Worst Motown Covers

[paul_nixon]

So encouraged by a post regarding Just Another Lonely Night thought it might be a bit of lightearted relief to see a list of your favourite worst Motown covers - they might even be someone else at Motown covering Motown who knows?

[Motown Eddie]

Here's a couple-

"My Girl"-The Rolling Stones
"[Love Is Like A] Heat Wave"-Linda Ronstadt
"How Sweet It Is [To Be Loved By You]"-James Taylor
"My Guy"-Sister Sledge
"Leaving Here"-The Who

[copley]

Paul, we did this on MT a long time ago but it may be worth giving it another go.

For the record I love Linda's 'Heatwave', 'Ooo Baby Baby', 'Tracks of my Tears'.

[stupidactingsmart]

So encouraged by a post regarding Just Another Lonely Night thought it might be a bit of lightearted relief to see a list of your favourite worst Motown covers - they might even be someone else at Motown covering Motown who knows?

Interpreting this slightly differently, I am a HUGE Jackson 5 fan but their cover of the majestic Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water with Jermaine on vocals, is terrible. Not the boys' fault, it's the arrangement and tempo. But it's so bad （on what is otherwise a fine J5 record).

[westgrandboulevard]

'Ask Any Man' - Tony Martin....

Not so much a cover, as bordering on outright parody.

Sounds like some guy absent-mindedly gargling and warbling in his bathroom, wishing he was Pavarotti.....

[paul_nixon]

Paul, we did this on MT a long time ago but it may be worth giving it another go.

For the record I love Linda's 'Heatwave', 'Ooo Baby Baby', 'Tracks of my Tears'.

Missed that..worth copying across?

[YourOldStandBy]

The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway is ahead of its time in that it looks like an ugly 80s album cover. I don't understand how they managed to make such an atrocious album cover with a woman as beautiful and elegant as Brenda.

The Pink Album has an extremely unflattering photo of Katherine on the left.

Vintage Stock...yeah, no excuses for that one. I don't understand if they didn't want to promote Mary, what was the point in releasing that album then? A stock photo of a wine cellar please.

Edit: turns out I misunderstood the topic.

Ah well, I can't remember the band's name exactly, something or other and the Runaways but I really do not care for their Want to go Back There Again by Chris Clark. Bill Kenright and the Runaways. That's it. Doesn't hold a candle to Truly Smith's cover.

[Motown Eddie]

A Few More-

"Please Mr. Postman"-Carpenters
"Shop Around"-The Captain & Tennille
"Ask Any Man"-Tony Martin
"Stop In The Name Of Love"-The Hollies
"Dancing In The Street"-David Bowie & Mick Jagger

[robb_k]

So encouraged by a post regarding Just Another Lonely Night thought it might be a bit of lighthearted relief to see a list of your favourite worst Motown covers - they might even be someone else at Motown covering Motown who knows?

Sorry, but YOU Asked for this!
That had to be Dora Hall singing a Motown song. Here's her version of "I heard it through The Grapevine" :

[daviddesper]

Oh Ralph I think you are being too hard on poor Dora. After your comment, I was expecting something awful but it is not that bad. Now of course Gladys' version could never be topped, and I have even come to appreciate Marvin's, so granted this does not compare to either of those. But if I were hearing this version for the first time and did not know any others, it would not make me cover my ears.

I am trying to think of some others that I can add to the conversation, but so far nothing is coming to me. If it does, I will chime back in.

As for Dora, I knew the name was familiar and it just now hit me. She did a song once that may have been a B side. It was called "Did He Call Today, Mama?" Anyone have an opinion on that one?

[robb_k]

Oh Ralph I think you are being too hard on poor Dora. After your comment, I was expecting something awful but it is not that bad. Now of course Gladys' version could never be topped, and I have even come to appreciate Marvin's, so granted this does not compare to either of those. But if I were hearing this version for the first time and did not know any others, it would not make me cover my ears.

I am trying to think of some others that I can add to the conversation, but so far nothing is coming to me. If it does, I will chime back in.

As for Dora, I knew the name was familiar and it just now hit me. She did a song once that may have been a B side. It was called "Did He Call Today, Mama?" Anyone have an opinion on that one?

