Motown Gems Reimagined On ‘A Symphony Of Soul‘ With Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Motown/Island Records/UMC have announced the November 19 release of A Symphony of Soul, a new album featuring tracks from the storied Motown catalog reimagined with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Produced by the Grammy-winning Brian Rawling [Cher, One Direction, Rod Stewart], the 11-track set gives a new dimension to some of Motown’s best-loved songs. The new renditions use the original vocal performances by many of the label’s most celebrated artists, including the Supremes, the Four Tops, the Temptations, and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.

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A Symphony Of Soul tracklist is:
1. Dancing In The Street – Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
2. Reach Out I’ll Be There – The Four Tops
3. I Heard It Through The Grapevine – Marvin Gaye
4. What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted – Jimmy Ruffin with Mica Paris
5. The Tears Of A Clown – Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
6. I’ll Be There – The Jackson 5
7. I Hear A Symphony – The Supremes
8. Abraham, Martin & John – Marvin Gaye with Beverley Knight
9. My Girl – The Temptations
10. Just My Imagination [Running Away With Me] – The Temptations
11. With You I’m Born Again – Billy Preston & Syreeta

Pre-order A Symphony Of Soul, which is released on November 19.

More Details Here:
Motown Reimagined On ‘A Symphony Of Soul’ With Royal Philharmonic [udiscovermusic.com].

Artwork: UMG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOfY_4zbV_k&t=22s


Two tracks also feature newly-recorded vocals by distinguished British soul stars Mica Paris, who accompanies Jimmy Ruffin on his 1966 classic “What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted,” and Beverley Knight, who sings alongside Marvin Gaye on his 1969 version of “Abraham Martin & John.”
The album was recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Mark Knopfler’s British Grove Studios in west London. A Symphony of Soul complements the musicality of the songs with an orchestral backdrop set against the original vocal stems and parts, typically recorded on a mere four tracks compared to the almost limitless number available in modern recording. The treatments thus add a new layer to these timeless songs while remaining faithful to the beauty of the originals.

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Originally Posted by jack020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOfY_4zbV_k&t=22s


Two tracks also feature newly-recorded vocals by distinguished British soul stars Mica Paris, who accompanies Jimmy Ruffin on his 1966 classic “What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted,” and Beverley Knight, who sings alongside Marvin Gaye on his 1969 version of “Abraham Martin & John.”
The album was recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Mark Knopfler’s British Grove Studios in west London. A Symphony of Soul complements the musicality of the songs with an orchestral backdrop set against the original vocal stems and parts, typically recorded on a mere four tracks compared to the almost limitless number available in modern recording. The treatments thus add a new layer to these timeless songs while remaining faithful to the beauty of the originals.

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You beat me to the punch

Sounds great!!! I love Mica and Beverley too! :D

very lovely :cool:


:confused:would like to hear another tune as their sample of their MOTOWN project ,this is the least in-house "MOTOWN" tune being rendered.

Sheesh!

Not for me.

I like my Motown to be Motown.

If most of it is stripped away and replaced with a British orchestra, combined with some older British singers looking to scratch a living, plus a lust for cash on the part of Universal, that ain't Motown.

Others might like it, however, so ... chacun à son goût. :)

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Originally Posted by Sotosound

Sheesh!

Not for me.

I like my Motown to be Motown.

If most of it is stripped away and replaced with a British orchestra, combined with some older British singers looking to scratch a living, plus a lust for cash on the part of Universal, that ain't Motown.

Others might like it, however, so ... chacun à son goût. :)

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I couldn't have said it better, or more French! I still harken back to the Aretha orchestra lp, which ... gasp ... replaced Miss Franklin's beloved background singers. It's all about the Euros. Meshulam Riklis [meshuga reckless, indeed!) observe the wreckage that began with Pia & Phil. The evil that men do, indeed :rolleyes:

I'm going to listen to this; and try to keep an open mind. But, I don't see how the Detroit Symphony Orchestra players on the originals can be improved upon. Are they adding strings to tracks that had none?

I like the ABRAHAM, MARTIN, and JOHN track. I have to admit that I'm not familiar with the original so I can't compare the two. But this sounds good to me.

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Originally Posted by reese

I like the ABRAHAM, MARTIN, and JOHN track. I have to admit that I'm not familiar with the original so I can't compare the two. But this sounds good to me.

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I like it, too. I also hadn't heard the original before but it reminded me of Marvin's rendition of Star Spangled Banner. Beverly Knight sounds wonderful. Abraham, Martin & John would have been a great song for the Diana & Marvin album.

I'll take this any day over people now pretending to be recording as The Temptations , or The Four Tops or The Spinners or The O Jays......

Eh I'll pass on this one. I love the album they did with Elvis and Roy Orbison and was hoping they'd do a Motown or Supremes version but I'm not too thrilled with the song selection of this one.

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Originally Posted by floyjoy678

Eh I'll pass on this one. I love the album they did with Elvis and Roy Orbison and was hoping they'd do a Motown or Supremes version but I'm not too thrilled with the song selection of this one.

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I too loved the Elvis and Roy Orbison and to a lesser degree the Cilla Black and Aretha sets and I would agree that whoever made the track choice for this set was by no mean imaginative it their selections. However having heard the whole album now I am by no means dissapointed. The lush orchestration added to these classic tracks is as relevant on this set as they were on the Oribison and Elvis set. Out of all the 'remix' projects this is by far the best....suprised to say the least that the almost cumpulsory inclusion of Do I Love You on UK compilations is missing from this collection. Beverley Knight is totally fabulous on everything to do and to describe her as 'combined with some older British singers looking to scratch a living' is derogatory and way off the mark as she is one of the UK's top selling R'n'B artists and just about to be the lead part in a new Drifters musical, having just appeared in the Amazon retelling of Cinderella - hardly trying to scratch a living. Just wait till you hear Tears Of A Clown.......
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Paul, I am so impressed with the first track released on Spotify yesterday, Marvin with Beverley Night 'Abreram, Martin & John' everything is perfect! just Love it! Knpwn Beverley for years working in radio, and a colleague used to look after he on Tour, what a Talent she is.

Can't wait for the Album!