VA - The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 8: 1968
Artist.....: VA
Title......: The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 8: 1968
Label......: Hip-o Select/Motown Records
Store Date.: Nov-20-2007
Genre......: Soul
Encoder....: Lame 3.97 / -V2 --vbr-new
Size.......: 387,3 MB
Track Listing:
cd1
01 - Rita Wright - I Can't Give Back The Love I 02:41
Feel For You
02 - Rita Wright - Something On My Mind 02:09
03 - Shorty Long - Night Fo' Last 02:31
04 - Shorty Long - Night Fo' Last (instrumental) 02:37
05 - Four Tops - Walk Away Renee 02:46
06 - Four Tops - Your Love is Wonderful 02:32
07 - Gladys Knight & The Pips - The End of Our Road 02:22
08 - Gladys Knight & The Pips - Don't Let Her Take 02:52
Your Love From Me
09 - Chuck Jackson - The Man in You 03:02
10 - Chuck Jackson - Girls, Girls, Girls 02:45
11 - Debbie Dean - Why Am I Lovin' You 02:46
12 - Debbie Dean - Stay My Love 02:47
13 - Billy Eckstine - Thank You Love 02:39
14 - Billy Eckstine - Is Anyone Here Goin' My Way 02:45
15 - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - If You Can 02:28
Want
16 - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - When the 02:52
Words From Your Heart
17 - Chris Clark - Whisper You Love Me Boy 02:14
18 - Jimmy Ruffin - I'll Say Forever My Love 03:03
19 - Jimmy Ruffin - Everybody Needs Love 02:49
20 - Bobby Taylor - Does Your Mama Know About Me 02:54
21 - Bobby Taylor - Fading Away 02:53
22 - Bobby Taylor - Does Your Mama Know About Me 02:49
23 - Diana Ross & the Supremes - Forever Came Today 03:19
24 - The Isley Brothers - Take Me In Your Arms 02:42
25 - The Isley Brothers - Why When Love Is Gone 02:34
cd2
01 - Stevie Wonder - Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day 02:47
02 - Stevie Wonder - Why Don't You Lead Me To Love 03:12
03 - Edwin Starr - I Am The Man For You Baby 02:35
04 - Edwin Starr - My Weakness Is You 02:22
05 - Barbara McNair - Where Would I Be Without You 02:52
06 - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Ain't Nothing 02:18
Like The Real Thing
07 - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Little Ole Boy, 02:43
Little Ole Girl
08 - The Monitors - Bring Back The Love 03:04
09 - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - I Promise To 02:08
Wait My Love
10 - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Forget Me Not 03:01
11 - R. Dean Taylor - Gotta See Jane 03:09
12 - R. Dean Taylor - Gotta See Jane 03:07
(second pressing)
13 - Four Tops - If I Were A Carpenter 02:50
14 - Four Tops - Wonderful Baby 02:35
15 - The Temptations - I Could Never Love Another 03:38
16 - The Temptations - Gonna Giver Her All The Love 02:46
I've Got
17 - The Detroit Wheels - Linda Sue Dixon 02:30
18 - The Detroit Wheels - Tally Ho 02:29
19 - The Marvelettes - Here I Am Baby 02:49
20 - The Marvelettes - Keep Off, No Trespassing 02:40
21 - Shorty Long - Here Comes the Judge 02:36
22 - Shorty Long - Sing What You Wanna 02:23
23 - The Volumes - Ain't That Lovin' You 02:43
24 - The Volumes - I Love You Baby 02:27
cd3
01 - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Yester Love 02:20
02 - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Much Better 02:51
Off
03 - Gladys Knight & The Pips - It Should Have Been 03:00
Me
04 - Gladys Knight & The Pips - You Don't Love Me 02:38
No More
05 - Diana Ross & The Supremes - What The World 02:47
Needs Now Is Love
06 - Diana Ross & The Supremes - Your Kiss of Fire 02:44
07 - Diana Ross & The Supremes - Some Things You 02:25
Never Get Used To
08 - Diana Ross & The Supremes - You've Been So 02:33
Wonderful To Me
09 - Jimmy Ruffin - Don't Let Him Take Your Love 02:35
From Me
10 - Jimmy Ruffin - Lonely Lonely Man Am I 02:41
11 - Stevie Wonder - You Met Your Match 02:44
12 - Stevie Wonder - My Girl 02:55
13 - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers - I Am Your Man 03:18
14 - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers - If You Love Her 02:34
15 - Four Tops - Yesterday's Dreams 02:58
16 - Four Tops - For Once In My Life 02:46
17 - Marvin Gaye & Tammy Terrell - You're All I 02:39
Need To Get By
18 - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - I Care About 03:08
Detroit
