Motown’s Al Green

[Ngroove]

Really, seems like time-and-again, during my researches of Motown’s catalog, always notice something: Motown selling Al Green!

Apparently, during the eighties, Motown once had the rights to own and rerelease his classic HI records, even greatest hits, as if he was their own, added to their already rich catalog even richer. Hey, when I’ve bought a Motown Grover Washington Jr. Greatest Hits CD some time back, I’ve almost thought Grover’s music was pure Motown, only to learn that most of his Motown-compiled music, was actually Kudu-recorded, but atleast he did record for Motown once; on one record. Al never actually in-person lent even a note in their studios.

But hey; never too late, to finally officially legit-ize it; as long as he’s still got his awesome, soul-soaring voice, who wants to see Al Green actually collaborate with Motown, for atleast one Al Green Motown studio album, just to say that he IS a Motown recording artist?

[roger]

Yes NGroove ..

Around 1982/3 Motown was distributing recordings from the Hi label, in the U.S. at least [[I don't think it was a world-wide arrangement).

L.P.s by ANN PEEBLES and WILLIE MITCHELL [[a "Best of" - Double L.P. set ) were also released on U.S. Motown, which came as a surprise to me when I saw them on sale in Britain some four or five years later ... didn't stop me buying them though ..

I suppose the nearest that we have to a true AL GREEN/MOTOWN collaberation is the version of "Lets Stay Together" by BOBBY M, featuring the vocals of JEAN CARN .. here it is on you-tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgXV7jHyqR8

Roger

[Nothing But Soul]

Not to get too far off topic, but in the mid-eighties, Motown was also distributing recordings from Chicago's Vee Jay label. They issued the 1986 CDs Hits from the Legendary Vee Jay Records and Compact Command Performances by Jimmy Reed [[probably Vee Jay's biggest selling artist). Both CDs are from "Motown Record Corporation, Hollywood, California 90028."

[mysterysinger]

Just as surprising were the releases on Duane Eddy - how did they get there? But there's a history of this isn't there...Bob and Marcia [[Young, Gifted and Black) etc, much stuff on Rare Earth [[eg Pretty Things and Easybeats) and Mowest. Motown even got involved in distributing Typically Tropical's "Barbados". All adds to Motown's very rich tapestry. Love it!

[soulster]

During the 70s and early 80s, Motown owned the catalogs, had the rights to catalogs, or had signed some seemingly unusual artists to the roster with included Frankie Valli, Sammy Davis, Jr, Jerry Butler, Bill Cosby, The Hi catalog, and many others. Most of them were unsuccessful.

In the early 80s, when I bought Al Green's Greatest Hits on vinyl and CD on the Motown label, I thought it was odd, having been used to London Records releasing the Hi material. No biggie, though.

I believe the only Grover Washington Jr. album issued on the proper Motown label was "Skylarkin'". After that 1979 album, he moved to WEA's Elektra label and you know the rest. After his success there, he moved to Columbia where he remained until he passed.

[booty]

There was also "Reed Seed" [[Motown M-910) from Grover Washington that preceeded "Skylarkin'". Also issued from the Hi catalogue was Ace Cannon's "Memphis Golden Hits" [[Motown 5-300). Motown's first venture into CD releases, the series "Compact Command Performances" also included compilations from Al Green, Little Richard and a set of Martin Luther King's speeches!

[zebop]

Here's what Motown released with Al Green....

Let's Stay Together
I'm Still in Love With You
Call Me
Livin' For You
Al Green Explorers Your Mind
Al Green Is Love
Full of Fire
Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits Vol 2.
The Belle Album
Live in Tokyo
Al Green Sings the Gospel
Truth N' Time
Command Performances


I had the first five titles in cassette or record. Here's what I had in CD...

Let's Stay Together/I'm Still in Love With You- 2 on CD
Call Me/Livin For You- 2 on CD
Al Green is Love/Full of Fire 2 on CD [[in the 2fer, Love Sermon is faded out at 5:12, the original song runs to 6:39

I don't think Al Green is Love was ever a Motown LP, Full of Fire was. The cassettes of the albums from 71-74 sounded a bit "off" the strings were too loud. The vinyl versions sounded fine. Green also had a lot of Motown Yesteryear singles released as well.

[tomato tom]

Have Sha La la / Lets Get Married on Motown Yesteryear 45. Also His Greatest Hits On Motown. All HI recordings.

[tomato tom]

I know Motown distributed CTI/KUDU records at one point. I have a few Grover Washington J and Esther Phillips lps that have distruted by Motown Record Corp printed on the bottom of the record labels and on the back covers. My question is, what recordings did Motown end up owning when the deal fell apart? I know Motown got most, if not all of the Grover Washington recordings. Did they get anything else? Your help appreciated.

[soulstevie]

Hi Paulo, Motown owned the rights to all of Grover Washingtons Kudu recordings until his Live album in 1977. The following albums Reed seed and Skylarkin`came out on Motown. Now they all belong to Universal, that´s why his early to mid 70s albums were rereleased in a series called Verve Originals, since Verve is another one of Universals Jazz labels. All other CTI/Kudu recordings went to CBS, now Sony