Van Basten II Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 (edited) Bought a few volumes of the Complete Motown singles series, only started listening to them so i can't really comment on the music so much. So far i bought the volume 3,4,5. Gotta say they're class with the 45 rpm record and the beautiful booklet with interesting liner notes about every song on the boxset. In short a fine piece of collection for those who are interested in that stuff. Anybody else has them and wants to share their impressions ? Edited March 23, 2007 by Van Basten II Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.A.W. Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 Bought a few volumes of the Complete Motown singles series, only started listening to them so i can't really comment on the music so much. So far i bought the volume 3,4,5. Gotta say they're class with the 45 rpm record and the beautiful booklet with interesting liner notes about every song on the boxset. In short a fine piece of collection for those who are interested in that stuff. Anybody else has them and wants to share their impressions ? I have all 6 volumes and they're a document. Snag: I don't like the sound very much, it's too loud to my taste, it sounds maximized. To be honest I prefer the first Hitsville U.S.A. box. The sound is much easier on the ears, and it's full of Motown hits. The way to go if you don't need all their singles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 Hey Jim - how's that Clem-to-English Babelfish plug-in coming along? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 I've got a few of the sets - actually like vol. 1 the best, which surprised me because i wasn't very familiar with the earliest stuff and they hadn't yet developed their classic Motown sound. The problem is that a lot of the singles really aren't that great - or good even. It may be a document of the era, but Hitsville makes for much better listening imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 the sound is fucking BRITTLE the music aspires to mediocrity & sometimes leaps past it (thanks Smokey). "a sucess story" blah hah hah FINE i'm in it for the music if ya'll heard the same run of Duke/Peacock, say... & it ain't nobody's fault-- "home of hits," etc but SOME of us-- we never dug it that much the first time. (it ain't got BETTER.) complete yourself first. then check out the "D" Singles story on Bear Family... yee-fuckin'-haw. edc athens, ga Yes sir Clem, yes sir. Does the Duke singles box cover Peacock & Songbird, too? Never heard of it before. Actually, I thought Motown was great in '59 & '60 with Paul Gyten's "The hunch" and B Strong's "Money" and Miracles "Shop around" and a few others, up to "Fingertips" or "Can I get a witness". By the way, anyone know who played sax on "The hunch"? Whatever his name, he was the same guy who played on Moses Davis' "Moses groove"/"For dancers only" on Tollie (Davis being the writer of "Jan Jan", you all undoubtedly know). MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 the sound is fucking BRITTLE Oh yeah - I read a history of Motown several years (decades?) ago. One thing that REALLY impressed me was that Gordy one day sauntered over to the school across the road and picked out this girl, apparently at random, and offered her a job as quality control. She must have been pretty bright, because she later became a lawyer. Anyway, Gordy said tht she could have anything she needed to do the job so, after she'd thought about it a bit, she asked the technicians to make her a record player set up that would sound just like a car radio, so she could hear what the records would sound like the first (most crucial) time most people would hear them. So Clem, listen to the stuff on a '60s car radio, preferably in a car. MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stereojack Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 By the way, anyone know who played sax on "The hunch"? Whatever his name, he was the same guy who played on Moses Davis' "Moses groove"/"For dancers only" on Tollie (Davis being the writer of "Jan Jan", you all undoubtedly know). The Chess Paul Gayten CD (Chess King of New Orleans) credits "possibly Ray Abrams" as the tenor on "The Hunch". The track was cut in New York, btw, even though it was issued on the Detroit-based Anna label (which was distributed by Chess). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 By the way, anyone know who played sax on "The hunch"? Whatever his name, he was the same guy who played on Moses Davis' "Moses groove"/"For dancers only" on Tollie (Davis being the writer of "Jan Jan", you all undoubtedly know). The Chess Paul Gayten CD (Chess King of New Orleans) credits "possibly Ray Abrams" as the tenor on "The Hunch". The track was cut in New York, btw, even though it was issued on the Detroit-based Anna label (which was distributed by Chess). Interesting. Moses Davis was a Detroit organist, though Tollie was a Vee-Jay subsidiary label. No idea whether "Moses groove" was recorded in Detroit, Chicago, or elsewhere. Sounds like the same tenor player, though. What's known of Ray Abrams? MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold_Z Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 (edited) I have the first three boxes and hope to acquire at least four and five. I still have quite a few of the original 45s and pretty much think the sound is accurate. Motown ususally used different mixes for the lps. Less bass on the lps. For my money this stuff is worth it for James Jamerson's bass alone. edit to add: There's lots of other good stuff here too. Jr. Walker, Gladys Knight, Marvin, Stevie.......etc. Edited March 23, 2007 by