19 - The Temptations - Please Return Your Love To Me 02:22
20 - The Temptations - How Can I Forget 01:45
21 - Junior Walker & The All Stars - Hip City 03:13
(Part 2)
22 - Junior Walker & The All Stars - Hip City 02:54
(Part 1)
23 - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - I Can't Dance 02:38
To That Music You're Playin'
24 - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - I Tried 02:36
cd4
01 - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Special 02:19
Occasion
02 - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Give Her Up 03:09
03 - Paul Petersen - A Little Bit For Sandy 02:36
04 - Paul Petersen - Your Love's Got Me Burning 02:50
Alive
05 - Gladys Knight & The Pips - I Wish It Would Rain 02:56
06 - Gladys Knight & The Pips - It's Summer 02:23
07 - Billy Eckstine - For Love Of Ivy 03:11
08 - Billy Eckstine - A Woman 03:33
09 - Barbara Randolph - Can I Get A Witness 02:23
10 - Marvin Gaye - Chained 02:36
11 - The Ones - Don't Let Me Lose This Dream 02:33
12 - The Ones - I've Been Good To You 03:17
13 - The Monitors - Step By Step 03:01
14 - The Monitors - Time Is Passin' By 02:48
15 - Elvets Rednow - Alfie 03:14
16 - Elvets Rednow - More Than A Dream 03:40
17 - The Marvelettes - Destination Anywhere 02:40
18 - The Marvelettes - What's Easy For Two Is Hard 02:41
For One
19 - The Detroit Wheels - Think 03:04
20 - The Detroit Wheels - For The Love Of A Stranger 02:23
21 - Marvin Gaye - His Eye Is On The Sparrow 03:51
22 - Gladys Knight & The Pips - Just A Closer Walk 04:33
With Thee
cd5
01 - Four Tops - I'm In A Different World 03:07
02 - Four Tops - Remember When 03:08
03 - The Fantastic Four - I Love You Madly 03:08
04 - The Fantastic Four - I Love You Madly 03:04
(instrumental)
05 - Marvin Gaye & Tammy Terrell - Keep On Lovin' 02:31
Me Honey
06 - Marvin Gaye & Tammy Terrell - You Ain't Livin' 02:48
Till You're Lovin'
07 - Diana Ross & The Supremes - Love [CENSORED] 03:00
08 - Diana Ross & The Supremes - Will This Be The 02:50
Day
09 - Diana Ross & The Supremes - Love [CENSORED] 02:54
(alternate)
10 - Barbara McNair - You Could Never Love Him 02:43
11 - Barbara McNair - Fancy Passes 03:31
12 - Marv Johnson - I'll Pick A Rose For My Rose 02:37
13 - Marv Johnson - You Got The Love I Love 02:32
14 - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers - Malinda 02:41
15 - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers - It's Growing 02:58
16 - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers - Malinda 02:47
(alternate)
17 - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Sweet Darlin' 03:07
18 - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Without You 02:11
19 - Stevie Wonder - For Once In My Life 02:51
20 - Stevie Wonder - Angie Girl 03:11
21 - Abdullah - I Comma Zimba 02:34
22 - Abdullah - Why Them, Why Me 03:54
23 - The Spinners - Bad, Bad Weather 02:33
24 - The Spinners - I Just Can't Help But Feel The 02:35
Pain
cd6
01 - The Temptations - Cloud Nine 03:36
02 - The Temptations - Why Did She Have To Leave Me 03:10
03 - Edwin Starr - Way Over There 02:45
04 - Edwin Starr - If My Heart Could Tell The Story 02:28
05 - The Isley Brothers - All Because I Love You 02:36
06 - The Isley Brothers - Behind A Painted Smile 02:49
07 - Blinky - I Wouldn't Change The Man He Is 03:28
08 - Blinky - I'll Always Love You 02:39
09 - Jimmy Ruffin - Gonna Keep On Tryin' 03:16
10 - Jimmy Ruffin - Sad and Lonesome Feeling 02:14
11 - Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations - 03:17
The Impossible Dream
12 - Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations - 03:07
I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
13 - Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations - 03:30
A Place in the Sun
14 - The Temptations - Rudolph, The Red Nosed 02:58
Reindeer
15 - The Temptations - Silent Night, Holy Night 02:23
16 - Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The G[CENSORED]vine 03:13
17 - Marvin Gaye - You're What's Happening 02:19
18 - Tammi Terrell - This Old Heart of Mine 02:32
19 - Tammi Terrell - Just Too Much To Hope For 02:54
20 - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Baby, Baby 03:58
Don't Cry
