What are your favorite Motown Album Covers?

[Motown Eddie]

What are your favorite Motown Album Covers?
Motown's album cover art are haven't been discussed enough and I feel that they did some very good ones. Here's some of my favorites-

1. The Temptations-
Meet The Temptations
Temptin' Temptations
Gettin' Ready
2. The Supremes-
Where Did Our Love Go
More Hits by The Supremes
I Hear A Symphony
Supremes A Go-Go
Greatest Hits [[Vol. 1)
3. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles-
Hi! We're The Miracles
Cookin' With The Miracles
Going To A Go-Go
Time Out with Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
4. Marvin Gaye-
Moods of Marvin Gaye
M.P.G.
What's Going On
Let's Get It On
5. Stevie Wonder-
Music Of My Mind
Talking Book
Innervisions
In Square Circle
6. The Marvelettes-
The Marvelettes
Sophisticated Soul
7. Jr. Walker & the All-Stars-
Home Cookin'
8. Brenda Holloway-
Every Little Bit Hurts
9. Four Tops-
Four Tops Second Album
Still Waters Run Deep
10. Martha & the Vandellas-
Watchout!

[kenneth]

From reviewing your favorites, Motown Eddie, looks like you like the classic "portrait" type covers, although "Still Waters Run Deep" and a few others don't fit that category.

I do like the more "artsy" covers, and consider "Still Waters" one of those, definitely. My all time favorite is "Return of the Marvelettes".
I love the whole concept and execution of the girls riding in on horseback and think it was executed beautifully. The art director for that cover, as well as many others from that era, was someone named Ken Kim.

In addition, I love the "Undisputed Truth" [[first album), the Marvelettes "In Full Bloom" [[also credited to Ken Kim, I believe), Jr. Walker's "A Gasss...", and the Temptations' "Sky's the Limit."

Fun topic!

[lakeside]

[lakeside]

[marv2]

Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" cover painting by Ernie Barnes.

[phil]

The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway

[kenneth]

Great idea, lakeside, to post the covers.

[Circa 1824]

Love Child LP by Diana Ross and the Andantes

[kenneth]

Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" cover painting by Ernie Barnes.

Marv2's pick:

[sophisticated_soul]

. .
Attachment 13013

[roger]

The music isn't too bad either!!

[lakeside]

[Ngroove]

[luke]

Supremes sing HDH

[McMotown]

Tammi Terrell - Irresistable

[bradsupremes]

One of my favorites!

[Luciano]

I have a lot but i will start with The Miracles

[masterblaster]

I always liked the Jr Walker album cover for " Peace and Understanding". Very arty.

[Luciano]

The Contours:

[Luciano]

The Supremes:

[Luciano]

The Originals:

[Luciano]

The Four Tops:

[TomatoTom123]

Ohhh, GREAT question, Eddie! I have never really thought about this... well, consciously, anyway!!! I'll have a think and get back to you. Great choices by the way, everybody.

[TomatoTom123]

Hmm...

The Temptations' Psychedelic Shack is colourful and vibrant and I like it!

The Undisputed Truth's Cosmic Truth is a funkaay cover to match the funkaay music...!

I also like the semi-cartoon image of Stevie on his 1980 album Hotter Than July... great

[sansradio]

I used to gaze at this one in wonder as a little tyke:

[sansradio]

My all-time favorite.

[Ozmo]

While I love this photograph of the Supremes, I always thought that it was a strange choice for their album cover as it seems at odds with the musical content, which was predominately aimed at the dancefloor. I have sometimes wondered whether this had an effect on sales as the casual record buyer at the time may have got the impression that the album was more laidback/MOR than it actually was!

A few albums which I thought perfectly illustrated the musical content were:

Sophisticated Soul - The Marvelettes
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
Floy Joy - The Supremes
The Bitch Is Black - Yvonne Fair

[marv2]

I always thought this was a great cover:

Attachment 13033

[lakeside]

[lakeside]

[kenneth]

What I love about this one is how the cover fits the song...that indeed the two lovers are one and the same. Clever and fitting!

[huntergettingcaptured]

Love Child LP by Diana Ross and the Andantes

I tried not to, but I laughed VERY hard and very LOUD at that.

[huntergettingcaptured]

I'm in the States, so we didn't get this release here, but when I "discovered" it on ebay, I had to get it. Such a classy portrait of the ladies.

[luke]

In the 70s I wasn't sure if that was Cindy on the cover of The Supremes. Just her profile initially threw me and she hadn't been on the Floy Joy album cover.

[huntergettingcaptured]

One of those covers that I would study over and over. I love the simple elegance of it. The use of light and shadow. Simple smiles, very natural expressions. I was always drawn in by how Florence was positioned in the composition and her quiet elegance, Mary's friendly smile, and a rare instance of Diana just being Diana with a welcome smile.

[huntergettingcaptured]

This one is as perfect an album cover as you could get. The title works two ways- it works in the hit song's title and also incorporates the The Temptations into the title at once. Not, "The Temptations"... "Wish It Would Rain", but the title is as if to say The Temptations are actively wishing for rain. Black and White, matches the feeling of the desert scene which in itself is a witty visual pun on the title.

I love that the cover is rather stoic and stark, moody; until you discover David Ruffin's having a laugh in the background! Just enough to add just the right amount of humor.

[kenneth]

In the 70s I wasn't sure if that was Cindy on the cover of The Supremes. Just her profile initially threw me and she hadn't been on the Floy Joy album cover.

I knew it was Cindy on the front cover, but I always thought the trio on the back was a different lineup. I wasn't aware back then of who was who really [[of course I knew Diana and Mary). But in the back cover photo, to me, Cindy is hardly recognizable. She's so distinctive looking, especially around the eyes, but I don't know what they did to that photo. To me, it hardly looks like her.

[soulster]

[soulster]

[Luciano]

The Temptations:

[reese]

This one is as perfect an album cover as you could get. The title works two ways- it works in the hit song's title and also incorporates the The Temptations into the title at once. Not, "The Temptations"... "Wish It Would Rain", but the title is as if to say The Temptations are actively wishing for rain. Black and White, matches the feeling of the desert scene which in itself is a witty visual pun on the title.

I love that the cover is rather stoic and stark, moody; until you discover David Ruffin's having a laugh in the background! Just enough to add just the right amount of humor.

This photo was taken from an appearance the guys did on LAUGH-IN. In the original photo, there is an anonymous guy sitting up near the back but his image was taken out for the album cover.

[RanRan79]

Here are a couple of mine:

[woodward]

My two favorites:

1. Here Comes the Judge - Shorty Long
2. I'll Pick a Rose for My Rose - Marv Johnson [[UK version only)

I often wonder how they manipulated the cover of Shorty's album.

[arr&bee]

This is always fun...temptin temptations..temptations sing smokey..gettin ready..temptations live[1966]..reunion..solid rock..the miracles greatest hits from the beginning..four in blue..going to a go-go..make it happen..mickey's monkey..meet the supremes..supremes a go-go..the original spinners..the marvelettes[pink album]..sophisticated soul..four tops on top..marvin gaye[here my dear]..what's goin on..marvin and his girlfriends..eddie kendricks[all by myself]..eddie kendricks.

[Luciano]

Syreeta:

[Luciano]

Stoney and Meatloaf:

[Luciano]

Shorty Long:

[Luciano]

Gladys Knight & the Pips:

[Luciano]

David Ruffin:





With Jimmy Ruffin:

[marv2]

Marv2's pick:

Thank you Kenneth!