Vinyl Albums - Comments by Motownjohnny

Vinyl Albums - Comments by Motownjohnny

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Member	Item		Review/Comment
Motownjohnny 25th Oct 2018		Vinyl Album Soupy Sales - A Bag Of Soup (1969)	Originally the album title was planned to be "Soupy Sales Plays It Straight".
Motownjohnny 16th Oct 2018		Vinyl Album The Marvelettes - Playboy (1962)	The full release date is 11 July '62; the same day as "I'll Try Something New", the new album from The Miracles and The Marvelettes latest 45, both sides of which were included on this album; "Beechwood 4-5789" / "Someday, Someway". Like the Miracles' album, the first edition of "Playboy" had the white label versions of scans 703874 and 703875, with the brown on the logo printed in black and the green replaced with blue. There was no company address printed on the labels.
Motownjohnny 16th Oct 2018		Vinyl Album The Miracles - I'll Try Something New (1962)	The full release date is 11 July '62; the same day as "Playboy" by The Marvelettes.
Motownjohnny 8th Oct 2018		Vinyl Album Tom Clay - "What The World Needs Now Is Love" (1971)	The release date for this album is July '71.
Motownjohnny 6th Oct 2018		Vinyl Album Odyssey [Motown] - Odyssey (1972)	A more complete release date for this album is May 1972.
Motownjohnny 20th Sep 2018		Vinyl Album Jr. Walker And The All Stars - Shotgun (1966)	The first release of the stereo version of "Shotgun" was issued in mid '65 on the original white and lilac Soul label with the name "Soul" running vertically to the left of the centre hole. The date given here of '66, as shown on the uploaded label scan, is taken from a later second print run on the replacement Soul "swirl" label. The earlier label can be seen on the Monaural entry for "Shotgun" both here and on the Discogs website: https://www.discogs.com/Jr-Walker-And-The-All-Stars-Shotgun/release/9141519 Taken from the labels the Matrix numbers for the '65 Stereo release are: Side 1. S4RS-6888 Side 2. S4RS-6889
Motownjohnny 5th Jan 2018		Vinyl Album Gladys Knight And The Pips - Standing Ovation (1971)	Hawkmarty, Many thanks for your comments, and yes I appreciate that without label scans you may find it difficult to verify my comments. If it helps, look closely at the front cover scan provided and you will observe that the first song title listed, ("Make Me The Woman That You Go Home To"), is in fact one of the ones I request to be corrected. The cover verifies my amendment as being correct. I assume you don't actually own a U.S. copy of this album yourself, so if it helps, in respect of the song titles, you will be able to confirm the changes I have requested from the "Don't Forget The Motor City" website. You will see that that website confirms the accuracy all of my requested amendments. http://www.dftmc.info/ As I previously said, all of the information these amendments are based on, has been taken directly from my personal copy of the album. The Master/ Matrix numbers can easily be found on the relevant album entry on Discogs.
Motownjohnny 12th Dec 2017		Vinyl Album Gladys Knight And The Pips - Standing Ovation (1971)	For the attention of a Moderator. The following song titles on the current listing are not as they appear on the labels and therefore need to be amended: Side "A" Track 1 should be "Make Me The Woman THAT You Go Home To" Track 2 should be "Can You Give Me Love With A Guarantee Track 5 should be prefaced with "Medley:" followed by the title as listed Side "B" Track 1 should be "It Takes A Whole LOTTA Man For A Woman Like Me" The following info. is currently missing: The following Master/Matrix numbers are etched/stamped in the dead wax in the run-out area and printed on the labels Side 1. HS-1907-2 A4RS-4419 Side 2. HS-1908-2 A4RS-4420 The following info. is taken from the read of the album cover: Producers: Clay McMurray and Johnny Bristol Arrangers: Tom Baird, H.B. Barnum, Paul Riser, Robert White, David Van DePitte Art Director: Curtis McNair Graphic Supervision: Tom Schlesinger Photographer: Hendin
Motownjohnny 24th Sep 2017		Vinyl Album Martha And The Vandellas - Heat Wave (1966)	The 2002 U.K. CD Twofer back cover does show "Quicksand" included as a track on the album (last track on side 2). However, the implication / suggestion drawn from this that the song may have been intended for inclusion on "Heat Wave" can easily be kicked into the long grass by comparing the first release date of the Mono album, (September 1963) with the recorded date for "Quicksand", which the D.F.T.M.C. website gives as 4 October 1963. "Quicksand" was clearly recorded after the original Mono album was released and in the shops, and could not have been planned for inclusion on it!
