Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Volume 2 of 12 looks at 1967 and 1968, 30 Mar 2005
Although Motown were really strong at this time, there are few big UK hits here. Reflections (Diana Ross and the Supremes) and If I were a carpenter (Four Tops) made the UK top ten, while Gotta see Jane (R Dean Taylor) made the UK top twenty. The remaining tracks here were only minor UK hits although some were huge hits in America.Despite their limited impact on the UK charts at the time, many of these tracks are now regarded as classics and rightly so. Perhaps Brits weren't ready for them at the time or perhaps the quality of music around at the time was such that they didn't get the attention they deserved. Anyway, the other tracks include the first hit version of I heard it through the grapevine - Gladys Knight's version was recorded at around the same time as Marvin Gaye's but was thought to be the best choice for release as a single. History shows they were wrong but I enjoy both versions. Marvin's two duets with Tammi Terrell (Ain't nothing like the real thing, If I could build my world around you) and the two Stevie Wonder tracks (I'm wondering, Shoo be doo be doo da day) are among the other highlights. Nevertheless, it seems strange that Walk away Renee (Four Tops) is missing. It's not the only big Four Tops hit missing from this series - Reach out I'll be there and Bernadette are also missing - so I guess there was some contractual problem. Despite the surprising lack of big UK hits, this is a great compilation of some of Motown's classic songs from the sixties.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Onward and Upward, 14 Jun 2008
After the runaway success of Volume 1, which made No 2 on the album chart, this Volume 2 followed less than a year later.
Volume 2 did not sell as well, but still made No 8. In spite of the growing popularity of Motown in Britain, and more airplay due to Radio 1 pumping out of millions of transistor radios, this one contained less British hits than Volume 1. I think that is because they songs were chosen from a shorter period than the first one.
My favorite here is Diana Ross & The Supremes 'Reflections', a fine tamborine driven masterpiece. Simple on one level, but there is a lot going on in there. The writers and producers at Motown knew how to get the best out of their artists.
The British gave white Canadian R Dean Taylor a hit with 'Gotta See Jane' years before he broke through in America. And who was beating that tamborine on 'Reflections'? None other than R Dean Taylor.
Just like the 'Now' series do, they tried to make the Chartbusters as current as possible, so that many of the songs would still be on the radio. Bigger hits were sometimes left out to make room for more current ones. For example with The Four Tops, their huge hit 'Walk Away Renee' was left off to make room for 'If I Were A Carpenter' which although a hit, was not as big.
With Diana Ross & The Supremes, bigger hits 'In And Out Of Love' and 'Forever Came Today', were left off and current 'Some Things You Never Get Used To' was included. This was Ashford/Simpson's attempt at re-hashing the Holland-Dozier-Holland sound, and did not work too well. Who would have guessed they would go on to produce some of Diana Ross' finest solo work.
Stevie, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and Marin & Tammi all qualified for two songs a piece, but they barely grazed the British charts at the time. That seems unbelievable now.
Glad & The Lads' barn-storming version of 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' sold two and a half million copies in America, but barely made the top 50 here. Martha Reeves & The Vandellas 'Honeychile' fared a bit better here, but to my mind it was a waste of talent. When the world was getting used to real R&B via Aretha Franklin etc, Martha was on the slippery slope to soft novelty, when she could have given them all a run for their money. Feisty Martha rebelled against the direction her career was taking, to no avail.
In the middle/end of 1968, it was the top ten success of this album, as much as anything else, that kept Tamla Motown in British hearts. The re-release boom and their most successful British period, was just around the corner.
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