The Motown QUICK-EE Albums

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

The Marvelettes had "The Marvelettes Sing".
The Miracles had "Mickey's Monkey"
The Temptations had "Sing Smokey"
Martha & The Vandellas had "Heat Wave"

These are albums, that, to me, are example of The Motown Quickie Album. Albums where you can tell all the basic tracks were recorded quickly and with fairly sparse instrumentation. Maybe they were recorded in one session. Then the artists came in and recorded their vocals just as quickly.

The "Heat Wave" album is already legendary for the fact that the group flew in from a tour and at some ungodly hour, like 2 in the morning, recorded the whole thing [[except for the hit) and flew back out to rejoin the tour! When I read that, it explained a lot of things about that album, but I was also greatly impressed with what these young kids had to endure as recording artists.

The "Marvelettes Sing" may have been the first of these Quickie Albums. I wouldn't consider the "Please Mr. Postman" Lp in the same category because while many of the songs do sound a bit sparse, it does seem there was some time spent on the recording of those songs. [[for example, "I Want A Guy" has a nice full sound that doesn't at all sound rushed.) The "Playboy" album comes close to sounding like a Quickie Album, but the "Sing" album definitely has all the earmarks.

"The Temptations Sing Smokey" may not have been a 100% Quickie Album, but there are quite a few songs loaded that do sound as if they were somewhat quickly recorded with sparse arrangements. By this time, though, The Funk Brothers' sound was really gelling to the point that they could have recorded a song in 30 seconds and it would have sounded good.

My favorite of the Motown Quickie Albums though is The Miracles' "Mikey's Monkey" album. If anyone could run down an album at warp speed and make it sound exciting and fun, it was Holland-Dozier-Holland. This album is just sheer fun. Instead of sounding like a quick cash-in, the album just sounds like everyone crammed the studios and had a ball recording. "The Groovy Thing" is one of the most enjoyable pieces of fluff I've ever heard anywhere. It's one of the tunes I can't resist playing multiple times.

End of Rave

[Motown Eddie]

"Rush Job" albums like those listed above were part of the making of many LPs in the early '60s. I'd like to add Hi! We're The Miracles to the list [[aside from "Way Over There" & "Shop Around", that record sounds like it was done in a hurry).

[Ngroove]

I'd kinda assume "The Supremes A Go-Go" was done in a rush, considering that only the two hit singles, "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart" and "You Can't Hurry Love" was the only two numbers on the album that was made specifically for the Supremes; all the other tracks, covers, of other Motown hits, such as "I Can't Help Myself", "This Old Heart Of Mine", and popular hits of the day, such as "These Boots Are Made For Walkin", "Hang On Sloopy".

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Waiting, I have to disagree with you whole-heartedly regarding "The Temptations Sing Smokey" LP sounding like a quickly rushed affair. Not only is it one of my favorite Tempts albums, it remains among my all-time favorite Motown albums. The music arrangements and production sound top-notch to my ears, and The Tempts' harmonies on that album are among the best of all of their Motown recordings. To me, it will always be a Smokey-produced masterpiece.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Waiting, I have to disagree with you whole-heartedly regarding "The Temptations Sing Smokey" LP sounding like a quickly rushed affair. Not only is it one of my favorite Tempts albums, it remains among my all-time favorite Motown albums. The music arrangements and production sound top-notch to my ears, and The Tempts' harmonies on that album are among the best of all of their Motown recordings. To me, it will always be a Smokey-produced masterpiece.
HI Gary! Maybe it is stretching it to call "Sing Smokey" a Quickie Album, but to my ears, side two, while sounding great, has the feeling of all the tracks having been done in the same session. The intent isn't to say the quality of a Quickie Album is subpar, but it's more about the sameness of overall music tracks.

The six songs on side two all have a fairly bare-bones musical arrangement when compared to the hit recordings on side one. And there is the feeling that all those tunes were recorded fairly quickly and efficiently with no plans to "sweeten" the tracks later with elaborate horns and strings. That's what I'm mainly why I included "Sing Smokey" on the list.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

I'd kinda assume "The Supremes A Go-Go" was done in a rush, considering that only the two hit singles, "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart" and "You Can't Hurry Love" was the only two numbers on the album that was made specifically for the Supremes; all the other tracks, covers, of other Motown hits, such as "I Can't Help Myself", "This Old Heart Of Mine", and popular hits of the day, such as "These Boots Are Made For Walkin", "Hang On Sloopy".
Hmmmm good point, but I actually hadn't considered "A Go-Go" as a Quickie Album since the productions sound quite full, with strings and horns. I know tracks with sweetening usually take more than one session to complete and usually take a few days. Also, there seems to have been a definite plan to split the album equally between L.A. cuts and Detroit cuts. Each side has a Detroit-recorded track followed by an L.A.-recorded track. Also, there are quite a few songs that didn't make it onto the album whereas albums like "Heatwave" and "Marvelettes Sing" seemed to only quickly record no more, no less that what was needed to get the album out quickly.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

"Rush Job" albums like those listed above were part of the making of many LPs in the early '60s. I'd like to add Hi! We're The Miracles to the list [[aside from "Way Over There" & "Shop Around", that record sounds like it was done in a hurry).
You know, I've NEVER listened to this album, but now maybe it's time I do. I'll have to check it out.