That was pretty horrible. You should hear her version of The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction". That is terrible. Actually, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" was one of her best recordings. She was The "Mrs. Miller" of Chicago. She was a grandmother, professional singer "wanabee", who was married to a multi-millionaire, Leo Hulseman, owner of Chicago's Solo Cup Co., which supplied paper cups for liquid refreshment vending machines. He operated 3 vanity record labels from 1960- early '70s [[Calamo, Cozy, Premere, and Reinbeau Records) just to produce her records [[both 45s and LPs), and gave them away to cup order customers. He also payed many thousands of Dollars to hire has-been stars to appear on TV variety specials on which she would be the featured "star" in the early 1970s.


Here's a link to some information on her career: https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...ecords.488443/

[shoo-be-doo]

'Every Little Bit Hurts' by The Spencer Davis Group

[daviddesper]

I have a possible worst cover nominee, but there is some mystery about it. I have a European compilation CD entitled Soul Collection Volume 1 [[Catalog number QED180.) It contains a song by The Whispers entitled Needle in a Haystack.

Now we all know that the mellow sound of The Whispers was pretty far removed from our beloved Velvelettes. However, the song is credited on the insert to Stevenson/Whitfield, which would lead one to believe that it is the same song.

However, it sounds NOTHING like the original. Not only that, but when I look up the song itself on Discogs, the Whispers' version is found on a 45 as part of a medley and the song is not credited to our Motown guys.

What are we supposed to make of that situation?

[reese]

I have a possible worst cover nominee, but there is some mystery about it. I have a European compilation CD entitled Soul Collection Volume 1 [[Catalog number QED180.) It contains a song by The Whispers entitled Needle in a Haystack.

Now we all know that the mellow sound of The Whispers was pretty far removed from our beloved Velvelettes. However, the song is credited on the insert to Stevenson/Whitfield, which would lead one to believe that it is the same song.

However, it sounds NOTHING like the original. Not only that, but when I look up the song itself on Discogs, the Whispers' version is found on a 45 as part of a medley and the song is not credited to our Motown guys.

What are we supposed to make of that situation?

This is a totally different song but a good one. The compilers of that European compilation were just being lazy. It is similar to a number of cds crediting Gladys Knight's COME SEE ABOUT ME to HDH when again, it is a totally different song.

[robb_k]

The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway is ahead of its time in that it looks like an ugly 80s album cover. I don't understand how they managed to make such an atrocious album cover with a woman as beautiful and elegant as Brenda.

The Pink Album has an extremely unflattering photo of Katherine on the left.

Vintage Stock...yeah, no excuses for that one. I don't understand if they didn't want to promote Mary, what was the point in releasing that album then? A stock photo of a wine cellar please.

Motown released that LP because they were forced to do so by law. In Mary's lawsuit against Motown, which she won, she was [[among other things) awarded that Motown would release one more LP of her recordings. So they released Vintage Stock, but didn't promote it at all. To get back at Mary for suing the company, Berry ordered no promotion, and to not even have her photo place on its record jacket cover.

[tjl]

Mrs. Miller must have had recorded something from Motown - not that I ever want to hear it.

[westgrandboulevard]

The melody in Mrs. Miller's singing voice can be heard in the run-out groove on EVERY Motown recording....

[Motown Eddie]

Mrs. Miller must have had recorded something from Motown - not that I ever want to hear it.

If Mrs. Miller ever recorded something from the Motown catalog, I couldn't find anything listed at Discogs to confirm that she did [not that I'd want to find something like that]. She did come close with her recording of the Motown styled "A Lover's Concerto" originally by The Toys [and I remember hearing this one on the radio when it came out in 1966; Yuk].

[MIKEW-UK]

Dare I? I have agonised, but decided that on balance, most SDF members would enjoy this peerless cover of H-D-H "Nowhere to Run" by The Pink Finks. Wonderful harmonies.

[mysterysinger]

Motown vs Motown.

Sam Harris does have a nice voice but I can't really get into his version of "The Bells" [[or anything else of his maybe). Is it bad bad or bad good? Probably just me.

[motony]

Motown released that LP because they were forced to do so by law. In Mary's lawsuit against Motown, which she won, she was [[among other things) awarded that Motown would release one more LP of her recordings. So they released Vintage Stock, but didn't promote it at all. To get back at Mary for suing the company, Berry ordered no promotion, and to not even have her photo place on its record jacket cover.

