Rarest Tamla Motown Lp

[Funky 4 Corners]

Does anyone have any facts about which Tamla Motown LP was pressed in the least numbers, excluding the Martin Luther King release. My reason for asking is that after a discussion with a long standing dealer, we both agreed that `The Temptations Sing Smokey` TML11016 is rarely seen for sale for example.

[Sean Hampsey]

Does anyone have any facts about which Tamla Motown LP was pressed in the least numbers, excluding the Martin Luther King release. My reason for asking is that after a discussion with a long standing dealer, we both agreed that `The Temptations Sing Smokey` TML11016 is rarely seen for sale for example.

Hi Keith, interesting that.

Back around 1970 a mad keen Temptations fan in my village (not the ooonly Temptations fan in the village mind ) told me that he was finding it impossible to get hold of `The Temptations Sing Smokey` and "Temptin' Temptations" albums.

I guess if they were tough 40 years ago they're gonna be really tough now.

No idea how many were pressed.

Sean

[Sunnysoul]

Also interesting to keep in mind that until '66 those two Temps LPs and other select Tamla Motown LPs were issued in Australia with the exact same imported UK sleeves (manufactured by Garrod & Lofthouse as stated on the back) ALTHOUGH the label and vinyl were made In Australia .

[paultp]

I wonder how rare those albums are that Motown released when Berry Gordy was trying to get his artists into what he perceived as the white mainstream (not counting the appalling "At The Copa" series!).

I've got a copy of Marvin Gaye - A Tribute To The Great Nat King Cole - 11022 but I don't think I've seen a copy of 11015 - Marvin Gaye - Hello Broadway.

It was only when I made a half hearted attempt at collecting the first 100 UK Motown LP's that I realised how many dire ones there are! Some of these can't have sold that well.

I have the Temptin Temptations one and thought I had The Temptations Sing Smokey but I can't find it, maybe I have the reissue? I might have another go at the 100.

[Funky 4 Corners]

I do recall having that Supremes LP `A Bit of Liverpool`, that was also forgettable. I never had their `Sing C&W` though, these two can't have sold many either.

If anyone wants to see the cover of that `Temptations Sing Smokey` LP, there one on my blog - www.groovesvilleusa.com/blog

I wonder how rare those albums are that Motown released when Berry Gordy was trying to get his artists into what he perceived as the white mainstream (not counting the appalling "At The Copa" series!).

I've got a copy of Marvin Gaye - A Tribute To The Great Nat King Cole - 11022 but I don't think I've seen a copy of 11015 - Marvin Gaye - Hello Broadway.

It was only when I made a half hearted attempt at collecting the first 100 UK Motown LP's that I realised how many dire ones there are! Some of these can't have sold that well.

I have the Temptin Temptations one and thought I had The Temptations Sing Smokey but I can't find it, maybe I have the reissue? I might have another go at the 100.

[Anoraks Corner]

I might have another go at the 100.

I'm collecting the 60's LP releases on Japanese Tamla Motown (as well as the 45s and EPs!), which is roughly x100 titles oddly enough. I'm almost complete...the first couple of years was tough mind as I had no listing to work from! I used to search all the obvious artists until it boiled down to three five missing numbers...after much digging two turned out to be from Hugh Masekela, one from Sammy Davis Jr and the final two were actually non-assigned numbers with no clues as to what they may have been!

UK LP wise, I do find them over here including early Marvelettes, Miracles and Vandellas, but they tend to carry premium prices due to the 'novelty' of them being UK pressed! If anyone has a wants list for the tougher earlier numbers give me a shout!

[Jez Jones]

Is this one...?

https://cgi.ebay.com/TEMPTATIONS-SING-SMOKEY-MONO-VINYL-LP-VG-GOOD-/220641089804?pt=UK_Records&hash=item335f3bd90c

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

I do recall having that Supremes LP `A Bit of Liverpool`, that was also forgettable. I never had their `Sing C&W` though, these two can't have sold many either.

If anyone wants to see the cover of that `Temptations Sing Smokey` LP, there one on my blog - www.groovesvilleusa.com/blog

"Supremes Sing C&W" was, I think, the first Tamla Motown album to be deleted.

'Temptations Sing Smokey' was still available when I started work in my local record shop in 1967. Many of the other albums from the first 35 issues were long gone from catalogue by then, so it can't have been that bad of a seller...

[paultp]

Is this one...?

https://cgi.ebay.com/...=item335f3bd90c

There's quite a few dealers now offering the harder LP's on UK eBay (search for TML in LPs), but in general the prices are quite high. The one you highlight is somebody asking over £35 for a VG LP with a G cover.

[The Tempest]

Might not be the rarest but definetly one of the best

[Funky 4 Corners]

Hi Yep, this is the one but look at the nick it is in, most that I've seen have been similar. I did see a nice one at a record fair about two years ago but they wanted £75 for it.

