Soulsmith Posted February 10, 2006 Posted February 10, 2006 (edited) Any body know whats left in there ie. unheard? How is the stuff stored these days - has all the stuff been archived on computer for future use? How have the few leaks that occured actually happened? Assuming that 40 yrs on they still have loads of stuff in the vault, security must have been overall really impressive. Col. Edited February 10, 2006 by Soulsmith
Simsy Posted February 10, 2006 Posted February 10, 2006 Didn't they bulldoze the whole schmere recently?
Soulsmith Posted February 10, 2006 Author Posted February 10, 2006 Didn't they bulldoze the whole schmere recently? Tell me more.......
Simsy Posted February 10, 2006 Posted February 10, 2006 https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5170641
Lindsay Posted February 10, 2006 Posted February 10, 2006 Jo Wallace could probably help you out with this ....with passion
Soulsmith Posted February 10, 2006 Author Posted February 10, 2006 Still loads of stuff to come out Not really my style. Whole idea for being here for me is to learn & pass on the little that I do know. With passion.
Lindsay Posted February 10, 2006 Posted February 10, 2006 lot of that passion about Col Wouldn't take long to pass on all my knowledge cos I don't know bugger all
Simon T Posted February 10, 2006 Posted February 10, 2006 Any body know whats left in there ie. unheard? # Loads, but many of the tracks were arased when the 12 track tapes were recorded over as they were quite expensive at the time, hence some of the early stuff has gone forever. How is the stuff stored these days - has all the stuff been archived on computer for future use? # I think the original reel to reels were backed up on to new tapes in the late eighties How have the few leaks that occured actually happened? # Allegedly $'s and a DAT recorder Assuming that 40 yrs on they still have loads of stuff in the vault, security must have been overall really impressive. # Col. Didn’t they bulldoze the whole schmere recently? # That was the Motown buildings in Detroit which were like the the coporate HQ until around '72? Only paperwork was there not recordings. The studio tapes were transported to the 'vaults' in LA in the late sixties, I think.
Soulsmith Posted February 10, 2006 Author Posted February 10, 2006 lot of that passion about Col Wouldn't take long to pass on all my knowledge cos I don't know bugger all Hey girl, you & I joined at the hip
Soulsmith Posted February 10, 2006 Author Posted February 10, 2006 Cheers Simon, so whats your thoughts on how much unissued stuff there is? Assume legally the tracks will never now be released. When you think about it from the artists point of view, Motown Corporate did more damage than the bootleggers ever did? Col.
Simon T Posted February 11, 2006 Posted February 11, 2006 Cheers Simon, so whats your thoughts on how much unissued stuff there is? Thousands, but unfortunatley for the NS side of things there are probably very few 'dancers' sitting on the shelves. There are lots of tracks of the established artists doing covers of standards though. Assume legally the tracks will never now be released. Check out the Motown 'lost & found' CD released in recent years, loads of pristine northern tracks available. When you think about it from the artists point of view, Motown Corporate did more damage than the bootleggers ever did? In the main everyone at Motown were paid on a session basis including the writter such as HDH, therefore they got x amounts of $ for playing / singing on a track, but nowt for every of the million copies of it then sold Col.