Thats interesting Robb, I never saw that in Marys lawsuit papers. FRom what I remember Motown issued VINTAGE STOCK in 1966[[2 years after she left) at the same time Atlantic/Atco issued her THE TWO SIDES OF MARY WELLS LP[[that contained the hit Dear Lover).Motown did that on purpose & I think Vintage Stock actually sold more copies.

[daviddesper]

Motown vs Motown.

Sam Harris does have a nice voice but I can't really get into his version of "The Bells" [[or anything else of his maybe). Is it bad bad or bad good? Probably just me.

Sam was terrific on Star Search and on Broadway but it just never quite translated over to records. Not sure why, because he had an amazing voice.

[robb_k]

If Mrs. Miller ever recorded something from the Motown catalog, I couldn't find anything listed at Discogs to confirm that she did [not that I'd want to find something like that]. She did come close with her recording of the Motown styled "A Lover's Concerto" originally by The Toys [and I remember hearing this one on the radio when it came out in 1966; Yuk].

That was some of the worst sounds I've ever heard from a human or a machine, or anything in nature. Hearing it let's you know that life could always be worse, and teach you to appreciate not having to hear it all day long. I wonder what Hell is like? Her singing makes scraping fingernails on a chalkboard sound good. It made me wish I was rather listening to Bob Dylan, whose voice makes me cringe. I'd rather listen to 100 consecutive Dora Hall cuts than a 10 second snippet of a Mrs. Miller song. Taste is in the ear of the listener.

But more power to the lady. She made a good living doing that, and enjoyed being popular, too. She laughed all the way to the bank at people who made fun of her, or thought she was deliberately singing in a irritating way to be a novelty act. You could tell she really enjoyed singing. I wonder what she really thought about the quality of her singing, and whether or not she brought joy into people's lives, and made The World a better place?

[robb_k]

Thats interesting Robb, I never saw that in Marys lawsuit papers. FRom what I remember Motown issued VINTAGE STOCK in 1966[[2 years after she left) at the same time Atlantic/Atco issued her THE TWO SIDES OF MARY WELLS LP[[that contained the hit Dear Lover).Motown did that on purpose & I think Vintage Stock actually sold more copies.

I hadn't heard that Berry timed that for that purpose. But I DO remember that with all the iterations of the lawsuit and appeals, that the final judication didn't happen until 1966. So, it could have been a nice timing for him to get some vengeance. Personally, I remembered seeing a lot more copies of Mary's ATCO LP than Vintage Stock. But that may be because so many of the ATCO LP were pressed that DIDN'T sell, that they were in record shop bargain bins and Woolworth sales, and thrift and Junk stores, and 2nd Hand discount and Furniture stores, where I saw them?

[robb_k]

Dare I? I have agonised, but decided that on balance, most SDF members would enjoy this peerless cover of H-D-H "Nowhere to Run" by The Pink Finks. Wonderful harmonies.

Typical foreign Garage Rock remake of a Motown. I could expect this on one of the more obscure Rare Earth 45s. Not Terribly bad. I HATE EVERY song I've heard in that genre of "music". But this is no worse than most of the others.

[robb_k]

[[1) Oh Ralph I think you are being too hard on poor Dora. After your comment, I was expecting something awful but it is not that bad. Now of course Gladys' version could never be topped, and I have even come to appreciate Marvin's, so granted this does not compare to either of those. But if I were hearing this version for the first time and did not know any others, it would not make me cover my ears.

I am trying to think of some others that I can add to the conversation, but so far nothing is coming to me. If it does, I will chime back in.

As for Dora, I knew the name was familiar and it just now hit me. She did a song once that may have been a B side. [[2) It was called "Did He Call Today, Mama?" Anyone have an opinion on that one?

[[1) Like The Anti-Communist oath required by Senator McCarthy from Wisconsin from the Communist Witch Hunts of 1952-54, No, I am NOT RALPH, nor have I ever been! Although we both worked for Motown at one time in our careers, and we are both aged, wizend, and with gray hair on the way to white, ...........we are not the same person. But we'll accept that we are oldies but goodies.

[[2) Yes, I've heard it. It isn't terrible. It's lower than average quality Pop. The charted version was sung by Jackie DeShannon. It's a Country/Western-Pop crossover. Dora did a lot better with that genre than with Soul Music or Rock.

[robb_k]

The melody in Mrs. Miller's singing voice can be heard in the run-out groove on EVERY Motown recording....

