Book Excerpt: The Sound of Young America

**woodward** · 09-12-2016, 01:05 PM

From today's Detroit Free Press. Great Supremes photo and background on Buttered Popcorn release.

http://www.freep.com/story/entertain...corn/90002388/

**thommg** · 09-12-2016, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by woodward

From today's Detroit Free Press. Great Supremes photo and background on Buttered Popcorn release.

http://www.freep.com/story/entertain...corn/90002388/

My copy shipped today from Amazon US. Very excited to finally have this book in my hands!

**Philles/Motown Gary** · 09-12-2016, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by thommg

My copy shipped today from Amazon US. Very excited to finally have this book in my hands!

Mine shipped today, too, Thom! Rubbin' my hands together with enthusiasm!

**jobeterob** · 09-12-2016, 02:35 PM

When you get your copies, tell us what you think.

**woodward** · 09-12-2016, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by thommg

My copy shipped today from Amazon US. Very excited to finally have this book in my hands!

Lucky you. I ordered mine on 3/3/16 and according to the Amazon USA
web site, it is expected to be shipped on 9/19/16.

**Luciano** · 09-12-2016, 08:39 PM

Thanks for sharing the link.

**Jimi LaLumia** · 09-12-2016, 09:05 PM

waiting for mine.. I could have requested a copy for review in the magazines I write for, but in certain cases I believe in 'supporting the artist' with my $$$..this is one of those cases..

**Philles/Motown Gary** · 09-12-2016, 09:20 PM

To Woodward and Jimi -- I pre-ordered my copy from Amazon [[U.S.) months ago when it first became available for Pre-Order. The reason I'm receiving my copy on the day of release is because it's one of the benefits of being an Amazon Prime member. I'm assuming that's why thommg is getting his copy tomorrow, too.

**Philles/Motown Gary** · 09-12-2016, 09:24 PM

Originally Posted by jobeterob;f347309

When you get your copies, telling us what you think.

Will do, rob. Give me a couple days to peruse it.

**thommg** · 09-13-2016, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by woodward

Lucky you. I ordered mine on 3/3/16 and according to the Amazon USA web site, it is expected to be shipped on 9/19/16.

I ordered mine in February, and it wasn't supposed to arrive until tomorrow. I just tracked my package and it's now out for delivery today! I will definitely report back, jobeterob, and let you know my feelings on it. Gary, looking forward to your thoughts after you receive yours.

**danman869** · 09-13-2016, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by thommg

I ordered mine in February, and it wasn't supposed to arrive until tomorrow. I just tracked my package and it's now out for delivery today! I will definitely report back, jobeterob, and let you know my feelings on it. Gary, looking forward to your thoughts after you receive yours.

Lucky you, Thom! Early this morning, my book was scheduled to be delivered "by 8PM today." I checked it again a little bit ago and it has been pushed back to delivery next Monday, 9/19. Can't hurry love OR book deliveries, I guess!

**motownlover1964** · 09-13-2016, 01:44 PM

Fingers crossed as mine is "out for delivery by 8pm today."

**thommg** · 09-13-2016, 03:33 PM

Well, my book arrived. I was just about to go into a video meeting so I took it with me. I have no idea what the meeting was about.

Motown: The Sound Of Young America is a stunning coffee table book. We're talking heavy, glossy pages full of color. I've only skimmed through it and saw many photos I hadn't seen before, and a few that I had, very well reproduced on these pages. The books opening chapters are about the riots in Detroit. Lots of photos from that time. They go back to the beginning and show all the various labels used for singles and albums on each label, listing the labels that only had a few releases. The book contains much information dedicated to specific artists, multiple album covers, industry ads and such. There is a lot here to digest. I haven't even read any of the text yet!

I can only say that I am very, very pleased with this, so happy that I pre-ordered it when it was first announced. I actually got goosebumps while flipping through it. I think every Motown fan will enjoy this book, especially those of us who find it continually speaking to us in our daily lives. Bravo, Adam White and Barney Ales. This is a fantastic addition to my collection.

