FINALLY!!! The Long Awaited Book "Hype & Soul" is Ready!

**pubbis** · 09-15-2011, 04:40 AM

The Marvelous book arrived to Stockholm, Sweden yesterday. Lot´s of great stuff to read, great photos and memorabilia on almost every page. Super paper quality. Go buy it Motown fans!

**marybrewster** · 09-15-2011, 08:39 AM

Originally Posted by Roberta75

Have you considered loaning out the first copy with the creased Vandellas photo to members here who can't afford to buy a copy? I'm sure Penny, luke, marybrewster or Bokiluis would appreciate it and whoever gets the books first could pass it on to the next person and so on and so on with the last person returning it back to you. Just a suggestion.

Random acts of kindness are always rewarded from the heavenly father.

Roberta

Roberta, sorry to see that your post went ignored, especially for a thread that's so busy!

Great minds must think alike because that's exactly what I was thinking.

**motown_david** · 09-15-2011, 04:10 PM

Only just seen your post Roberta, as my wife and I have been away for a couple of days to see the grandchildren. As far as an act of kindness is concerned, I've already passed the damaged book onto a friend here in the UK, who is out of work and can't afford a copy. You'll be pleased to hear too that I made a donation to the Children's Society charity for it,which helps to look after runaway children who have suffered abuse at the hands of their family. The Lord often works in mysterious ways..

**Roberta75** · 09-16-2011, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by marybrewster

Roberta, sorry to see that your post went ignored, especially for a thread that's so busy!

Great minds must think alike because that's exactly what I was thinking.

No worries marybrewster.

Best to you.

Roberta

**Roberta75** · 09-16-2011, 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by motown_david

Only just seen your post Roberta, as my wife and I have been away for a couple of days to see the grandchildren. As far as an act of kindness is concerned, I've already passed the damaged book onto a friend here in the UK, who is out of work and can't afford a copy. You'll be pleased to hear too that I made a donation to the Children's Society charity for it,which helps to look after runaway children who have suffered abuse at the hands of their family. The Lord often works in mysterious ways..

God will surely bless you for all your good deeds motown_david.

Fondly,

Roberta

**wedgeville** · 09-18-2011, 08:39 AM

Brilliant book, a must for all lovers of motown. Great pics and chock full of great info.

Wayne

**Jimi LaLumia** · 09-18-2011, 11:39 PM

hoping this new week will be when the book arrives for New York based orders 9like MINE!!!)..can't wait..

**jobeterob** · 09-19-2011, 12:35 AM

Mine made it all the way to BC last week.

I'm very pleased to see a well put together, hardback, glossy book! Hype is a fair word.

This is excellent. Great pictures and great reminders.

I love the part about Diana leaving the Supremes in 1966 and how the Supremes have something the Shangrilas, Toys and Marvelettes don't have..........Diana. And how she had grown but the Supremes hadn't.

People tend to forget the press had a huge part in pushing her out of the Supremes.

**captainjames** · 09-19-2011, 10:20 PM

Rob
you are so correct and there had to be so much pressure on this group and the demands from the public.

Originally Posted by jobeterob

Mine made it all the way to BC last week.

I'm very pleased to see a well put together, hardback, glossy book! Hype is a fair word.

This is excellent. Great pictures and great reminders.

I love the part about Diana leaving the Supremes in 1966 and how the Supremes have something the Shangrilas, Toys and Marvelettes don't have..........Diana. And how she had grown but the Supremes hadn't.

People tend to forget the press had a huge part in pushing her out of the Supremes.

**Roberta75** · 09-19-2011, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by captainjames

Rob
you are so correct and there had to be so much pressure on this group and the demands from the public.

I think we all forget Diana, Mary and Florence were barely 20 years old when they hit it big and Diana and Mary were only 26 when Diana left the Supremes. A terrible amount of pressure was on those very young ladies.

**soulster** · 09-19-2011, 10:57 PM

I haven't been following this thread, but you mean to tell me the book is already out of print??? That's what Amazon says.

**jobeterob** · 09-19-2011, 11:03 PM

I just got mine on Friday.

Get it Soul.........this is a good book; we are not talking self published on newsprint nor are we talking Ribowsky style trash talk.

This is glossy, rare material right out of the 60's; all artists included; Brenda Holloway touring with the Beatles; Supremes press releases and newspaper articles; Marvin and Anna; the Temptations and their Walk; Tommy Good.

I think it cost me about $70 to get it........but I'm pleased.

**Roberta75** · 09-19-2011, 11:24 PM

Originally Posted by soulster

I haven't been following this thread, but you mean to tell me the book is already out of print??? That's what Amazon says.

