Customer Reviews

Cellarful of Motown: Rarest Motown Grooves

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This forty-track, double-disc of rare Motown recorded between 1962 and 1970 is one of the year's most delightful sets. Issued first in England (where collecting rare Motown is an everyday obsession for many), the vast majority of these tracks were never commercially released. In addition, none were previously available on cd and all are remastered from the original tapes.

Upon my first listen, it sinks in just how underappreciated Brenda Holloway was at Motown. On each of her five tracks (the most allotted to any artist on this set) - such as the frantic "Trapped In A Love Affair" and the despondent "How Can I" - Holloway caresses even the most mundane lyrics into something special. It is incomprehensible that these recordings took over 35 years to get released (and even more perplexing that there are still a lot more unreleased Holloway tracks in the Motown vaults). Incidentally, her little sister Patrice Holloway finally gets a Motown track released with the enclosed enchanter "The Touch Of Venus."

With repeated listenings, it also becomes abundantly clear that most of these unearthed recordings are of an astonishingly high quality. Kim Weston's hypnotic plea "Don't Let Me Down" is easily among the best half-dozen recordings she made at Motown, while Jimmy Ruffin's soulful "On The Avenue" displays a vocal range far beyond what he utilized on his hits ("What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted," "I've Passed This Way Before"). Other gems include the scorching "I Like Everything About You" by the Dennis Edwards-led Contours, as well as a shelved Gladys Knight & the Pips single "Here Are The Pieces Of My Broken Heart" (recorded in 1966, almost a full year before their first released single) that presents Knight at her most tormented.

Near the end of the second disc, the quality drops off considerably with the Isley Brothers caught in an unmelodic "A Weakspot In My Heart," followed by some off-key vocals by the Lewis Sisters (their lasting legacy at Motown lies in their songwriting, not their singing) on "Don't Make Me Live Without Your Love," and a badly matched Yvonne Fair and Chuck Jackson (she sings him under the table) on the Marvin and Tammi castoff "It Must Be Love Baby." Fortunately, the always dependable Velvelettes end the collection on a high note with the bouncy company anthem "Ain't No Place Like Motown."

If your Motown collecting tastes are limited to the major artists, this collection isn't likely to tempt you (there is one track each from Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and the Temptations, with nothing at all from the Supremes, Four Tops, and the Miracles). If you're like me, however, and get as much (if not more) enjoyment from artists like Holloway, Carolyn Crawford, the Monitors, and Velvelettes, then this is a set that you've gotta get! While you're at it, check out the British import Motown Big Hits And Hard To Find Classics Vol. 4 for more rare Motown magic.

Well worth hunting down, this collection issued in Great Britain includes more than three dozen unreleased Motown gems, again illustating that the recording which went on day and night at Hitsville was turning out a massive amount of unique music, much more than could be marketed and a lot of which deserves still to be heard. When you consider it's not just hundreds of unreleased singles in the vaults but dozens and dozens of full albums no one has ever heard outside the Motown offices, the neglected history here is overwhelming. The "Cellarful" album, two beautifully packaged and annotated C.D.s, makes a good start toward getting this music out finally. What's startling is the quality. Virtually everything here is as strong as the music which WAS released. Some of it is remarkably clever. The Barbra McNair opener could just be the best record she made for Motown (the company didn't have a clue what to do with her, as was true with all its artists who came from the outside). But there's SO much more out there--Martha's "Coney Island," "In A World of My Own (Martha's Song);" The Marvelettes' "I'm So Glad That Summer's Here;" the entire "Supremes Sing and Perform the Disney Classics" album; Diana Ross' "Cupie Doll" and "In the Evening of Our Love"--great record after great record. As for already-released material, where is Mary Wilson's solo album augmented with all her leads for the Supremes?; why haven't the post-Diana Supremes' albums been rereleased (there are TONS of extra tracks in existence); where is Syreeta's unreleased album; and where is Diana's fabled Harold Arlen album? There's SO much gold in them thar vaults being unmined. Well, this is a great start, beautifully mastered and wonderfully packaged. If you want more like it, you've got to let Motown know by BUYING it in BIG numbers!

A MUST BUY is "A Cellarful of Motown", a 2 CD set of 40 of the hottest dance-floor cuts from the classic Detroit era of this much-loved label.

Among my favorites are: Frank Wilson's infectious "My Sugar Baby" (which would have been a sure-fire hit if he had ever had a single released on the label), Chris Clark (getting her first ever official CD release of Frank Wilson's excellent "Do I Love You", which removed his vocals and replaced them with hers), Tammi Terrell's haunting original version of the Stevie Wonder composition "All I Do" (which Stevie recorded over a decade later on his "Hotter Than July" album), Martha & The Vandellas' catchy "(It's So Easy To Fall In Love) With A Guy Like You", Jr. Walker and the All Stars' joyous "Riding High On Love" (previously released only on vinyl, though), Kim Weston's smooth-as-silk "Don't Let Me Down", and The Velvelettes' spirited anthem "Ain't No Place Like Motown", a sentiment with which I heartily agree! "Baby A Go-Go"!

Why some of these gems weren't released when they were originally recorded will remain a mystery, but you're guaranteed to find a cellarful of your own favorites on this classy collection of cuts that sounds more like a greatest hits compilation than a couple of discs of previously unreleased tracks!

