The Monitors - Say You! The Motown Anthology 1963 – 1968

[dickiemint]

BUMP
looking forward to this release 7th June, hope there are no delays!

[mr soul]

Hi Chimusic60 & welcome to SDF.

You've got my vote with the complete Billy Stewart collection, although like me you appear to be the king of wishful thinking, I really can't see it happening though much the pity.

[brother_love]

I just got The Monitors anthology and have been really enjoying it. I noticed that the track 'Cry' is is listed as previously unissed when indeed was issued on the album "From The Vaults" back in 1979.

[pj1]

Brother Love,
As explained in the booklet, this is an earlier version [[perhaps recorded for Thelma Records), the tapes for which were brought to Motown in September 1963. The 1979 version that you reference was a re-cut, done at Motown.

[pj1]

I just received this and the Patrice Holloway cd today. Once again, thank you, Keith and team for your excellent work and the loving care that goes into these sets.
No obviously visible mathematical errors this time! Congratulations.
However, might I make a suggestion- Please check for consistency.
The cd case back-cover lists year of release for five of the single sides [[ songs #5, 9, 10, 25, 26), but not for three of the others [[songs #1, 3, 4). And amazingly [[on the back cover), both 'Greetings [[This Is Uncle Sam)' and 'Time Is Passing' are missing any designation as having been given release as single sides.
Also, Ivy Jo Hunter is listed as Ivy Jo in all of the song annotations except 'Crying In The Night', where he is listed as Ivy Hunter.
The quote on pg 18, song 26- "Me and Harvy Fuqua were like brothers, man.....a tremendous inspiration." Is Richard speaking or is this a quote from the late, Johnny Bristol? And is this song truly credited to John Bristol as typed? Are John Bristol and Johnny Bristol, the producer of the song, the same person?
Again, if you need an additional proof-reader.....

[brother_love]

Thanks PJ, for clearing that up I just read the notes.

[pj1]

I've just had a chance to listen to the cd again and re- read the write-up.
I did find it curious that both songs having Johnny Bristol as one of its writer listed him as 'John Bristol'.
Someone alerted me that 'John' was his preferred name for writer's credits, and 'Johnny' for production credits. I decided to look through previous cd's and found that that rule was not always followed. Many a song lists the writer as Johnny- even his MGM Collection on Hip-O-Select.
"Someday We'll Be Together' seems to be one that more often than not now lists John Bristol whereas in the past it usually appeared as Johnny.

[pj1]

I wonder if Keith noticed that not only does song #12, "Share The Blame" have the difference noted between title vs lyric but song # 18 is very similar in that fashion. Richard and the Monitors sing "It Only Happens When Love HAS Gone"
Perhaps one day we'll hear the version of the song prepared for Diana Ross & The Supremes by
the mystery demo vocalist.

[pj1]

Reading Richard' s comments sparked my memory. It seemed as if I'd read some of them before. In researching, I realized that Richard had often been quoted in the TCMS volumes that included Monitors' singles and that some portions of those reflections were intertwined with the more recent interview for this collection. .
But I came across this- Vol 5: 1965, Disc 26.5 & 26.6, mentions that the Spinners had recorded their vocals for "Say You" and they were erased by the Majestics/Monitors initial dub of the track. The annotations on this anthology don't seem to necessarily indicate the same here.
It's a shame that Richard's second recording of a new lead vocal erased David Ruffin's vocal on the multi-track. Thanks be to God, the Temptations version had already been mixed to mono. Is it safe to assume that what was released by the Monitors includes Richard's second lead vocal?
The write-up there mentions "Cry", "Words" and 'the yet-to-be-officially issued "It's Got To Be Love". As the last track mentioned is not to be found on 'The Motown Anthology 1963-1968', are there plans to include it on a future Cellarful or is it merely a favorite of whomever wrote the article for 26.5/26.6?

[robb_k]

Brother Love,
As explained in the booklet, this is an earlier version [[perhaps recorded for Thelma Records), the tapes for which were brought to Motown in September 1963. The 1979 version that you reference was a re-cut, done at Motown.

This is correct. The version we put on "From The Vaults" was the 2nd version, with a tighter vocal, and better mix on the backing tracks. It is, by far, the better version, in my estimation. I am disappointed that the better version is NOT on their anthology. They could have put both on it, if they so badly wanted the fans to have the original one. That is like leaving the commercially-released version of "My Girl" of a Temptations Anthology, just to add a previously unreleased original take!

[brother_love]

Robb, great minds think alike, here, here.

[tomato tom]

Got my copy today. Great packaging, great music. Keep em comin! Paulo xxx

[snakepit]

Enjoyed this CD....love to hear the vaulted tracks, although nothing really hits me as a major mistake in not gaining a release...just good Motown .However I'm REALLY upset to learn that "You share the blame" was not recorded by Smokey....I was waiting for the glorious day we'd see it on a L&F set.....What a period that was in Smokey's producing career.....he missed out on that track!!

[144man]

I decided not to order this and the Patrice Holloway online. Does anyone know when they'll be available in store in the UK?

[theboyfromxtown]

I have a 2 HMV's near me....there's a not a chance that it will ever be for sale on them.

The old record shops seem to sell more DVD's and electrical equipment, laptops, MP3 players and so on these days.

If you want the CD, I don't think you have that option these days.

I went into an old record shop today....there's still people buying vinyl but some of the once expensive records are much cheaper than they used to be.

[144man]

I have a 2 HMV's near me....there's a not a chance that it will ever be for sale on them.

The old record shops seem to sell more DVD's and electrical equipment, laptops, MP3 players and so on these days.

