Happy New Year to all!


I was thinking of some of the coulda-shoulda-woulda and near-misses over Motown’s history.
Artists whose contracts ended before they began, or never quite got signed.

There’s;

Erma Franklin - I believe she popped into Motown studios to rehearse in the very early days but things never worked out to the signing stage.

Jack Soo - he says he recorded the first male version of ‘For Once In My Life’ for Motown in 1965. Are there any Jack Soo Motown recordings released or in the vaults?


Jeff Beck - recorded 9-11 tracks in Studio A in 1970.. Anyone know the song titles? Apparently there may have been a version of ‘‘I Can’t Give Back The Love [[I Feel For You)’.

Bette Midler - recorded 4-5 tracks in LA produced by Hal Davis in 1975. Anyone know these titles or if they have been found in the vaults?


James Brown - who said he’d sign with Motown in the 80s I believe, if Berry Gordy would call him directly.

Nothing quite came of the above…. I’d be interested to hear any other stories, fun facts, oddities and close-but-no-dicer’s y’all may have?


In the meantime this is a hint as to what coulda been…Jeff Beck in 1972;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d68hN2RhWQw