Wow! This time round we're treated with two instrumentals from the masters of Funk, The Funk Brothers themselves! A churcy organ lead on "He was Really Sayin' Somethin'" and an instrumental track of The Isleys' "Behind A Painted Smile" add an intrigue to this collection that was missing from other "vault" collections from Motown. We are also blessed with no fewer than five tracks from L.A.'s soul queen, Brenda Holloway! (I mean, you gotta be good to tour with The Beatles, right?) Gladys Knight, The Temptations, Jimmy Ruffin, and Stevie Wonder are given spotlights with some surprisingly above average material. The golden nugget, though, goes to Tammi Terrell's 1966 recording of Stevie Wonder's "All I Do". Evidently, Wonder, years later, thought this song was good enough to record himself on his "Hotter Than July" album in 1980. This two disc set very nicely compliments U.K. compilation Tamla Motown Connoisseurs from a couple years ago. Other vault recordings I am anxiously waiting for are Gladys Knight's "The Lonely Eyes Of Lonely Me", The Spinners' "What More Can A Boy Ask For", Stevie Wonder's "Can You Feel It" and Jr. Walker's "Break It Up". Any takers?

This is a fantastic collection -- not a throwaway like so many other compilations. It's interesting to read the other opinions and see in particular what moved people. I found it even more interesting that the two cuts I like the best on this CD are, coincidentally, the two that are least liked by another reviewer below. The Lewis Sisters' "Don't Make Me Live Without Your Love" and Yvonne Fair's and Chuck Jackson's "It Must Be Love Baby" ended up being the ones I play over and over.

I have to respond to how those songs were characterized in the other review....

First, I didn't notice the Lewis Sisters being off-key (if they truly were) because there were other elements of the song that caught my attention first: a feeling of passion and electricity in their vocals; a terrific arrangement and pounding, joyous sound by The Funk Brothers; and simply an overall fantastic, classic Motown-sounding production.

Secondly, I don't know much about Yvonne Fair & Chuck Jackson, but their rendition of this song is one full of exuberance and soul! Yvonne & Chuck sound like they're having a ball in the studio. Ok, I'll concede that it would have been even better had Yvonne been allowed a few more lines because she is killer. But I think Chuck did a fine job and has an appealing gruffness to his voice that complemented well to Yvonne's style.

It just goes to show how songs move people in different ways.

But whatever your preference in Motown -- go and buy this CD! You'll listen to it many times over.

Listening to these songs, you can get an idea of a sort developing of the Motown Sound on an ongoing basis. There are number of songs that would've been released singles on many another record label, particular Brenda Holloway's numberous inclusions. A previous review stated that the Funk Brothers did unusual arrangements to compensate for weak lyrics. That's not likely, because the Funk Brother often had no lyric sheets, and didn't even know who was going to sing over the tracks they recorded (in many cases, several acts recorded their vocals over the same tracks). In fact, the titles they saw were not necessarily the title the songs would have once released.

Still, we all have our opinions and/or our favorites. Despite less than spectacular vocals, "Don't Make Me Live Without Your Love" is without a doubt my favorite song on the set. Wonder what Tammi Terrell's version sounds like? And I can't imagine Diana Ross tackling "Here Are The Pieces Of My Broken Heart," (my 2nd favorite) not after hearing Gladys Knight tear into it here...but I'd love to hear it.

If you like the Motown Sound, if you like innovation, you'll at the very least appreciate this collection.

Why these sounds took so long to surface is puzzling to me. The Rolling Stone praised this CD, and when I looked at the track listing online, I knew I had to have it. Brenda Holloway, Tammi Terrell, Martha and the Vandellas and the underappreciated Velvelettes all have gems here. I'm a collector of 1960s girl group rock, and found many hits here I've never heard. I like the guy sounds, too. "Baby a Go Go" is a classic--and would have been a number one hit if it had been released.

Well this is it. If you're a rare grooves collector, Motown lover, or like this ever growing underground breed in the UK - a Northern Soul fan - this cd's for you! Northern Soul fans are fanatical soul aficionados, they live for obscure Soul - the rarest platters on the planet are their life blood, thumping hundred mile an hour soul classics are the air they breathe 24-7 (as you say). Last weekend, on the long drive north to a legendary 'Togetherness' Wigan Casino anniversary allnighter, we found this cd a must play. Many of the tracks, classics already on the Northern Soul scene, were scientifically designed to make you want to dance. And they do. By the time we got to Stoke on Trent we were ready to go go for the 12 hour allnighter. We loved it! Anyone who's got just a passing appreciation for soul music should pick up this electrifying gem - then come and hear the original vinyl played at a Northern Soul allnighter. Keep the Faith (as we say) You won't stop dancing.

A Cellarful of Motown! is a collection of Motown hits from a parallel universe. A world where Brena Holloway is a superstar and Diana Ross never left the Supremes. A world were a song titled Poor Little Rich Girl becomes a hit for The Marvelettes and Playboy doesn't. A world were everyone knows who the Velvelettes are but not many have heard of the Supremes. A great CD that will take you right back to the 1960's and the orginal Motown sound.

I heard cuts off this album on the Soul Cellar show on BBC London (a great show on a great station) and sent it out for Father's Day gifts, as well as buying a copy for myself. I don't have the back knowledge of Motown of some of the reveiwers, but I could not agree more with their opinions. This is truly a jaw dropping collection of music, with not a bad song on either CD, and some border on classic. (Every cut with The Contours is gold)

If you like the classic Motown sound, you may never find a better collection than this. Shame on Universal for only releasing this in the UK; this is classic American music and it should be available in the US.