Is this one...?

https://cgi.ebay.com/...=item335f3bd90c

[Funky 4 Corners]

I agree, this is a high quality releases indeed. I once heard that only 200 mono and 200 stereo were pressed.

Might not be the rarest but definetly one of the best

Edited November 15, 2010 by Keith Rylatt

[Sean Hampsey]

I agree, this is a high quality releases indeed. I one heard that only 200 mono and 200 stereo were pressed.

I've had one mono and two Stereo's, but was always told the Stereo was the hardest of the two.

Sean

[Wiggyflat]

Ive an Italian Tamla comp Lp with all the artists singing in Italian

[Dazdakin]

Cant help you on your question but i know a man who might........Johnny Fingers "ficklefingers" on here.

He is LP Master Mind!!

And a top man to boot as well!!

[Ric-tic]

I agree, this is a high quality releases indeed. I once heard that only 200 mono and 200 stereo were pressed.

i find this so hard to believe, they were trying to sell records. just because these albums seem really rare today dosnt mean they wernt pressed in quantity, i can remember in a record shop not a big record shop but a crap small record shop, so many martin luther king l.ps in a 10 pence sale, rows of them probibly something like this figure you are quoting in one small shop, woollies in town too had all todays obscure titles in dump bins for 50 pence tons and tons of them we used to go in from school and nick them, they were all pressed in quantity, who knows what happened to them because they were all dumped this way they were probibly bought by the wrong people and not loved ending up trashed? but to think motown pressed only 200 of any title is just nuts

[Eddie Hubbard]

Took me ages to get The Detroit Spinners UK Tamla Motown LP........Cheers ,Eddie

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

i find this so hard to believe, they were trying to sell records. just because these albums seem really rare today dosnt mean they wernt pressed in quantity, i can remember in a record shop not a big record shop but a crap small record shop, so many martin luther king l.ps in a 10 pence sale, rows of them probibly something like this figure you are quoting in one small shop, woollies in town too had all todays obscure titles in dump bins for 50 pence tons and tons of them we used to go in from school and nick them, they were all pressed in quantity, who knows what happened to them because they were all dumped this way they were probibly bought by the wrong people and not loved ending up trashed? but to think motown pressed only 200 of any title is just nuts

Even back then, mastering, design and printing costs would not have justified a run of 200 copies of any LP, let alone this one.

Once you've done all that prep work, it doesn't cost much more to press 2000 than it does 200, relatively speaking...

When 'Artistry' came out, I was either working in or hanging around my local record shop in a small town in Essex and we must have shifted somewhere between 5 and 10 copies to local Motown nuts and collectors. Does that mean that the rest of the country/world had to make do with the other 390? Don't think so...

[Modernsoulsucks]

Which Woollies RicTic?

I definitely remember seeing multiple copies of Moniotors and Chris Clark in the Stockport branch. I bet Francis T remembers too. Around 68 or 69 maybe.

ROD

[Funky 4 Corners]

I fully appreciate these two points, my info is only hear say. Don't for get through that `my` suggested total is 400 not 200. What we could do with is somebody who actually worked in the industry to give an idea of how many of these type of LP were pressed. I was haging out in a small record shop in Rochester about 20 years ago when a guy about 60 came in with two carrier bags full of LPs. He said he had worked in the Decca plant for 40 years and had just retired. Was the shop interested in some Jazz and Blues LPs? When we looked in the bags, there they were - all mint but not one outer sleeve to be seen. Apparently the management turned a blind eye to LPs being taken home but strictly no outer picture sleeves to prevent re-sale.

He went on to say that in his opinion, the Vocalion LPs used the best vinyl and had the best technical production.

Even back then, mastering, design and printing costs would not have justified a run of 200 copies of any LP, let alone this one.

Once you've done all that prep work, it doesn't cost much more to press 2000 than it does 200, relatively speaking...

When 'Artistry' came out, I was either working in or hanging around my local record shop in a small town in Essex and we must have shifted somewhere between 5 and 10 copies to local Motown nuts and collectors. Does that mean that the rest of the country/world had to make do with the other 390? Don't think so...

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

I fully appreciate these two points, my info is only hear say. Don't for get through that `my` suggested total is 400 not 200. What we could do with is somebody who actually worked in the industry to give an idea of how many of these type of LP were pressed. I was haging out in a small record shop in Rochester about 20 years ago when a guy about 60 came in with two carrier bags full of LPs. He said he had worked in the Decca plant for 40 years and had just retired. Was the shop interested in some Jazz and Blues LPs? When we looked in the bags, there they were - all mint but not one outer sleeve to be seen. Apparently the management turned a blind eye to LPs being taken home but strictly no outer picture sleeves to prevent re-sale.

He went on to say that in his opinion, the Vocalion LPs used the best vinyl and had the best technical production.

