImeLess.