The Best of Motorcity [[Vols. 1-20)

[mistercarter2u]

You're very welcome, Mistercarter. And thank YOU for your kind words! You're absolutely correct in stating that some tracks are gems while some are far from it. The songs that I don't care for are the ones that tend to sound alike. Ian has some wonderful styles in his various productions. However, there are some tracks in which he uses a certain chord-progression that I hate. It rubs me the wrong way every time I hear it! All of his artists have recorded at least one track using this chord-progression. [[I lovingly nick-name them "half-assed" chords! I don't know how to explain it, but it's a chord progression that neither Phil Spector nor Motown ever used.)

I do love the Various Artists comps, as they're what inspired me to buy Ian's individual-artist CDs of which I have 24. Now I wish I had bought them all.

I know what you mean about some people's favorites being the ones that are my least favorites! Now I'm almost afraid to tell you MY favorites! I will, however, reveal my favorites one day soon. In the meantime, here's a quick clue -- I find that I especially love Saundra Edwards, Barbara Randolph, and Pat Lewis. I would almost kill for a CD of Barbara Randolph's. Now that there's finally one available, it's not on CD.

It's true that Ian never released an entire album on the FLOS. However, are you aware of the 18-track "Supreme Ladies" CD?

Thanks for dropping in! What are some of your favorite tracks? I would love to know!

I have the Barbara Randolph CD [["The Very Best of...) that was sold on Amazon a few years back, It is only available as streaming now.... It is probably my favorite Motorcity album, that is aside from the tracks recorded by Jean,Scherrie, and Lynda [[Supremes). I also have a great bootleg CD - from the guy in Germany who used to put out a ton of Motown material - of the FLO's unreleased Motorcity "Bouncing Back" album, and I love that one. That material has been repackaged about a zillion times.

Another favorite is "Step Into My Shoes" by Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, and I like msot of Brenda Holloway's MC recordings. I also love the 5th Dimension's version of "More Love" and Rare Earth's "Love Is Here And Now You're Gone." Oh, and all of Barbara McNair's MC songs....

[Philles/Motown Gary]

I have the Barbara Randolph CD [["The Very Best of...) that was sold on Amazon a few years back, It is only available as streaming now.... It is probably my favorite Motorcity album, that is aside from the tracks recorded by Jean,Scherrie, and Lynda [[Supremes). I also have a great bootleg CD - from the guy in Germany who used to put out a ton of Motown material - of the FLO's unreleased Motorcity "Bouncing Back" album, and I love that one. That material has been repackaged about a zillion times.

Another favorite is "Step Into My Shoes" by Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, and I like msot of Brenda Holloway's MC recordings. I also love the 5th Dimension's version of "More Love" and Rare Earth's "Love Is Here And Now You're Gone." Oh, and all of Barbara McNair's MC songs....

Mistercarter, I went onto Amazon and found the Barbara Randolph CD you were telling me about. I see that it was once available as a CD-R but is now only available as streaming. Damn! I can't believe it was there all along and I didn't even know it. If a song is streaming, can it be downloaded as an mp3 and burned to CD?

I'm surprised to see that the track that first made me love Barabara Randolph's Motorcity productions isn't included on your "Very Best Of" CD. The track is "Chasing The Hurt Away". On the Motorcity Jukebox which I provided above, go to "Best Of Motorcity" [[Vol. 2), Track 10. The track is really pretty, and the female back-up vocals are gorgeous.

BTW, I agree with everything you said except for "Step Into My Shoes", I prefer The Andantes' version.

[westgrandboulevard]

[/QUOTE] I'm surprised to see that the track that first made me love Barabara Randolph's Motorcity productions isn't included on your "Very Best Of" CD. The track is "Chasing The Hurt Away". On the Motorcity Jukebox which I provided above, go to "Best Of Motorcity" [[Vol. 2), Track 10. The track is really pretty, and the female back-up vocals are gorgeous. [/QUOTE]

I think those back-up vocals are the voice of Pat Lewis, but multi-tracked...often found on the Motorcity recordings. Most of the backgrounds were arranged by Pat. Love that echo....

Carolyn Crawford also used her voice for backgrounds on her own Motorcity recordings.

And a version of 'Chasing The Hurt Away' was, I think, also recorded by Jake Jacas....who was, at least, co-writer.....

[Philles/Motown Gary]

I'm surprised to see that the track that first made me love Barabara Randolph's Motorcity productions isn't included on your "Very Best Of" CD. The track is "Chasing The Hurt Away". On the Motorcity Jukebox which I provided above, go to "Best Of Motorcity" [[Vol. 2), Track 10. The track is really pretty, and the female back-up vocals are gorgeous. [/QUOTE]

I think those back-up vocals are the voice of Pat Lewis, but multi-tracked...often found on the Motorcity recordings. Most of the backgrounds were arranged by Pat. Love that echo....

Carolyn Crawford also used her voice for backgrounds on her own Motorcity recordings.

And a version of 'Chasing The Hurt Away' was, I think, also recorded by Jake Jacas....who was, at least, co-writer.....[/QUOTE]

Westgrand, I'm at a total loss at trying to determine anything about Ian's back-up vocalists. Since discovering his Motorcity/Motown project, I had automatically assumed that Ian would use The Andantes to back up his artists, yet I have yet to recognize their special harmonic, operatic "blend" that Louvain, Jackie & Marlene achieved at Motown.

[westgrandboulevard]

[/QUOTE] Westgrand, I'm at a total loss at trying to determine anything about Ian's back-up vocalists. Since discovering his Motorcity/Motown project, I had automatically assumed that Ian would use The Andantes to back up his artists, yet I have yet to recognize their special harmonic, operatic "blend" that Louvain, Jackie & Marlene achieved at Motown.[/QUOTE]

A lot of the Motorcity female background voices were recorded here in the UK.

I have formed the impression that background vocals by The Andantes [Louvain, Marlene and Jackie] on Motorcity recordings are relatively few. I would have to check Louvain's solo album, but don't recall clearly hearing them even there.

It seems that whenever any title is credited to 'The Andantes' it usually features the voice of Pat Lewis, either multi-tracked, or singing with other voices...and which may include the original Andantes. I would have to carefully check that out.

The 'Step Into My Shoes' background voices on both Martha and Pat's versions sound to me more like two voices only, and likely Rosalind and Annette.

Of the few occasions when I feel I do hear Louvain, Marlene and Jackie [maybe also with Pat?], here are two....

Frances Nero's "Footsteps Following Me"......

and Martha's 'Heat Wave', more prominently on the original 'with string sound' Motorcity version [apart from the rather obvious one-two-one-two drum machine, I really like this one], than the later reworked one......

[Philles/Motown Gary]

GARY: Westgrand, I'm at a total loss at trying to determine anything about Ian's back-up vocalists. Since discovering his Motorcity/Motown project, I had automatically assumed that Ian would use The Andantes to back up his artists, yet I have yet to recognize their special harmonic, operatic "blend" that Louvain, Jackie & Marlene achieved at Motown.[/QUOTE]

----------------
WESTGRAND: I have formed the impression that background vocals by The Andantes [Louvain, Marlene and Jackie] on Motorcity recordings are relatively few. I would have to check Louvain's solo album, but don't recall clearly hearing them even there.

It seems that whenever any title is credited to 'The Andantes' it usually features the voice of Pat Lewis, either multi-tracked, or singing with other voices...and which may include the original Andantes. I would have to carefully check that out.

---------‐---------
GARY: Ah! Thanks, Westgrand! THAT's what I needed to hear! Now I KNOW it's not just me.[/QUOTE]