PMG...
Looking forward to studying your Motorcity details!
And since it seems the upcoming reworked tracks [many thanks to Soren1974!] will be available digital-only......maybe this will provide me with a suitable spur to now embrace the digital era.
My experience to date has only been of clicking links online [for example, YouTube), or downloads [generally of information details, such as documents] received via emails.
So...can anyone confirm how I could receive and play the new Motorcity tracks, and achieve the same quality of sound that I would experience with a CD player?
Last edited by westgrandboulevard; 02-13-2023 at 09:22 AM.
Westgrand, Kenny uploaded it for me this morning, bless his heart! My thread is available now.
Hi 144man....
Have now carefully listened, and then researched a little.
Instead of 'Running A Fever' being composed in couplets, there seem to be an 'odd' number of lyric lines [five] to each of the verses. So I can understand why, to your ears, the verses would seem a line short.
If I have it right, I think this is an example of a five-line stanza, also known as a 'quintet' or 'quintain'....
Westgrand, your question regarding CD-quality downloads didn't register in my mind until just now. I'm sorry to keep you waiting. The answer to your question is Yes -- there are websites that offer "loss-less", CD-quality downloads. Whether or not they offer Ian''s new remixes is beyond me. I'm afraid I can't tell you the names of those websites, as I would much prefer the CD. [[I did make an exception a few years back when Motown secretly released a ton of albums as downloads which had never gotten a rightful CD release [[i.e., the final few Smokey & Miracles albums, several Temptations albums, etc.). I bought the regular-priced downloads on Amazon and they sound great. If you find what you want on the loss-less sites, they will cost you more so be-ye-prepared! I remember that Soulster and a few other Forum members used to rave about the improved sound quality. I'll bet you can find out the names of the loss-less sites by Googling the question "Where can I buy loss-less downloads?" That should steer you in the right direction. Then, you'll need to go on that site and see if they offer the artist and album title that you're looking for. I hope that helps.
Last edited by Philles/Motown Gary; 02-15-2023 at 01:41 AM.
In a rare letter to Blues & Soul magazine back in the day Ian confirmed all artists were indeed paid fully what was contracted. In fact, a few took his money and ran without completing their contract including one Motown leading lady whose name he quoted with regret but I will not. And as for Liz Lands’ published comments I consider them insulting ravings – who else but Ian gave her the chance to return to public awareness? Let’s have a little fair play for a guy who bet the farm on what he loved and believed in.
PMG, thanks for those details.
The main problem is if I have a CD I want to play, I can just do it. As long as the CD player, or replacement, is available to use, that is.....
But if, for example, I use the links that you recently posted, and play them on this laptop, I will get the sound...but not the original full sound.
I'm just unsure how to be able to take a download, and hear the same depth of sound as if it had been obtained on a CD.
From what little I have learned to date,I guess I need to 'burn' said downloads onto blank CDs.....but that's as far as my knowledge goes....
Yes, British Tony, I do remember Ian's comments published in Blues & Soul.
I seem to remember he actually quoted two Motown leading ladies - both of whose first names begin with the same capital letter as Motown, and also Motorcity. One took the money, and one did not fully co-operate in completing the tracks allocated to her. Very regrettable, indeed.
As for Liz Lands....her comments, and those of some others, simply seemed to be borne of unfulfilled and unrealistic expectations. Feelings probably, and sadly, made even more acute from living in unfortunate circumstances...
Last edited by westgrandboulevard; 02-15-2023 at 08:29 AM.
I only met Ian a few times and I remember him being very bitter at the time that one of the ladies had not fulfilled her contractual obligations. Late DFTMC member Stephen Daws mentioned this to me as well.
” I think Ian tried to do too much at one time. He alienated a lot of the artists. I wouldn’t have a problem with it provided he had paid me my money upfront, because I was his hit artist.”
thanks Heikki!
interesting surmising by Frances because had Levine limited his focus more , she , being so Obscure, likely wouldn’t have made the cut. All the more ironic as she turned out to be the only one of the bunch to have a hit , which was probably most unexpected at the time, if that’s indeed the case ….i.e. FOOTSTEPS being the only one of 750 songs to chart ??? [!!!]
Last edited by Boogiedown; 02-19-2023 at 01:05 PM.
I recently discovered this one by Syreeta and it's quickly become one of my Motorcity favourites!!!
Tom, I, too, like Syreeta's "Moment Of Weakness".
And, Boogie, I'm getting the distinct impression that Ian's best Motorcity work was developing at the time HOT Productions closed their doors and Ian's much-improved productions were no longer being heard here in the States. Syreeta's "Moment Of Weakness" was included on "Best Of Motorcity [[Vol. 19), track 3 -- just before Vols. 21-50 were denied to us. I would give my right arm to have those missing productions on CD.
PMG [and Tom], just in passing, and you may already know it, but Syreeta had a CD ['With You I'm Born Again'] released in Japan, on Nightmare label, with what would seem to be all her Motorcity recordings, including 'Moment Of Weakness'......
And which was co-written by Syreeta and, I believe, her then-husband, Torrence Mathis...and who both also co-wrote 'Talking In My Sleep' [Barbara McNair, for Motorcity].
'Moment Of Weakness' can be found on UK release 'Motorcity Summer Swingbeats'...
Yes, that's the one: https://www.discogs.com/release/2824...-Im-Born-Again
I think all the original Motorcity songs ["If The Shoe Fits", "One Plan Of Action" and "Watching The Hands Of Time" with Billy Preston!] are also pretty excellent!
Yes, all good.....'Watching The Hands Of Time' is a special favourite. It has a great big booming echo sound, which I think should have epitomised the Motorcity sound....but in a fair number of all the original recordings, didn't....
And as much as I really like Syreeta's first version of 'Love Fire' for Motown, I think the Motorcity version just goes straight to it....and beats out the original....
Hi Gary,
Just in case it is of interest to you [or anyone else], that version 2 link of 'Find My Way Back' by Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers is featured on the 2000 release from Goldmine/Soul Supply Ltd, "You Didn't Say A Word - New Northern Soul For A New Millennium"...
Together with at least a dozen other updated Motorcity tracks..
Last edited by westgrandboulevard; 04-19-2023 at 07:30 AM.
Thanks, Westgrand! Good to know.
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