Tamla Motown Worldwide - Anthology Of Original LP Releases 1959 - 1971

Hmm... the authors need to be careful before calling something 'immaculately researched'.

The very first record described in their write-up above was released on Columbia and not Stateside as mentioned (The Big, Big Sound from Detroit.. French compilation). 

Also the French EMI distributor, Pathé Marconi, dates release of this album as 1965 not 1964 as stated above (and on Discogs). It was part of a January 1965 release schedule including several Columbia label EPs as advance promotion for the upcoming French launch of the Tamla Motown label and Motortown Revue concert at Paris Olympia in April 1965.

The claim for Tamla Motown Worldwide to be the 'first and only book that gathers together all the original vinyl albums which the mighty MOTOWN corporation has released in the USA and other countries during the 1960s,' seems also ambitious. I've collected for years and am still discovering stuff. If Discogs is their source, this is far from complete. i'd have to buy the book to check out the claim but the price is too high.

Sorry to sound pedantic, but a cover price of 48 euros is being asked for under what seem to be dubious pretences.

Mmm it all looks rather "hand knitted", an amateur enterprise that although prepared with love by a keen fan/fans will most likely be peppered with errors. The design and layout has that unprofessional appearance. Good luck to them

Isn't Reg Bartlett still compiling the LP list, the singles list is a goldmine of info to be fair

It certainly looks appealing to me and I've ordered it. Will report back once I've got it and read it.....thanks to Soul Source for flagging it up in the first place; I wasn't aware of it before. 

The book has now arrived, incredibly quickly I must say. 

I haven't been through it in great detail yet, and I'm certainly not one to go digging for errors, having made a few myself in my own books - it's inevitable - but an unfortunate one does jump out clearly : calling Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers Bobby Taylor & The Governors on four occasions.

I have to conclude, though, that it IS overpriced, but I certainly wouldn't describe it as 'hand-knitted' ; it is a proper, professional job with decent quality photos.   

, 

Thanks for coming back with an honest, review John. Besides the price, my quibble was with the claims the publicity made for the book. To state it as complete and immaculate seemed false pretences. Especially when the publicity itself had obvious errors. As you suggest as an author yourself, such claims are impossible to realise in practice. If you don’t mind me asking, Out of interest, how many countries are covered in the book? Are countries like Taiwan and Yugoslavia covered? Is any African product shown?

Good morning.  No, it is not complete. There are no African products shown, nor any from Yugoslavia. I don't think there is anything from Taiwan either - but I would have to double check- but there is an interesting Earl Van Dyke LP from Argentina (which is on discogs) and a few from Japan. 

France, Holland, Italy and Spain are pretty well covered too.

But I would have to agree that it cannot be considered to be definitive, not even for 1959-1971.  

I didn't learn much either, apart from some of the alleged sales figures of the LPs in the U.S.  In short, it is a nice book to leaf through and look at, but is not one that is going to take long to read or add a great sum of knowledge to anyone who is reasonably au fait with Motown label LPs in first place.

Best

John

3 hours ago, bobkayli said:

Thanks for coming back with an honest, review John. Besides the price, my quibble was with the claims the publicity made for the book. To state it as complete and immaculate seemed false pretences. Especially when the publicity itself had obvious errors. As you suggest as an author yourself, such claims are impossible to realise in practice. If you don’t mind me asking, Out of interest, how many countries are covered in the book? Are countries like Taiwan and Yugoslavia covered? Is any African product shown?

You may wish to let the author know

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