The Very Best of the Velvelettes [Original recording remastered]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The Velvelettes were a Vandellas-style girl group that never quite gained a foothold at Motown, despite two deathless singles, "He Was Really Sayin' Something" and "Needle in a Haystack." This collection--their first album--contains some other examples of their near greatness; interestingly, two of the best, the pounding "Let Love Live (a Little Bit Longer)" and the touching "I'm So Glad It's Twilight Time," never got past the company's Quality Department and finally appear here. --Rickey Wright

The Very Best of the Velvelettes,The Velvelettes,Motown / Pgd,Girl Group,Motown,Pop,Pop-Soul,R&B,Soul,Soul/R & B,Soul/Reggae/Rhythm & Blues

The Very Best of the Velvelettes [Original recording remastered]

1964: Shakin' All Over (Time Life Music Classic Rock)
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1964: Shakin' All Over (Time Life Music Classic Rock)
Major Lance , Brenda Holloway , The Hondells , Jumpin' Gene Simmons , The Velvelettes , Jimmy Hughes , Bobby Bland , The Impressions , The Searchers , and Gerry and the Pacemakers
Manufacturer: Time-Life Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Similar Items:

1968 Classic Rock By Time Life

Dick Bartley Presents: Classic Oldies 1965-1969

ASIN: B000FPHJBS

Product Description

Song listing: 1 Roy Orbison Oh, Pretty Woman (2:58) 2 Major Lance Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um (2:22) 3 Peter & Gordon I Don't Want To See You Again (2:01) 4 Chuck Berry Nadine (Is It You?) (2:34) 5 Brenda Holloway Every Little Bit Hurts (2:53) 6 Beach Boys, The Don't Worry Baby (2:49) 7 Hondells, The Little Honda (2:05) 8 Jumpin' Gene Simmons Haunted House (2:35) 9 Velvelettes, The Needle In A Haystack (2:26) 10 Dionne Warwick Walk On By (2:53) 11 Gerry & The Pacemakers Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying (2:37) 12 Diana Ross & The Supremes Baby Love (2:39) 13 Searchers, The Don't Throw Your Love Away (2:17) 14 Ventures, The Walk, Don't Run '64 (2:25) 15 Marvelettes, The Too Many Fish In The Sea (2:30) 16 Little Anthony & The Imperials I'm On The Outside (Looking In) (3:09) 17 Jimmy Hughes Steal Away (2:28) 18 Bobby Bland Ain't Nothing You Can Do (2:31) 19 Jan & Dean Drag City (2:17) 20 Martha Reeves & The Vandellas Quicksand (2:36) 21 Impressions, The Talking About My Baby (2:32) 22 Bobby Vinton Mr. Lonely (2:39)

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Much More Than A Motown Footnote
I cant' really rate it 5 because....
Great Motown
Delightful, long-lost Motown
1 Monument, 1 Souvenir and the rest is filler.

The Very Best of the Velvelettes
The Velvelettes
Manufacturer: Motown
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music

Motown | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

Girl Groups | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000IFUF
Release Date: 1999-03-23

Tracks:

He Was Really Sayin Somethin
Lonely Lonely Girl Am I
Since You've Been Loving Me
There He Goes
That's The Reason Why
I Know His Name Only His Name
Should I Tell Them
Throw A Farewell Kiss
These Things Will Keep Me Loving You
I'm The Exception To The Rule
Needle In A Haystack
A Bird In The Hand (Is Worth Two In The Bush)
Let Love Live (A Little Bit Longer)
I'm So Glad It Is Twilight Time
Think Of The Times
Season's Greetings From Motown (Bonus Hidden Track)

Amazon.com

The Velvelettes were a Vandellas-style girl group that never quite gained a foothold at Motown, despite two deathless singles, "He Was Really Sayin' Something" and "Needle in a Haystack." This collection--their first album--contains some other examples of their near greatness; interestingly, two of the best, the pounding "Let Love Live (a Little Bit Longer)" and the touching "I'm So Glad It's Twilight Time," never got past the company's Quality Department and finally appear here. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Much More Than A Motown Footnote.......2007-07-31

In 1961 at Western Michigan State University sisters Millie and Carolyn Gill and their cousins Bertha and Norma Barbee, perhaps inspired by earlier black girl group pioneers like the Cookies, Teen Queens, Bobbettes, Shirley Gunter and "The Queens" and Chantels, and most certainly by The Maarvelettes, grouped together to form The Velvelettes.

Their initial work involved performing at small clubs throughout the state which eventually brought them to the attention of IPG Records where they cut There He Goes, attracting just enough interest to bring them to the notice of a Motown agent, a label they joined in 1963.