Attachment 21753

[Motown Eddie]

A few more:

"You Keep Me Hanging On"-Vanilla Fudge
"You Keep Me Hanging On"-Kim Wilde
"A Love Like Yours [Don't Come Knockin' Every Day]"-Ike & Tina Turner

[gman]

I only bring this up b/c its my fav DRATS song....and its probably not the worst I've heard, but its recent and comes to mind....Someday We'll Be Together by Bruce Springsteen...I like a lot of Bruce...I like his voice....when I cued SWBT on YT to check it out, at first I was very happy b/c the arrangement was kept recognizable and nice...but changing the lyrics to my fav song is a no no...
You Can't Hurry Love was in my top 5 Supremes songs...I liked the cover by Byron??? on the new wave heavy flop movie great LP TIMES SQUARE soundtrack [[Detroit native Suzi Quatro kicked the soundtrack off with the excellent Rock Hard which I thought would give her another badly needed US big hit) ....I was never a Phil Collins fan...and the constant hearing of his YCHL moved it far out of my favs list....I really despise his version...
Speaking of Suzi...she recently issued a CD EP set of cover tracks, I went to Discogs to see what's on it....she has done tons of great rip roaring covers, and I am a huge fan of her early work....and I saw The Boss listed as one of the tracks, credited to Nick and Val as composers...I thought OK this may be interesting...when I played the track on YT, it is Suzi covering James Browns title The Boss.

[Starguard4]

A few more:

"You Keep Me Hanging On"-Vanilla Fudge
"You Keep Me Hanging On"-Kim Wilde
"A Love Like Yours [Don't Come Knockin' Every Day]"-Ike & Tina Turner

I would put both the Ike & Tina, and the Vanilla Fudge's versions, among THE BEST EVER covers of Motown songs, certainly not with the worst of them. If you want a worst ever one, I think any covers by Phil Collins come mighty close to that !

[tjl]

The Cowsills [[Come Round Here)I'm The One You Need - ain't no Miracles tune!

[gman]

The live mostly acapella version of Ike and Tina and the Ikettes A LOVE LIKE YOURS on the 2LP'71 Live at Carnegie Hall [[WHAT YOU HEAR IS WHAT YOU GET_) is great...I suppose what's being mentioned is the Spector version???

[Motown Eddie]

The live mostly acapella version of Ike and Tina and the Ikettes A LOVE LIKE YOURS on the 2LP'71 Live at Carnegie Hall [[WHAT YOU HEAR IS WHAT YOU GET_) is great...I suppose what's being mentioned is the Spector version???

The version of "A Love Like Yours" that I referenced is the studio take produced by Phil Spector in 1966 [and I've never heard the live version of the track from What You Hear Is What You Get]. While I love Tina's work, Spector gave the song a heavy handed 'wall of sound' production that does not work for me the way the original [by Martha & The Vandellas] does.

[gman]

The version of "A Love Like Yours" that I referenced is the studio take produced by Phil Spector in 1966 [and I've never heard the live version of the track from What You Hear Is What You Get]. While I love Tina's work, Spector gave the song a heavy handed 'wall of sound' production that does not work for me the way the original [by Martha & The Vandellas] does.

Spector made some great singles...but, I am not a big fan of any entire LP....including the legendary Christmas LP...Sleigh Ride by the Ronettes is the only thing I really like on it...he took a very "WAGNER" heavy approach to almost everything...he was also the writer of Connie Francis country style '62 hit Second Hand Love....sounds nothing like his productions...very Nashville countrypolitan...
Please, if you want to, see if you can find the live version by Ike and Tina on YT...I heard the A&M Spector LP once....no desire to pick that one up....the A&M reissue single is enough for me! the Ikettes opened the I&TT concert Lp with a great acapella version of Piece of My Heart...and on the '72 Gold and New LP the first cut is a cover of Someday We'll Be Together...I like it....of course, being the Ikettes, they rough it up a bit!

[144man]

Bowie and Jagger's version of "Dancing in the Street" is painful.
Another record I never want to hear again is The Flying Lizards' "Money".

[gman]

Bowie and Jagger's version of "Dancing in the Street" is painful.
Another record I never want to hear again is The Flying Lizards' "Money".