Motownjohnny 23rd Sep 2017		Vinyl Album The Supremes - Meet The Supremes (1965)	All of the later Stereo copies of this album with the blue "clouds" cover that I've seen or own have incorrect back slicks. These back covers list five songs on side two, while the album label lists six. The label correctly shows "Let Me Go The Right Way" and "Time Changes Things", however both these songs are absent from the track-listing on the cover. "The Boy That Got Away", listed on the cover as the second track on side two was never released on any version of this album and is not shown on the label. Has the U.S. Stereo version has ever been issued with the correct track listing printed on the back cover so that it matches the listing on the label? A Stereo version of this 1965 album cover was released with the word "Stereo" printed at the top, centre, thus replacing the version shown here with the stereo sticker added. The correct Motown logo for both Mono and Stereo versions of this 1965 release is the later "box" one, shown here in the scan. I have a "Mono" copy with the "clouds" cover that for some reason has the old early Motown "car" logo at the bottom of the rear cover. However, it does have the correct track listing for side two!
Motownjohnny 28th May 2017		Vinyl Album Marvin Gaye - Trouble Man (1973)	Just to clarify, this album was officially released on U.S. Tamla cat. no. T-322L in December 1972 and not 1973 as stated here, and on my copy the label states "℗ 1972 Motown Record Corporation" The Master Nos are: On Side 1: HS 2013-1 On Side 2: HS 2014-2 Matrix nos are: On Side 1: B5RS-8386 and On Side 2: B5RS-8387
Motownjohnny 21st Apr 2017		Vinyl Album Hearts Of Stone - Stop The World...We Wanna Get On (1970)	In the mid to late 60's, and therefore prior to signing with Motown, the group that would later be known as The Hearts of Stone recorded under various names. These included The Chimes, The Larks and The Four Pennies. The Four Pennies line-up comprised of John Myers, his brother James, Rudolph Hill and Willie Earl Drummond. They released two 45's on the Brunswick label ("You Have No Time To Lose" / "Your A Gas (With Your Trash)" cat. no. 55304 in 1966, and "'Tis The Season" / "Shake A Hand" cat. no. 55324 in 1967. At Motown, The Hearts Of Stone comprised - John Myers (baritone), Lindsey Griffin (first tenor and baritone), Floyd Lawson (lead) and Carl Cutler (lead tenor). Shortly after recording "Stop The World...We Wanna Get On", their only album for Motown, the group split up. John Myers moved from singing secular songs to gospel. Floyd Lawson re-located to Quebec, Canada; where he formed a new group, known as Floyd Lawson and The Hearts Of Stone. Carl Cutler continued to perform on stage right up to the early 2000's. I have not been able to find any info on what became of Lindsey Griffin.
Motownjohnny 8th Jan 2017		Vinyl Album Various Artists - In Loving Memory (1968)	Thanks Phil for the comments on the recording dates for some of the tracks. That goes some way to explaining why the delayed release, though I'm surprised the whole project seems to have taken so long to come to fruition - the release date was almost three full years following Loucye's passing. In 1995, the album was officially issued on a CD in the U.S.A. by Polygram - cat. no. 314 520 305-2. The front cover is once again as per the original vinyl release, with just the title "In Loving Memory" and no mention of song titles or artists. It doesn't seem to have been re-recorded in stereo so once again the original Mono tapes have been used.
Motownjohnny 7th Jan 2017		Vinyl Album Various Artists - In Loving Memory (1968)	I have a vinyl first pressing copy of this album. The cover is exactly as shown. There is no Motown label/logo and no song/artist listing at the top of the front cover. These were added to the later pressing. Check out the entry for MT-642 on the Both Sides Now Publications website. http://www.bsnpubs.com/motown/motown/motown.html
Motownjohnny 3rd Jan 2017		Vinyl Album Various Artists - In Loving Memory (1968)	This album was conceived by Berry Gordy as a fitting tribute to his sister Loucye Gordy Wakefield, who died on 24 July 1965. Shortly after her death the album was allocated a catalogue number (MT-642), which fits in with the mid - late '65 timeline. However, it's release was not until September 1968. I've never discovered why the three year wait; so does anyone here know why it took so long to be released and if it was ever made available in stereo?
