Motown 1969-1975 whats good?

Dabney_SoulmanDabney_Soulman 890 Posts
edited December 2015 in Music Talk
I'm almost positive I asked this before but I couldn't find it in a search.Anyways I'm amazed with just about every Motown/ Tamla/ Soul album from this era. Norman Whitfield's psychadelic soul funk sound is hard as fuck. I don't think I've heard a bad Temptations album from this era. The Miracles seemed to come with the goodness at this time too and some of the lesser known albums like Gordon Staples & The String Thing deserve so much more attention.I'm sure there is a ton more goodness I am forgetting to mention or simply just don't know, outside of the ones I mentioned what other releases from this time period do you consider essential?
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  • jjfad027jjfad027 1,594 Posts
    Dancing Machine

    Has anyone ever heard of an extended version of this or is there just one version. I know it was on two different LPs. I know of the remixes from the 90s. But I was wondering if there's anything else. Re-edit maybe??

    Has anyone covered this???

  • crazypoprockcrazypoprock 1,037 Posts
    there's a version on the "dancing machine" lp and on the later 1975 lp "Get it Together"...haven't compared the two yet.

    i have a housed-up 1990 or so remix of it that is really good...on motown.

  • G_BalliandoG_Balliando 3,916 Posts


  • TNGTNG 234 Posts
    I've always really dug that Stacie Johnson single "Woman In My Eyes." Every copy I've ever seen is a promo, so it might never have been properly issued. Definitely worth five bucks, and great for your jailbait soul set.

  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts
    There's so, so much... in fact I'd say far more winners than clunkers...

  • crazypoprockcrazypoprock 1,037 Posts
    Syreeta's first three lps would fit in that date range.

  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts



    Darling Come Back Home - beautiful! the pans! love this!

  • There's so, so much... in fact I'd say far more winners than clunkers...

    I don't doubt it, More times than not I've bought a post '69 motown LP and thought "damn I need more soul like this".

    Good looking o the Eddie Kendricks I think every LP he made up til '74 is well worth having

  • G_BalliandoG_Balliando 3,916 Posts
    And while we're on the subject, everybody on this board should at some point in their life watch this:



    I found this shit at wal-mart for <$7 a couple years ago, double disc DVD. awesome documentary with all of the living members of the Funk Brothers (the studio band responsible for the majority of Motown's hits).

  • Syreeta's first three lps would fit in that date range.

    Syreeta's albums fall under the unfortunate "see them around for cheap quite often so never picked them up" catagory.

    the only ones I got are the Mowest LP and one from '77 with Leon Ware producing (absolutely underrated alnbum IMO)
    which of her other albums are going to make my skull melt?

  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts
    There's so, so much... in fact I'd say far more winners than clunkers...


    My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder
    That's the Way Love Is - Marvin Gaye
    Signed, Sealed and Delivered - Stevie Wonder
    A Pocket Full of Miracles - Smokey Robinson & Miracles
    All by Myself - Eddie Kendricks
    What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
    Valerie Simpson Exposed - Valerie Simpson
    Music of My Mind - Stevie Wonder
    People...Hold On - Eddie Kendricks
    Talking Book - Stevie Wonder
    Trouble Man - Marvin Gaye
    Innervisions - Stevie Wonder
    Eddie Kendricks - Eddie Kendricks
    Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye
    Fulfillingness' First Finale - Stevie Wonder
    Live - Marvin Gaye
    A Quiet Storm - Smokey Robinson

  • crazypoprockcrazypoprock 1,037 Posts
    those two and then "Stevie Wonder presents Syreeta" are then ones to get. she also did great backing vocals on tons of records. and she has a couple earlier 7"s...i have one on motown under her real name Rita Writght...it's quite good, although it might be more appropriately discussing in the "northern soul" forum.

  • m_dejeanm_dejean Quadratisch. Praktisch. Gut. 2,946 Posts
    Good looking o the Eddie Kendricks I think every LP he made up til '74 is well worth having

    I was over at a friends house the other day, and he played a track from the '75 Eddie Kendricks LP "The Hit Man". Don't remember the name of the track, but it was a gorgeous, mid-tempo Marvin Gay-ish burner. I thought to myself: "damn, that's great, I gotta listen to that when I come home", only to find out that I didn't have it. I was sure I had it, but I guess I must have sold it .

    Anyway, the standouts during the mentioned period for me are (surprise) The Temps, Marvin, Stevie, The Undisputed Truth and The Jackson 5.

    Co-sign on Syreeta too. I gotta give "One To One" an honourable mention even though its from '77. "Tiki Tiki Donga" is the jam. Leon Ware produced goodness.

    Also post '75: don't sleep on the first 3 Mandre albums from 77-79. I'm a sucker for that freaky synthfunkrock thing.

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    Albums:
    Naturally Together - Originals
    Willie Remembers... - Rare Earth
    Feelin' Good-David Ruffin
    Higher Than High - Undisputed Truth (P-Funk ripoff, and real good!)
    Standing Ovation - Gladys Knight & the Pips
    1957-1972 - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (their last live show together...really heartbreaking)

    Singles:
    "TLC" b/w "It Takes A Man To Teach A Woman How To Love" - P.J.
    "Stone Soul Booster" - Buzzy
    "Funky Rubber Band" - Richard "Popcorn" Wylie
    "Shoe Shoe Shine" - Dynamic Superiors
    "Don't You Be Worried" - Commodores (early single on Mowest from '72, before they had any hits)
    "The Luney Landing" (Pt. 1/Pt. 2) - Captain Zap & the Motortown Cut-Up (break-in - Dickie Goodman-ish novelty record about the moon landing...uses bits from Motown records, naturally)

    there's a version on the "dancing machine" lp and on the later 1975 lp "Get it Together"...haven't compared the two yet.