Soulsmith Posted February 11, 2006 Author Posted February 11, 2006 (edited) then why ask? I'm confused by your post. I was replying to the What I meant was, being quiet is not my style. Edited February 11, 2006 by Soulsmith
Guest vinylvixen Posted February 11, 2006 Posted February 11, 2006 OK - the building that got bulldozed was the Donovan Building on Woodward Ave in Detroit. I was there when they were doing it. The tapes are not stored here - they are stored in NY. So, deep sigh of relief As for how much unissued stuff there is and the quantity....difficult to answer this as I won't be going to the vaults until later this year. Once I'm there, I'll have a look at the system and the way things are archived and will report back. I prefer to do this rather than rely on hearsay. There is a substansial amount of unreleased material - this is getting released via the different compilations that Universal UK/ Hip-O Select and Universal US are putting out. But someone has to research all this stuff and there are compilers beavering away, trying to unearth new stuff all the time. I only do B sides and album tracks on the SS series, but I do like to keep informed of any U/Released stuff that's found. Another small problem that occurs is that tapes weren't always clearly marked up with the title or artist at the time of recording - OR - in the case of Frank Wilson 'Til You Were Gone' on Soul Satisfaction 3 - this was first ID'd and released as Smokey Robinson and Miracles on the US 1998 Smokey Anthology. Previously unreleased, the label on the tape can read Miracles, so the info on the CD said as such. I listened and thought 'this isn't Smokey'. It turns out (and with closer inspection on the tape label)that the backing WAS the Miracles but Frank was singing lead to demo/ sell the track TO Smokey...So, there is always the element of surprise/ detective work :-) There's no problem with licensing released or unrleased stuff as long as the contract is there....... Hope this helps. Jo
Rob Wigley Posted February 11, 2006 Posted February 11, 2006 In my time in Detroit looking for records, I came accross sveral people who have genuine master tapes from Motown, we found the Dianna Ross version of "My dear heart" 4 cuts and an inst, plus inst of Baby Love ,Ask any girl and other Hits. The problem is that the original Motown desk was a 3 track machine, then it went to 4 & 8 track, they were around in the 60s & 70s but now it is a specialist job to find a studio with the equiptment to play them, studio time cost at least $100 an hour, so you could be sat on a garage full of original tapes (which slowly self destruct by the way !) spend $10,000 on studio tme and not find a single good track---on the other hand you could hit lucky and get a "Suspicion, Reconsider, or Stormy" !! Motown deserted Detroit in such a hurry that they just left stuff behind, which several forward thinking people looked after for future use ! Time is running out, there is a small market for the un-issued stuff and then it will just be left to rot !!! but the work of Chris Jenna who has sat and unravelled all the paper work and listed tape tracks is a life saver for finding the obscure.
Lindsay Posted February 11, 2006 Posted February 11, 2006 Read that Jo but whats the betting my brain retains the useless bits Thanks for posting...and with passion
Guest vinylvixen Posted February 11, 2006 Posted February 11, 2006 In my time in Detroit looking for records, I came accross sveral people who have genuine master tapes from Motown, we found the Dianna Ross version of "My dear heart" 4 cuts and an inst, plus inst of Baby Love ,Ask any girl and other Hits. The problem is that the original Motown desk was a 3 track machine, then it went to 4 & 8 track, they were around in the 60s & 70s but now it is a specialist job to find a studio with the equiptment to play them, studio time cost at least $100 an hour, so you could be sat on a garage full of original tapes (which slowly self destruct by the way !) spend $10,000 on studio tme and not find a single good track---on the other hand you could hit lucky and get a "Suspicion, Reconsider, or Stormy" !! Motown deserted Detroit in such a hurry that they just left stuff behind, which several forward thinking people looked after for future use ! Time is running out, there is a small market for the un-issued stuff and then it will just be left to rot !!! but the work of Chris Jenna who has sat and unravelled all the paper work and listed tape tracks is a life saver for finding the obscure. Absolutely, and not just Chris Jenner.......there is a small band of devotees who are making life easier for everyone who needs to locate master tapes - hats off to them and their sterling work. Trust me, I'm an archivist..... As Consad says, tape stock - like photographic stock, does deteriorate if not stored in a temperature controlled enviroment. Garages and lofts are not the ideal places to stash your horde of acquired masters (some have been known to turn up in garage sales in the US)......there should be an amnesty and the 'borrowed' tapes handed back in....oh, I've just seen a pig fly past the window Read that Jo but whats the betting my brain retains the useless bits Thanks for posting...and with passion The only important thing to remember is the price of fish...........
Soulsmith Posted February 11, 2006 Author Posted February 11, 2006 Thanks to all for taking time out to reply. Jo, have a great time in the states. I'd be really interested to hear about it goes when you get back. Col.
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