Ok, so after many, many years in the CD and mp3 wilderness I'm buying northern and motown vinyl again.

 

I've set myself a simple rule - 1st issues only and only records I really really like. Not planning to buy any UK issues.

 

However I notice that people get quite hot under the collar and passionate about the UK black TMGs, particularly 500-599, and less so about original US Tamla, Gordy etc...

 

See, I'm more excited about a Tamla, Soul, Gordy, Motown original, as I imagine that is the piece of vinyl you would walk out of a store with in Detroit in '65. So I see it as an original historical artefact as well as a cracking record.

 

Is it a UK collector thing or as a general rule are the UK TMGs better - I've heard that the sound is clearer? Must admit the TMGs I've got are all pretty crisp - Stevie Wonder's I Was Made To Love Her is massively loud and powerful.

 

So before I spend a lot of wedge on US Motown and not TMG, any of you knowledgable motown junkies think I'm making a big mistake? Your views'll be much appreciated and may help me decide which way to go.

 

Cheers in advance, Stu

 

ps Mike, I can't add any tags to this - are they disabled?

Considering the Vast Motown Catalogue why were some UK Only

 

Or should I say not released in the US as a Single

 

The Night - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - Immediately springs to mind.

The Marvelettes Deliver The Singles CD with "Reaching For Something I  Can't Have"

 

Yet, No US Single Release

gonna throw in a swerve ball here, how about these? love them little red Bullet stickers!!

 

 

 

Edited March 9, 201411 yr by Mal C

The answer for me would be in this order ... US, or rarest format, or both :-)

gonna throw in a swerve ball here, how about these? love them little red Bullet stickers!!

Very Nice Mate. Love these from Australia.

We are comparing UK to USA Releases but let us not forget that our friends in other parts of the world did their bit regarding Motown releases.

 

We are reminded daily via the Internet, just how far motowns influence has spread over the years.

There are many collecting opportunities to be had at the moment, Think outside the box and have fun

I love labels, they are fascinating to my eyes and I do understand the collecting of the UK releases. But, when it comes to get the issue to have and hold on to, first issues should get my preference. Then you have this picture sleeve factor that can make another point in needing to own. My Scanner is out of use, so capture those few from the net;

 

 

 

 

and many more off course that make those Holland pressings highly collectable even amongst those not into soul music (sic). And as I point out in another topic, I once compared my US release with those Holland ones as I barely never hold on to "doubles" and keep only one, and they do sound alike very close.

 

While on those TMGs things, they do sound "clean" (too clean) like the Funkbrothers were muffled away somehow during the re-mastering process. Quoting them on what makes the funk ? : "it's the grease on the chord". I like my audio sound right, and that is a tricky thing when you do want to hear it from it's original format that can vary so much from quality styrene (hiss issue) to cheap and poorly produced product on low-fi vinyl (woof issue). It does takes forgiveness (upgrades), money (investment) and time (yearsss) to set up a sound system to do justice to those dearly beloved plastic music mediums. I always understood that one of the major argument for the pros of the TMGs was that on hi-end audio systems, it sounded "purer". Agreed, but I like my sound whole and fat & greasy with it. As it should be IMHO.

 

I'm living in Belgium and I do love to collect Belgium presses (for patriotic reasons ) and neighborhood countries when they are in any particular (even ridiculous) way good looking and well released sound wise.

 

this could have been the cover of a '78 new wave or power pop band

 

But I'm not bothered to have them all. Saying this; is there any non-brits out there collecting (I mean collecting not just having a few) the TMGs ? I never encounter one myself. On the other hand I've met for other good reasons British Sue collectors that were not British. And even one guy, doing it the other way around; collecting all the US releases that came out on British Sue. That is because it's a good "witness", flashy label and company sleeve label of the mod era at it's peak in the early-mid 6Ts.

 

BTW, I'm not collecting anything for "it's everything" as such. I'm just trying to get hold of what I want the way I want it (and that can be tricky at times) and it is with the sole aim to play them home or out. So I'm not keeping what I don't play anymore and so I'm not having everything in any particular category. I actually respect those who do so since it is interesting for informative reasons also. But I do not agree (while not getting in an argument) with the "hype" around the "safe" in every way aspect of the pros of the TMG's criteria. And finally like said prior here, I do understand the whole thing around for those who got into this music picking up first those British release in the shops and still have a kick about them.

 

Well put Carts, I see what you mean. The black label with that '45' and the little bit of text near the hole is great - and I imagine a full set of them would be something pretty wonderful.

KT ? Kentish Town pressing plant, if I'm not mistaken, (someone will tell me if I am ,no doubt)

 

Dave

KT ? Kentish Town pressing plant, if I'm not mistaken, (someone will tell me if I am ,no doubt)

 

Dave

 

KT is some kind of tax code

KT is some kind of tax code

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/Parlophone-Matrix-Mothers-Stampers-and-Tax-Codes-/10000000000116173/g.html

https://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/Parlophone-Matrix-Mothers-Stampers-and-Tax-Codes-/10000000000116173/g.html

 

I found this handy guide on a Beatles site:

I found this handy guide on a Beatles site:

Tax Codes .jpg

 

These were the codes for the different rates of Purchase Tax weren't they? Purchase Tax was the predecessor of VAT. It seemed a far more sensible tax to me but one of the conditions of joining the "European club" was that we went over to VAT

Generally UK earlier Motown 45's much dearer than the US issues, and probably a better sound on the British 45's, but if you want true Soul originals, the US stuff has to be it (but if you want genuine 1st issues be careful, loads of US Tamla / Motown / Gordy etc re-issued several times in the 60's / early 70's ) - at one time, I had 7 copies of Brenda Holloway 'When i'm gone ' - and I seem to remember there were 5 different label variations !!

Generally UK earlier Motown 45's much dearer than the US issues, and probably a better sound on the British 45's, but if you want true Soul originals, the US stuff has to be it (but if you want genuine 1st issues be careful, loads of US Tamla / Motown / Gordy etc re-issued several times in the 60's / early 70's ) - at one time, I had 7 copies of Brenda Holloway 'When i'm gone ' - and I seem to remember there were 5 different label variations !!

Often as a result of dirrent pressing plants/distributors...who used old label copy in stock, while others had new designs.

Nothing compares to a box full of uk especialy demos,started selling off all my imports bout 2 years ago and now buy uk only.Is it expensive very, is it worth it yes well imho.

did you sell the okeh demos Andy?

did you sell the okeh demos Andy?

Sold lots off stuff still got a few okeh demos left,okeh is mr hulatts forte lol.

I prefer the US originals, Tamla, Gordy, Motown, Soul et al. - more variety, nicer to look at / to have for me 

 

But I can understand the special value TMGs might have for british guys.