**danman869** · 09-13-2016, 07:07 PM

Hurray! My book shipped today and should be delivered tomorrow!

**thommg** · 09-13-2016, 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by danman869

Hurray! My book shipped today and should be delivered tomorrow!

I hope it arrives, Dan! In the meantime, I found this:
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/arts-...brate-new-book

**Philles/Motown Gary** · 09-13-2016, 08:26 PM

Originally Posted by thommg

Well, my book arrived. I was just about to go into a video meeting so I took it with me. I have no idea what the meeting was about.

Motown: The Sound Of Young America is a stunning coffee table book. We're talking heavy, glossy pages full of color. I've only skimmed through it and saw many photos I hadn't seen before, and a few that I had, very well reproduced on these pages. The books opening chapters are about the riots in Detroit. Lots of photos from that time. They go back to the beginning and show all the various labels used for singles and albums on each label, listing the labels that only had a few releases. The book contains much information dedicated to specific artists, multiple album covers, industry ads and such. There is a lot here to digest. I haven't even read any of the text yet!

I can only say that I am very, very pleased with this, so happy that I pre-ordered it when it was first announced. I actually got goosebumps while flipping through it. I think every Motown fan will enjoy this book, especially those of us who find it continually speaking to us in our daily lives. Bravo, Adam White and Barney Ales. This is a fantastic addition to my collection.

Thom, I'll bet your boss would love you if he knew how you blew off the meeting to sit and peruse your new Motown book instead! HaHa! To quote Smokey, "I don't blame you at all"! My copy arrived today, too. After reading your review, I couldn't have said it any better myself! The book is huge, heavy, super-professional, and impressive as all get-out! Barney and Andy did a fantastic job on this publication. Like you, I haven't had a chance to read much of the text, either. Just the photos alone, of which there are MANY, are a joy to wallow through. When I first opened the book, the first photo I noticed was one of Diana Ross giving Berry Gordy a friendly hug while dressed in a big, bulky Winter sweater -- a really nice, behind-the-scenes shot. I'm pleasantly surprised that at least half of the photos contained within are new to me. I'm also enjoying the pages showing color photos of a given Motown artist's 45's in the order of release, starting with their very first release [[not just label copy, but the entire 45). What I'm a bit surprised by, however, is that, after fitting as many 45's on a page as possible, when I turn the page to continue with that artist's remaining singles to pick up where the previous page had left off, the remaining singles are not shown. Instead, the authors are off onto another topic. I'm guessing that the authors might have limited the 45 photos in order to cut down on the cost off additional pages and more paper [[which, as you mentioned, is of the highest quality). Personally, I would have paid double for the cost of the book if necessary had they covered a photo of every 45 and every album by EVERY Motown artist. All in all, this is a gorgeous book, and the perfect keepsake for the serious Motown fan -- especially for those of us who grew up with Motown Record Corporation from the beginning of the heyday -- 1964.

**woodward** · 09-15-2016, 06:30 PM

thommg; philles/motowngary; motownlover1964; danman869

Just curious. It seems as though all of you received your book from Amazon US. Just curious, do you know which Amazon fulfillment center it was shipped to you from? Mine is supposed to be shipped on Monday the 19th. I live in Delaware and there are two fulfillment centers here. Just wondering if the books are all shipped from ONE center or numerous ones nationwide? If mine is shipped on Monday, I should get it Tuesday because of living in the state where the fullfillment center is located. Thanks.

**Philles/Motown Gary** · 09-15-2016, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by woodward;3t47764

thommg; philles/motowngary; motownlover1964; danman869

Just curious. It seems as though all of you received your book from Amazon US. Just curious, do you know which Amazon fulfillment center it was shipped to you from? Mine is supposed to be shipped on Monday the 19th. I live in Delaware and there are two fulfillment centers here. Just wondering if the books are all shipped from ONE center or numerous ones nationwide? If mine is shipped on Monday, I should get it Tuesday because of living in the state where the fullfillment center is located. Thanks.

Woodward, I live in Alabama. Amazon shipped my copy of the Motown book out of East Point, GA [[via free 2nd-Day UPS Delivery). Not sure that tells you anything since you live way North of me, but I hope you'll receive your copy soon. - Gary

**woodward** · 09-16-2016, 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by Philles/Motown Gary

Woodward, I live in Alabama. Amazon shipped my copy of the Motown book out of East Point, GA [[via free 2nd-Day UPS Delivery). Not sure that tells you anything since you live way North of me, but I hope you'll receive your copy soon. - Gary

Thanks for responding. I wonder if the demand is that high that all the Amazon fulfillment centers will stock them for orders. Mine is still not shipped but it is supposed to be delivered between the 19th and the 23rd. I guess I am too impatient.

**thommg** · 09-16-2016, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by woodward

thommg; philles/motowngary; motownlover1964; danman869

Just curious. It seems as though all of you received your book from Amazon US. Just curious, do you know which Amazon fulfillment center it was shipped to you from? Mine is supposed to be shipped on Monday the 19th. I live in Delaware and there are two fulfillment centers here. Just wondering if the books are all shipped from ONE center or numerous ones nationwide? If mine is shipped on Monday, I should get it Tuesday because of living in the state where the fullfillment center is located. Thanks.

Woodward, I just checked my shipment box. The label says Lexington, KY. I am an Amazon Prime member but I don't know if that makes a difference when they ship things out.

**woodward** · 09-16-2016, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by woodward

Thanks for responding. I wonder if the demand is that high that all the Amazon fulfillment centers will stock them for orders. Mine is still not shipped but it is supposed to be delivered between the 19th and the 23rd. I guess I am too impatient.

Still no definite shipping confirmation. I did note however that the price was reduced from $40.10 to $39.37. I went into the main Amazon listing for the book and it is marked as a BEST SELLER..................

Wish they would ship them vs. lowering the price by a token amount. Apparently all Amazon fulfillment orders have them available so maybe mine will be shipped Monday, however, I do remain pessimistic.

**Philles/Motown Gary** · 09-16-2016, 11:22 PM

Originally Posted by woodward

Still no definite shipping confirmation. I did note however that the price was reduced from $40.10 to $39.37. I went into the main Amazon listing for the book and it is marked as a BEST SELLER..................

Wish they would ship them vs. lowering the price by a token amount. Apparently all Amazon fulfillment orders have them available so maybe mine will be shipped Monday, however, I do remain pessimistic.

Woodward, I've ordered a lot of CD's and DVD's from Amazon over the years. Although I still haven't figured out their warehouse system, I can tell you this -- When Amazon ships a CD to my home here in Alabama, some titles get shipped from Lexington, KY, while others are shipped from East Point, GA. I've even had an occasional item get shipped from a warehouse out West, although it's rare and I don't remember exactly where. For whatever reason, one of the warehouses takes a day longer to ship than the other one.

Whenever I pre-order an item, my Amazon Prime membership allows me to have the item in my hands on the day of release, which is cool! However, there have been times when I pre-ordered an item only to have Amazon notify me -- on the day of release -- that the item is "out of stock". I'm thinking, "How can it be out of stock already when I pre-ordered my copy weeks or months ago? Did they not receive enough copies to cover all of the pre-orders?" This seems to happen when I've pre-ordered an import CD. Since the Motown book is an import from the U.K., maybe that's why you're experiencing a problem now? I can assure you that, the few times that it happened, Amazon was able to ship my order soon afterward. I know how you feel, though. Having to wait for anything Motown-related can be pure torture!

BTW, right after Amazon shipped my new Motown book this past week, they sent me an email letting me know that the price I ended up paying allowed me to save $13-$14 compared to the price I was quoted at the time I pre-ordered it back in early March. Not a bad deal, especially considering that the book weighs a ton, and my shipping was free 2nd-day delivery via UPS. Got my fingers crossed that your copy will arrive any day now!

**Jimi LaLumia** · 09-17-2016, 08:52 AM

I ordered mine in Feb and i am an Amazon Prime member and as of this morning I still don't have it.. will go to the PO Box shortly..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svDvddduKIw

**Philles/Motown Gary** · 09-17-2016, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by Jimi LaLumia

I ordered mine in Feb Andy i am an Amazon Prime member and as of this morning I still don't have it.. will go to the PO Box shortly..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svDvddduKIw

Jimmy, if you pre-ordered your copy in February [[before I ordered mine in early March) and you STILL haven't received it, something is wrong. You need to contact Amazon's Customer Service ASAP. If you message me, I'll give you their phone number. [[I'm not sure I can legally publish it here on the public forum.) - Gary

**Jimi LaLumia** · 09-17-2016, 01:00 PM

Thanks, Gary i'm going to wait till Monday as that's what Amazon tells me is the expected arrival date.. I went to Barnes & Noble for the re issued "Lick Me" book by my pal Cherry Vanilla,and the Motown book was on the shelves, sealed and $60.00 my Amazon Prime price is 30 something dollars so I'm good to wait till Monday.. thanks again

**woodward** · 09-17-2016, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by Jimi LaLumia

Thanks, Gary i'm going to wait till Monday as that's what Amazon tells me is the expected arrival date.. I went to Barnes & Noble for the re issued "Lick Me" book by my pal Cherry Vanilla,and the Motown book was on the shelves, sealed and $60.00 my Amazon Prime price is 30 something dollars so I'm good to wait till Monday.. thanks again

Jimi: That is ludicrous that B&N has it on their shelves already. I would assume that Amazon would have been the first supplied with the book. I am surprised that it was sealed. Mine is scheduled to ship on Monday the 19th with delivery between the 19th and the 23rd. However, numerous MF members have already received their copy. If I don't get a confirmation on Monday that it is shipped, I might try to contact them [[which I was unaware that you could do).

**Jimi LaLumia** · 09-17-2016, 07:32 PM

yes, you can call..Monday will also be my Defcon 3 day if it does not show up.. it's in a plastic shrink wrap seal on the Barnes & Noble shelf guess they don't want 'browsers' wrecking it and thereby making it unsellable at full price..[[which on the B&N website is now 38 bucks not the 60 bucks list price on the book physically)

**Philles/Motown Gary** · 09-17-2016, 07:54 PM

Originally Posted by Jimi LaLumia

Thanks, Gary i'm going to wait till Monday as that's what Amazon tells me is the expected arrival date.. I went to Barnes & Noble for the re issued "Lick Me" book by my pal Cherry Vanilla,and the Motown book was on the shelves, sealed and $60.00 my Amazon Prime price is 30 something dollars so I'm good to wait till Monday.. thanks again

You're welcome, Jimmy. Good luck -- I hope you get your copy soon.

**Philles/Motown Gary** · 09-17-2016, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by woodward

Jimi: That is ludicrous that B&N Whas it on their shelves already. I would assume that Amazon would have been the first supplied with the book. I am surprised that it was sealed. Mine is scheduled to ship on Monday the 19th with delivery between the 19th and the 23rd. However, numerous MF members have already received their copy. If I don't get a confirmation on Monday that it is shipped, I might try to contact them [[which I was unaware that you could do).

Woodward, my copy arrived "sealed", too, although it wasn't shrink-wrapped as the term "sealed" implies. Actually, it's a super-thin plastic bag with a folder-over at the top containing a sticky-goo to make it temporarily seal closed. At first, I thought it was a nice additional touch to keep the book looking nice and new forever-- that is, until I apparently put it back on carelessly and it ripped right through! As Jimmy pointed out, I guess it's only meant to last long enough to keep the public's grimy paws off of it in the stores. Again, here's hoping your copy arrives soon. If you need Amazon's Customer Service phone number, just message me for it.

**woodward** · 09-19-2016, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by woodward

Still no definite shipping confirmation. I did note however that the price was reduced from $40.10 to $39.37. I went into the main Amazon listing for the book and it is marked as a BEST SELLER..................

Wish they would ship them vs. lowering the price by a token amount. Apparently all Amazon fulfillment orders have them available so maybe mine will be shipped Monday, however, I do remain pessimistic.

UPDATE: Today is the day it is supposed to be shipped, but it is now noon and no indication it is being shipped. I will wait until the end of today and then attempt to make an inquiry; however, I note that the price has gone from $39.37 to $38.58. I wish they would just quit reducing the price and ship the damn book. It's ludicrous.

**theboyfromxtown** · 09-19-2016, 12:29 PM

I saw it in Waterstones today....£39.95.

**Jimi LaLumia** · 09-19-2016, 04:19 PM

arriving Wednesday.. uh.. I surrender

**Hotspurman** · 09-20-2016, 07:56 AM

The plastic shrink wrap I've come to consider as part of the all round package. Whenever I want to read the book, I have to carefully remove it from the wrapper, and when finished carefully place it back in the shrink wrap, ensuring that the fold over flap appears on the back on the book so as not to spoil the view of the front cover.

Do you think I've got OCD or similar?

**westgrandboulevard** · 09-20-2016, 08:49 AM

If you have, then so do I!

I think it ought to be mentioned that everyone who buys a copy of 'The Sound Of America' should also have a copy of the 'Motown Encyclopedia' by Graham Betts. An essential companion volume, for reading and general reference.

**woodward** · 09-20-2016, 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by danman869

Lucky you, Thom! Early this morning, my book was scheduled to be delivered "by 8PM today." I checked it again a little bit ago and it has been pushed back to delivery next Monday, 9/19. Can't hurry love OR book deliveries, I guess!

danman: My copy was supposed to ship on 9/19 for delivery 9/19 through 9/23. I wanted to wait until the morning of 9/20 to see if it got a late start on the 19th. Well, guess what? It is now slated to ship by 9/23. I am going to attempt to contact Amazon to see what the problem is. The Lexington, KY and East Point, GA Fulfillment Centers are shipping theirs to other forum members, but what I don't know is whether each and every Fulfillment Center will be shipping copies. Totally bizarre situation. This should be challenging calling Amazon and getting someone to assist me. I am pessimistic.

**Philles/Motown Gary** · 09-20-2016, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by Hotspurman

The plastic shrink wrap I've come to consider as part of the all round package. Whenever I want to read the book, I have to carefully remove it from the wrapper, and when finished carefully place it back in the shrink wrap, ensuring that the fold over flap appears on the back on the book so as not to spoil the view of the front cover.

Do you think I've got OCD or similar?

Join the club, Graham! From one fellow OCD-er to another, however, do take heed! No matter how loving and nurturing you may think you're being toward that shiny new book, be careful or you'll sadly discover, as I did, that the thin plastic cover has a mind of its own. One accidental false move and it's all over! While proudly returning the book inside its new protective home, a corner of the book must have been somewhat misaligned at an angle. Despite my good intentions, that thin plastic split right through like there was no tomorrow. So much for THAT obsessive compulsion!

**captainjames** · 09-22-2016, 08:41 AM

This can also be ordered from Barnes and Noble or you can request they get it in.

**Jimi LaLumia** · 09-22-2016, 02:48 PM

got it yesterday, beautiful heavy book! worth the wait [[and the weight)

RossHolloway · 09-28-2016, 01:04 PM

I received my copy yesterday in the mail from Barnes and Noble! What a well done and put together book, it is really beautiful. I only had time to flip thru some of the pages and saw many photos that I had never seen before! This is a must have for all Motown lovers. I can't wait to sit down and begin reading this book this weekend!