Stevie Wonder - Live At The Talk Of The Town

I'm not sure this album gets a lot of exposure. It is available for download but has not seen CD release as far as I'm aware. Unlike Diana Ross & The Supremes and The Temptations, the album didn't get released in the US at the time but was released in Europe [[UK STML11164). Why was it not released in the US?

The album was produced by Norman Smith - himself a hit maker with hits such as "Oh Babe, What Would You Say?", "Don't Let it Die" and "Who Was it?". He also produced The Temptations Talk Of The Town album.

I thought Stevie's had a classy cover - it's a shame it hasn't seen CD release, if only by Universal Spectrum - I'm sure they'd do a good job.

Tracks

Pretty World
Never Had A Dream Come True
Shoo-Be-Doo-Bee-Doo-Da-Day
My Cherie Amour
Alfie
Drum Solo
Bridge Over Troubled Water
I Was Made To Love Her
Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday
For Once In My Life
Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours

Attachment 13888

In 1970, Stevie had a live album released in the USA called STEVIE WONDER LIVE, with many of the same songs. It doesn't mention a venue on the cover, but from listening to it, it seems that it was recorded at the Roostertail in Detroit. That maybe why the London lp wasn't released here.

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Originally Posted by reese

In 1970, Stevie had a live album released in the USA called STEVIE WONDER LIVE, with many of the same songs. It doesn't mention a venue on the cover, but from listening to it, it seems that it was recorded at the Roostertail in Detroit. That maybe why the London lp wasn't released here.

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I remember the live album from 1970. Also consider there had been quite a few of releases on Stevie during the period 1968-70. A total of 6 albums were released in the U.S.

This is the album that was on the U.S. market:

Attachment 13889

Sounds about right Marv, but why go to the bother of recording it? In the UK we got both.

Here's one from TOTT which wasn't on the other Live album. Can be watched in the US and also elsewhere with a suitable Chrome extension. The whole album can be heard too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-nqYQSthH0

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mysterysinger

Sounds about right Marv, but why go to the bother of recording it? In the UK we got both.

Here's one from TOTT which wasn't on the other Live album. Can be watched in the US and also elsewhere with a suitable Chrome extension. The whole album can be heard too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-nqYQSthH0

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Motown look at all markets outside of the U.S. as one market. They released albums and singles in Canada that were manufactured [[pressed) there with different artwork sometimes but the albums were basically the same as what was released in the U.S. Releases in Europe and the rest of the World did not always coincide with what was released here. They let their affiliates make the decisions on what was released in their particular markets. I do not believe they thought Stevie's "Live at London's Talk of the Town" would sell well in America.