Motownjohnny 28th Oct 2016		Vinyl Album Chris Clark - C.C. Rides Again (1969)	This album, the final Motown recording project for Chris Clark, was the most unusual one of all. Deke Richards was a young producer just commencing his incredible run as a member of "The Corporation"; the production team principally behind the Jackson 5 and the two earlier Diana Ross and The Supremes' 45's; "Love Child" and "I'm Living In Shame". Perhaps on account of his contribution to their successes, Berry Gordy Jr. asked Richards to produce something new on Chris Clark. He duly complied and composed "Can I See You In The Morning,” which got Gordy excited enough to offer Richards a chance to produce an entire LP on Clark. He agreed and came up with a radical concept for the project: a new subsidiary, to be called Weed Records, (a name appropriate for the "flower power, love-in" period of the late ‘60s), along with the re-branding of the singer. For the project she'd be known as CC. Berry, who was becoming increasingly involved in preparing the groundwork for Motown's first film venture "Lady Sings The Blues", a project that Chris Clark would also work on, was in a rush to have the album completed, so Richards recruited David Van de Pitte to assist him in arranging the tracks. Mickey Crofford and John Stronach are credited on the back cover as the engineers. Apart from the Richards compositions, “Can I See You In the Morning” and “How About You,” "CC Rides Again" was for the most part composed of contemporary pop and rock covers - “Spinning Wheel,” “With A Little Help From My Friends,” “Get Back,” “In The Ghetto,” “One,” “Good Morning Starshine and the original Motown in-house song ”You've Made Me So Very Happy", a recent huge success for the group Blood Sweat and Tears. The photo shoot for the album cover was just as much of a departure from what was the norm for Motown as was the music. The gate-fold front cover depicts the singer clutching a pistol and sitting astride a donkey, while on the back cover her head appears peeking above the rear of a fully grown elephant. Rather oddly there is no mention anywhere that this is a Motown related product. Perhaps even before its release, the company sensed an impending disaster, and were keeping their distance! The concept didn’t work, in fact it was a total failure, apparently selling only a few hundred copies. As a consequence, Weed Records was gone in a puff. This was the only album released on the label. No tracks were lifted from it to act as a promotional 45.
Motownjohnny 17th Aug 2016		Vinyl Album Mary Wells - Recorded Live On Stage (1963)	Like PhilMH says, this definitely couldn't have been released in July 1963, as some of the the material included, namely "I Don't Want To Take A Chance", "Old Love (Let's Try It Again" and "Operator" all came from a concert performed in August 1963 at Motown's recently acquired Greystone Ballroom, in Detroit. The other tracks are from concerts given at the Apollo Theatre, New York City on 31 December 1962 - namely "Bye, Bye Baby" and "You Beat Me To The Punch", and from the Regal Theatre, in Chicago; "Two Lovers", "Laughing Boy" and "The One Who Really Loves You". I'm pretty sure the correct release date is September 1963.
Motownjohnny 17th Aug 2016		Vinyl Album The Supremes - Meet The Supremes (1962)	The scans added are clearly not of the original album, but rather a later variant from 1964 and there are some errors in the listing that also need to be amended by a Moderator. The original version of "Meet The Supremes" was released in Mono only on 8 December 1962, yet the label scans here clearly show a release year of 1964, which is when the second Mono version with a completely different front cover was released. The Stereo version was released in 1965. On the original vinyl, of which I have a copy, the red star on the label to highlight Detroit is placed much further to the right so that it appears directly above the letter "W" in Motown, as it does in other very early Motown albums. The area covered by the map is also larger and extends from the Atlantic Seaboard to just west of Dodge City. The dark blue on the original bottom half of the label is also less intense than that shown here. The scan of the back cover is also incorrect and needs to be replaced, as it lists only 10 songs when there were in fact 11. This scan shows "The Boy That Got Away" as appearing at "B2", but while it was originally chosen for inclusion on the album, in reality it never actually was, having been replaced prior to release by the group's then current single "Let Me Go The Right Way" with "Time Changes Things" added as an extra track. My copy, has the red "bar-stools" cover and was pressed by Columbia's plant in Chicago. It has the Matrix no. XCTV 87515 on Side 1 of both the label and the dead-wax and XCTV 87516 on Side 2 . However, on this scan and in the accompanying notes these are indicated as being R4RM-3019 and R4RM-3020, and are therefore consistent with a release date of 1964 rather than late 1962. Finally, the track listing on Side 2 is correct as per the original cover, but shows two entries for "B2".