Amazon never had the book to begin with.

**scanspeak** · 09-20-2011, 08:59 AM

Received mine [[Melbourne, Australia) a few days ago. Loving it and it looks like it's going to take months to read it all.

**motony** · 09-20-2011, 09:15 AM

I'm in Fla. haven't received my book yet...rec'd the 45 about 5 weeks ago.Does it come regular mail or UPS?

**Neil Rushton** · 09-20-2011, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by motony

I'm in Fla. haven't received my book yet...rec'd the 45 about 5 weeks ago.Does it come regular mail or UPS?

All pre-orders mailed out 2 weeks ago.
It will be delivered by regular mail.

Thanks - Neil

**Neil Rushton** · 09-20-2011, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by soulster

I haven't been following this thread, but you mean to tell me the book is already out of print??? That's what Amazon says.

The book came out 2 weeks ago and is definitely not out of print. Don't know where Amazon got that info from, but they are incorrect.
Only the first 500 books contain the bonus TMAS single, and the way the book is selling they may be gone soon.
The best way to order is direct from our web site - www.soulvation.biz

Thanks - Neil

**motony** · 09-20-2011, 12:56 PM

Thanks Neil, I am looking forward to it.

**Jimi LaLumia** · 09-20-2011, 04:13 PM

still waiting for my pre ordered copy in NY

**johnjeb** · 09-20-2011, 08:59 PM

Received my book and record today. I am in a suburb of Boston.

Have only been able to flip through it, what I see is outstanding.

**MotownLover** · 09-20-2011, 09:46 PM

Got my copy today also. I am in Long Beach, California.

I ditto what you have stated as I flipped thru EVERY SINGLE page and am too extremely impressed with the quality of the glossy paged book.

It is indeed well worth the price folks!

**Jimi LaLumia** · 09-21-2011, 02:28 PM

whoo hoo!..FOREVER CAME TODAY!!!!...
the book has arrived..yassah/...
full review shortly, very exciting..

**motony** · 09-21-2011, 03:33 PM

cool, Jimi, can't wait to get home & check my mail.

**marv2** · 09-21-2011, 03:46 PM

Yeah it came for me today too here in New York! I got my book about 20 mins ago!!!! I haven't even opened it yet. I going to really enjoy this one!

Marv

**marv2** · 09-21-2011, 04:49 PM

Al !

Thank you! I am in the acknowledgements on PAGE 257! Thank you for autographing it. Now let's the World know this book has arrived!!!!

Marv

**randy_russi** · 09-22-2011, 07:46 AM

I also received my book courtesy Mr. Al Abrams! It is a beautifully designed book. I went page by page before I began
reading anything just looking at the great graphics.
Thank you, Al!

**motony** · 09-22-2011, 10:08 AM

I received my book yesterday!It is beautiful & so different then all others!It will provide many hours of enjoyment.Thanks, Al!

**tommy good** · 09-22-2011, 11:47 AM

I got mine today, I knew the book was going to be good. If you want to get a good idea of what it was like to be at Motown during it’s best days, read this book, if you want to see pictures that have never been shown before, get this book. There are so many good storys.
Al is the Motown historian. I particularly like the humor and appreciate the talent and honesty throughout the whole book.
Tommy Good

**randy_russi** · 09-22-2011, 12:20 PM

Tommy Good--the book has some great stuff on you!

**tommy good** · 09-22-2011, 01:57 PM

Hi Randy,
Yes it has and I'm one grateful man to have such friends as Al and here on Soulfuldetroit. Makes me proud of my time at Motown.

Tommy Good

**marv2** · 09-22-2011, 03:20 PM

The pictures in the book are in a word........AWESOME! I thought I had saw everything, but apparently not!

**Neil Rushton** · 09-22-2011, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by Roberta75

Amazon never had the book to begin with.

The book now available on Amazon in UK via the publishers web shop.

**Neil Rushton** · 09-28-2011, 04:42 PM

For anyone looking to purchase the book via Amazon, it is for sale on our Amazon shop in the UK. When you add postage and packing is same price as via our web site.

URL to get to our Amazon shop is -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/browse.ht...A333GCMWVYSTRY

The book now creating a buzz in Japan thanks to export sales, and the Freep article on Sunday created lots of interest in Detroit, just shows Al has lost none of his PR skills! To get a book containing the bonus single recommend you order as quickly, only the first 500 of the book have the single and these have gone/are going fast!.