I will have to agree on the Bowie/Jagger cut....but I found the Euro chick with the accent on Money not so bad...and even liked the hammering over beat...it was at the time a modern and perfect new wave cut...I like it better than the Supremes treatment of Heat Wave on HDH....[[love It's the Same Old Song tho!)...my fav version is Barrett's that opens up the Motown Story 5 LP set....best sonics on any pressing I've heard.

[Roger Polhill]

Little Miss Soul`s version of "You`ve Made Me So Very Happy"

[Roger Polhill]

Cliff Richard singing "Where Did Our Love Go" it`s on You Tube!

[Graham Jarvis]

Hi Roger "You've Made Me So Very Happy"

The Writers: "Berry Gordy, Frank Wilson, B Holloway & P Holloway

The Singers & Versions: Blinky & Edwin Starr, Brenda Holloway, Chris Clark, Sammy Davis Jr, Honey Love, Hearts Of Stone & Little Miss Soul [Any more?]

[Stax_of_Motown]

Blood, Sweat And Tears. Remember this being released long before I was aware it was a Motown original!

[gman]

Blood, Sweat And Tears. Remember this being released long before I was aware it was a Motown original!

a lot of rock freaks don't know Kim and the Isley's were earlier with TAKE ME IN YOUR ARMS....never a big Doobie Brothers fan, I do have to admit its a great cover.

and I do like the version of Road Runner by Fleetwood Mac...it's on the PENGUIN Lp....1973...pre Stevie Nicks/Lindsey Buckingham.

[SatansBlues]

Hi Roger "You've Made Me So Very Happy"

The Writers: "Berry Gordy, Frank Wilson, B Holloway & P Holloway

The Singers & Versions: Blinky & Edwin Starr, Brenda Holloway, Chris Clark, Sammy Davis Jr, Honey Love, Hearts Of Stone & Little Miss Soul [Any more?]

Smokey & The Miracles did a version, Bobbie Gentry, Lou Rawls did a nice version, Gloria Estefan, Isaac Hayes, Nancy Wilson.

[SatansBlues]

Nancy Wilson.

[reese]

Diana Ross did a nice version as well.



As did Dionne Warwick.

[mowest]

and I do like the version of Road Runner by Fleetwood Mac...it's on the PENGUIN Lp....1973...pre Stevie Nicks/Lindsey Buckingham.[/QUOTE]

“[[I’m A) Road Runner" by Junior & The All Stars is my favorite Motown recording. Never knew Fleetwood Mac covered it. What a smoking hot version!

[Graham Jarvis]

Some great LP's above really good to see those, however I have two Albums [One Motown] that sadly two of them are just Naff worst Album covers.

What do you think?

[reese]

Some great LP's above really good to see those, however I have two Albums [One Motown] that sadly two of them are just Naff worst Album covers.

What do you think?

I always liked the Pips cover, although I know some people have found it strange that Gladys is depicted in romantic photos with her relatives.

[144man]

Cliff Richard singing "Where Did Our Love Go" it`s on You Tube!

Nowhere near as bad as the cover version by Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers as performed on Top of the Pops.

[144man]

Blood, Sweat And Tears. Remember this being released long before I was aware it was a Motown original!

Knowing Tony Blackburn's great love for Motown, I find it strange that he always plays Blood Sweat & Tears' version on Sound of the Sixties, never Brenda Holloway's original.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway is ahead of its time in that it looks like an ugly 80s album cover. I don't understand how they managed to make such an atrocious album cover with a woman as beautiful and elegant as Brenda.

The Pink Album has an extremely unflattering photo of Katherine on the left.

Vintage Stock...yeah, no excuses for that one. I don't understand if they didn't want to promote Mary, what was the point in releasing that album then? A stock photo of a wine cellar please.

Edit: turns out I misunderstood the topic.

Ah well, I can't remember the band's name exactly, something or other and the Runaways but I really do not care for their Want to go Back There Again by Chris Clark. Bill Kenright and the Runaways. That's it. Doesn't hold a candle to Truly Smith's cover.

YourOldStandBy, I'm surprised that you seem to resent Motown's release of Mary Wells' "Vintage Stock" album. I remember how thrilled I was to get that album. Motown released it just in time for Christmas 1966. It contained 6 previously-unreleased Motown recordings of which I loved all 6 of them. I also like the wine-cellar cover, although a photo of Mary on the back cover would have been nice. Oh, well, to each his own. I just had to add my 2 cents' worth, as Mary Wells' "Vintage Stock" Motown LP made my Christmas very special that year.