Yes but your 400 was made up of 200 stereo and 200 mono. So that's paying for someone to compile 16 individual tracks into a stereo and a mono album master, then ordering up two different masterings of a 16 track album, plus commissioning two different sleeve runs of the mono and stereo vinyl, plus the cost of having somebody change parts of the sleeve to indicate separate mono and stereo pressings - the more you analyse it, the farther removed from reality your hearsay is, Keith.

EMI would absolutely not have gone to the considerable expense of putting this or any other specially created package together for a paltry expected sale of 200 stereo and 200 mono copies. The likelihood of them pressing anything less than 1000 of each initially is very, very remote.

I can confirm what you say about Decca and their staff freebie policy. I shared a flat in the mid 70s with a guy who was a long time Decca employee, and he had shelves upon shelves of sleeveless albums and test pressings. They changed their policy about 'no sleeves' around 1972 or 3. After that point all of his Decca group albums had sleeves...

[Funky 4 Corners]

Hi Tony. I bow to your relentless logic - especially with a big set up as EMI. Just for arguments sake do you also therefore reckon that stuff on Soul City, Melodisc, Beacon, B&C etc would also follow your suggested output numbers?

Yes but your 400 was made up of 200 stereo and 200 mono. So that's paying for someone to compile 16 individual tracks into a stereo and a mono album master, then ordering up two different masterings of a 16 track album, plus commissioning two different sleeve runs of the mono and stereo vinyl, plus the cost of having somebody change parts of the sleeve to indicate separate mono and stereo pressings - the more you analyse it, the farther removed from reality your hearsay is, Keith.

EMI would absolutely not have gone to the considerable expense of putting this or any other specially created package together for a paltry expected sale of 200 stereo and 200 mono copies. The likelihood of them pressing anything less than 1000 of each initially is very, very remote.

I can confirm what you say about Decca and their staff freebie policy. I shared a flat in the mid 70s with a guy who was a long time Decca employee, and he had shelves upon shelves of sleeveless albums and test pressings. They changed their policy about 'no sleeves' around 1972 or 3. After that point all of his Decca group albums had sleeves...

[JOHNNYBETCHA]

I bought The Monitors LP also from Woolworths but in the Walsall branch. I also got Bobby Taylor and the Originals from there as well - I think they were 10/6 or somat ridiculous - happy days ay!!!

[Modernsoulsucks]

I bought The Monitors LP also from Woolworths but in the Walsall branch. I also got Bobby Taylor and the Originals from there as well - I think they were 10/6 or somat ridiculous - happy days ay!!!

I was waiting to hear from others. That may suggest that a lot if not all Woollies branches had stock of Motown LPs they sold off cheap.

How many branches in late 60's x copies they had. Quite a lot i guess

ROD

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

I bought The Monitors LP also from Woolworths but in the Walsall branch. I also got Bobby Taylor and the Originals from there as well - I think they were 10/6 or somat ridiculous - happy days ay!!!

When EMI made the decision to no longer release LPs in both mono and stereo, in 1970, they had a mass deletion and an enormous warehouse clearout. Hundreds of titles from right across their music range ended up in Woolies mainly, although i do recall my then local Boots having a load of EMI monos so maybe Boots as a chain got a big batch, too. This deletion included some albums that had only been available for a matter of months and even weeks, like the ones you mention. As you say, they were either 10/6 or 12/6. Can't be sure now, it was a long time ago...

Decca had a huge mono deletion at about the same time, for the same reasons. I can remember going into the big Woolies in Brixton and buying one copy each of Joe Bataan's 'Riot' and Ray Barretto's 'Acid' albums, because they looked interesting rather than because I had much of an idea of what they sounded like, and leaving at least 50 of each behind in a big dump bin. I also got my first copy of Don Bryant 'Precious Soul' and a Hestations album ('Born Free', I think) . These had virtually immovable stickers on - in fact I still have one of the albums and with the sticker virtually intact. Decimalisation had arrived by the time they hit Woolies, and they were 72 pence each or 3 for £2.00.

[joe lakin]

I was waiting to hear from others. That may suggest that a lot if not all Woollies branches had stock of Motown LPs they sold off cheap.

How many branches in late 60's x copies they had. Quite a lot i guess

ROD

WE HAD LOADS IN DONNY JOE

[Funky 4 Corners]

At around the same time as this clear out, I do also recall Tesco getting batches of US Chess / Checker / Cadet 45s in. I still have some with their 10p Delamare sticker on. This tied in with the huge importation of 45s from the Chess group by F L Moore in Dunstable.

When EMI made the decision to no longer release LPs in both mono and stereo, in 1970, they had a mass deletion and an enormous warehouse clearout. Hundreds of titles from right across their music range ended up in Woolies mainly, although i do recall my then local Boots having a load of EMI monos so maybe Boots as a chain got a big batch, too. This deletion included some albums that had only been available for a matter of months and even weeks, like the ones you mention. As you say, they were either 10/6 or 12/6. Can't be sure now, it was a long time ago...