Harold_Z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stereojack Posted March 24, 2007 Report Share Posted March 24, 2007 What's known of Ray Abrams? Ray Abrams played in Dizzy Gillespie's big band in the 40's. By 1959, assuming it's him, his style had moved closer to R&B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted March 24, 2007 Report Share Posted March 24, 2007 Some already R&B-ish Ray Abrams from 1951 can be heard here: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Storer Posted March 24, 2007 Report Share Posted March 24, 2007 I love Motown, but the complete singles? I'd much prefer a 2-CD best-of, preferably one I compiled myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold_Z Posted March 24, 2007 Report Share Posted March 24, 2007 I love Motown, but the complete singles? I'd much prefer a 2-CD best-of, preferably one I compiled myself. Because this is "complete" it has A LOT of things I have never heard before. It has all the flops, many of which are comparable to the tunes that made it. You would never hear them if not for this box. My intention would be to eventually distill what's here into my own compilation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John L Posted March 24, 2007 Report Share Posted March 24, 2007 (edited) Does the Duke singles box cover Peacock & Songbird, too? Never heard of it before. You haven't heard it for good reason. It doesn't exist...at least in reality. It has existed in my wildest dreams for many years now. I have the first few volumes of the Motown singles and like them quite a bit. It is mostly gritty & bluesy R&B of the likes of Barrett Strong, Mable John, Sammy Ward, and the Contours, with some top notch "proto-Motown sound" singles from people like Mary Wells, Smokey, and the underappreciated Brenda Holloway: very good R&B and quite different than the factory-type Motown pop sound that emerged in the mid-60s. Edited March 24, 2007 by John L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted March 24, 2007 Report Share Posted March 24, 2007 What he said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted March 24, 2007 Report Share Posted March 24, 2007 I love Motown, but the complete singles? I'd much prefer a 2-CD best-of, preferably one I compiled myself. You'll need at least the 4-disc Hitsville box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 Some already R&B-ish Ray Abrams from 1951 can be heard here: Never bought any Little Jimmy Scott. That's a Specialty release, I think, isn't it? MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 Yep. And I think you'd enjoy it. Carpe diem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 Yep. And I think you'd enjoy it. Carpe diem. Well, I expect I shall. He's someone I wasn't aware of until he was quite elderly and looked like a cadaver; that put me off. MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Beat Steve Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 Some already R&B-ish Ray Abrams from 1951 can be heard here: Ha, "already R&B-ish" is putting it nicely... :D I was thinking of that CD too when I read MG's question. Check out Ray Abrams and Sam Butera fighting it out on their "Dueling Tenors" - THE honkin' sax battle to outhonk all honkers! :D Anyway, Ray Abrams got around elsewhere too. He was part of the 1946 Don Redman big band that was the first U.S. jazz big band to come to Europe after the War when they toured Denmark and Sweden and he also recorded a few 78s for the Sittin' In With and Jax labels in 1949. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 THE honkin' sax battle to outhonk all honkers! :D ooooooooooooooo! Next month, then. I'm really grateful, folks. MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted April 11, 2007 Report Share Posted April 11, 2007 Does the Duke singles box cover Peacock & Songbird, too? Never heard of it before. You haven't heard it for good reason. It doesn't exist...at least in reality. It has existed in my wildest dreams for many years now. I have the first few volumes of the Motown singles and like them quite a bit. It is mostly gritty & bluesy R&B of the likes of Barrett Strong, Mable John, Sammy Ward, and the Contours, with some top notch "proto-Motown sound" singles from people like Mary Wells, Smokey, and the underappreciated Brenda Holloway: very good R&B and quite different than the factory-type Motown pop sound that emerged in the mid-60s. Clem, what are referring to with this? "then check out the "D" Singles story on Bear Family..." Also, anyone, what 45 record comes with Volume 5? A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Some already R&B-ish Ray Abrams from 1951 can be heard here: Never bought any Little Jimmy Scott. That's a Specialty release, I think, isn't it? MG Just tried ordering this at CDUniverse. On back order since December - looks like Concord is in the process of deleting it. MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen archer Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Some already R&B-ish Ray Abrams from 1951 can be heard here: Never bought any Little Jimmy Scott. That's a Specialty release, I think, isn't it? MG Just tried ordering this at CDUniverse. On back order since December - looks like Concord is in the process of deleting it. MG MG , i just picked this up at Newbury Comics for $3.99 so maybe they have another copy on their ebay site . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen archer Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 I just checked and they have a copy for $8.99 here is the link http://search.stores.ebay.com/Newbury-Comi...5638693QQsofpZ0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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