New Book - "Come And Get These Memories"

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Come And Get These Memories is a great name for a book.

Yes, it is, Tom. Indubitably!

[johnjeb]

I have both books. It's been a few months since I've read them but here are my initial thoughts. I will have to reread them both to see if I have the same or different reactions to each.

Brian and Eddie's book seemed like a series of interviews that were transcribed for publication. More like an in-depth Goldmine Magazine article for record collectors and music fans. I don't care for this type of "book". I would still recommend it for collectors and fans.

Lamont's book seemed more professionally executed. His book had a goal of guiding future songwriters with tips based on personal experiences in his life and career. It seems Lamont has had an interesting career beyond Motown, Invictus and his early solo career. It was an informative read. It seemed to have a soft and relaxed tone. I would recommend this book to casual music fans, in addition to the collector and avid Motown fan.

I enjoyed reading about their lives before Motown. It seemed that the three of them were fans of Popular music, through the influence of older relatives. Although Gospel, R&B and the Blues had a presence in their young lives, it was Pop music of the day that caught their ears. That would certainly explain the success they had at Motown in merging R&B and Pop, to some degree.

It seems all three of them were constantly working on music, whether together or alone. It sounded like a frenetic pace. This might explain the discrepancies in some of their stories, especially WDOLG. I wonder if individually they may have presented the song to one of the girls from both groups to gauge a reaction or get feedback to see if their hunch or approach made sense. And besides who can really remember some details from so long ago.

Both books are definitely must reads for Motown music collectors and fans. Most of the Motown books I have read have fallen short on some level or another but all of them have given me something valuable regarding the music and artist.