Decca had a huge mono deletion at about the same time, for the same reasons. I can remember going into the big Woolies in Brixton and buying one copy each of Joe Bataan's 'Riot' and Ray Barretto's 'Acid' albums, because they looked interesting rather than because I had much of an idea of what they sounded like, and leaving at least 50 of each behind in a big dump bin. I also got my first copy of Don Bryant 'Precious Soul' and a Hestations album ('Born Free', I think) . These had virtually immovable stickers on - in fact I still have one of the albums and with the sticker virtually intact. Decimalisation had arrived by the time they hit Woolies, and they were 72 pence each or 3 for £2.00.

[Ian Dewhirst]

Hi Tony. I bow to your relentless logic - especially with a big set up as EMI. Just for arguments sake do you also therefore reckon that stuff on Soul City, Melodisc, Beacon, B&C etc would also follow your suggested output numbers?

Probably much less than EMI Keith since they were indies, had less clout with the big retailers and didn't have the advantage of having the Tamla Motown brand name.

Ian D

[timthemod]

So if what Tony said is correct none should be rarer than any others? I have quite a few by individual artists/groups, but hardly ever see the Motown Memories Volume 2 around, has a great sleeve with West Grand Bld on the cover, track listing is also superb. Amongst my most treasured are Earl Van Dyke and Marvin Gaye (Stateside).

Probably much less than EMI Keith since they were indies, had less clout with the big retailers and didn't have the advantage of having the Tamla Motown brand name.

Ian D

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

At around the same time as this clear out, I do also recall Tesco getting batches of US Chess / Checker / Cadet 45s in. I still have some with their 10p Delamare sticker on. This tied in with the huge importation of 45s from the Chess group by F L Moore in Dunstable.

...which Fred followed with literally thousands of US Motown singles on all labels (only they weren't 10p!) I can remember going up on the train to Leighton Buzzard and ignoring all the rows of early pink Motowns and striped Tamlas because they didn;t seem as important to own as things like 'First i Look At the Purse' and 'Helpless' then were...

Fred must have had nearly 100 copies of at least one Satintones 45 (can't now remember which one). I cry when I think what I didn't grab in my youthful ignorance.

Tesco also got other mass deletions besides C/C/C (which seemed to be in every shop in London when they first flooded in - I got about 30-40 out of one shop in High Holborn over a period of time, and I can recall going to what looked like a closed down furniture store just up from Edgware Road Met tube and taking about 2 hours to pull maybe 4 copies of 'In Orbit' from what felt like several thousand Little Milton, Mitty Collier, Laura Lee and Radiants 45s. ).

Reggae fans of today would weep at the amount of Bamboo and Banana 45s that turned up in Tesco, and that went largely unbought due to their obscurity. They also acquired a number of Action titles - I don't actually remember seeing these myself, but my copy of The Bell Brothers' "Tell Him No", given to me by a pal, is still in its original paper sleeve with the 10p Delamere sticker attached...

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

So if what Tony said is correct none should be rarer than any others?

No, that's not true - some of them must have sold well enough to run to a second and third press. For example everybody I knew in the small town that I grew up in had a copy of TML 11001 - the first 'Collection Of 16 Big Hits' package - and it was in catalogue for many years after its initial release, so it must have had several represses.

For another example, 'Four Tops Second Album' was another that was in catalogue for a long time - in fact, it was originally released just in mono and the stereo pressing came out some time later, so that must have done very well, too.

I think it's safe to assume that, whatever the original pressing order was on a T-M album by EMI, most of them would have started on a level playing field with the same number of copies. Obviously the poor sales of so many meant that they did not have a long catalogue life, and before they started shlocking out all those mono deletions later in the decade EMI used to destroy a lot of their deleted stock, so it's quite feasible that hundreds of copies of the rarest titles just got literally thrown away....

...which is why things like 'Tribute To Nat King Cole', 'Supremes Sing Country' and Choker Campbell are so rare - only a few were bought over the counter and most of the rest of the pressing run probably ended up in the EMI incinerator.

Edited November 17, 2010 by TONY ROUNCE

[Guest Paul]

Interesting thread.

I think for initial batches EMI would have pressed at least 1000 units of each LP.

Having done cutting, plating / processing and stampers, it would be uneconomical to set up a press and just do a couple of hundred. The unit cost of each LP would be as high as the dealer price.

Also consider that label printers usually have a minimum order of 1000 + pairs. And of course with LPs the extra costs of printed sleeves is also significant because it's uneconomical to print anything less than 1000 sleeves at a time, having spent money on artwork and (in those days) films and plates etc.

So I reckon if an LP is particularly rare now it probably just didn't sell very well. It may be that (a) only a small number were circulated or (b) unsold copies were returned for credit - and probably destroyed after a while.

