Complete Motown Singles on CD

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Rspaight
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Complete Motown Singles on CD

Postby Rspaight » Tue Nov 16, 2004 2:03 pm

Hip-O Select (the pachydermal cousin to Rhino Handmade) is going to begin issuing all the Motown singles (A and B sides) from 1959 to 1972 on CD starting later this month. There will be 12 CD box sets. Vol. 1 will be six CDs. The project will probably take several years to complete.

The story is in ICE this month. Apparently they are going to great lengths to find the correct single versions for this.

Just the thing for rich Motown fans. I think the Hitsville USA box will suffice for me...

Ryan
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Andreas
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Postby Andreas » Wed Nov 17, 2004 4:03 am

It would be great to have another 4 CD-set, called "Motown Hitsville 1959-1972 Volume 2", with 100 additional tracks. This would solve the randomness in the track selection. Something like:
12 more tracks by the Supremes (including all the remaining top 5 hits)
12 more tracks by the Temptations
10 more tracks by Stevie Wonder
12 more tracks by Marvin Gaye
8 more tracks by the Four Tops
8 more tracks by Smokey Robinson (& The Miracles)
5 more tracks by the Jackson Five
4 more tracks for each of the Marvelettes, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, the Velvelettes, Diana Ross (solo)
10 tracks by one- (or two-) hit wonders
7 obscure rarities

What a great addendum this would be.

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Postby Ess Ay Cee Dee » Wed Nov 17, 2004 10:05 am

nt
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RDK
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Postby RDK » Wed Nov 17, 2004 10:51 am

Agreed. This is gonna be a 60+ CD set, and not at bargain prices either. I would suspect - hope? - that by archiving the label in such a way that it will open up the possibility of artist comps and smaller box sets.

It's gonna be kinda funny seeing all those who have been clamoring for such a box set now start backtracking due to the cost. As if they never realized just how big and expensive this was actually going to be...
ray

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Postby Andreas » Wed Nov 17, 2004 12:27 pm

How many CDs would it take to just include every charting (pop or R&B charts) A-side from 1959-1972? Something about 15 CDs? That would have been an awesome set. But 60+ CDs is too much for me.

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Postby Ess Ay Cee Dee » Wed Nov 17, 2004 12:34 pm

nt
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Postby Rspaight » Wed Nov 17, 2004 12:38 pm

Yeah, I wish I'd grabbed that Television CD while it was cheap...

Ryan
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Postby Ess Ay Cee Dee » Wed Nov 17, 2004 1:04 pm

nt
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Grant
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Postby Grant » Wed Nov 17, 2004 3:18 pm

The reason for adding the "B" sides is probably because many were very popular, and some singles wer double-sided hits. THose singles are the only place where one can find the mono mixes of some songs.

I suggested to Harry Weinger that he do the singles box. HE brought in the idea of adding the "B" sides.

As one who grew up listening to tons of Motown 45s, I think that it is especially important to get them all!

You may just want Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye, but we can't forget all thoe other artists that had several sizeable singles too.

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Postby Ess Ay Cee Dee » Wed Nov 17, 2004 5:56 pm

nt
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Postby Ron » Thu Nov 18, 2004 2:43 am

Ess Ay Cee Dee wrote:Hell, they could even do an "A-Sides and Charting B-Sides" series and another series with the rest of the B-sides, for obsessive completists only. I understand why they're including all of the B-sides; I'm just saying that I don't particularly want them.


My opinion? I think, providing the mastering is anywhere *near* that of the Hitsville box set, that this is exciting news--certainly more exciting than the Capitol Beatles box. And it's the inclusion of the B-sides that makes this project so exciting--much as the B-sides made the first Stax box so exciting--*and* essential. Sure, these comps will satisfy completists, but more importantly they will provide real fans of Motown with hundreds of tracks either not available elsewhere or, even if available, available only in wonky two-track and/or anemic stereo mixes. Of course there were weak B-sides, but you'd be surprised at the quality of the vast majority. [And there's the added bonus of not having heard them to death like the hits.] But that said, these sets aren't for the casual fan. My guess is that after the dust has settled there will be single CDs comprised of highlights from each set to satisfy those fans. Or not.
Dr. Ron :mrgreen:TM "Do it 'till you're sick of it. Do it 'till you can't do it no more." Jesse Winchester

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Postby MK » Sat Nov 20, 2004 5:25 pm

Pretty good news, I think. As long as they master it right, which I doubt they will because all the recent Motown remasters are very compressed and too damn bright, a far worse sin to do to vintage Motown because the music is already mixed hot with a pop on the high end.

I wouldn't dump on the project as something none of could afford. Hell no, most people won't buy this but think about it, Motown knows this, which is why it's mail-order only. Second, it's basically an archival project just to have this stuff available, period. For the die-hards only, but the cream of the crop is already available on cheaper, better sets. These complete sets are kind of like the gigantic Duke Ellington box set from 1999 (poorly mastered, unfortunately) or the Artur Rubinstein (sp?) collection from RCA, also around the same time. Hundreds of dollars, twentysomething CD's, but at least the material is now available on disc instead of stuck in the vaults. Diehards with money will buy it, researchers will probably go to libraries that carry out and listen, but that's fine, they've got smaller collections for the masses.

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Postby CitizenDan » Fri Jan 14, 2005 1:15 pm

Apparently the first set is out, and will set you back around $140. I love Motown, but that's overkill. As a previous poster said, I'd have preferred a second 'Hitsville' volume -- or better yet, a single 10-CD box covering that golden era, a la the first Stax box.
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Grant
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Postby Grant » Fri Jan 14, 2005 6:20 pm

I'm passing on this first box, and probably the second one as well, but the rest of them I WILL BUY!!!

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Postby Rspaight » Sat Jan 15, 2005 11:26 am

Interestingly, Hip-O's site says that 151 of the 155 songs will be available on Tuesday via iTunes...

http://www.hip-oselect.com/catalogue_motownsingles1.asp

(I'm trying to imagine the meeting where they decided to hold back four tracks.)

Ryan
RQOTW: "I'll make sure that our future is defined not by the letters ACLU, but by the letters USA." -- Mitt Romney