Thanks - Neil

**Neil Rushton** · 11-22-2011, 08:16 AM

The recent Al Abramns TV interview on Fox in Detroit can now be seen in the "Hype & Soul" section of our web site -

www.soulvation.biz

The site has also been updated with more photographs from the book.

We still have copies left of the book with the bonus Tamla Motown Appreciation Society single disc..can be odered online from the Soulvation web site or go to Amazon UK to the Soulvation shop.

All The Best,

Neil

**Bokiluis** · 11-22-2011, 09:52 AM

This book is cost prohibitive for Americans. When you convert the cost, the basic book alone is $50.00! As much as I love reading books on Motown, this one leaves me cold. I guess I'll have to surf through eBay for a used copy.

**marv2** · 11-22-2011, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by Bokiluis

This book is cost prohibitive for Americans. When you convert the cost, the basic book alone is $50.00! As much as I love reading books on Motown, this one leaves me cold. I guess I'll have to surf through eBay for a used copy.

You know, it is interesting that you say what you did and used the words you did.........."leaves me cold". I am curious if you have seen the book yet or even paged through it? I would find it very hard for even the casual music fan or Motown fan to find it cold! It is chocked full of so many amazing articles, stories and pictures that most have either seen or haven't seen since the sixties! Did you mean the cost to own it leaves you cold?

I do not mean this in any type of disrespectful way, but when someone says to me that something is "too expensive" or in this case "cost prohibitive" my next question is always as compared to what?

There has never been another book like this....."Hype and Soul" I absolutely love it!

Marv

**Bokiluis** · 11-23-2011, 07:45 AM

By no means is any book written by anyone worth that kind of money. It is quite unrealistic. And this is from someone who spent $1k to see Diana at Sting's Rainforest concert series at Carnegie Hall.

**Bokiluis** · 11-23-2011, 07:50 AM

What justifies such a cost? Are you really serious about not seeing the absurdity in this pricing? I have spent quite a bit of money on Diana and Motown related memorabilia. But I am sorry as curious as I might be about it's content, I just cannot go there. Bob Jones wrote a book on Michael. He was once head of Publicity at Motown. He didn't charge such exorbitant prices for something with arguably an even wider appeal.

**Bokiluis** · 11-23-2011, 07:54 AM

Not to be disrespectful but compared to other books. I am sorry I just find it waaay over priced and I have a very extensive Motown collection.

**Bokiluis** · 11-23-2011, 08:00 AM

Thanks Roberta for your kind consideration. But it isn't a question of whether I can afford it or not. When it comes to Diana and Motown memorabilia, I have spent a lot of money and still would. If there were a Diana RCA era box set with rare goodies, I would spend $200.00 as a starting price point.

**Neil Rushton** · 11-25-2011, 06:48 AM

Originally Posted by Bokiluis

What justifies such a cost? Are you really serious about not seeing the absurdity in this pricing? I have spent quite a bit of money on Diana and Motown related memorabilia. But I am sorry as curious as I might be about it's content, I just cannot go there. Bob Jones wrote a book on Michael. He was once head of Publicity at Motown. He didn't charge such exorbitant prices for something with arguably an even wider appeal.

We set the cost based on the price of publishing it,ie obtaining the rights, paying for it to be prepared [[which took a long time), printing it on high quality paper, and marketing.
We could easily have done what lots of people have done in the past and gone for cheaper printing, unimaginative lay out and so on. Generating the graphics alone cost us a lot, but we believe the wonderful results are worth what we spent.
The head of the UK's biggest music book publishes saw "Hype & Soul" and said he thought it was incredible. A "proper" commercial publisher would never have put so much ingenuity, time and and expense into what they would see as a niche book.It has been a labour of love for this and we believe the result shows that.
As well as looking chic it is also rammed with information and memorabilia. Al's stories take you back to what it was really like at Hitsville.
The limited edition with the bonus TMAS single is now on the way to selling out, so we have now released the format without the disc, and this is at a cheaper price than the limited edition...go to www.soulvation.biz for details. .
One thing out of our control is the cost of shipping from the UK to the USA.

All The Best,

Neil

**MIKEW-UK** · 11-25-2011, 10:29 AM

Neil,

As far as I can see, everybody who purchased the book has rated it extremely highly. I certainly do. It is impeccably produced and the quality of content, presentation and format is consistent with the very fair price. I doubt that the author and publisher of the book are going to make large sums out of this; it comes across more of a labour of love. If I am wrong and you become millionaires out of it, let me know.