I can't remember the details of sales tax in those days but destroying unsold stock would reduce liability or enable a rebate. For a large or prolific company the savings would be significant each month and of course it would also reduce storage costs.

The only alternative would be to place unsold stock on the cut-out market but I don't think EMI did that much (unlike the Americans who pressed in much bigger quantities and shipped product on sale-or-return terms) because of the danger that it would "devalue" their regular price LPs.

Paul

Edited November 17, 2010 by Paul

[Guest s0ul45]

"No, that's not true - some of them must have sold well enough to run to a second and third press. For example everybody I knew in the small town that I grew up in had a copy of TML 11001 - the first 'Collection Of 16 Big Hits' package - and it was in catalogue for many years after its initial release, so it must have had several represses. "

Just made me laugh. I didn't live in Tony's town but this was the only Tamla Motown album I bought in the mid sixties - and stayed that way until The Impressions Big 16. Remember albums were bloody expensive for those of us on pocket money and the desire for this album was probably down to the impossibility of buying any of the Stateside gems that were on it.

I would like to suggest that the 'In Loving Memory' album - a tribute to Loucye Wakefield - could well be one of the rarest Tamla Motown LP's. (I'm not saying the best!!) TML 11124 Mono only.

Chris.

[dthedrug]

Does anyone have any facts about which Tamla Motown LP was pressed in the least numbers, excluding the Martin Luther King release. My reason for asking is that after a discussion with a long standing dealer, we both agreed that `The Temptations Sing Smokey` TML11016 is rarely seen for sale for example.

HI ALL...THE RAREST UK TAMLA MOTOWN LP's HAS TO BE THE ONE's THAT WERE NOT ISSUED TO THE PUBLIC OR NOT FOR SALE & PROMOTIONAL RECORDINGS, SIMPLY THE QUESTION DOES NOT MEAN RARE IS BEST ON THIS LABEL, AS THIS EXAMPLE WOULD SHOW 2 HARD TO FIND LP's ARE GREETINGS FROM THE MONITORS v Dr MARTIN LUTHOR KING WHICH IS MORE RARER OR WHAT IS THE BEST, THE MARTIN LUTHER IS THE RAREST TECH SPEAKING AND THE MONITORS DEFANANTLY SOLD MORE ON RELEASE, BUT IS RARE BECAUSE IT's GOT GREAT MUSIC ON IT. SO T THERE SHOULD BE 2 LISTS OF RARE LP'S CONPLETEST V MUST OWNS, JUST AS IN THE 45's IN THE 53O'S NUMBERS WOULD YOU WANT THE BILLY ECKSTINE OR PAY GOOD MONEY FOR IT, MAYBE! I WOULD SELL IT EVERY TIME, AND BUY A RECORD THAT I WANTED, (I AM NOT A STAMP COLLECTOR) THE SAME RULE I APLY TO MY UK SOUL 45's MANY PEOPLE HAVE UK STUFF THAT I CLASS AS CRAP. IF IT,S NOT A DANCER IT's NOT NORTHERN.

THE RAREST LP I HAVE IS A BBC TRANSCRIPTION DISC, IT's A VARIOUS ARTIST LP, I CANT DO A SCAN TODAY WILL ADD IT LATER, BUT IT's BEEN UP ON ANOUTHER TREAD FROM MYSELF?

IT'S A DIRECT METAL MASTERING DMM BBC RADIOPLAY MUSIC RPM, #TAIR 88003 A/B TITLE:- MOTOWN SINGS THE HITS. LP 33 STERO

TRACKS ARE AS FOLLOWS:-

TRACK # ARTIST TITLE

A SIDE

#1 THE FOUR TOPS IF I WERE A CARPENTER 2'45"

#2 THE FOUR TOPS IT'S ALL IN THE GAME 2'45"

#3 THE FOUR TOPS MACARTHER PARK 6'29"

#4 THE FOUR TOPS LITTLE GREEN APLES 3'51"

#5 DIANA ROSS BLUE MOON 3'46"

#6 GLADY'S KNIGHT & THE PIP'S THE LOOK OF LOVE 3'56"

B SIDE

#1 STEVIE WONDR SUNNY 3'59"

#2 STEVIE WONDER WE CAN WORK IT OUT 3'12"

#3 jr WALKER PROUD MARY 3'13"

#4 JIMMY RUFFIN BLACK IS BLACK 3'24"

#5 THE SUPREMES WONDERFUL WORLD 2'43"

#6 THE SUPREMES WORLD WITHOUT LOVE 2'43"

#7 SHORTY LONG I'M WALKIN 2'19"

ALL TRACKS ARE IN THE BEST SOUND QUALITY, FAR ABOVE A GOOD QUALITY LP, ALL TRACKS UNRELEASED, ALL FROM THE ORIGANAL SESSION.

