[REMOVE ADS]




Results 1 to 17 of 17
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Posts
    289
    Rep Power
    114

    Underrated & Unknown Motown Artists & Songs

    I’m about to listen to all volumes of the Complete Motown Singles again and was thinking of a couple related questions

    Who are some of the Motown artists that for whatever reason were overlooked? And are criminally underrated and obscure if they’re remembered at all?

    Who are the artists who if there were any justice in the world should have been just as big as Marvin, Stevie, Diana, Tempts etc.?

    Same question about songs

    What songs [[and these may be from star artists) that if there were any justice in this world should be up there with My Girl, Where Did Our Love Go, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Superstition etc and should be played a million times on oldies stations and should appear on most Motown Greatest Hits comps?

    I’ll have a better answer after I go through the sets again

    There was one particular song [[I’m pretty sure was between 66-69) that I flipped out when I first heard it [[years ago when the sets were released)

    I must have listened to it on repeat for 30 straight minutes, but for the life of my I can’t think of what it was

    Others that I feel should have been bigger hits

    Act like a Shotgun - GC Cameron

    Loves Gone Bad - Chris Clark

    Cherry Apple Red - R Dean Taylor

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    927
    Rep Power
    187
    My collecting for curiosity and completist days have been basically over $ wise and space wise for over 15 years...However, I became aware of and first heard many of the early and obscure folks trough the first batch of UK Motorcity compilation discs...Carolyn Crawford, Hattie Littles, Liz Lands.....there were some talented gals there....and for the purest, I did in HS in the mid 70's pick up a copy of 16 Orig Big Hits Vol. 2...I was surprised it had a Tamla [[globes) label....got it in a luncheonette for $1.99!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    998
    Rep Power
    156
    I shall disagree on "They should be on oldies" on some of my favorites, because if under overplay everyday, their same magic-ness since first listen may lessen for some of them. I mean, "My Girl" will always be tops to me no matter what, but it happened to me with "What's Going On".

    Anyhow, some of my favorites:

    Terry Johnson, "My Springtime" - Was to be released but unreleased, but much enjoyed from my Cellarful of Motown Volume 2 and Complete Motown Singles 1969 collections, a breezy simulation of euphoric feelings of pure and falling in love.

    Similar feelings also applies on Edwin Starr, "Pretty Little Angel", B-side to "I'm Still A Struggling Man", purely a fun happy feeler that leaves me smiling and sometimes singing along, and The Fantastic Four, "I Feel Like I'm Falling In Love Again".

    High Inergy, "Shoulda Gone Dancing", High Inergy was supposed to be the Supremes of the late seventies - early eighties, had eight albums, yet their only notable hit was from their first, "You Can't Turn Me Off [[In The Middle Of Falling In Love)"? They had, my opinion, some more numbers that was actually pretty good to listen to, like "Lovin' Fever", "Skate To The Rhythm", "Will We Ever Love Again", "He's A Pretender", and this fun shoulda-been-considered-my-opinion disco number from this struggling act.

    Syreeta - Many of her numbers actually sounds the peppy and even poppy melodies of a hit, but upon actual research, none of them actually were. Well, except for the dragging and saccharine "With You I'm Born Again". But come on, "Spinnin' And Spinnin'", "I'm Goin' Left", "Your Kiss Is Sweet", and how about "Quick Slick", shoulda gave "She's A Bad Mamma Jamma" a run for Carl Carlton's money!
    Last edited by Ngroove; 03-16-2019 at 01:00 AM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    43,221
    Rep Power
    600
    I always liked High Inergy's "Lovin Fever"

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    14,979
    Rep Power
    402
    Name:  av-5.jpg
Views: 812
Size:  21.1 KB
    Carolyn Crawford
    Brenda Holloway
    Marv Johnson
    Gwen Owens
    Chuck Jackson
    Bobby Taylor
    James Ellis
    Lawrence Brown
    Frances Nero
    Mary Wells
    Richard Street
    Linda Griner
    Lamont Dozier
    Terry Johnson
    Rita Wright
    J.J. Barnes
    Mary Love
    Timothy Wilson
    C. P. Spencer
    Jimmy Ruffin
    G.C. Cameron
    Originals
    Fantastic Four
    Last edited by robb_k; 03-16-2019 at 05:23 PM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    3,983
    Rep Power
    351
    Wow that's a big ask, even if you limit it to tracks on TCMS, but the choices are endless when you widen the scope.

    Richard Street had a lovely voice. I've always loved "Say You" and "Since I Lost You Girl" by The Monitors so it's a shame they weren't huge. I think The Originals would feature high in anyone's list of "if only" but so many of their tracks could have done the business if pushed. "Green Grow The Lilacs", "Suspicion", "God Bless Whoever Sent You", "I'll Wait For You", "Just Another Morning" and my ultimate fave "The Only Time You Love Me [[Is When You're Losing Me)".

    Brenda Holloway [[of course) and one of my top 2 Motown tracks "I'll Always Love You" plus "Lucky My Boy", "The Land Of Make Believe", "Just Look What You've Done", "Starting The Hurt All Over Again" plus plus plus.....