Motownjohnny 31st Aug 2015		Vinyl Album Howl The Good - Howl The Good (1972)	Master No. Side 1: HS-1929 (printed on label and etched into dead wax). Master No. Side 2: HS-1930 (printed on label and etched into dead wax). Recorded in: Olympic Studios, London, U.K. Mastered at Artisan Sound, Hollywood, CA. U.S.A. Arranged by: Gary Wright and "Howl The Good" Recording Engineer: Chris Kimsey Executive Producer: Harry Weitzer Associate Producer: Barry Ginsburg The following musicians are credited on back cover: Bass guitar and vocals: Neil Fayne Lead vocals: Allan Odom Lead guitar and vocals: Wiley Pack Drums and percussion: Dennis Harrison Keyboards and vocals: Tom Schneider The following music publishers are credited: Stein & Van Stock Inc., Eye Lash Publishing Co., ASCAP for: A1, A3, A5, B1, B3 and B4 Irving Music, BMI for: A2, A4, B2 and B5 Art direction: Curtis McNair Graphic Supervision: Tom Schlesinger Front cover art: Carol Ann Back cover photo: Jim Hendin .
Motownjohnny 6th Apr 2015		Vinyl Album The Rustix - Bedlam (1969)	Master No. Side 1: HS-1638 (X4RS-4312) Master No. Side 2: HS-1639 (X4RS-4313) Jacket Concept: Craig Braun Inc. Design: Bob Cato Photography: Jim Hendin The Rustix are: Chuck Brucato – vocals Ron Collins – bass David Colon – drums Bob D'Andrea – guitar Vinnie Strenk – Hammond B3 Al Galich – lead vocals Formed in 1967 in Rochester, New York, the band comprised the above six members, although sloppy editing of the group photograph on the rear cover shows one of them appearing twice; on both the extreme left and right; so that at first glance The Rustix appear to have seven members. This is one of five albums that launched Motown's progressive rock "Rare Earth" label in August 1969 and like the other four; RS-505, RS-506, RS-507 and RS-509, it was initially housed in a die cut round top cover, with new artwork specifically commissioned for the release. Later re-pressings of these five albums were released with a standard square cover. Motown also included this album with those mentioned above in a promotional five record box set to launch the new label. The box cover featured the Rare Earth logo with "A Very Heavy New Label" printed on the front.
Motownjohnny 3rd Apr 2015		Vinyl Album Smokey Robinson And The Miracles - Special Occasion (1968)	(Info moved to notes / mod edit). Both my Stereo releases have the Tamla "Two Globes" logo label and have the RCA Matrix nos. incorrectly printed on both sides of the labels: Side 1: W4RS- 5201, but with W4RS-5200 stamped in the vinyl run-out and Side 2: W4RS-5200 with W4RS-5201 stamped in the vinyl run-out
Motownjohnny 3rd Apr 2015		Vinyl Album Marvin Gaye And Tammi Terrell - You're All I Need (1968)	The Master and Matrix numbers for the Stereo commercial release are: Side 1: HS-1524-2 and (W4RS-4836) Side 2: HS-1525-2 and (W4RS-4837)
Motownjohnny 24th Mar 2015		Vinyl Album Marvin Gaye - The Soulful Moods Of Marvin Gaye (1961)	To update the original notes: /content moved to notes. (mod edit)
Motownjohnny 19th Mar 2015		Vinyl Album The Great Gospel Stars - The Great Gospel Stars (1961)	The name of the group is The Gospel Stars, not The Great Gospel Stars - that's the name of the album. Check out the two sides lifted from this album on the Tamla single T54037 released on 7 March 1961, where the group name is given as The Gospel Stars. The correct title for A5 is "If Any Man". With the catalogue number TM-222, this would indeed seem to be the third release on the Tamla label, but it is in fact the first album to be released by the company. It came out in February 1961, not November '61 as suggested in the listing. It therefore preceded TM-220 "Hi, We're The Miracles" and TM-221 "The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye", which were both released in June 1961.