THE LP IS MINT - AS I PLAYED IT THROUGH ON MY TECHNICS SL1210 MK2 DECK SHURE CARTRIDGE, JOHN MANSHIP SOLD ONE 2 MONTHS AGO? AND GOT A GOOD PRICE FOR HIS COPY,

I DON'T NO HOW MANY BBC TRANSCIPTION DISCS THERE ARE, HOWEVER THERE IS A MARVIN GAYE LP & STEVIE WONDER LP FROM THE SAME PERIOD, THERE GOTTA BE AT LEAST 10 POST 67.

DAVE

[Funky 4 Corners]

...which Fred followed with literally thousands of US Motown singles on all labels (only they weren't 10p!) I can remember going up on the train to Leighton Buzzard and ignoring all the rows of early pink Motowns and striped Tamlas because they didn;t seem as important to own as things like 'First i Look At the Purse' and 'Helpless' then were...

Fred must have had nearly 100 copies of at least one Satintones 45 (can't now remember which one). I cry when I think what I didn't grab in my youthful ignorance.

Tesco also got other mass deletions besides C/C/C (which seemed to be in every shop in London when they first flooded in - I got about 30-40 out of one shop in High Holborn over a period of time, and I can recall going to what looked like a closed down furniture store just up from Edgware Road Met tube and taking about 2 hours to pull maybe 4 copies of 'In Orbit' from what felt like several thousand Little Milton, Mitty Collier, Laura Lee and Radiants 45s. ).

Reggae fans of today would weep at the amount of Bamboo and Banana 45s that turned up in Tesco, and that went largely unbought due to their obscurity. They also acquired a number of Action titles - I don't actually remember seeing these myself, but my copy of The Bell Brothers' "Tell Him No", given to me by a pal, is still in its original paper sleeve with the 10p Delamere sticker attached...

This Reggae story reminds me of when the late Chris Savory moved from Sheppey in Kent to Newcastle Under Lyme, I guess around 1977? He decided to off load some of his 1000's of 45s rather than lug them up to Staffs. He had been an expert at junk shopping for records for years, publishing a record buyers guide to junk shops. Anyhow, when he started writing for SMG magazine and then started his own HBS mag up he was almost inundated with review copies of any record that might vaguely be associated with R&B. This included 1000's of Reggae 45s. On the weekend that he moved he called in and dropped off two large kitchen waste bins full of Reggae 45s he couldn't shift. There were about 500 but I too couldn't get rid of them - I ended up giving them to a little record shop owner, Paul Nihill for a couple of quid credit. (Paul Nihill was the Olympic silver medallist race walker by the way).

[Guest brivinyl]

I agree, this is a high quality releases indeed. I once heard that only 200 mono and 200 stereo were pressed.

I've been collecting 40 years and I've seen ARTISTRY OF BRENDA HOLLOWAY ( (S)TML 11083 ) the least times of any Tamla Motown label LP.

Edited November 18, 2010 by brivinyl

[Ian Dewhirst]

HI ALL...THE RAREST UK TAMLA MOTOWN LP's HAS TO BE THE ONE's THAT WERE NOT ISSUED TO THE PUBLIC OR NOT FOR SALE & PROMOTIONAL RECORDINGS, SIMPLY THE QUESTION DOES NOT MEAN RARE IS BEST ON THIS LABEL, AS THIS EXAMPLE WOULD SHOW 2 HARD TO FIND LP's ARE GREETINGS FROM THE MONITORS v Dr MARTIN LUTHOR KING WHICH IS MORE RARER OR WHAT IS THE BEST, THE MARTIN LUTHER IS THE RAREST TECH SPEAKING AND THE MONITORS DEFANANTLY SOLD MORE ON RELEASE, BUT IS RARE BECAUSE IT's GOT GREAT MUSIC ON IT. SO T THERE SHOULD BE 2 LISTS OF RARE LP'S CONPLETEST V MUST OWNS, JUST AS IN THE 45's IN THE 53O'S NUMBERS WOULD YOU WANT THE BILLY ECKSTINE OR PAY GOOD MONEY FOR IT, MAYBE! I WOULD SELL IT EVERY TIME, AND BUY A RECORD THAT I WANTED, (I AM NOT A STAMP COLLECTOR) THE SAME RULE I APLY TO MY UK SOUL 45's MANY PEOPLE HAVE UK STUFF THAT I CLASS AS CRAP. IF IT,S NOT A DANCER IT's NOT NORTHERN.

THE RAREST LP I HAVE IS A BBC TRANSCRIPTION DISC, IT's A VARIOUS ARTIST LP, I CANT DO A SCAN TODAY WILL ADD IT LATER, BUT IT's BEEN UP ON ANOUTHER TREAD FROM MYSELF?