**marv2** · 11-25-2011, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by Bokiluis

What justifies such a cost? Are you really serious about not seeing the absurdity in this pricing? I have spent quite a bit of money on Diana and Motown related memorabilia. But I am sorry as curious as I might be about it's content, I just cannot go there. Bob Jones wrote a book on Michael. He was once head of Publicity at Motown. He didn't charge such exorbitant prices for something with arguably an even wider appeal.

No I do not see anything wrong. What I find absurd is that you are crying over the price of this wonderful book, but admitted here in public to spending $1,000 to see Diane Ross somewhere. I wouldn't spend the night with her, to see her upclose......for free! LOL!

**Bokiluis** · 11-25-2011, 11:04 AM

Neil,
I'll confess I am slowly being broken down since the reviews have been almost unanimously positive. It is just coming at a time when I am dealing with all of my Diana memorabilia. I have an extensive collection that I am not willing to sell. Instead I would prefer to share with new fans or fans possibly missing an item. I have almost every album in multiples. Last month alone, like many fans I bought "More Hits by" [[2), "The Greatest", the Nile Rodgers book, etc. But I love all books about the music industry especially Motown. I wished that it went through 1968 when the company had no less than 5 of the Top 10 singles during the holiday season '68. Alas, Mr. Abrams was gone by 1966. But I'm coming around. The collector's 7 inch doesn't interest me so I will probably go with the barebones version. The power of peer persuasion is winning me over though I am anxious to see what could possibly justify such a steep cost for Americans when it is not an art book. Etc. I may be taking the leap soon......

**Bokiluis** · 11-25-2011, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by marv2

No I do not see anything wrong. What I find absurd is that you are crying over the price of this wonderful book, but admitted here in public to spending $1,000 to Diane Ross somewhere. I wouldn't spend the night with her, to see her upclose......for free! LOL!

I will rewrite what I wrote with the quote directed at Marv2. Spending a $1000 to see Diana perform a Supremes medley with Sting, Elton John and James Taylor subbing as Supremes complete with white gloves, for a Rainforest Foundation benefit concert at Carnegie Hall is a little different than buying a book, albeit how well done it is. But since you so rudely and unnecessarily chose to refer to as "Diane" to be a smart aleck, I wouldn't expect you to understand the difference. [[The pettiness of marywilson still lives in some poor souls out there).

**stalebagel** · 11-25-2011, 11:21 AM

Bokiluis:
I was at Motown all through 1966 and was certainly not "gone by 1966."
Al Abrams

**Bokiluis** · 11-25-2011, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by stalebagel

Bokiluis:
I was at Motown all through 1966 and was certainly not "gone by 1966."
Al Abrams

Al, I did not mean for this to come across as a shot. I just personally am intrigued about what the company was like that 4th quarter in 1968. Email can distort what someone is trying to say. I am totally interested in what the company was like during your tenure. I stated earlier that I am coming around and will likely purchase the book. I extend my apologies if I came across too harshly. I spend a lot of money on Motown memorabilia. But I just happened to be face with downsizing. I have a storage space with Diana and Motown memorabilia. And at 58, I realize I don't have that much longer to be collecting so intensely. That's my issue, not anyone else's. But if you scroll up, you will see that I am coming around. The power of consensus is winning me over. And without reading it, congratulations for getting it published. It appears that you have done a magnificent job!

**stalebagel** · 11-25-2011, 11:43 AM

Bokiluis:
Thanks for your candid reply. No offense taken.
Al

**marv2** · 11-25-2011, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Bokiluis

I will rewrite what I wrote with the quote directed at Marv2. Spending a $1000 to see Diana perform a Supremes medley with Sting, Elton John and James Taylor subbing as Supremes complete with white gloves, for a Rainforest Foundation benefit concert at Carnegie Hall is a little different than buying a book, albeit how well done it is. But since you so rudely and unnecessarily chose to refer to as "Diane" to be a smart aleck, I wouldn't expect you to understand the difference. [[The pettiness of marywilson still lives in some poor souls out there).

No smart aleck here. I call her Diane because that is her name and what I've always called her! Why you or Roberta feel it necessary to "let everyone know" that you were not interested in buying this book .....because of the cost and then turn around and brag about all the money you spent on what I
or others could view as nonsense, is beyond me! What is the point in doing that? To try to make someone feel bad?

Marv

oh and leave Mary out of this!

**luke** · 11-25-2011, 12:26 PM

It shows the hypocrisy --take a shot at Mary Wilson when complaining of someone taking a shot at Ms Ross--twilight zone. Could someone please give a review and specifics of this book? Im being worn down too but would like to hear what readers think. Glad my suggestion of awhile ago about price reduction if no record put in effect!