Motown Eddie
01-20-2024, 05:56 AM
From Adam White's Latest West Grand Blog -
Now, recent years have seen a decline in the number of Motown catalogue reissues and expanded editions, attributable in part to the record industry’s evolution into a digital streaming business and to the reality of changing demographics [as suggested in this earlier WGB piece [[https://www.adampwhite.com/westgrandblog/advancing-years)]. However, there is at least one 2CD set due this spring [from an independent U.S. label, licensed by Motown] which features underrated material by one of the company’s premier acts*. Meanwhile, Britain’s Ace Records has been working on a third volume of Motown Guys, although progress is slow. The firm does have A Different World – The Holland/Dozier/Holland Songbook coming soon, a 24-track CD in its well-regarded Songwriter series [one of which offered the pre-Motown work [[https://acerecords.co.uk/the-real-thing-the-songs-of-ashford-simpson-armstead) of Nickolas Ashford/Valerie Simpson/Joshie Armstead. A Different World mixes expected H/D/H classics by the original artists [Four Tops, Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Kim Weston and more] with a choice of non-Motown renderings by the likes of Big Al Downing [“I Can’t Help Myself”], the Fall [“There’s A Ghost In My House”], Vanilla Fudge [“You Keep Me Hangin’ On”], Bettye Swann [“This Old Heart Of Mine”] and Laura Nyro [“Come And Get These Memories”], among others. It was compiled by Tony Rounce, a respected authority on American music of various genres, who has worked with Ace for many years.
* There's no word yet on this upcoming 2CD set from one of Motown's Premier Acts, but this news is very interesting.
Now, recent years have seen a decline in the number of Motown catalogue reissues and expanded editions, attributable in part to the record industry’s evolution into a digital streaming business and to the reality of changing demographics [as suggested in this earlier WGB piece [[https://www.adampwhite.com/westgrandblog/advancing-years)]. However, there is at least one 2CD set due this spring [from an independent U.S. label, licensed by Motown] which features underrated material by one of the company’s premier acts*. Meanwhile, Britain’s Ace Records has been working on a third volume of Motown Guys, although progress is slow. The firm does have A Different World – The Holland/Dozier/Holland Songbook coming soon, a 24-track CD in its well-regarded Songwriter series [one of which offered the pre-Motown work [[https://acerecords.co.uk/the-real-thing-the-songs-of-ashford-simpson-armstead) of Nickolas Ashford/Valerie Simpson/Joshie Armstead. A Different World mixes expected H/D/H classics by the original artists [Four Tops, Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Kim Weston and more] with a choice of non-Motown renderings by the likes of Big Al Downing [“I Can’t Help Myself”], the Fall [“There’s A Ghost In My House”], Vanilla Fudge [“You Keep Me Hangin’ On”], Bettye Swann [“This Old Heart Of Mine”] and Laura Nyro [“Come And Get These Memories”], among others. It was compiled by Tony Rounce, a respected authority on American music of various genres, who has worked with Ace for many years.
* There's no word yet on this upcoming 2CD set from one of Motown's Premier Acts, but this news is very interesting.