Motown: A Symphony of Soul

While looking at the UK mid-week album charts [[to see how Diana's 'Thank You' album is doing]], I noticed a new album currently sitting at #17.

The album features original vocals by Motown artists, plus newly-created 'duets' along with new instrumentation by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Hadn't heard anything about this but sounds interesting:

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

baby baby, I HEAR A ..........................................

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgwfvIpwdxI

...............................................SYMPHONY !!!!!!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Levi Stubbs Tears

While looking at the UK mid-week album charts [[to see how Diana's 'Thank You' album is doing]], I noticed a new album currently sitting at #17.

The album features original vocals by Motown artists, plus newly-created 'duets' along with new instrumentation by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Hadn't heard anything about this but sounds interesting:

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

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These are great. The IHAS EE has a more symphonic intro on I Hear a Symphony than this. But it's still nice to hear this version. Missed opportunity on Tears of a Clown not to bring out an oboe for its iconic intro. Love Just My Imagination. Happy to hear these tracks again.

Actually, listening to Symphony and a couple of other snippets from the 'trailer' I was expecting a bit more of a 're-imagining'.

I've listened to this a couple of times and wonder why they bothered. Motown's original orchestration is so much better. I don't like the mix either, the Andantes are muted in many instances or echoed. I've liked their treatment of Aretha, and Roy Orbison, but there is nothing here that grabs me.

I'll also stick to the originals wth the San Remo [Golden] Strings aka The Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

They missed a great opportunity by not including Marvin and Tammi’s You’re All I Need or Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing, both of which already have wonderful string arrangements that could have been augmented.

Also the same for Diana’s Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.

Overall, it’s nice to hear a different twist on familiar songs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Levi Stubbs Tears

While looking at the UK mid-week album charts [[to see how Diana's 'Thank You' album is doing]], I noticed a new album currently sitting at #17.

The album features original vocals by Motown artists, plus newly-created 'duets' along with new instrumentation by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Hadn't heard anything about this but sounds interesting:

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

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It’s alright but I like the one with Aretha Franklin a lot better.

I’ve been listening to this album since it’s release. The bar was pretty high so at first I was slightly disappointed, but now I’ve come to enjoy it! It’s not quite as good as Aretha's Philharmonic set, but I think it’s harder to do this well with a variety of different artists and songs.

Some of the track selection is a bit boring, and some sound pointlessly similar to the originals, but overall it’s pretty good. I think the best tracks are "The Tears Of A Clown" and "My Girl", which add some great Philharmonic flare without disrupting the original brilliance of the song. "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted" and "Abraham, Martin And John" are also nicely redone with British soul legends Mica Paris and Beverley Knight respectively!!!

I do think they missed a trick not redoing "Someday We'll Be Together" however :p