Happy Friday! Lulu darling just logged into Facebook and couldn't believe what she saw! These are not digital [[mp3) releases as we've come to know from FTG! All of you physical product completists should be pleased!
So far we've only got news on Why Do Fools Fall in Love, Silk Electric, Ross, Swept Away and Eaten Alive. Tracklistings to be announced shortly, I gather.
Here's there FB page if you want to see for your selves!
https://www.facebook.com/Funkytowngrooves
Incredible and unexpected!
I expect to see this on Anderson Cooper's "Breaking News" tonight!
I'll hold off on my excitement until I see what the expanded editions contain. If they include new unreleased tracks then I'm all in, but if its just instrumentals or 12" singles, I'll probably pass. Is anyone familiar with this labels work and what they've put out in the past?
I've purchased all of their Gladys Knight/Pips and La Toya Jackson releases along with a few more by Thelma Houston. They went LOVE OVERBOARD on Gladys...I've posted a link to the PIPS albums here and the 1st solo album is now sold out as are some of these. If they can expand 1985's Visions to fill two discs...the possibilities are endless!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by RossHolloway
http://www.funkytowngrooves.com/sear...&submit=submit
This is great news. I wonder why they aren't planning on releasing all 6 instead of 5.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lulu
I should add...GK&P The One and Only was my favorite and is also sold out...look at the mixes and "wow" factors:
http://www.funkytowngrooves.com/MIXE...-Edition)/3477
That Walter Gibbons mix of "It's a Better Than Good Time" is worth the price alone!
Doesn't D Ross own the master tracks from her time at RCA? Wasn't her imprint Rossville or Ross Records or something along those tracks?Quote:
Originally Posted by Lulu
I am so excited. I also have purchased all the Gladys Knight/ Pips and some Melba Moore and they are wonderful. Most all of them have unreleased tracks. They expanded "Visions" and "Life" to double cds. I can hardly wait. This is a dream come true. I love the RCA years.
I wonder what has prompted this to occur?
Sales are up again due to the tour?
I was wondering the same thing. This happened with Gladys Knight and the Pips too. They expanded all of their Buddah records except for their "Still Together" album which happens to be one of my favorites.Quote:
Originally Posted by skooldem1
Thanks for posting to this thread. I had forgotten these had been released. Some orders were placed from the Amazon Marketplace.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lulu
So far they have confirmed that there will be 8 bonus tracks for the "Why do fools fall in love" album. I wonder what is in store for the other albums.
8 bonus tracks. This should be interesting.
These will probably beat the release of "Baby It's Me" and "A Go Go" We have been waiting forever. I love that Funky Town is expanding these. Its great because they will all be released around the same time and you don't have wait years to get the next release. However the love and packaging does not compare to the expanded editions that George, Harry, and Andrew put out. Have we heard any news on BMI and A Go Go?
I haven't been on iTunes or Amazon lately to check charts but most of the DR/DRATS releases on Hip-O were big sellers so maybe FTG wants to jump on the bandwagon.Quote:
Originally Posted by jobeterob
Anyone ever hear any rumors of what was left off of WDFFIL? I know we should expect perhaps a 12" mix of Mirror Mirror and Work that Body. That would be two of the bonus tracks. Unless they also include the 45 versions what else can we expect? I am hoping for unreleased tracks.
Apparently, the rumor is that there are two songs in the can: "Midnight Dancer" and "You Make Me Feel So Good".Quote:
Originally Posted by skooldem1
Cool! I'll be buying these! I just hope the mastering is good.
Yes, finally!!! And these will be released all 5 at the same time, not years in between albums! Sound quality and track selection will most lkely be top notch, the booklets are not as great as Hip-O's, but as I'd given up hope these would ever come out, I don't care :-)
Hmm, 8 bonus tracks? There's the single versions of "Mirror Mirror" and "Work That Body" as well as the "Work That Body" 12" version, but what could the other 5 tracks be??
i hope there's an extended or instrumental version of "Telephone" in the vaults somewhere, one of her best and funkiest tracks from the RCA years in my opinion :-)
OMG! I can't wait, have all the original CDs and LPs but I will definitely buy all of these.
