Imagine If All Motown Records Had Bombed

[Dayo]

Was adding my two cents to the JJ Barnes/Marvin Gaye thread when an idea crossed my mind;

what if "Heard it through the Grapevine" had been by an unknown artist on a label like Revilot? Imagine it had bombed, only five copies known. What a monster that cut would have been on our scene. Agree?

That set me thinking. I know it's mad, but what if the entire Motown catalogue had bombed out? What if all these great songs never made it and hadn't become the soundtrack to a generation? Yeah, I know, Northern Soul would never have happened, but go with me on this...

Which Motown song or songs (hits included) would have had the biggest impact on the Northern Soul scene? Would a mega rare "Can't help myself" have been a bigger record than, say, Eddie Foster?

Hope I'm making sense here, or should I, as someone often says, get me coat?

Edited August 10, 2005 by Dayo

[SteveM]

what if "Heard it through the Grapevine" had been by an unknown artist on a label like Revilot? Imagine it had bombed, only five copies known. What a monster that cut would have been on our scene. Agree?

Gladys Knight having a hit with it earlier might have affected it Dayo

[Dayo]

Gladys is me fave singer ever, so, yeah, I know!

Maybe this thread is just too much of a flight of fancy...

[SteveM]

Gladys is me fave singer ever, so, yeah, I know! 

Maybe this thread is just too much of a flight of fancy...

link

No, it could be very interesting. Sorry, I was just being acerbic. .

Steve

[Markw]

Nice idea for a thread! Slightly off your theme but still relevant and dovetails into the JJ v Marvin debate. We talk a lot about the artists on here but what about giving some credit to he man who made it all possible and took black music right out of the ghettos and intot the stratosphere. I'm talking of course about Berry Gordy. For me a true visionary.

[Dave Abbott]

what if "Heard it through the Grapevine" had been by an unknown artist on a label like Revilot?  Imagine it had bombed, only five copies known.  What a monster that cut would have been on our scene. Agree?

link

sorry, disagree. too slow.

[Boogaloo]

Well, that would have certainly freed up one Saturday a month for yours truely.

Warren Boogaloo

[FrankM]

The thing is most Motown records did bomb first time out in the UK. Mary Wells , The Supremes had hits with early records but The Tops had to wait tll Reach Out, The Temptations until Ain't too Proud to beg, Martha got to #21 with Jimmy Mack, The Miracles did not even get that far with I second That emotion. The Isley Brothers had left Motown by the Time they had a top twenty record in the UK.Marvin Gaye had his first hits in 1967 with a series of duets in 1969 with a series of re issues. Gladys Knight had her first hit in the same year with Take me in your arms.

Most Motown records were big in the clubs, formed the backbone of set lists of beat groups but were lucky to last a week in the bottom of the top fifty.

Then in 1969 Motown hit the Big Time chart wise with a series of re issues and new releases propelled by Radio 1 especially Tony Blackburn and the move from groups playing pop covers to rock originals.

[Dayo]

The thing is most Motown records did bomb first time out in the UK. Mary Wells , The Supremes had hits with early records but The Tops had to wait tll Reach Out, The Temptations until Ain't too Proud to beg, Martha got to #21 with Jimmy Mack, The Miracles did not even get that far with I second That emotion. The Isley Brothers had left Motown by the Time they had a top twenty record in the UK.Marvin Gaye had his first hits in 1967 with a series of duets in 1969 with a series of re issues. Gladys Knight had her first hit in the same year with Take me in your arms.

Most Motown records were big in the clubs, formed the backbone of set lists of beat groups but were lucky to last a week in the bottom of the top fifty.

Then in 1969 Motown hit the Big Time chart wise with a series of re issues and new releases propelled by Radio 1 especially Tony Blackburn and the move from groups playing pop covers to rock originals.

link

Point taken. But I mean REALLY bombed in the States like The Tomagoes or Eddie Parker.

[Dennisoul]

Point taken.  But I mean REALLY bombed in the States like The Tomagoes or Eddie Parker.

link

Yea,imagine finding " Aint too proud to beg " or " Get Ready " in a dusty old warehouse or junk shop,then being the first to play them today as a new discovery,WOW!!! mind blowing,just 2 of the top of my head.

[Dayo]

Yea,imagine finding " Aint too proud to beg " or " Get Ready " in a dusty old warehouse or junk shop,then being the first to play them today as a new discovery,WOW!!! mind blowing,just 2 of the top of my head.

link

Yaaaay! You got it - thanks Andy!