IT'S A DIRECT METAL MASTERING DMM BBC RADIOPLAY MUSIC RPM, #TAIR 88003 A/B TITLE:- MOTOWN SINGS THE HITS. LP 33 STERO

TRACKS ARE AS FOLLOWS:-

TRACK # ARTIST TITLE

A SIDE

#1 THE FOUR TOPS IF I WERE A CARPENTER 2'45"

#2 THE FOUR TOPS IT'S ALL IN THE GAME 2'45"

#3 THE FOUR TOPS MACARTHER PARK 6'29"

#4 THE FOUR TOPS LITTLE GREEN APLES 3'51"

#5 DIANA ROSS BLUE MOON 3'46"

#6 GLADY'S KNIGHT & THE PIP'S THE LOOK OF LOVE 3'56"

B SIDE

#1 STEVIE WONDR SUNNY 3'59"

#2 STEVIE WONDER WE CAN WORK IT OUT 3'12"

#3 jr WALKER PROUD MARY 3'13"

#4 JIMMY RUFFIN BLACK IS BLACK 3'24"

#5 THE SUPREMES WONDERFUL WORLD 2'43"

#6 THE SUPREMES WORLD WITHOUT LOVE 2'43"

#7 SHORTY LONG I'M WALKIN 2'19"

ALL TRACKS ARE IN THE BEST SOUND QUALITY, FAR ABOVE A GOOD QUALITY LP, ALL TRACKS UNRELEASED, ALL FROM THE ORIGANAL SESSION.

THE LP IS MINT - AS I PLAYED IT THROUGH ON MY TECHNICS SL1210 MK2 DECK SHURE CARTRIDGE, JOHN MANSHIP SOLD ONE 2 MONTHS AGO? AND GOT A GOOD PRICE FOR HIS COPY,

I DON'T NO HOW MANY BBC TRANSCIPTION DISCS THERE ARE, HOWEVER THERE IS A MARVIN GAYE LP & STEVIE WONDER LP FROM THE SAME PERIOD, THERE GOTTA BE AT LEAST 10 POST 67.

DAVE

Mmm. That's pretty interesting Dave. Demon just got much better access to the BBC archives, so I'll do some digging around and see what's lying around. Good call mate. Gives me something to get those archive boys going!

Ian D

[Guest makstax]

"No, that's not true - some of them must have sold well enough to run to a second and third press. For example everybody I knew in the small town that I grew up in had a copy of TML 11001 - the first 'Collection Of 16 Big Hits' package - and it was in catalogue for many years after its initial release, so it must have had several represses. "

Just made me laugh. I didn't live in Tony's town but this was the only Tamla Motown album I bought in the mid sixties - and stayed that way until The Impressions Big 16. Remember albums were bloody expensive for those of us on pocket money and the desire for this album was probably down to the impossibility of buying any of the Stateside gems that were on it.

I would like to suggest that the 'In Loving Memory' album - a tribute to Loucye Wakefield - could well be one of the rarest Tamla Motown LP's. (I'm not saying the best!!) TML 11124 Mono only.

Chris.

Got to agree about the 'In Loving Memory' album. The only one I've seen in over 40 years is the one I picked up in a charity shop in Barnsley a couple of years ago for 99p. The vinyl is mint but alas it has inner sleeve only.

Melv K.

[The Tempest]

Got to agree about the 'In Loving Memory' album. The only one I've seen in over 40 years is the one I picked up in a charity shop in Barnsley a couple of years ago for 99p. The vinyl is mint but alas it has inner sleeve only.

Melv K.

[paup-ine]

So if what Tony said is correct none should be rarer than any others? I have quite a few by individual artists/groups, but hardly ever see the Motown Memories Volume 2 around, has a great sleeve with West Grand Bld on the cover, track listing is also superb. Amongst my most treasured are Earl Van Dyke and Marvin Gaye (Stateside).

yes lovely album

P

[Modernsoulsucks]

I'd like a copy of "Watchout" but Gordy would do. Mint or there abouts obviously

ROD

[Guest Pete Higson]

Sold a copy of Temps sing Smokey last year for £60 ,record v g but cover was very tatty,

I think rarer still is "Meet the Temptations" TML 11009 which i believe is

around the £200 plus price tag...........Never seen a copy !

[pikeys dog]

Top five rare UK Tamla LPs in no order IMO are:

Marvellous Marvelettes

In Loving Memory

Marvin Gaye On Broadway

Martin Luther King Jr

Marvin Gaye Nat King Cole LP

(Brenda Holloway is scarce but isn't in the top ten UK rarities IMO.)

[Guest stevejan]

Does anyone have any facts about which Tamla Motown LP was pressed in the least numbers, excluding the Martin Luther King release. My reason for asking is that after a discussion with a long standing dealer, we both agreed that `The Temptations Sing Smokey` TML11016 is rarely seen for sale for example.