    "Dancing Machine" originally appeared on Get It Together, which was from 1973. The following year, the song was such a hit that it was the title track of their next album. Motown always used to release the same song on more than one album if it was a hit (look at Jr. Walker), so it may have been the same version. (I said "MAY have...," in case I'm wrong!)

  • pacmanpacman 1,113 Posts
    M6-806S1 - Welcome to the World of Riot - Riot

    A couple real good cuts on this one.

  • tirefiretirefire 203 Posts
    Some more good LPs I don't think have been mentioned yet:

    Smokey (& Miracles) - Smokey, One Dozen Roses, What Love Has Joined Together
    David Ruffin - Who I Am
    J5 - ABC
    Valerie Simpson - s/t
    Marvin Gaye - Trouble Man
    Marvelettes - Sophisticated Soul (maybe a little early)
    Gladys Knight - Nitty Gritty
    just way too many great ones.

    and actually the albums that Bobby Darin did for Motown during this period were pretty decent.

  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,913 Posts
    Can't recommend this highly enough;



    As well-written as you'd expect, this is a pretty much peerless history of Motown and, in many ways, of black popular music in the US from the early days of r&b up until the 1980s. As good a book about popular music as I've ever read.


  • and actually the albums that Bobby Darin did for Motown during this period were pretty decent.

    more info please

  • tirefiretirefire 203 Posts

    and actually the albums that Bobby Darin did for Motown during this period were pretty decent.

    more info please

    He put out two or three albums in the early '70s in a sort of introspective folkie vein. Think "Abraham, Martin, & John" era Dion, only more personal. Way more interesting than it sounds.

  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,913 Posts

    and actually the albums that Bobby Darin did for Motown during this period were pretty decent.

    more info please

    Albert Finney did an album for Motown in '77. I've seen it a couple of times, but I've no idea what it's like; I'm thinking "bad Richard Harris".

  • tirefiretirefire 203 Posts

    and actually the albums that Bobby Darin did for Motown during this period were pretty decent.

    more info please

    He put out two or three albums in the early '70s in a sort of introspective folkie vein. Think "Abraham, Martin, & John" era Dion, only more personal. Way more interesting than it sounds.

    Also, WOAH!

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=ujFwO66GByA


  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts

    and actually the albums that Bobby Darin did for Motown during this period were pretty decent.

    more info please

    He put out two or three albums in the early '70s in a sort of introspective folkie vein. Think "Abraham, Martin, & John" era Dion, only more personal. Way more interesting than it sounds.

    I think Bobby had already lapsed back into a Vegas thing by the time he hooked up with Motown, although those folkish albums he did on Atlantic and Direction are surprisingly convincing.

  • tirefiretirefire 203 Posts

    and actually the albums that Bobby Darin did for Motown during this period were pretty decent.

    more info please

    He put out two or three albums in the early '70s in a sort of introspective folkie vein. Think "Abraham, Martin, & John" era Dion, only more personal. Way more interesting than it sounds.

    I think Bobby had already lapsed back into a Vegas thing by the time he hooked up with Motown, although those folkish albums he did on Atlantic and Direction are surprisingly convincing.

    This one at least is pretty folky:



  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    Those blues LPs that Luther Allison did for Motown in the early 70s are
    I went through a stretch of refusing to buy any Motown stuff after 69 because I thought it would be lame, but I have started picking them up over the last couple years & there is so much good stuff. I also make a habit of grabbing the 45s when I see them now too. I have definitely seen the error of my ways.

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts

    I went through a stretch of refusing to buy any Motown stuff after 69 because I thought it would be lame, but I have started picking them up over the last couple years & there is so much good stuff. I also make a habit of grabbing the 45s when I see them now too. I have definitely seen the error of my ways.

    I've been steadily buying records by lesser-known and second-tier Motown acts these past couple of years (particularly Junior Walker). However, I do "back up" whenever I see any Motown albums that have too many showtunes and pop standards...

  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts
    However, I do "back up" whenever I see any Motown albums that have too many showtunes and pop standards...

    Agreed. But that era predates the window being discussed here.

  • jaymackjaymack 5,199 Posts
    jackie jackson

  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts

    I went through a stretch of refusing to buy any Motown stuff after 69 because I thought it would be lame, but I have started picking them up over the last couple years & there is so much good stuff. I also make a habit of grabbing the 45s when I see them now too. I have definitely seen the error of my ways.

    I've been steadily buying records by lesser-known and second-tier Motown acts these past couple of years (particularly Junior Walker). However, I do "back up" whenever I see any Motown albums that have too many showtunes and pop standards...
    Oh yeah, show tunes & pop standards usually = kiss of death, or definite listen before you buy.

  • yuichiyuichi Urban sprawl 11,331 Posts
    Gladys Knight and the Pips "Standing Ovation" (on SOUL) is a good one.
    I also enjoy Motown-backed album "Joe Bataan sings soul".

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    However, I do "back up" whenever I see any Motown albums that have too many showtunes and pop standards...

    Agreed. But that era predates the window being discussed here.

    Not really - actually in 1969-70 Berry Gordy was still making goo-goo eyes at Vegas.

    The Tempts may have been psychedelic in the studio, but they were still a lounge act on stage (judging from Live At London's Talk Of The Town and The Temptations' Show, both from the 1969-70 era).
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