Don't Forget The Motor City - The 5th edition online now!!

The Ultimate Guide to Motown (and related) recordings, 1956 - 1972

Online  now fith edition of this great online motown resource

Don't Forget The Motor City - The 5th edition online now!!

This is the fifth edition of Don't Forget The Motor City, and the second to appear online. As well as taking the story on to cover recordings up to the end of 1972, when Motown left Detroit, this edition incorporates most of the significant CD releases since the last update. And numerous corrections have been made, although doubtless many errors remain unamended.

INTRODUCTION : Keith Hughes

Don't Forget The Motor City - 5th edition

This is the fifth edition of Don't Forget The Motor City, and the second to appear online. As well as taking the story on to cover recordings up to the end of 1972, when Motown left Detroit, this edition incorporates most of the significant CD releases since the last update. And numerous corrections have been made, although doubtless many errors remain unamended.

Songs

This listing contains all titles published by Jobete up to the end of 1972 for which recordings have appeared on vinyl or CD.

In addition, it contains all titles known to have been recorded for any of the following labels (including unreleased recordings), before the end of 1972, and that are not published by Jobete:

Tamla, Motown, Gordy, VIP, Soul, Miracle, Melody, Workshop Jazz, Divinity, Rare Earth, Mowest, Anna, Vega, Checkmate, Harvey, HPC, Message, Tri-Phi, Ric-Tic, Golden World, and Wingate

It also contains all titles that were written by, or had recordings produced or arranged by, Berry Gordy Jr, not included above, before the end of 1972.

Recordings

For each song, all known US recordings up until the end of 1972 are shown. Where the first known recording of a song was not until 1973 or later, this recording only is shown.

Releases

For each recording, all known US releases, up until the end of 1972, are shown. Where the first release of a recording was not until 1973 or later, this release only is shown. Where the only known release of a recording was outside the US, this release is shown. A large number of CD releases also appear, but not all.

Song titles

Where the song appears in the Jobete Catalog, the title appears here as it does in the Catalog. Correct titles of non-Jobete songs are derived where possible from independent sources such as BMI and ASCAP. A particular problem is posed by recordings known only from acetate labels, or discographies: in some cases, a guess has been made about the identity of a particular title, and future research, or release of the material in question, may prove these guesses wrong.

Song writers

Much standardisation has taken place: in general, a writer's first and last names are shown, in the most commonly known form (e.g. Eddie Holland for Edward J. Holland Jr); combination names (e.g. Brianbert, Janard) are expanded to full names; other aliases are in general preserved. Names of writers are taken from the Jobete Catalog where possible. For non-Jobete titles, the writers shown are derived where possible from independent sources such as BMI and ASCAP.

Publishers

Two publishers separated by comma (e.g. Jobete,Jansumar) indicate shared publishing rights. Two publishers separated by slashes (e.g. Birdsong/Jobete) indicate publishing rights acquired by the second publisher from the first. The publishers listed are the publishers of the title at the time; no attempt is made to indicate who owns the titles now.

Versions

Different versions of the same song by the same artist are listed only when there are significant audible differences, usually due to different recordings (takes) being used, or to substantially different track durations, or to the use of overdubbing. Stereo/mono mixes have not normally been treated as different versions. Where it has not been possible to listen to a recording, a guess has sometimes been made about whether it is the same as or different from other known recordings of the song by the artist in question: future research or release of the material in question may prove these guesses wrong.

Producers

Standardisation of names as for writers. Wherever possible, producers listed on single-play records have been preferred to those listed on albums, as the latter are not always accurate. Some producers (or chief producers) have been inferred from master numbers where they are otherwise unknown (this is usually possible with Motown master numbers from August 1964 on).

Arrangers

Standardisation of names as for writers.

Accompanists

Standardisation of names as for writers. Additional information has been acquired from a variety of sources (including listening to the recordings).

Type of release

Where records with a particular catalogue number are known to have been pressed, a date is shown in front of the catalogue number. (There is no indication whether commercial copies were pressed.) Where it is thought no copies were pressed, "Scheduled" is used in place of the date. "Acetate" details have been derived where possible from studying copies of the labels, and listening to tape copies of the records. Some "bootleg" records are also shown: their presence in the listing does not mean that the author condones bootlegging, or can supply any information about the availability of these records. Details of "Unissued" recordings have been collected from a variety of sources, some published and some private, and checked wherever possible.

Release dates

Where possible, dates of release have been taken from information supplied by Motown, e.g. on album/CD liner notes. Otherwise dates have been taken from published discographies; where these disagree, a "best guess" has been taken.

Recording dates

Again where possible, recording dates have been taken from information supplied by Motown, again mainly on album/CD liner notes.

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