21 - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Your Mother's 02:25
Only Daughter
22 - Junior Walker & The All Stars - Home Cookin' 02:59
23 - Junior Walker & The All Stars - Mutiny 03:53
24 - The Marvelettes - I'm Gonna Hold On Long As I 02:32
Can
25 - The Marvelettes - Don't Make Hurting Me A Habit 02:52
ÄÄÄÄÄ
cd1: 67:51 cd2: 65:44 cd3: 65:04 cd4: 65:41 cd5: 69:15 cd6: 73:53
Release Notes:
http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7539905
Few years in American history were as turbulent as 1968, so it's
only appropriate that Motown -- the record label that arguably
defined American pop culture in the '60s -- also had a tumultuous,
historic year. To a certain extent in Motown's case, they were
dealing from the aftershocks of 1967, coping with the year-end
departure of Holland-Dozier-Holland, the production/writing team
responsible for much of the classic Motown sound, handling
upheavals in the Supremes (Flo Ballard left, Diana Ross moved to
top billing) and the Temptations (Jimmy Ruffin left, Dennis
Edwards was brought in) and coping with the aftermath of the
Detroit riots. Smokey Robinson wrote and recorded a love letter to
the city called "I Care About Detroit" that sees a rare reissue on
The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 8: 1968, a six-disc, 144-track
set that documents every A- and B-side, plus alternate mixes and
promos, from that turbulent year. Robinson's explicit attempt to
calm the storm isn't the only time that the outside world comes
crashing into Motown: 1968 is the year that the sonic and
conceptual world of the label is forever broadened, as Bobby
Taylor's "Does Your Mama Know About Me" touches on a previously
unheard carnality and "Cloud Nine" pushes the Temptations into
psychedelic soul, while Diana Ross & the Supremes tackle unwed
mothers on "Love [CENSORED]." Motown starts pushing into rock & roll
again, releasing singles both psychdelicized and tough from Mitch
Ryder's Detroit Wheels and longstanding second-thought R. Dean
Taylor gets a dense bit of AM pop on "Gotta See Jane," while the
Four Tops sing the Left Banke's "Walk Away Renee." But perhaps the
quintessential single of the year is Marvin Gaye's finally
released version of his own "I Heard It Through the G[CENSORED]vine," an
ominous, dramatic take that contrasts greatly with Gladys Knight's
exuberant version, released in 1967 before Gaye's, even if it was
cut afterward. Gladys' high energy suited 1967, but Gaye's
paranoid, cinematic single suited 1968, as it brought tensions to
the surface and had a broader, richer musicality.
Much of Motown's 1968 had a similar range -- there are certainly a
lot of dance tunes here, as wonderful as they always are, but they
aren't the rule the way they had been in the last several years.
Shorty Long recycles Pigmeat Markham's "Here Comes the Judge," Jr.
Walker keeps the groove going with "Hip City," Marvin & Tammi's
"You're All I Need to Get By" is positively sensual in its
softness, Smokey's "If You Can Want" has an urgency, and Stevie
Wonder begins his startling growth spurt, including with "For Once
in My Life" and a marvelous reimagined "My Girl." If the stars
were themselves stretching into new territory, the new signings
also illustrate that the label was looking beyond the traditional
Motown sound, partially out of the necessity as Holland-Dozier-
Holland no longer was around, but also because they were
reflecting the shifting sounds of the time, whether it's through
Abdullah's fledgling worldbeat or Edwin Starr's gutsy soul. Some
of this stuff weathers better than others, but hearing fuzz tones
and polyrhythms sneak alongside the uptown grooves and strings of
Motown's pop-soul is exhilarating even when it doesn't always
work. It also is high indication that Motown was no longer the
scrappy upstart soul label from Detroit -- they had grown far from
their roots, almost always in satisfying ways, but the ambition
that drove Berry Gordy to make Motown the biggest sound in the
Motor City also drove him out of the city, as he uprooted for Los
Angeles at the end of the year, thereby making the glory days
depicted on this box both the beginning of a brave new world and
an end of an era.