    Chris Clark's "How About Me" does the trick for me and her version of "You've Made Me So Very Happy" is just fine.

    Fantastic Four's "Just Another Lonely Night" or "If This World Were Mine" would feature highly fo rme. Isley's B' Side "There's No Love Left" and The Spinners "I'll Always LoveYou" have long been favourites.

    The Marvelettes "The Truth's Outside My Door" and the unreleased "Dance A While, Cry A While" are always on my playlist. As regards The Velvelettes, all their best known songs could have made number 1 - Needle, Sayin' Something, Lonely Lonely Girl for example.

    The Four Seasons made some incredible music for Motown and Frankie's "Love Isn't Here". I just love to bits. Most of Jose Feliciano's Motown catalgue I play regularly too.

    Highly recommended for me is GC Cameron's "What It Is, What It Is" sound like a match for the O'Jays anyday and, of course, how could you ignore "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday" - what a monster.

    Well that's a few for starters lol.
    Last edited by mysterysinger; 03-16-2019 at 07:37 AM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Posts
    289
    Rep Power
    114
    Definitely agree with God Bless Whoever Sent You

    Great song

  8. #8
    Blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky
    blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky
    blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky
    blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky
    blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky
    blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky
    blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky
    blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky
    blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky
    blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky
    blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky blinky

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    3,983
    Rep Power
    351
    So that's 121 votes for Blinky then I'll make it 122.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Posts
    3,942
    Rep Power
    436
    Here's some of my favorite songs from Motown acts that I felt should've been bigger;

    1. "Number One In Your Heart", "Hello Love"-The Monitors
    2. "Love's Gone Bad", "I Want To Go Back There Again"-Chris Clark
    3. "A Bird In The Hand [[Is Worth Two In The Bush)", "Lonely, Lonely Girl Am I"-The Velvelettes
    4. "Leaving Here", "Just Ain't Enough Love"-Eddie Holland
    5. "I Can't Give Back The Love That I Feel For You"-Rita Wright [[Syreeta)
    6. "I've Got To Have You Back"-The Isley Bros.
    7. "Need Your Lovin' [[Want You Back)"-The Originals
    8. "You've Made Me So Very Happy", "Just Look What You Have Done"-Brenda Holloway

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    6,823
    Rep Power
    256
    I think I agree with everything said!!!!!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    998
    Rep Power
    156
    Gonna think up some Los Angeles era acts, because, well, most Motownphiles probably has at least one or two or entire Tamla-Motown collections of Kim Weston / Brenda Holloway / Velvelettes / Elgins / Monitors in personal Motown-listening collection. Most everyone knows probably most of the Detroiters, yet, how many of the Los Angeles acts were shelved to the back of record bins in promotion, just because they were not Commodores, Lionel Richie, Rick James, or DeBarge?



    Carrie McDowell - I know, I know, it's probably deliberate to be semi-fun-and-goofy, but with all due sincere thoughts, its message, despite the inclusion out loud of the "s" word, was positive.

    She had been commissioned a music video, which I'm sure most lessest seriously promoted acts was not given, and appearance on Soul Train, and Motown Christmas Special, then what, was it because she is caucasian? The only true "white" acts of Motown I would say, my opinion, would be T.G. Sheppard and possibly whoever else sang for its Melodyland Country-genre division label.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUhG2sAMqGU
    Last edited by Ngroove; 03-17-2019 at 01:34 PM.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    11,248
    Rep Power
    291
    Thought I heard of everyone at Motown but never heard of Mary Love

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    6,823
    Rep Power
    256
    I didn't expect anyone to mention Carrie McDowell here, but from what I remember checking out on YouTube, her Motown album was pretty good. Willie Hutch was even involved I recall.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    998
    Rep Power
    156
    Quote Originally Posted by TomatoTom123 View Post
    I didn't expect anyone to mention Carrie McDowell here, but from what I remember checking out on YouTube, her Motown album was pretty good. Willie Hutch was even involved I recall.
    I had the album once, actually found on Flea Market shopping, completely BUGGED my eyes "WHOA!", to find such an obscure Motown album / singer that grooved to me like any other hits from the big ones of the period - well, just simply neat every once in a while to stumble onto not just the popular usuals.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    306
    Rep Power
    173
    There are numerous underrated and unknown Motown acts and songs from the 1960s-1980s and I try to purchase them whenever I locate one. During the 1980s I enjoyed Maureen Steele's album "Nature of the Beast" which had the songs "Boys Will Be Boys" and "Save The Night For Me". There are a few videos on YouTube.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    6,823
    Rep Power
    256
    I don't remember enjoying the few Maureen Steele tracks I checked out that much, but I will revisit.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

[REMOVE ADS]

Ralph Terrana
MODERATOR

Welcome to Soulful Detroit! Kindly Consider Turning Off Your Ad BlockingX
Soulful Detroit is a free service that relies on revenue from ad display [regrettably] and donations. We notice that you are using an ad-blocking program that prevents us from earning revenue during your visit.
Ads are REMOVED for Members who donate to Soulful Detroit. [You must be logged in for ads to disappear]
DONATE HERE »
And have Ads removed.