Let's Share Some of Our Special Motown Collectables

[kenneth]

Hi Friends,

I posted yesterday a photo of an autographed Mary Wells LP that I found in my collection.

Since we're all on a kind of hiatus, I thought it might be fun if we used a thread to share some of our favorite Motown collectables. Before the holidays, my buddy Gary [[philles/motown_Gary) posted his Spector LP collection which was fun to view.

Perhaps you have something in your collection you'd like to share with SDF. This is a good time if you do.

Thanks!

Kenneth

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Once i get home from work i will post a few of mine!

[kenneth]

Here's something else from my collection that might be of interest, the Motown 1971-1972 catalog. I'm showing here the front/back covers, and the Listing by Artists of all the available albums.

I find two things surprising about the catalog, both Supremes related. The first is that neither Diana Ross nor the Supremes have any albums pictured on either the front or back cover aside from the Supremes & 4 Tops "Dynamite" LP. From the catalog, Diane's most recent album was "Everything is Everything" which has a later catalog number than "Surrender," but I think we've discussed here before that "Everything" was released before the other LP.

The other thing I find of interest is that the catalog includes a number and order for the Supremes' "Promises Kept," which of course never got released.

The rest of the catalog are basically order forms for the entire albums in print.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

No worries! I am now getting used to tilting my head to the side!

[kenneth]

No worries! I am now getting used to tilting my head to the side!

I finally figured out how to get them to load right. Ahh...just confirms my inherent distrust of technology!

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

So I too, at more than one time, went into the the poor house on ebay. There was a seller who would every now and then have a boatload of rare Motown photographs. They were just too good to pass up and I accept full responsibility for irresponsibly running up huge credit card balances to get as many of these as I could. Here is one of those photos.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Amazing that someone had these just laying around somewhere... and it only took me a million Easy Installments to pay for it and a few others!

[kenneth]

@WaitingWatching, what great photos. I recognize Duke in the first photo but who is it with him? It looks a little like Smokey but not quite.

Also, who is the handsome guy in the color photo? I love his shirt. I'd love to find one like that. It has a real vintage look and would be totally cool to wear.

[marv2]

@WaitingWatching, what great photos. I recognize Duke in the first photo but who is it with him? It looks a little like Smokey but not quite.

Also, who is the handsome guy in the color photo? I love his shirt. I'd love to find one like that. It has a real vintage look and would be totally cool to wear.

It looks like one of the Holland brothers.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

@WaitingWatching, what great photos. I recognize Duke in the first photo but who is it with him? It looks a little like Smokey but not quite.

Also, who is the handsome guy in the color photo? I love his shirt. I'd love to find one like that. It has a real vintage look and would be totally cool to wear.

As others have said, I believe it is one of the Hollands with Duke. Unfortunately, it doesn't say on the back of the photo, but my initial thought too was that was one of the Hollands.

Yes, that shirt on Jimmy Ruffin!!!!!! I love those shirts. The 60s had some fantastic fashions. Unfortunately, when most people think of 60's clothing, they always go to the hippie fashions and generic tie-dye tee shirts. Nobody ever looks to this era, the early-to-mid sixties when the clothes were SHARP.

[kenneth]

As others have said, I believe it is one of the Hollands with Duke. Unfortunately, it doesn't say on the back of the photo, but my initial thought too was that was one of the Hollands.

Yes, that shirt on Jimmy Ruffin!!!!!! I love those shirts. The 60s had some fantastic fashions. Unfortunately, when most people think of 60's clothing, they always go to the hippie fashions and generic tie-dye tee shirts. Nobody ever looks to this era, the early-to-mid sixties when the clothes were SHARP.

You know Jimmy Ruffin crossed my mind but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a photo of him so young. But I guess he was around a while even before he came to Motown. Didn’t he record for golden world or one of those other Detroit labels?

Wow you guys are all experts. I can’t believe what y’all know. Marv I wish I had been there when the memorabilia was lying around. I hope you got some good stuff. Maybe that’s when you started your archive!

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

You know Jimmy Ruffin crossed my mind but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a photo of him so young. But I guess he was around a while even before he came to Motown. Didn’t he record for golden world or one of those other Detroit labels?

Actually, that photo is from 1967, so that was during the height of his 60's Motown career. He began with Motown. Yes, he does look incredibly young in that photo. You know, my mom used to say that people back then dressed so formally that they looked older than they really were. She saw Mary Wilson on a tv show in the 80's and said she actually looked younger then than she did in the 60's, mainly because of some of those hairstyles. I think Jimmy looks very young here because he isn't in a suit and tie, but more casual wear. I hadn't noticed until you said it, but you're right, he looks incredibly young here.

[lockhartgary]

@kenneth, When I hover over the color photo it says "jimmy ruffin- fan photograph."

Guy in B/W photo looks to me like one of the Holland brothers.

[marv2]

When they demolished the Donovan Building, there was a huge amount of photos, paperwork and other Motown memorabilia just lying on the ground amongst the ruins.

[marv2]

There were a lot of rare items at Hitsville when I volunteered there back in the 80s. I remember holding the original album artwork for the Supremes "Reflections" album. You could see the pencil marks from the stencil and even the outtakes from the photos the cut up to use on the album cover. There were shoes long forgotten by artists, gowns, jackets, cigarette cases, you name it.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

There were a lot of rare items at Hitsville when I volunteered there back in the 80s. I remember holding the original album artwork for the Supremes "Reflections" album. You could see the pencil marks from the stencil and even the outtakes from the photos the cut up to use on the album cover. There were shoes long forgotten by artists, gowns, jackets, cigarette cases, you name it.

Wow Marv, you saw quite a lot. I love that you can give some background on this. I love graphic arts and over the years I've seen a snip here and there of how album covers were done. One of the things I was also happy to get were the negatives or whatever you call them of the various Motown logos. I didn't remember until I got saw them that we used the same negative type sheets in high school printing to print a logo or lettering onto whatever material.

Now that is major, seeing the artwork for the "Reflections" album. That had to have been time-consuming, cutting up those photos because that collage is very involved. Funny to remember that it really and very literally was cut-and-paste back then.

[marv2]

Wow Marv, you saw quite a lot. I love that you can give some background on this. I love graphic arts and over the years I've seen a snip here and there of how album covers were done. One of the things I was also happy to get were the negatives or whatever you call them of the various Motown logos. I didn't remember until I got saw them that we used the same negative type sheets in high school printing to print a logo or lettering onto whatever material.

Now that is major, seeing the artwork for the "Reflections" album. That had to have been time-consuming, cutting up those photos because that collage is very involved. Funny to remember that it really and very literally was cut-and-paste back then.

I was amazed at how much stuff, personal stuff people left behind at Hitsville. I can remember asking Mrs. Esther Gordy-Edwards why Mr. Gordy couldn't help us $$ financially way back then. LOL!

10 years after that, a lot of that stuff ended up in the big Motown Exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum at Greenfield Village.

[marv2]

Wow Marv, you saw quite a lot. I love that you can give some background on this. I love graphic arts and over the years I've seen a snip here and there of how album covers were done. One of the things I was also happy to get were the negatives or whatever you call them of the various Motown logos. I didn't remember until I got saw them that we used the same negative type sheets in high school printing to print a logo or lettering onto whatever material.

Now that is major, seeing the artwork for the "Reflections" album. That had to have been time-consuming, cutting up those photos because that collage is very involved. Funny to remember that it really and very literally was cut-and-paste back then.

Regarding the album cover artwork, keep in mind this was in the days before laser printing etc. Even the old boards they use to layout and paste photos on for yearbooks back in the sixties used the same method that Motown used. By the time I became a yearbook editor, we were using an entirely different and more precise method.

[DWSheffer]

I do believe it's Eddie Holland, he was photographed smoking a pipe pretty frequently....
Darin

[daviddesper]

I have a vinyl LP from the UK entitled Martha Reeves and the Vandellas Greatest Hits Volume 2. I had never even seen it until I bought it on ebay a few years ago. It roughly covers the period from 1966 until their Motown career ended in 1972. Lois and Sandra are the Vandellas pictured. Also I have a number of magazines with large Motown feature articles that I might put on ebay myself one of these days.

[kenneth]

I do believe it's Eddie Holland, he was photographed smoking a pipe pretty frequently....
Darin

You are right, just like on the back of the album The Supremes Sing HDH!

[grapevine]

I only kept 2 copies of Blues & Soul Magazine... the iconic 1971 ...The Motown Story ...issue ...and the lesser-known 1983 issue ...The A To Z Of Motown ...which at the time was probably my first 'Motown Encyclopaedia'...of any kind...!!



Grape

[luckyluckyme]

Kenneth,

Your Motown catalogue also lists Easy Beats and The Other People who never had Motown releases.

[kenneth]

Kenneth,

Your Motown catalogue also lists Easy Beats and The Other People who never had Motown releases.

It's interesting that in both the Motown Order Forms which have been displayed here, that both seem to focus on the catalog's diversity including many Rare Earth and other artists which were relatively obscure at the time or as @luckyluckyme points out never saw a release.

I suppose Motown was always looking for the next big thing as record companies tend to do and didn't focus as much on their established acts, perhaps because they already had a certain "floor" of sales that they knew they would generate without additional hype. Any other thoughts?

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Here is another original photograph used on an album cover, in this case, the rear cover of The Temptations Puzzle People. This one is attached to heavy cardboard and on the back is a plastic film and the Joe Shillair stamp.

I always liked this photo of the group. Notice the balance in composition: two guys on either end mirroring each other with one-leg-over-the-rail poses while Eddie is seated squarely in the middle. I especially love this photo because instead of the usual, standard, broad smiles, arms stretched out pose, we get a rather stoic, almost contemplative photo. I like how everyone looks deep in thought, except for Paul, who looks like he's found his serenity in this setting.

[DWSheffer]

My hopes are this thread will see some good participation from the members in the coming days. I will start adding some items today and continue as long as there is interest in the thread. Personally I am more into collecting Motown memorabilia and records than I am dissecting every aspect of the music itself. I love it for what it is, great music that I enjoy and that's it!

At any rate, here is a difficult to find Supremes counter top display for "We Remember Sam Cooke". I think it's a pretty neat item and would like to know if any members know of any other displays similar to this one.
Darin

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

[QUOTE=DWSheffer;570288]My hopes are this thread will see some good participation from the members in the coming days. I will start adding some items today and continue as long as there is interest in the thread. Personally I am more into collecting Motown memorabilia and records than I am dissecting every aspect of the music itself. I love it for what it is, great music that I enjoy and that's it!

At any rate, here is a difficult to find Supremes counter top display for "We Remember Sam Cooke". I think it's a pretty neat item and would like to know if any members know of any other displays similar to this one.
Darin

Darin, you've got some truly magnificent collector's items. I love the album display and those cuff links is definitely like striking gold. I like this idea you've got for this thread.

Here is something I found on ebay. Not sure what this was used for. Maybe the rear jacket of one of those 16 Big Hits collections or something similar? A poster for a Motown Christmas at The Fox Theater program?

Hard to capture in photos, but the pictures are cut-outs pasted to heavy-stock cardboard and outlined with what looks like just a black marker. I tried to show where the pictures are separating from the board. Whatever this is, I especially like the photo used for The Marvelettes. I don't think I ever saw this one elsewhere.

[DWSheffer]

This is my favorite autograph of Diana Ross in my collection. Just a perfect vintage signature in a purple-ish ink on an original promo photo, which is a great item in itself!

[kenneth]

This is my favorite autograph of Diana Ross in my collection. Just a perfect vintage signature in a purple-ish ink on an original promo photo, which is a great item in itself!

What's great about this photo too is that the autograph isn't dedicated to anyone specific, so you can pretend it was written for you, unlike my Mary Wells autograph to "Chuck."

I would think that fact alone would give this more value.

[DWSheffer]

What's great about this photo too is that the autograph isn't dedicated to anyone specific, so you can pretend it was written for you, unlike my Mary Wells autograph to "Chuck."

I would think that fact alone would give this more value.

You are correct Kenneth. In the autograph collecting world an autograph that does not have a dedication to a specific person is worth more than a personalized piece, for the very reason you point out. It's just not as cool having that vintage LP cover on the wall with "To Linda, Love Ya! Smokey Robinson" [[as I do now, lol). The other side of the coin is there is much more probable authenticity with a piece the more the celebrity writes in a dedication. But I agree that's likely why I love this signed photo of Diana so much as it's just her signature and it's a great example!
More items to post in this thread tomorrow!
Darin

[DWSheffer]

This is a pretty rare item, a large cardboard concert poster for Marvin and Tammi. The size is 21" by 27", so pretty good size for a concert placard. I fretted the whole time it was in transit in the postal service, hoping it would arrive in good condition and not bent in half! I was relieved when it arrived OK. It has some wear and corner damage, but it's a miracle it survives at all, being it was meant to be thrown away after the concert.
Darin

[lucky2012]

All of the above are awesome!

[SatansBlues]

This is a pretty rare item, a large cardboard concert poster for Marvin and Tammi. The size is 21" by 27", so pretty good size for a concert placard. I fretted the whole time it was in transit in the postal service, hoping it would arrive in good condition and not bent in half! I was relieved when it arrived OK. It has some wear and corner damage, but it's a miracle it survives at all, being it was meant to be thrown away after the concert.
Darin

I didn't think that Marvin and Tammi were still performing in concert in 1968. I thought that the last time they sang in concert together was when she collapsed on stage with him in October '67. Can anyone confirm this?

[DWSheffer]

I didn't think that Marvin and Tammi were still performing in concert in 1968. I thought that the last time they sang in concert together was when she collapsed on stage with him in October '67. Can anyone confirm this?

Interesting....maybe this post will revise the history of the duo's "last performance" as we currently know it. I never second guessed the concert taking place, as I know without a doubt this placard is period and original, but never took into account their last show has always been reported to take place in October.

[copley]

I didn't think that Marvin and Tammi were still performing in concert in 1968. I thought that the last time they sang in concert together was when she collapsed on stage with him in October '67. Can anyone confirm this?

The concert never happened so this is a rare item.

While Terrell was finally being established as a star, the migraines and headaches she had suffered from childhood were becoming more constant. While she complained of pains, she insisted to people close to her that she was well enough to perform. However, on October 14, 1967, while performing "Your Precious Love" with Gaye at Hampden–Sydney College just outside the town of Farmville, Virginia, Terrell collapsed into Gaye's arms onstage. Shortly after returning from Virginia, doctors diagnosed a malignant tumor on the right side of her brain. She underwent brain surgery at Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia on January 13, 1968

[kenneth]

The concert never happened so this is a rare item.

While Terrell was finally being established as a star, the migraines and headaches she had suffered from childhood were becoming more constant. While she complained of pains, she insisted to people close to her that she was well enough to perform. However, on October 14, 1967, while performing "Your Precious Love" with Gaye at Hampden–Sydney College just outside the town of Farmville, Virginia, Terrell collapsed into Gaye's arms onstage. Shortly after returning from Virginia, doctors diagnosed a malignant tumor on the right side of her brain. She underwent brain surgery at Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia on January 13, 1968

That is eerie. The way things become collectable is sometimes so strange.

Similarly, there was a "Superman" comic book, which was to include a story sequence where Superman meets then President JFK. However, by the time the comic book was to be published, JFK had been assassinated. So the story was pulled. It looks like it was finally put on display at the JFK Presidential Library although apparently the library tried to sell it on the collectors' market before the original artist found out and made an issue out of it! In addition, LBJ apparently wanted it to come out as an homage to JFK's commitment to physical fitness [[which was the basis for the story line in the book).

Interesting story. And as Copley said, that Marvin-Tammi poster is definitely a keeper.

https://www.wbur.org/artery/2014/03/...rman-jfk-comic

[jboy88]

I didn't think that Marvin and Tammi were still performing in concert in 1968. I thought that the last time they sang in concert together was when she collapsed on stage with him in October '67. Can anyone confirm this?

The last time Marvin and Tammi performed together was in late ‘69 at the Apollo theatre. Albeit, it was an impromptu performance as Gaye was actually appearing with Carla Thomas. [[ He spotted Tammi in the audience with her fiancé) As far as their last tentative performance together, I’m not sure.

[TammiTerrellFan]

This is a pretty rare item, a large cardboard concert poster for Marvin and Tammi. The size is 21" by 27", so pretty good size for a concert placard. I fretted the whole time it was in transit in the postal service, hoping it would arrive in good condition and not bent in half! I was relieved when it arrived OK. It has some wear and corner damage, but it's a miracle it survives at all, being it was meant to be thrown away after the concert.
Darin

Darin sure is a great item to have. I sure do love Marvin & Tammi, I have seen fake Tammi signatures online. Funny your poster is from my state. Gonna check to see if that venue still exists. Peace

[DWSheffer]

This is a true oddity.....a Supremes album autographed by Marvin Gaye! Since I do not know the real story of how it came by be signed by MG, this is the story I came up with in my head. In 1966 a group of kids were waiting on the lawn of Hitsville, USA awaiting their favorite group, The Supremes, to exit Hitsville after a recording session. Well, The Supremes never seem to materialize but who walks out the front door but Marvin Gaye! Having nothing but the Supremes album and not wanting to pass up the chance to get Marvin's autograph the fan had him sign the Supremes album. My story sounds plausible to me anyways, lol.......
Darin

[DWSheffer]

Marv, what [[if any) was Mrs. Edwards reply when you asked her why BG wasn't helping the Museum financially in the early days? Just curious if she gave a straight answer or not? I would assume it was due to the financial troubles he and Motown were having in the mid 80's and the money just wasn't there at the time.
Darin

[kenneth]

@DWSheffer, I love the Gaye-Terrell placard. What a great find. The "Symphony" LP is indeed an oddity! I think a lot of artists wouldn't sign someone else's album just out of pride or something.

I went to a signing once for the opera singer Marilyn Horne, and she expressed a lot of displeasure over a poster one fan brought in for her to sign. It was of her in a opera where she sang a man's role [[in the old days they used "castrati" for some male roles - you can figure out what that means!), and she didn't like the way she was made up and costumed on the poster. She signed it anyway, but didn't like it.

I have some other things to post as well, if I can figure out why my stuff always comes in sideways! And by the way, @WaitingWatching, I'm glad you find my efforts so amusing!

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

And by the way, @WaitingWatching, I'm glad you find my efforts so amusing!

OH MAN! I went into a tailspin thinking, what did I say? Was it inadvertently disrespectful? I thought you meant I was taking the thread as a whole as amusing or laughable. Then I saw that comment about tilting my head sideways...

[kenneth]

OH MAN! I went into a tailspin thinking, what did I say? Was it inadvertently disrespectful? I thought you meant I was taking the thread as a whole as amusing or laughable. Then I saw that comment about tilting my head sideways...

Please notice the sheet music came out right but you wouldn't believe the gyrations I went through to get it that way...!

[DWSheffer]

Thanks Kenneth...I have plenty more to share. Hopefully the members won't tire of me. I guess they can ignore the thread if I post too much!

I bought this set of cufflinks a couple years ago. Here's the story from the man I bought them from. His dad was on a flight to L.A. for a business trip when he struck up a conversation with the man sitting near him. It turns out it was Berry Gordy Jr. BG asked the man if he had kids, which he said he had a son, and did he like Motown music. The guy politely said yes [[since he himself didn't really know who Berry was) and Mr. Gordy gave him these cufflinks to give to his kid. When the father got home he asked his son if he knew who Berry Gordy was. The man told me he did in fact know Berry's name as he said Motown was so big that Berry's name was frequently mentioned when Motown was mentioned. The dad was obviously just an out of touch square, lol. This story happened, to the best of the man's knowledge [[he was just a boy at the time), around 1967 or '68. He said he had kept the links all these years in a memory box but it was time to move them along. I was glad to acquire them!
Darin

[kpitt1204]

One of my rare items [[I don’t have any pics, yet.) is a 45 called “Silly” by Valerie Simpson. The record is pressed at the wrong speed. When I play it on 45, she sounds like a chipmunk. On the slower setting, she sounds like a man. I still have it though. Another item I have is an album by the group, Switch from 1980. There is a song on it, “Calling On All Girls,” that I loved. However on the album, girls is spelled “GRILS.” I have purchased other copies, but they don’t have the typo.

[kenneth]

@DW, those cuff links are amazing. That is something you definitely wouldn't find very often. How cool is that.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

One of my rare items [[I don’t have any pics, yet.) is a 45 called “Silly” by Valerie Simpson. The record is pressed at the wrong speed. When I play it on 45, she sounds like a chipmunk. On the slower setting, she sounds like a man. I still have it though. Another item I have is an album by the group, Switch from 1980. There is a song on it, “Calling On All Girls,” that I loved. However on the album, girls is spelled “GRILS.” I have purchased other copies, but they don’t have the typo.

Oh, that is hilarious! A record that you can't play at any speed. That is a true keeper

[kenneth]

Marvelettes Sheet Music

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

marvelettes sheet music

my girls!!!!!! Yes, Well done!

[lockhartgary]

Cool that the cuff links are sitting on what could be interpreted as a vinyl record of sorts.