An excellent album...with a cracking version of 'Way over there'...maybe putting some of my Motown LPs up for sale soon...and that's one of them

[Anoraks Corner]

For your entertainment, here are a few pics of some RARE Japanese presses:

[Guest Darks]

THE RAREST LP I HAVE IS A BBC TRANSCRIPTION DISC, IT's A VARIOUS ARTIST LP, I CANT DO A SCAN TODAY WILL ADD IT LATER, BUT IT's BEEN UP ON ANOUTHER TREAD FROM MYSELF?

IT'S A DIRECT METAL MASTERING DMM BBC RADIOPLAY MUSIC RPM, #TAIR 88003 A/B TITLE:- MOTOWN SINGS THE HITS. LP 33 STERO

TRACKS ARE AS FOLLOWS:-

TRACK # ARTIST TITLE

A SIDE

#1 THE FOUR TOPS IF I WERE A CARPENTER 2'45"

#2 THE FOUR TOPS IT'S ALL IN THE GAME 2'45"

#3 THE FOUR TOPS MACARTHER PARK 6'29"

#4 THE FOUR TOPS LITTLE GREEN APLES 3'51"

#5 DIANA ROSS BLUE MOON 3'46"

#6 GLADY'S KNIGHT & THE PIP'S THE LOOK OF LOVE 3'56"

B SIDE

#1 STEVIE WONDR SUNNY 3'59"

#2 STEVIE WONDER WE CAN WORK IT OUT 3'12"

#3 jr WALKER PROUD MARY 3'13"

#4 JIMMY RUFFIN BLACK IS BLACK 3'24"

#5 THE SUPREMES WONDERFUL WORLD 2'43"

#6 THE SUPREMES WORLD WITHOUT LOVE 2'43"

#7 SHORTY LONG I'M WALKIN 2'19"

ALL TRACKS ARE IN THE BEST SOUND QUALITY, FAR ABOVE A GOOD QUALITY LP, ALL TRACKS UNRELEASED, ALL FROM THE ORIGANAL SESSION.

THE LP IS MINT - AS I PLAYED IT THROUGH ON MY TECHNICS SL1210 MK2 DECK SHURE CARTRIDGE, JOHN MANSHIP SOLD ONE 2 MONTHS AGO? AND GOT A GOOD PRICE FOR HIS COPY,

I DON'T NO HOW MANY BBC TRANSCIPTION DISCS THERE ARE, HOWEVER THERE IS A MARVIN GAYE LP & STEVIE WONDER LP FROM THE SAME PERIOD, THERE GOTTA BE AT LEAST 10 POST 67.

DAVE

Hi Dave,

I have this and several other BBC Radio Play Motown related albums including a dodgy "Stars Sing Motown". They are mainly compilations of big Motown acts like Stevie, Ms Ross the Temps, Tops etc. I do have one with Kiki Dee stuff and a nice one with 3 Leon Ware tracks on. My favourite has Yvonne Fair with "Stay a little longer".

The most "Northern" orientated one is the Spinners with a oh so slightly different vocal mix of "What more can a boy ask for". This, as far as I know came out before the from the Vaults release. There is also one with all the Brenda Holloway stuff on.

They are strange things cause the look like they were produced in the 80's and look like no one at the BBC ever played them! No surprise there.

You are right about the sound quality a different audio which must be suited to FM radio I guess.

Not sure how rare or how many but they couldn't have pressed that many. Who knows?

All the best

Alan

[Guest]

A couple of "Tamla" Stateside 33s which you don't see that often these days.

Both second hand shop finds.

[Guest theoriginator56]

fanastic 4 lp uk realease how rare ?

[Paul McKay]

As a schoolboy I used to work in Dolcis in Oxford Street London at the time of the mass deletion by EMI. I bought most of the early TM Mono LPs from there, including Brenda Holloway, Monitors, Spinners, Bobby Taylor (both), Soul Master Edwin Starr, Motown Memories 2 & 3 etc. There were lots of copies of each one. I left the Martin Luther King one as most others probably did as it was not music, hence it's rarity. I sold my BH many years later but was lucky enough to be able to replace it with a stereo copy for the same price a couple of years later when I realised the error of my ways. Unfortunately I still haven't replaced 1-3 of Motown Memories which I also sold.

[dthedrug]

fantastic 4 LP UK release how rare ?

HI ALL.. THIS AND THE MONITORS LPs WERE MY 1ST REAL MOTOWN WANTS IN 1970, THE FANTASTIC 4 BEING THE SOUND OF THINGS TO COME OVER THE NEXT 5 YEARS.. "ANOTHER $2 ROOM THAT HAS NOT SEEN A BROOM.." GREAT AND #"1 IN YOUR HEART" ALSO BOBBY TAYLOR & THE VANCOUVER'S LP GREAT. ALL 3 MINT £150 WOULD SEEM THE TOP PRICE BUT WORTH MUCH MUCH MORE, YOU CAN HAVE MY BBC TRANSCRIPTION LP IF YOU WANT IT (ANYBODY?) DAVE KIL