[TomatoTom123]

The Motown Quickie! :p

[Philles/Motown Gary]

The Motown Quickie! :p
Tom, I'm surprised your tongue isn't hangin' out again! LOL!!!

[johnjeb]

HI Gary! Maybe it is stretching it to call "Sing Smokey" a Quickie Album, but to my ears, side two, while sounding great, has the feeling of all the tracks having been done in the same session. The intent isn't to say the quality of a Quickie Album is subpar, but it's more about the sameness of overall music tracks.

The six songs on side two all have a fairly bare-bones musical arrangement when compared to the hit recordings on side one. And there is the feeling that all those tunes were recorded fairly quickly and efficiently with no plans to "sweeten" the tracks later with elaborate horns and strings. That's what I'm mainly why I included "Sing Smokey" on the list.

It appears you may be right that "Sing Smokey" was a quickly compiled album and for the reasons that you gave.

I checked dftmc.info for recording and release dates for the songs on the "Temptations Sing Smokey" album [[G912) which was released March 22, 1965.

It appears Side 1 is mostly comprised of songs that were previously released on singles, whereas Side 2 is comprised of songs pulled from the vaults that were recorded over a couple of days almost a year earlier.

1. The Way You Do The Things You Do - Jan 9, 1964, Jan 23, 1964 G7028A
2. Baby Baby I Need You - October 3, 1963; August 20, 1964 G7035B
3. My Girl - November 17, 1964; December 21, 1964 G7038A
4. What Love Has Joined Together - Jan 12, 1965; March 18, 1965 G7040B
5. You'll Lose A Precious Love - March 2, 1964; no single release
6. It's Growing - January 15, 1965; March 18, 1965 G7040A

7. Who's Lovin' You - May 7, 1964; no single release
8. What's So Good About Goodbye - May 6, 1964; no single release
9. You Beat Me To The Punch - January 12, 1965; no single release
10. Way Over There - May 7, 1964; no single release
11. You've Really Got A Hold On Me - May 6, 1964; no single release
12. [[You Can) Depend On Me - May 6, 1964; no single release

Oct 3 1963 - #2
Jan 9 1964 - #1
Mar 2 1964 - #5
May 6 1964 - #8, #11, #12
May 7 1964 - #7, #10
Nov 17 1964 - #3
Jan 12 1965 - #4, #9
Jan 15 1965 - #6

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

It appears you may be right that "Sing Smokey" was a quickly compiled album and for the reasons that you gave.

I checked dftmc.info for recording and release dates for the songs on the "Temptations Sing Smokey" album [[G912) which was released March 22, 1965.

It appears Side 1 is mostly comprised of songs that were previously released on singles, whereas Side 2 is comprised of songs pulled from the vaults that were recorded over a couple of days almost a year earlier.

1. The Way You Do The Things You Do - Jan 9, 1964, Jan 23, 1964 G7028A
2. Baby Baby I Need You - October 3, 1963; August 20, 1964 G7035B
3. My Girl - November 17, 1964; December 21, 1964 G7038A
4. What Love Has Joined Together - Jan 12, 1965; March 18, 1965 G7040B
5. You'll Lose A Precious Love - March 2, 1964; no single release
6. It's Growing - January 15, 1965; March 18, 1965 G7040A

7. Who's Lovin' You - May 7, 1964; no single release
8. What's So Good About Goodbye - May 6, 1964; no single release
9. You Beat Me To The Punch - January 12, 1965; no single release
10. Way Over There - May 7, 1964; no single release
11. You've Really Got A Hold On Me - May 6, 1964; no single release
12. [[You Can) Depend On Me - May 6, 1964; no single release

Oct 3 1963 - #2
Jan 9 1964 - #1
Mar 2 1964 - #5
May 6 1964 - #8, #11, #12
May 7 1964 - #7, #10
Nov 17 1964 - #3
Jan 12 1965 - #4, #9
Jan 15 1965 - #6

Wow, that's excellent research work you did johnjeb! So my ears were telling me the story about side 2 after all. There is such a "sameness" of sound about those tracks. Well, it was a good way to tie in a past hit, a current hit and a newer hit [["It's Growing") into a sort of theme album. Thanks for pulling all that together!