Love Makes the World Go Round: Motown Collection [Import]

Kiki Dee | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 8, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Universal UK
• ASIN: B000A39FJE
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #171,011 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Day Will Come Between Sunday & Monday (Taken From Great Expectations)

2. Johnny Rave (Taken From Original Motown Release Great Expectations)

3. Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing (Taken From Great Expectations)

4. Jimmy (Taken From Original Motown Release Great Expectations)

5. I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You (Taken From Great Expectations)

6. More Today Than Yesterday (Taken From Great Expectations)

7. Oh Be My Love (Taken From Original Motown Release Great Expectations)

8. Love Makes The World Go Round (Taken From Great Expectations)

9. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me (Taken From Great Expectations)

10. Love Is A Warm Kind Of Sorrow (Taken From Great Expectations)

11. For Once In My Life (Taken From Great Expectations)

12. My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me) (Taken From Great Expectations)

13. I Second That Emotion (Taken From Original Release "Kiki Dee")

14. I'll Try Something New (Taken From Original Release "Kiki Dee")

15. Walk On By (Previously Unreleased)

16. Mr Loneliness (Previously Unreleased)

17. I'll Have You You'll Have Me (Previously Unreleased)

18. Put A Little Love In Your Heart (Previously Unreleased)

Editorial Reviews

Available for the very first time on CD, this 2005 collection features Kiki Dee's only Motown album in it's entirety, plus to two rare gems and four previously unreleased tracks taken from the Motown archives. This is the first time a complete collection of Kiki's Motown recordings have ever been on CD! The original vinyl artwork has been incorporated and somatically reworked to create an enhanced version of the original Motown release, 'Great Expectations'. The album features detailed liner notes which include an exclusive Q&A with Kiki. Universal.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Three great performances and more good stuff !, November 22, 2005

By 

Reader from Singapore - See all my reviews

This review is from: Love Makes the World Go Round: Motown Collection (Audio CD)

The CD reissue of this long forgotten rarity of an album recorded during Kiki's brief late 60s signing with Motown is certainly cause for celebration. Apart from Chris Clark, Kiki was probably the only white female singer to have found herself on Motown's roster of artistes during the label's halcyon years. The result of her entire Motown sessions - including leftovers in the can - are included in this compilation.

Technically, Kiki had arguably a better voice than fellow Britgirls Cilla, Sandie and Lulu. She had a naturally strong and attractive raspy edge to her voice that should have been labeled "soulful" but wasn't, for it lacked "sympatico", an innate quality that's gifted, not learned. Dusty had heaps of it. Kiki wasn't so lucky, as a result of which success eluded her when the others were making it big in the 60s.

Kiki's Motown sessions sound as fresh today as it did in 1970. The original album contained at least three masterful and sublime performances that make this a lost classic, namely "Love Makes The World Go Round", "Johnny Raven" and "Jimmy". The album is worth owning for these three recordings alone. The first of these should have been an instant hit but sadly wasn't. The second easily tops the Supremes' 70s cover on their "Touch" album. The last of these is simply immaculate and from the sleevenotes, it looks like Kiki feels the same way. There're other good stuff like "Day Will Come Between Sunday and Monday", "Love Is A Warm Kind Of Sorrow", "Oh Be My Love", and a slowed down version of Stevie Wonder's "For Once In My Life". Others like "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" and "I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You" are blander and don't compare, respectively with Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell's and Dusty Springfield's (from "Dusty Definitely") more familiar versions.

Besides, Motown made some poor choices too. Kiki was ill advised to cover the Dusty #1, "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me". This dismal attempt at an alternative chorus arrangement to the Dusty original only succeeds in being awkward and inept. Likewise, Kiki sleepwalks through a perfunctory rendition of Smokey and the Miracles' "I Second That Emotion" that makes you wonder why they even bothered. The four previously unreleased bonus tracks (Tracks 15-18) are uneven including two similarly uninspired performances ("Walk On By" and "Put A Little Love In Your Heart") which are more like try out sessions and finally abandoned for good reason. Good to have for completists but that's about it.

Kiki's Motown session is more than a quaint slice of late 60s recording history. A little uneven perhaps - but hey, since when did Motown artistes make great albums before the Marvin Gaye "What's Going On " era ? - but there's magic in at least three of these performances and more good stuff, so that's good enough reason to go out and buy yourself a copy. Listen and enjoy !

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent blue-eyed soul from the UK, January 8, 2012

By 

G. Curti Jr. (Northeast, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Love Makes the World Go Round: Motown Collection (Audio CD)

Kiki Dee was really on her game when she came to the US to record these Motown nuggets. At the time, very few white performers had recorded for Motown Records, so it's great to hear these tracks all on 1 disc. I'm happy to say that I'm really enjoying getting reacquainted with Ms. Dee. Check out the CD 'Perfect timing', also.