AMG Review of Motown Sings Motown Treasures

Lindsay Planer
All Music Guide

It is not necessarily uncommon for a prosperous record company such as Motown to retain plenty of unissued recordings in their vaults. But what makes the Detroit-based label different from most others of its era is the 24/7 assembly line production methodology that may have kept as much material tucked away as was eventually released. Motown founder Berry Gordy's upbringing as a composer was undoubtedly helpful when identifying potential hits and he quickly established himself as a formidable talent scout. The perpetual influx of fresh, strong songs and singers resulted in producers continually trying to find the best pairing of artist and repertoire. Motown Sings Motown Treasures (2005) provides devotees of the "Sound of Young America" with 45 prime examples of Motown's pop music match game. Even though every entry can easily be considered worthwhile, highlights include the Diana Ross-era Supremes with their spin on "In My Lonely Room," "Can I Get a Witness" and "Uptight (Everything's Alright)." Martha & the Vandellas provide stunning renderings of "Tracks of My Tears," "Forever" and "Contract on Love," while Kim Weston takes on "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Come and Get These Memories." Similar unions linked the Temptations with "Truly Yours" as well as "My Smile Is Just a Frown (Turned Upside Down)" and the Isley Brothers to a prototype of "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" that is parenthetically-titled "Smile." It isn't only the big names either, as soul sister Blinky tears up a funky "Hunter Gets Captured by the Game," The Originals ably pull off a driving interpretation of "Come See About Me" and the Underdogs' "The Way You Do the Things You Do" is arguably as essential as its exceedingly better-known predecessor. Of course behind the scenes on all of the tracks are the one and only Funk Brothers -- Motown's unequaled house band -- crafting the instrumental support and believe it or not, usually unaware of the intended recipients. This is aptly demonstrated on the aforementioned "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted," as keen-eared enthusiasts will note the exact same backing is used for both the Isley Brothers reading featured here and the Jimmy Ruffin classic. The accompanying booklet boasts annotations for each tune and plenty of rarely published photos, making it as valuable a resource as the CDs themselves. Interested parties should be aware that Motown Sings Motown Treasures is limited to an edition of 5,000 copies, initially available through the online audio retailers at /www.hip-oselect.com.