Worst Motown Covers

So encouraged by a post regarding Just Another Lonely Night thought it might be a bit of lightearted relief to see a list of your favourite worst Motown covers - they might even be someone else at Motown covering Motown who knows?

[CD1]
1. The World Is A Ghetto
2. Southern Part Of Texas
3. The Cisco Kid
4. So
5. All Day Music
6. Don't Let No One Get You Down

[CD2]
1. Lotus Blossom
2. Gypsy Man
3. Band Intro
4. Intro To Slippin' Into Darkness: Lee Oskar
5. Slippin' Into Darkness
6. Me And Baby Brother
7. Shizuoka Chant
8. Where Was You At

Amazon USA
Available for pre-order soon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DP7WD3SW/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon Canada
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DP7WD3SW/?tag=imwanca-20

Amazon UK
Available for pre-order soon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DP7WD3SW/?tag=imwan-21

• 45 CLASSIC AND RARE STUDIO RECORDINGS TAKEN FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES AND SESSION REELS.
• FEATURING EIGHT PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED MASTERS.
• PLUS THE LEGENDARY AND PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED 1973 ROYAL ALBERT HALL CONCERT.
• RARITIES ISSUED ON CD FOR THE FIRST TIME INCLUDING SINGLES AND B SIDES, TOGETHER WITH RARE SOUNDTRACK CUTS AND MORE.


DISC ONE
1. I’ve Got A Song For You
2. Shirley
3. Never, Never, Never
4. For All We Know
5. Till Love Touches Your Life
6. When You Smile
7. Moonraker
8. And I Love You So
9. I [Who Have Nothing] – [1966 VERSION – FROM PROMO ONLY RELEASE]
10. Fool On The Hill
11. Light My Fire
12. Something
13. My Way
14. Goldfinger [Single version] – [NEW STEREO MIX]
15. If You Go Away
16. Burn My Candle – [1966 VERSION]
17. The Liquidator – [STEREO SOUNDTRACK VERSION]
18. La Vita
19. Kiss Me, Honey, Honey Kiss Me – [1966 VERSION]
20. As I Love You – [1966 VERSION]
21. Diamonds Are Forever
22. Big Spender – [US VERSION]
23. The Greatest Performance Of My Life
DISC TWO
1. Look For Me Tomorrow [I’ll Be Gone]
2. I Write The Songs – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
3. Without A Word
4. Everything I Own – [NEW MIX]
5. Why Can’t I Cry? -– PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
6. I’m Not Anyone
7. Night Moves
8. Vivo Di Diamanti – [RARE ITALIAN SINGLE]
9. My Liquidator – [STEREO FILM VERSION]
10. Because You’re Mine – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
11. Runaway – [RARE B SIDE]
12. Ease On Down The Road – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
13. Copacabana – [RARE B SIDE]
14. It’s Always 4 am
15. Moonraker [[End Title)
16. If I Should Love Again
17. Where Is Love?
18. I Got Lost In His Arms – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
19. Until It’s Time For You To Go
20. The Singer – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
21. I Believe in Music – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
22. Don’t You Pass Me By – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
DISC THREE
Shirley Bassey Live at The Royal Albert Hall. 1973 – All PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
1. Goldfinger Fanfare
2. Where Am I Going?
3. Shirley
4. And I Love You So
5. Let Me Sing and I’m Happy
6. I’d like To Hate Myself in the Morning
7. Make the World a Little Younger
8. Without You
9. Goldfinger
10. Day By Day
11. Never, Never, Never
12. Somehow
13. A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening [Tabs]
14. The Greatest Performance of my Life
15. A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening [Tabs]
16. This Is My Life
17. The Party’s Over
18. The Party's Over [Tabs]
19. Something
20. The Party's Over [Tabs]

Click below for more info about this release.
Shirley Bassey: The Singer [Classic and Undiscovered Gems From The EMI/UA Years 1962-79], 3CD

Mavis Staples just shared on Instagram that Donny Gerrard passed away. He passed on Feb 3rd. He was a Canadian soul singer and performed with many different groups and acts, including his group Skylark, during the 70's. In recent years, he regularly toured and recorded with Mavis Staples, being one of her regularly featured backup singers. If you've heard any of her recent music, you may recognize his soulful voice, which was reminiscent of Pops Staples. Rest in peace.

OK, not issued on Motown but Mickey Stevenson and Willie Hutch are Motown royalty. Given the interest in The Major IV, here's another Mickey Stevenson release on Venture by the group. Definitely got that Willie Hutch signature guitar ...

In 1965, Motown producers Wm. "Mickey" Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter composed the hauntingly-beautiful ballad, "Just Another Lonely Night". Since then, it was recorded by 4 different Motown artists as follows:


1) THE TEMPTATIONS [[Recorded in 1965)
Producers: Wm. "Mickey" Stevenson & Ivy Jo Hunter
Backing Vocals: The Andantes
Track included on "Temptin' Temptations" LP/CD
https://youtu.be/Qy5OLFhN5xc?si=ndAyrK1k21-6vQmH


2) BRENDA HOLLOWAY [[Recorded in 1966)
Producers: Wm. "Mickey" Stevenson, Ivy Jo Hunter & Jeffrey Bowen
Backing Vocals: The Andantes & The Originals
Track included on "The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway" CD
https://youtu.be/uGpHFq1Dt8s?si=BX0IKaTdNz4g-b0Q


3) LEVI STUBBS [[Originally recorded in 1965 by The Temptations)
Producers: Wm. "Mickey" Stevenson & Ivy Jo Hunter
Backing Vocals: The Temptations [[1965)
The Andantes & Four Tops credited as being added in 1967, although I have yet to recognize any Tops' vocals)
Track included on Four Tops "Fourever" CD Box Set"
https://youtu.be/KMTY8GeyMMI?si=rNDGX3DhYcecY9sv


4) THE FANTASTIC FOUR [[Recorded in 1969-1970)
Producer: Clay McMurray
Arrangers: Wade Marcus & Paul Riser
Backing Vocals: The Andantes
Track included on The Fantastic Four's "The Lost Motown Album" CD
https://youtu.be/oleCzHg4CYI?si=ezSnKqRy-HoJO_GM


WHICH VERSIONS ARE YOUR FAVORITES?

List them in the order of preference [[your favorite -- of course -- being #1!)

I'll get the ball rolling with my personal favorites:

1) BRENDA HOLLOWAY
2) FANTASTIC FOUR
3) THE TEMPTATIONS
4) LEVI STUBBS w/THE TEMPTATIONS