Underrated & Unknown Motown Artists & Songs

[Optimal Saint]

I’m about to listen to all volumes of the Complete Motown Singles again and was thinking of a couple related questions

Who are some of the Motown artists that for whatever reason were overlooked? And are criminally underrated and obscure if they’re remembered at all?

Who are the artists who if there were any justice in the world should have been just as big as Marvin, Stevie, Diana, Tempts etc.?

Same question about songs

What songs [[and these may be from star artists) that if there were any justice in this world should be up there with My Girl, Where Did Our Love Go, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Superstition etc and should be played a million times on oldies stations and should appear on most Motown Greatest Hits comps?

I’ll have a better answer after I go through the sets again

There was one particular song [[I’m pretty sure was between 66-69) that I flipped out when I first heard it [[years ago when the sets were released)

I must have listened to it on repeat for 30 straight minutes, but for the life of my I can’t think of what it was

Others that I feel should have been bigger hits

Act like a Shotgun - GC Cameron

Loves Gone Bad - Chris Clark

Cherry Apple Red - R Dean Taylor

[gman]

My collecting for curiosity and completist days have been basically over $ wise and space wise for over 15 years...However, I became aware of and first heard many of the early and obscure folks trough the first batch of UK Motorcity compilation discs...Carolyn Crawford, Hattie Littles, Liz Lands.....there were some talented gals there....and for the purest, I did in HS in the mid 70's pick up a copy of 16 Orig Big Hits Vol. 2...I was surprised it had a Tamla [[globes) label....got it in a luncheonette for $1.99!

[Ngroove]

I shall disagree on "They should be on oldies" on some of my favorites, because if under overplay everyday, their same magic-ness since first listen may lessen for some of them. I mean, "My Girl" will always be tops to me no matter what, but it happened to me with "What's Going On".

Anyhow, some of my favorites:

Terry Johnson, "My Springtime" - Was to be released but unreleased, but much enjoyed from my Cellarful of Motown Volume 2 and Complete Motown Singles 1969 collections, a breezy simulation of euphoric feelings of pure and falling in love.

Similar feelings also applies on Edwin Starr, "Pretty Little Angel", B-side to "I'm Still A Struggling Man", purely a fun happy feeler that leaves me smiling and sometimes singing along, and The Fantastic Four, "I Feel Like I'm Falling In Love Again".

High Inergy, "Shoulda Gone Dancing", High Inergy was supposed to be the Supremes of the late seventies - early eighties, had eight albums, yet their only notable hit was from their first, "You Can't Turn Me Off [[In The Middle Of Falling In Love)"? They had, my opinion, some more numbers that was actually pretty good to listen to, like "Lovin' Fever", "Skate To The Rhythm", "Will We Ever Love Again", "He's A Pretender", and this fun shoulda-been-considered-my-opinion disco number from this struggling act.

Syreeta - Many of her numbers actually sounds the peppy and even poppy melodies of a hit, but upon actual research, none of them actually were. Well, except for the dragging and saccharine "With You I'm Born Again". But come on, "Spinnin' And Spinnin'", "I'm Goin' Left", "Your Kiss Is Sweet", and how about "Quick Slick", shoulda gave "She's A Bad Mamma Jamma" a run for Carl Carlton's money!

[marv2]

I always liked High Inergy's "Lovin Fever"

[robb_k]

15264
Carolyn Crawford
Brenda Holloway
Marv Johnson
Gwen Owens
Chuck Jackson
Bobby Taylor
James Ellis
Lawrence Brown
Frances Nero
Mary Wells
Richard Street
Linda Griner
Lamont Dozier
Terry Johnson
Rita Wright
J.J. Barnes
Mary Love
Timothy Wilson
C. P. Spencer
Jimmy Ruffin
G.C. Cameron
Originals
Fantastic Four

[mysterysinger]

Wow that's a big ask, even if you limit it to tracks on TCMS, but the choices are endless when you widen the scope.

Richard Street had a lovely voice. I've always loved "Say You" and "Since I Lost You Girl" by The Monitors so it's a shame they weren't huge. I think The Originals would feature high in anyone's list of "if only" but so many of their tracks could have done the business if pushed. "Green Grow The Lilacs", "Suspicion", "God Bless Whoever Sent You", "I'll Wait For You", "Just Another Morning" and my ultimate fave "The Only Time You Love Me [[Is When You're Losing Me)".

