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in the 60s, some of the larger acts did full concept albums
Supremes - We Remember Sam Cooke
Four Tops - On Broadway
Marvin Gaye - tribute to Nat King Cole
Temps - in a mellow mood
Other acts really didn't do any [[aside from a few Xmas albums) - MRATV, Miracles, J5
so what concepts would you have like to see tackled and by which artists?
I was thinking maybe instead of the somewhat boring duet albums, the Sups and Tops could have done a concept around Godspell or J Christ Superstar
I would have liked for Gladys Knight and Martha Reeves to do a complete gospel album but looser than what appeared on IN LOVING MEMORY.
The Temptations: a whole album of message/protest songs in their late '60s-early '70s psychedelic/cinematic Soul style [[they could call it A Message from The Temptations).
That might have been a hard one to pull off. Otis indicated in his bio that the Temps hated Norman Whitfield's protest type songs. He felt these songs were moving them further from their roots.Quote:
Originally Posted by Motown Eddie
THE FOUR TOPS SING STAX would be phenomenal. Completely soul covers, none of those pop covers. I would have given them a better career.
Not quite; Otis Williams noted in his book, Temptations, that once he heard Sly & The Family Stone's "Dance To The Music", he encouraged Norman Whitfield to come up with music in a similar vein [[hence, the 1968 classic "Cloud Nine"). While Otis did become tired of Norman's psychedelic/cinematic style of Soul by 1972, he enjoyed the new direction at first.Quote:
Originally Posted by nabob
My request would have been The Supremes do a cover album of the hits of Fats Domino.❤
This would have been great!Quote:
Originally Posted by Soulmusic4life
I just watched Motown 25 again recently and I would have liked a double album tops sing tempts/tempts sing tops
Also double album
Motown acapella and instrumentals of the same songs
And not just the released songs stripped of vocals/instruments
Start from scratch and go all out and let the singers/musicians really stretch
Check out the great "Psychedelic Soul" collection if you haven't seen it before. It truly shows how great the Whitfield period was for this group.Quote:
Originally Posted by Motown Eddie
The Temptations sing the compositions of Curtis Mayfield would have been great in my opinion.
You know, we always forget that Stevie Wonder's second album was actually a concept album, "Tribute to Uncle Ray." And a great album it was, too. I think much better than the "Soul/Jazz of Little Stevie."
I like the idea Gordy had of the Supremes doing some of the older generation's girl group songs, like the few which got recorded such as "Sincerely" and "Mr. Sandman." I think that would have made a great album.
The CD era comps such as "Motown Sings Bacharach" and "Motown Sings the Beatles" and "Motown Sings Sinatra" all show just how diverse and talented the Motown roster was. Those compilations are all extremely enjoyable.
I picked up The Temptations' Psychedelic Soul collection as soon as it came out. Indeed: it shows how potent their psychedelic/cinematic soul era was [[and is proof that a concept LP built around this material would've been a great idea).Quote:
Originally Posted by kenneth
"I like the idea Gordy had of the Supremes doing some of the older generation's girl group songs, like the few which got recorded such as "Sincerely" and "Mr. Sandman." I think that would have made a great album."
Kenneth, I concur with you. Hearing the Andrews Sisters/Supremes medley, I think it would have been terrific to have one side of the album present a half-dozen of the Andrews Sisters' big hits reinterpreted by The Supremes.
Likely candidates would be [[I'll Be With You In) Apple Blossom Time, Well All Right [[Tonight's The Night), Hold Tight, Joseph! Joseph!, South American Way, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree [[With Anyone Else But Me), Beat Me Daddy Eight To The Bar, Rum & Coca Cola, Bei Mir Bist Du Schon and I Can Dream, Can't I.
It would be fun to hear them try some of The Boswell Sisters' songs as well, especially Crazy People, It's The Girl, Shout, Sister Shout, It's You and Put That Sun Back In The Sky. The tight timing and harmony on these would be a real challenge -- especially if they tried to do them in concert -- but I think they could have done at least one in a live setting, given the way they learned other demanding song and dance routines including the Thoroughly Modern medley and Rock-A-Bye Your Baby. The Andrews Sisters' songs would have been easier for them to do in concert, perhaps as a medley.
It's a really well done piece. I didn't know about it until much later and had some trouble finding it, but glad to have it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Motown Eddie
How about Marvin Gaye Sings Sam Cooke? Of course The Supremes did their We Remember Sam Cooke LP but I think it would've made a great concept for Marvin to do his own tribute to Sam.
Well there were a number of concept albums by The Supremes, The Temptations and Marvin Gaye [[and the Tops to a lesser extent) but we also have the instrumental albums by Earl Van Dyke and Choker Campbell. I feel sure a standards album would have been on the cards for Kim Weston [[based on her Motown Anthology) and seemingly a Smokey album from Barbara McNair. Given Martha and The Vandellas "Then He Kissed Me" and "Wait Till My Bobby Gets Home" I would have liked a full Tribute To Phil Spector album.