[BrianB]

Imagine having the only known copy of This Old Heart of Mine by the Isley's. Manship played it at his 40th and the place went wild.

[Guest vic-shot]

Imagine having the only known copy of This Old Heart of Mine by the Isley's. Manship played it at his 40th and the place went wild.

link

What a record,perfection!How about if you found a copy of Nowhere To Run and nobody had heard it before?STOMP!!!!!

[jocko]

Imagine having the only known copy of This Old Heart of Mine by the Isley's. Manship played it at his 40th and the place went wild.

link

Have always said this was the Magnetics of Motown, would have been the perfect rare soul record if it was!!

Now whether it should ever be played even though its not rare and indeed a pop hit, I suppose thats another thread !

Great question Colin

Cheers

Jock

[Guest in town Mikey]

The record that turned me on to music, and hence Soul was 'tears of a clown'.

I like to think if that hadnt been a smash, hearing it anyway would have had exactly the same effect. If I was the lucky one to have found it I think I'd have covered it up as Bob Brady... despite him being a multi million selling artist.

Agree about 'This old heart of mine'. My fave Motown record.

'You're here for a day, gone for a week'....S O U L

Edited August 11, 2005 by in town Mikey

[Supercorsa]

How about, The Contours - Just A Little Misunderstanding?

[Guest vic-shot]

How about, The Contours - Just A Little Misunderstanding?

link

GGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jerry Hipkiss]

Played the 7" of the Velvelettes "These things will keep me loving you" on air this morning - still gives me goosebumps - imagine finding that for the first time and covering it as the the Vel-vets!

Hippo.

[Corbett80]

Temps...Girl Why You Wanna Make Me Blue.......imagine if that had never been heard.......phwooaarrrr!!!

[Guest vic-shot]

Temps...Girl Why You Wanna Make Me Blue.......imagine if that had never been heard.......phwooaarrrr!!! 

link

What a record a Joel,it really does make you wanna chuck yourself through a window.

[Geoff]

Great thread this.

In the first instance I guess you'd pick out the faster tracks for the Northern scene, e.g. Same Old Song, Why You Wanna Make Me Blue, Dance To Keep From Crying, Take Me In Your Arms And Rock Me (Kim Weston), You Lost The Sweetest Boy.

But with the acceptance of medium tempo and slower sounds almost any Motown track would be regarded as a classic.

I am surprised that some of the earlier stuff isn't played more anyway. Would love to hear the Miracles' What's So Good About Goodbye or I'll Try Something New out sometime.

And moving away from Motown there are plenty of soul records that were reasonably successful on issue, or sometimes on re-issue that would be regarded as brilliant if they were unknowns nowadays. Quite a lot of stuff that is regarded now as club soul I think.

[Guest in town Mikey]

Played the 7" of the Velvelettes "These things will keep me loving you" on air this morning - still gives me goosebumps - imagine finding that for the first time and covering it as the the Vel-vets!

Hippo.

link

Beautiful beautiful record.

Jerry, is it true then, that once at Yate, you covered up a record by Ben E King, as BEn e King?

[Simsy]

How about, The Contours - Just A Little Misunderstanding?

link

Good call and a great record. Was given a UK issue of this for my birthday yesterday. Which was nice

What about the Tops - Baby I need your loving. Would be a sensational discovery. Sometimes played as an ender at 100.

[Paulb]

Supremes- itching in my heart. Imagine hearing that at a do for the first time. One of my faves.

Failing that, got to go for aint too proud to beg.

[Craig W]

Two I bought out of the charity shop this morning for 50p each which Ive just played that still sound as good as the first time I heard them.

Gladys Knight & the Pips - Just walk in my shoes.

One way out - Martha & Vandellas.

Good value.

[FrankM]

Supremes- itching in my heart. Imagine hearing that at a do for the first time. One of my faves.

link

More than a few people heard that for the first time at Goodfoot and definitely quite a few had their premier listen at The GoGo in Edinburgh. The GoGo has a particularly young crowd who attend not necesarily for Northern Soul but can tell a good record by the beat. The GoGo's great for digging out personal faves knowing the Soul Police are down a flag stoned cellar bar enjoying each other's company

I put on The Isley Brothers version of Take me in your arms which has a great percussion drive intro and was thanked by a fellow DJ as he'd only heard Kim Weston's version.

[Gary]

What about Thelma Houstons version of Dont Leave Me This Way, think that might have had an impact.

[Jerry Hipkiss]

Jerry, is it true then, that once at Yate, you covered up a record by Ben E King, as BEn e King?

link

Errrr.......probably covered the label with a piece of silver foil and a packet of Polos