Brenda Holloway [[of course) and one of my top 2 Motown tracks "I'll Always Love You" plus "Lucky My Boy", "The Land Of Make Believe", "Just Look What You've Done", "Starting The Hurt All Over Again" plus plus plus.....

Chris Clark's "How About Me" does the trick for me and her version of "You've Made Me So Very Happy" is just fine.

Fantastic Four's "Just Another Lonely Night" or "If This World Were Mine" would feature highly fo rme. Isley's B' Side "There's No Love Left" and The Spinners "I'll Always LoveYou" have long been favourites.

The Marvelettes "The Truth's Outside My Door" and the unreleased "Dance A While, Cry A While" are always on my playlist. As regards The Velvelettes, all their best known songs could have made number 1 - Needle, Sayin' Something, Lonely Lonely Girl for example.

The Four Seasons made some incredible music for Motown and Frankie's "Love Isn't Here". I just love to bits. Most of Jose Feliciano's Motown catalgue I play regularly too.

Highly recommended for me is GC Cameron's "What It Is, What It Is" sound like a match for the O'Jays anyday and, of course, how could you ignore "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday" - what a monster.

Well that's a few for starters lol.

[Optimal Saint]

Definitely agree with God Bless Whoever Sent You

Great song

[copley]

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[mysterysinger]

So that's 121 votes for Blinky then I'll make it 122.

[Motown Eddie]

Here's some of my favorite songs from Motown acts that I felt should've been bigger;

1. "Number One In Your Heart", "Hello Love"-The Monitors
2. "Love's Gone Bad", "I Want To Go Back There Again"-Chris Clark
3. "A Bird In The Hand [[Is Worth Two In The Bush)", "Lonely, Lonely Girl Am I"-The Velvelettes
4. "Leaving Here", "Just Ain't Enough Love"-Eddie Holland
5. "I Can't Give Back The Love That I Feel For You"-Rita Wright [[Syreeta)
6. "I've Got To Have You Back"-The Isley Bros.
7. "Need Your Lovin' [[Want You Back)"-The Originals
8. "You've Made Me So Very Happy", "Just Look What You Have Done"-Brenda Holloway

[TomatoTom123]

I think I agree with everything said!!!!! :)

[Ngroove]

Gonna think up some Los Angeles era acts, because, well, most Motownphiles probably has at least one or two or entire Tamla-Motown collections of Kim Weston / Brenda Holloway / Velvelettes / Elgins / Monitors in personal Motown-listening collection. Most everyone knows probably most of the Detroiters, yet, how many of the Los Angeles acts were shelved to the back of record bins in promotion, just because they were not Commodores, Lionel Richie, Rick James, or DeBarge?



Carrie McDowell - I know, I know, it's probably deliberate to be semi-fun-and-goofy, but with all due sincere thoughts, its message, despite the inclusion out loud of the "s" word, was positive.

She had been commissioned a music video, which I'm sure most lessest seriously promoted acts was not given, and appearance on Soul Train, and Motown Christmas Special, then what, was it because she is caucasian? The only true "white" acts of Motown I would say, my opinion, would be T.G. Sheppard and possibly whoever else sang for its Melodyland Country-genre division label.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUhG2sAMqGU

[luke]

Thought I heard of everyone at Motown but never heard of Mary Love

[TomatoTom123]

I didn't expect anyone to mention Carrie McDowell here, but from what I remember checking out on YouTube, her Motown album was pretty good. Willie Hutch was even involved I recall. :)

[Ngroove]

I didn't expect anyone to mention Carrie McDowell here, but from what I remember checking out on YouTube, her Motown album was pretty good. Willie Hutch was even involved I recall. :)

I had the album once, actually found on Flea Market shopping, completely BUGGED my eyes "WHOA!", to find such an obscure Motown album / singer that grooved to me like any other hits from the big ones of the period - well, just simply neat every once in a while to stumble onto not just the popular usuals.

[blkfrost]

There are numerous underrated and unknown Motown acts and songs from the 1960s-1980s and I try to purchase them whenever I locate one. During the 1980s I enjoyed Maureen Steele's album "Nature of the Beast" which had the songs "Boys Will Be Boys" and "Save The Night For Me". There are a few videos on YouTube.

[TomatoTom123]

I don't remember enjoying the few Maureen Steele tracks I checked out that much, but I will revisit. :)