The only problem was, The Marvelettes were already well established [seven hits to date] with the Tamla subsidiary, The Supremes, with one hit under their belts and another ready for release, had been ticketed for the main Motown label, while Martha [Reeves] & The Vandellas held down the fort on the Gordy subsidiary, registering one solid hit and with Heat Wave ready to begin chewing up the charts.

So, at the beginning of their Motown career, the girls had to be content with doing background vocals for other Motown stars, albeit not to the extent of yet another girl group, The Andantes. Initially consisting of Jackie Hicks, Louvain Demps, and Marlene Barrow, and eventually joined by Pat Lewis, The Andantes - who also performed as The Blackberries - reportedly worked on over 20,000 Motown songs and would never have their own single release.

That was not to be the fate of The Velvelletes, however, and in 1964 their very danceable single, Needle In A Haystack, was released on the V.I.P. subsidiary, reaching # 45 Billboard Hot 100 that November [the Billboard R&B charts had been temporarily suspended] b/w Should I Tell Them.

By the time of their second V.I.P release early in 1965 the R&B charts had been re-instated and this time He Was Really Sayin' Something made it to # 21 R&B and # 64 Hot 100 in March b/w Throw A Farewell Kiss. A V.I.P. LP titled The Velvelettes was then recorded that year but, sadly for their future, was never released. At least two of the tracks from that album are included here [2 and 12], and there are reports that the entire album has been bootlegged and is currently floating about on the black market.

Always given musical hand-me-downs in favour of the three big Motown girl groups, they began to despair of ever having another hit, to the point where all but Carolyn pulled out. Subsequently adding Betty Kelly, Sandra Tilley, and Annette McMullen, the group had a minor R&B hit for the Soul label in October 1966 when These Things Will Keep Me Loving You reached # 43 [and "bubbled under" on the Hot 100 at # 102] b/w Since You've Been Loving Me.

But this collection would also soon dissolve, with Kelly and Tilley becoming Vandellas in two of that group's many incarnations. Relegated to a footnote in the vast Motown history, these girls deserved much better.

I cant' really rate it 5 because...........2005-09-29

PBS was doing a pledge drive with all Motown and I caught the Velvelettes. I vaguely remember them but now I wish i had spent more time listening to the Velvelettes than the glitzy Supremes. I was so impressed by watching them on the PBS special now I try to catch it in rerun. (The way they were just moving on the stage and I thought "my god these ladies have class and style and talent and they are still going at it after all these years). It is too bad that now 40 years later they are being recoginzed for talent but late is better than never.

Great Motown.......2002-06-26

The Velvelettes, finally an album after 30 some years, if you like the great girl groups, get this cd, in the tradition of Motown enjoy The Velvelettes!!

Delightful, long-lost Motown.......2002-04-11

How sad is it that an album of songs recorded in the early sixties wasn't released until 1999? Sad, I suspect, if you happened to be a Velvelette, and sad, you'll discover, if you are a Motown fan. There is some powerful stuff on this CD. I'll avoid putting it as crudely and as succinctly as I'd like, and resort to "these girls have testosterone." While the Supremes were all glitz, class, sophistication, airiness, and smoothness, the Velvelettes are soulful, powerful, grounded, and solid.

Compare their version of "These Things Will Keep Me Loving You" to Diana Ross' cover- you'll find the V's offer more soul, intensity, and force. "Needle in a Haystack" is catchy and jumpy; you'll be moving and grooving as you take their advice. "Bird in the Hand" is gorgeous- Motown at its finest. The lesser-known cuts will delight as well: "That's the Reason Why" is marvelous. I find no filler at all here, but rather a string of Motown gems.

If you are a fan of Motown, take the time to dive into this CD. The voices and harmonies are spectacular, the Motown musicians show their finest wares, and the total effect is supreme (sorry-that works better than saying the total effect is velvelette!).

1 Monument, 1 Souvenir and the rest is filler........2001-12-15

He Was Really Saying Something is a great song. It is Motown at it's happiest. The Bananrama version, which was my first introduction to this song, is so lame compared to the original. The other good cut is Needle In A Haystack. A great Martha and the Vandelas style romp. The rest of this collection is second shelf. I do love Motown.

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The Very Best of Northern Soul
L.J. Johnson , Sandra Edwards , Evelyn Thomas , Barbara Pennington , Barbara McNair , The Lovestones , Linda Grinder , The Velvelettes , Richard "Popcorn" Wylie , and Edwin Starr
Manufacturer: Hallmark Music & Entertainment
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000NYO45U

Product Description

20 Tracks

Soul Music: