Motown Intros

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Motown had some of the most distinctive intros on their recordings. What are your 15 favorites? [[It can be 45 intros and/or album track intros. The choice is yours!)

[Motown Eddie]

1. Four Tops-"Reach Out I'll Be There"
2. The Temptations-"Get Ready"
3. Edwin Starr-"War"
4. Jr. Walker & The All Stars-"I'm A Road Runner"
5. Stevie Wonder-"Uptight [Everything's Alright]"
6. The Supremes-"Everything's Good About You"
7. The Marvelettes-"Knock On My Door"
8. R. Dean Taylor-"There's A Ghost In My House"
9. The Miracles-"Going To A Go-Go"
10. The Marvelettes-"I'll Keep Holding On"
11. The Jackson 5-"I Want You Back"
12. Four Tops-"7 Rooms Of Gloom"
13. The Supremes-"Stoned Love [LP Version]"
14. The Spinners-"I'll Always Love You"
15. Martha & The Vandellas-"Never Leave Your Baby's Side"

[mysterysinger]

01 Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Forget Me Not
02 Jackson 5 - I'll Be There
03 Four Tops - MacArthur Park
04 Four Tops - Do What You Gotta Do
05 Jimmy Ruffin - Farewell Is A Lonely Sound
06 Stevie Wonder - Love A Go Go
07 Junior Walker - What Does It Take
08 Isley Bros - I Hear A Symphony
09 The Spinners - It's A Shame
10 Jose Feliciano - I Wanna Be Where You Are
11 DRATS - I'm In Love Again
12 Stevie Wonder - Castles In The Sand
13 Marvelettes - When You're Young And In Love
14 Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston - It's Gotta Be A Miracle [[This Thing Called Love)
15 The Elgins - Put Yourself In My Place

[Sotosound]

01 Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Forget Me Not
02 Jackson 5 - I'll Be There
03 Four Tops - MacArthur Park
04 Four Tops - Do What You Gotta Do
05 Jimmy Ruffin - Farewell Is A Lonely Sound
06 Stevie Wonder - Love A Go Go
07 Junior Walker - What Does It Take
08 Isley Bros - I Hear A Symphony
09 The Spinners - It's A Shame
10 Jose Feliciano - I Wanna Be Where You Are
11 DRATS - I'm In Love Again
12 Stevie Wonder - Castles In The Sand
13 Marvelettes - When You're Young And In Love
14 Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston - It's Gotta Be A Miracle [[This Thing Called Love)
15 The Elgins - Put Yourself In My Place

You like your mellow Motown.

[motony]

1)Two Lovers 2)My Guy 3)You Lost The Sweetest Boy 4)Dancing In The Street 5)Mickeys Monkey 6)Heat Wave 7)Stubborn Kind of Fellow 8)Nowhere To Run 9)The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game 10)My Girl

[BayouMotownMan]

1. My World Is Empty - mono
2. I Can't Help Myself
3. Where Did Our Love Go
4. My Guy
5. Don't Mess With Bill
6 [[Loneliness Made Me Realize) It's You That I Need
7. You Keep Me Hangin' On
8. Heat Wave
9..This Old Heart Of Mine
10. My Girl
11. The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage
12. If You Can Want
13. A Little More Love
14. Forget About Me
15. Ain't No Mountain [[Ross)

[lucky2012]

Where Did Our Love Go
Heat Wave
Dancing in the Street
Nowhere to Run
Don't Mess With Bill
It's the Same Old Song
Something About You
This Old Heart of Mine
Uptight [Everything's Alright]
Get Ready
My Girl
My Guy
You Can't Hurry Love
You Keep Me Hangin' On
Reflections

[mysterysinger]

You like your mellow Motown.

I am indeed a mellow Motowner,
A sucker for a great melody.
When the music churns the soul,
that's when Motown's best for me.

A very mellow Motowner,
Who likes his Motown with passion,
Regardless of hit status or era, and
Not a dedicated follower of fashion.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

I am indeed a mellow Motowner,
A sucker for a great melody.
When the music churns the soul,
that's when Motown's best for me.

A very mellow Motowner,
Who likes his Motown with passion,
Regardless of hit status or era, and
Not a dedicated follower of fashion.

Mystery,

You're a poet and didn't know it,
But your feet show it... because they're Longfellow's! HaHa!!!

[Motown Eddie]

Part Two-

1. Martha & The Vandellas-"Dancing In The Street"
2. The Marvelettes-"Please Mr. Postman"
3. The Contours-"Do You Love Me [Now That I Can Dance]"
4. Marvin Gaye-"What's Going On [LP Version]"
5. The Temptations-"Ain't Too Proud To Beg"
6. Diana Ross-"I'm Coming Out"
7. The Supremes-"Baby Love"
8. The Undisputed Truth-"Smiling Faces Sometimes"
9. Mary Wells-"My Guy"
10. The Temptations-"I Can't Get Next To You"
11. Stevie Wonder-"Signed, Sealed, Delivered [I'm Yours]"
12. Edwin Starr-"25 Miles"
13. The Spinners-"It's A Shame"
14. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles-"The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage"
15. The Monitors-"Number One In Your Heart"

[Philles/Motown Gary]

1) THE VELVELETTES - A Bird In The Hand [[Is Worth Two In The Bush)
2) MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS - Easily Persuaded
3) THE TEMPTATIONS - All I Need
4) THE MARVELETTES - I Can't Turn Around
5) THE MIRACLES - Whole Lot Of Shaking In My Heart [[Since I Met You)
6) FOUR TOPS - I Can't Help Myself [[Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
7) KIM WESTON - Helpless
8) DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES - Forever Came Today
9) THE VELVELETTES - He Was Really Saying Something
10) EDDIE HOLLAND - Candy To Me
11) TAMMI TERRELL - He's The One I Love
12) MARVIN GAYE - Little Darling [[I Need You) [[MONO Version)
13) JIMMY RUFFIN - What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted
14) THE SUPREMES - Everything Is Good About You
15) JR. WALKER - Right On Brothers And Sisters
16) MARVIN GAYE - Chained
17) THE MIRACLES - Going To A Go-Go
18) MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS - You've Been In Love Too Long
19) JR. WALKER - How Sweet It Is [[To Be Loved By You)
20) THE MARVELETTES - Too Many Fish In The Sea

[daviddesper]

I like this most recently posted list [[Motown Gary) but to add a few of my own...........

The Day You Take One [[You Have to Take the Other) Marvelettes
Friendship Train Gladys Knight & Pips
I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing Martha Reeves & Vandellas
I'm a Winner Martha Reeves & Vandellas [[Their version blows Diana's out of the water)
That's the Way Love Is Marvin Gaye
The Stranger Marvelettes
Going Down for the Third Time Diana Ross & Supremes
Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever Four Tops
I'm a Roadrunner Jr. Walker & All Stars
Heaven Must Have Sent You Elgins

I am sure there are many more but that is all I can think of at the moment. Besides I agree with many of the ones already posted.

[johnjeb]

Back In My Arms Again - Supremes
Come See About Me - Supremes
Reflections- Supremes
Reach Out I’ll Be There- Four Tops
I Wish It Would Rain - Temptations
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
I Heard It Through The Grapevine - GK&TP, Marvin Gaye
Heatwave - Martha & the Vandellas
Don’t Mess With Bill - Marvelettes
Uptight - Stevie Wonder

[Philles/Motown Gary]

I like this most recently posted list [[Motown Gary) but to add a few of my own...........

The Day You Take One [[You Have to Take the Other) Marvelettes
Friendship Train Gladys Knight & Pips
I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing Martha Reeves & Vandellas
I'm a Winner Martha Reeves & Vandellas [[Their version blows Diana's out of the water)
That's the Way Love Is Marvin Gaye
The Stranger Marvelettes
Going Down for the Third Time Diana Ross & Supremes
Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever Four Tops
I'm a Roadrunner Jr. Walker & All Stars
Heaven Must Have Sent You Elgins

I am sure there are many more but that is all I can think of at the moment. Besides I agree with many of the ones already posted.

Great list, David. Every song is a winner! I heartily agree with you. When it comes to Ashford & Simpson's "I'm A Winner", Martha's is the better by far. To refresh my memory, I just played both versions, and Diana's version suffers from being considerably slower than Martha's. Diana's version is also cut in a much lower key -- robbing Diana's version of any and all excitement. I also like The Vandellas' back-up performance better. I may be wrong, but I'm thinking the back-up Vandellas are actually Lois and Sandy [[not The Andantes). Clearly, Motown missed their mark in not releasing Martha's "I'm A Winner" as the follow-up single to "Taking My Love [[And Leaving Me)".

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Back In My Arms Again - Supremes
Come See About Me - Supremes
Reflections- Supremes
Reach Out I’ll Be There- Four Tops
I Wish It Would Rain - Temptations
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
I Heard It Through The Grapevine - GK&TP, Marvin Gaye
Heatwave - Martha & the Vandellas
Don’t Mess With Bill - Marvelettes
Uptight - Stevie Wonder

Keep 'em coming, John!

[reese]

Great list, David. Every song is a winner! I heartily agree with you. When it comes to Ashford & Simpson's "I'm A Winner", Martha's is the better by far. To refresh my memory, I just played both versions, and Diana's version suffers from being considerably slower than Martha's. Diana's version is also cut in a much lower key -- robbing Diana's version of any and all excitement. I also like The Vandellas' back-up performance better. I may be wrong, but I'm thinking the back-up Vandellas are actually Lois and Sandy [[not The Andantes). Clearly, Motown missed their mark in not releasing Martha's "I'm A Winner" as the follow-up single to "Taking My Love [[And Leaving Me)".

I believe the backup vocalists on Martha's I'M A WINNER are actually Ashford and Simpson. Indeed, Nick's voice is rather dominant on it.

I must confess, I enjoy Diana's version much more.

[rovereab]

I love so many of the songs listed above. I add:

What Does It Take - Junior Walker & All Stars
Still Water [[Love) - Four Tops
Dark Side Of The World - Diana Ross/Marvin Gaye
Do I Love You [[Indeed I Do) - Frank Wilson

[Philles/Motown Gary]

I believe the backup vocalists on Martha's I'M A WINNER are actually Ashford and Simpson. Indeed, Nick's voice is rather dominant on it.

I must confess, I enjoy Diana's version much more.

Funny, Reese! And I thought Nick and/or Val and/or Joshie Armstead were singing back-up on Diana's version! Guess we'll never know for sure. All that matters is that we love what we love for whatever reason.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

I love so many of the songs listed above. I add:

What Does It Take - Junior Walker & All Stars
Still Water [[Love) - Four Tops
Dark Side Of The World - Diana Ross/Marvin Gaye
Do I Love You [[Indeed I Do) - Frank Wilson

Me, too, Rovereab. All winners!

[Graham Jarvis]

The intro sleeve that Motown had some of the most distinctive sleeve intros on their recordings. Note Diana Ross's 45 "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". The Identical picture sleeve photo as the stock copy is different to most others, as this one is the release copy to Programmers & Disc Jockey's only, hence note the "Attention Box" which is more difficult to find. Written in 1967 & issued in 1970.

[reese]

The intro sleeve that Motown had some of the most distinctive sleeve intros on their recordings. Note Diana Ross's 45 "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". The Identical picture sleeve photo as the stock copy is different to most others, as this one is the release copy to Programmers & Disc Jockey's only, hence note the "Attention Box" which is more difficult to find. Written in 1967 & issued in 1970.

When I was a kid, I went to the library to start writing an essay. Instead of doing so, I spent much of my time looking through old Billboard magazines. In one, I found an ad with the picture sleeve of AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH shown above. I gather at one point it also had the 45 but someone swiped it. I'm not proud but I did end up "borrowing" the sleeve myself.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

When I was a kid, I went to the library to start writing an essay. Instead of doing so, I spent much of my time looking through old Billboard magazines. In one, I found an ad with the picture sleeve of AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH shown above. I gather at one point it also had the 45 but someone swiped it. I'm not proud but I did end up "borrowing" the sleeve myself.

Look on the bright side, Reese. At least it went to a good home!

[Levi Stubbs Tears]

Every time I've thought about this topic I think about 'big bouncy' intros [[eg 'When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes' or 'Reach Out. I'll Be There.

And then I think about something like 'I'm Growing' and not sure what to do or say.

[Graham Jarvis]

An incredible early record and is also a bit of a mystery as the group is unknown, I have always liked the intro, and a favourite of mine.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Every time I've thought about this topic I think about 'big bouncy' intros [[eg 'When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes' or 'Reach Out. I'll Be There.

And then I think about something like 'I'm Growing' and not sure what to do or say.

Levi, I love The Tempts' "It's Growing", but, now that you mention it, it's intro was never a favorite of mine. The rest of the production is brilliant -- especially the bridge where it changes key and David sings, "Like the need in a guy to see his girl when she's gone away", and The Andantes hit those two emotional, sensational high notes perfectly with the words "It's Growing". It's Motown magic at its finest, yet... the piano pounding out that seemingly unrelated intro...just never caught my fancy... at all.