Yes no RED HOT RHYTHM & BLUES, her last for RCA. There was a B side "I A Me" which was not on the album, plus 7" 12" and remix versions of the singles "Dirty Looks" Shockwaves" and "Mr Lee".Quote:
Originally Posted by skooldem1
I hope RHR&B will be re-issued as well - seems weird to exclude the last album...
Thanks for your post, Lulu.
Hopefully "Fight For It" will be on the "Swept Away" expanded CD which was issued as the B-side of "Swept Away" but never included in the original LP.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emk7c917EFk
Does anyone know the difference between an Expanded edition and a Deluxe edition? I noticed on their website that Deluxe is usually 2CD's, is that the answer?
First time hearing that song, thanks for posting it.Quote:
Originally Posted by no_place_like_motown
"I Am Me"..was on Silk Electric not Red Hot.
yes Deluxe is usually 1 cd while expanded is 2 cds
I'm looking forward to these!
In terms of bonus tracks, I think FTG did a great job with those Gladys Knight & The Pips releases - plenty of previously unreleased tracks [[I think more than a dozen on "Visions"), single versions, 12-inch mixes, instrumental mixes, promo edits, etc. But of course it all depends on what actually exists.
well at least someone is doing something to celebrate the 50th anniversary of WDOLG
I think "Red Hot" was the first album to appear on the Ross Records imprint which probably means Ms Ross owns [[part of) the rights of the recordings and therefore Sony [[RCA) cannot licence it to a third party without her approval.
It's the only other song on that album I skip, along with "Turn me Over".Quote:
Originally Posted by mowsville
I'm too lazy to dig out my original U.S. vinyl copy, but i'm pretty sure the Ross Records imprint is mentioned somewhere on the "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" album jacket.Quote:
Originally Posted by whitesoxx
Quote:
Originally Posted by soulster
Ditto but I do believe it may only be her publishing/production companies. I don't think the imprint was there yet.
I buy a lot of re-issues but for some reason I don't have any from Funkytown Grooves. Can someone who has releases from this company tell us a little about them, like if the booklets include additional pictures and info? Thanks so much - I am getting really excited about these...
Indeed, WHY DO FOOLS... was the first album to carry a Diana Ross Productions credit. And RED HOT... was the first to carry the Ross Records imprint.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lulu
You have to be careful. I understand older CDs by this label bad needledrops. However, some have been redone, like the Aretha Franklin "Freeway Of Love" CD w/bonus tracks. I got the fixed version from tape and it sounds quite good, for an 80s Narada Michael-Walden production. It was remastered by the highly respected Mark Wilder.Quote:
Originally Posted by djessie
I bought two of the Ray Parker Jr. reissues, and "The Other Woman" sounds fantastic. But, "Two Places At The Same Time" sounds incredibly dull and bassy, so I EQ'ed it myself, and now it sounds very good, IMO. That one sounds like a flat transfer, but I can't quite figure out if it's the first generation master, a copy, or what. It was also done by a "name" engineer.
I have read that the now OOP Disco Nights" album by Funky Grooves is still not the correct original album. I'm not sure why no one can seem to get it right. There are zillions of copies of the original album everywhere for reference. I'm glad I didn't waste my money on it. I do fine with my needledrop.
So, I would say that, like bbr, you take your chances.
Yeah, the liner notes are good and extensive.
Exciting! Can't wait to find out what the bonus tracks are... I also noticed they're gonna release Martha Reeves The Rest Of My Life as an expanded edition!
In non-Motown news, FTG is also releasing Dionne Warwick's No Night So Long and Finder of Lost Loves in deluxe 2CD versions!
Perhaps the holding back of Red Hot Rhythm & Blues is to enable it to be released with a DVD of the television special that featured some of the album's songs?
Just a hope :)