Motorcity: Soul Giants 4 CD Box Set: New Backgrounds

[westgrandboulevard]

SOUL GIANTS 4 CD BOX SET - ELEVATE RECORDS CDB ELV 1 : 1998

50 Soul Classics from the 60s and 70s.....

Many performed by the original legendary hit makers from the USA....

- features exclusive, previously unreleased versions -


A track-by-track review of the 'Soul Giants' box set, noting the differences between earlier released Motorcity titles and their later versions from 1995 with new backgrounds, many of which were included in this set.


DISC 1:

Track 1: Mary Wells - My Guy 3.25

[Original Motorcity Version:
Reference: Charly/Motorcity 'Keeping My Mind On Love' album.

Track, also length, seem identical on all following additional references:

Hot Productions: 'Very Best Of Mary Wells'
Essential Gold 'Motor City Sings Smokey's Songbook'
Down Town Dancing In The Streets Series - Vol 1: 'Million Sellers'
Quality - Motor City Dance Party - Vol 2 : 'Love Dancin'

A different arrangement from the Motown original. Intro lacks impact here. A light, skipping beat, with finger snaps. Addition of string sounds. Nice echo on background vocalists, who sing lines of lyrics, in contrast to 'call and answer' responses of Mary Wells' Motown original. A pleasant production, if lacking in the distinctive sound quality of the original hit version.]

Soul Giants version 2.41:
A shorter track length. A simple, stripped down production, in an attempt to emulate the hit version. No string sounds this time. Prominent organ, as with the Motown original. Drum, bass and piano seem basic computer generated sounds. Less echo used, and with lead and background vocals identical to the earlier Motorcity version.


Track 2: The Contours - This Old Heart Of Mine 3.05

[Original Motorcity version:
Reference: Charly/Motorcity 'Flashback' album.

The distinctively prominent drum, bass and piano of the Motown original are missing from the intro, which soon leads into standard Motorcity 'hammer hitting metal' drum sound. Track bounces along, rather than with the emphatic drive and rhythm of the Motown original, and with good vocals, although a less impassioned lead.]

Soul Giants version 2.56 :

Shorter, and with an intro which more effectively replicates the Motown original, albeit with a more mellow toned version. The sax is noticeably more prominent throughout than with the version above, with a different short solo in the middle break - and the string sound seems more sparingly used. A good attempt at having The Contours replicate the Motown original by the Isley Brothers, and quite a nice little track in its own right, without trying too hard to give it a 'Motorcity' sound.


Track 3: Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Heat Wave 4.00

[Original Motorcity version:
Reference: Object Enterprises 'This Is Soul-2' four CD set.

As a get-up-and-dance track, this to me is excellent, but for the threat of a tick-tock computer drum sound. Even so, it gets away with it, and always makes me smile and move to the beat. A full production, string sounds, big echo, and surely the sweet, high harmonies of The Andantes on background vocals. In its own way, I love this as much as the original Motown version, with Martha still in enthusiastic and uninhibited voice - but more mature and controlled - riding the wall of 'instrumentation' sound and effortlessly powering her way through to the fade.]

Soul Giants version 3.05:

Shorter, with a solid drum and sax led intro. No string sounds. Same lead and background vocals, but with Martha's voice lower in the mix, and less echo. Prominent sax middle break. Additional drum work on the chorus.