If you want the CD, I don't think you have that option these days.

I went into an old record shop today....there's still people buying vinyl but some of the once expensive records are much cheaper than they used to be.

I am near HMV Oxford Street a couple of times a week, and they do stock Ace/ Kent product there. I couldn't find an exact release date on the Ace website.

[theboyfromxtown]

I've emailed Ace for ya

[144man]

Thanks, John.

[theboyfromxtown]

It was released on Tuesday June 7th

[144man]

It wasn't in HMV on the 11th. I'll try again later this week.

[mwlh]

For those of you in the UK, I can recommend the "Soul Prescription" show on
Radio Oxford [[available over t'internet throughout the UK. You should be able to
find it here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/oxford/programm...les/2011/06/12

Will Banks' Soul Prescription
12/06/2011

and you have 6 days left to listen. He always plays loads of Motown, some less
well-known. He has a "classic album of the week" slot, where he plays 3 tracks -
guess what was the featured LP on yesterday's show? Yes, "Greetings, We're The
Monitors" [[as re-released on Kent/Soul). So anyone who hasn't heard the new CD
can listen to 3 tracks here. One is right at the end, but the whole prog's worth
listening to if you have 2 hours to spare, or you can browse through. He also
played a track from the Patrice CD and said he'd play another next week. Not
exactly Sounds of the Sixties, but any airplay is good isn't it?

M

[theboyfromxtown]

Listening to it now.....starts off with Love Man-Otis Redding.

[theboyfromxtown]

I have noticed that the BBC playlists listing the tracks played has not been correct in the past few weeks. Sounds of The 60's has not been correct lately either.

The second song on the programme is the Drifters "Baby What I Mean" which is not even mentioned on the playlist!

[mwlh]

Well it's always nice to have surprises isn't it! The annoying thing would be if they listed a song that wasn't played...................

You have to get used to the occasional slip on the show, such as referring to "Diana Ross & The Supremes" when playing a song by "The Supremes" - such heresy!

M

[theboyfromxtown]

Well it's always nice to have surprises isn't it! The annoying thing would be if they listed a song that wasn't played...................

You have to get used to the occasional slip on the show, such as referring to "Diana Ross & The Supremes" when playing a song by "The Supremes" - such heresy!

M

HAHAHA You are right too. I was real pleased to hear Candi Staton - I am still making up my mind cos I got the previous release.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Candi-Staton...sr=1-3-catcorr

[theboyfromxtown]

Well it's always nice to have surprises isn't it! The annoying thing would be if they listed a song that wasn't played...................

You have to get used to the occasional slip on the show, such as referring to "Diana Ross & The Supremes" when playing a song by "The Supremes" - such heresy!

M

I did'nt say this in my earlier post...but Baby What I Mean was a record I bought in the UK when it was released. I absolutely love that song [[and the flip side too "Aretha") and it has special memories from the time I used to dance to it at a place in Ilford, East London.

So I was MORE than pleased to hear that as the second song..and totally unexpected. WOW

The DJ is a bit young to be liking all this old music! LOL

[mwlh]

Careful he might bu lurking!!!

I found the prog. a few months ago. there's a mixture of very well-known songs and quite obscure stuff, but he does feature new releases a lot - "I;ll Pick A Rose For My Rose" was his "classic LP" a few weeks ago, and he played a few tracks from "Dance With The Contours" when that came out. Ace/Kent certainly get plenty of free publicity! He interviewed Dean Rudland from Ace a few weeks ago about the Candi Staton release, and he did 'phone interviews with Martha Reeves & Mary Wilson when they were over here.

[danman869]

I have a question regarding the song "Crying In The Night" on this new collection. The notes in the booklet state that it "first appeared legitimately on the 1997 collection 'This Is Northern Soul'," and then goes on to state, "this very different mix, with an edited intro and additional lyrics at the end of the song, has never appeared before." The differences between the version of the song released on "This Is Northern Soul" CD and the one on this new collection are clear between longer intro and the alternate lyrics before the fade. However...

I own the CD "Tamla Motown Big Hits & Hard To Find Classics" released by Spectrum in 2002 and it has the exact same song and mix--right down to the length [[3:08 for "Tamla Motown Big Hits..." and 3:09 for "Say You!"--as opposed to 3:19 for "This Is Northern Soul"), so I don't think this version of the song was never before released.

So, were the producers aware of this oversight in the liner notes?

[theboyfromxtown]

Dan

The producers are currently winging their way over to your part of the world so let's give them time to settle down before they answer.

[danman869]

OMG, John--should I set an extra couple of places at the dinner table?!

[[Are they headed to NYC or to where I am near Los Angeles?)

[theboyfromxtown]

You have to ask those questions to their publicist! LOL

However, I do know it's not west! Does that help!!

[robb_k]

Enjoyed this CD....love to hear the vaulted tracks, although nothing really hits me as a major mistake in not gaining a release...just good Motown .However I'm REALLY upset to learn that "You share the blame" was not recorded by Smokey....I was waiting for the glorious day we'd see it on a L&F set.....What a period that was in Smokey's producing career.....he missed out on that track!!

I think Motown made a major mistake in not releasing the best version of "Cry" in 1963, and by not releasing "Crying In The Night" in 1966. The first could have broken The Majestics/Monitors out as a great new Motown group. The second, could have kept up the momentum they had built up with "Say You", "Since I Lost You Girl" and "Greetings". It might have made them a little better known, and kept them out there as a viable "up and coming" group, instead of their experiencing a pretty quick demise. Richard Street has a pretty unique voice, and the group was pretty tight. I think they should have fared better.