Finders Keepers - Motown Girls 1961-1967 Various Artists (Motown)

£13.12

Genre:
Girls
Label:
Ace Records
Format:
CD
Catalogue Id:
CDTOP 1364

It was Ace Records’ good fortune in 2009 to become the first independent record company in the world to acquire the rights to release previously unissued Motown material from the 1960s. Our tenth and latest Motown project is “Finders Keeper”, a compilation titled for the Marvelettes’ 1964 recording that first surfaced on the British Tamla Motown logo in 1980.

Women were a fundamental part of Motown’s early success: Raynoma Gordy was contributing harmonies and arranging skills before the company even got going; Janie Bradford co-wrote what became Motown’s most covered song, ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’; Mable John was Berry Gordy’s chauffeur as well as the first female artist he signed; Mary Wells was the first to take a Motown label record into the charts ... and the list goes on.

In this, Ace’s first various artists Motown CD, we focus on the company’s female acts – the well-known ones, the not-so-famous but much loved and a couple about whom we know next to nothing at all. It’s a half-and-half mixture of previously issued and unreleased titles. In the case of the reissued titles, we’ve taken the road less travelled and selected tracks which we feel haven’t had the attention they deserve down the years, amongst them very rare 45s from the Andantes and Saundra Mallett.

Collectors will particularly relish the dozen unissued tunes, which include superb offerings from Motown heroines Brenda Holloway, Martha and the Vandellas, Gladys Knight and Kim Weston and gems by the lesser-known Carolyn Crawford, Hattie Littles, LaBrenda Ben, Liz Lands and Linda Griner. We’ve even managed to dig up tracks by a couple of girls who’ve never had a track out before: Thelma Brown and Anita Knorl.

To spotlight just one track of special interest, ‘When Somebody Loves You (You’re Never Alone)’ by Gladys Knight and the Pips is so well-known to Motown fans that it’s hard to believe it’s never been released before. One of the first songs completed by the group after they signed to Motown in early 1966, it sat on the shelf for over a year before they returned to it and re-recorded their vocals in the summer of ’67. Then it was put back on the shelf where it’s been ever since – apart from numerous outings on collectors’ cassettes and CDs, sourced from an acetate that found its way into the public domain. We are delighted to be able to offer a legitimate issue of this classic mid-60s Motown track for the very first time, fully re-mastered from the original tape and sounding better than ever.

Elsewhere, the set includes some prime Motown stompers (‘Let Love Live’), torchy ballads (‘It’s Too Soon To Know’), R&B (‘My Black Belt’) and jazz (‘I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues’) – something for everyone, we hope. 

By Keith Hughes and Mick Patrick

 

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Track listing

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Side 1

  • 01 Preview Let Love Live (A Little Bit Longer) - The Velvelettes

  • 02 Preview Don't Turn Your Back On Me - Brenda Holloway

  • 03 Preview When Somebody Loves You (You're Never Alone) - Gladys Knight & The Pips

  • 04 Preview No More Tearstained Make Up - Martha & The Vandellas

  • 05 Preview Finders Keepers Losers Weepers - The Marvelettes

  • 06 Preview Do You Know What I'm Talkin' About - LaBrenda Ben

  • 07 Preview What's Easy For Two Is So Hard For One - Mary Wells

  • 08 Preview Dance Yeah Dance - Thelma Brown

  • 09 Preview (Like A) Nightmare - The Andantes

  • 10 Preview Long Gone Lover - The Supremes

  • 11 Preview Lover Boy - Carolyn Crawford

  • 12 Preview Till Johnny Comes - Brenda Holloway

  • 13 Preview Camel Walk - Saundra Mallett & The Vandellas

  • 14 Preview My Black Belt - Hattie Littles

  • 15 Preview Build Him Up - Martha & The Vandellas

  • 16 Preview I Cant Help It, I Gotta Dance - LaBrenda Ben

  • 17 Preview Buttered Popcorn - The Supremes

  • 18 Preview Grass Seems Greener (On The Other Side) - The Marvelettes (sic)

  • 19 Preview He Don't Care About Me - The Miracles

  • 20 Preview You'll Never Cherish A Love So True (‘Til You Lose It) - The Vells

  • 21 Preview If Wishes Came True - Anita Knorl

  • 22 Preview So Let Them Laugh At Me - Linda Griner

  • 23 Preview I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues - Liz Lands

  • 24 Preview It's Too Soon To Know - Kim Weston

Delivery & Returns

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We offer free P&P to UK addresses. For all other territories packaging is free and postage is charged on a weight basis.

We use Royal Mail First Class for UK deliveries and standard Air Mail for all other territories, very large orders will usually be sent via parcelforce. You may cancel your order at any time prior to your order being dispatched by emailing us at orders@acerecords.com ensuring that you quote your name, address and order reference number or by telephoning +44 (0) 208 453 1311 between 9am and 5pm GMT/BST, Monday to Friday. Please note: As music downloads are dispatched immediately after purchase, there is no possibility of cancelling these orders.

In the event that any products supplied to you by us are damaged or defective, we agree to replace or repair the damaged or defective products or refund the amount you paid for such goods (including postage & packaging) providing you notify us (either via post at or e-mail: orders@acerecords.com ) and return the goods within 28 days of purchase. Physical goods should be sent back to us in the same condition you received them to: “Returns” Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the e-mail address above including a copy of your notification.

You have the right to cancel your order within seven days of purchase, or seven days of receipt of the goods (whichever is the longer). If you choose to cancel your order, full payment will be returned to you. Returned items should be sent to: “Returns” c/o Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the email address: orders@acerecords.com including a copy of your notice of cancellation and order number.

Press quotes

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A superb compilation. ★★★★★

Mojo

An unimpeachable 24-track collection ★★★★

Record Collector

Customer reviews

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