I've just had a session of playing through my Motown collection and came to the conclusion that to me,  Bobby Taylor - "Blackmail" is the most complete Motown record.

My reasons for this are:-

It has a storyline with clever lyrics

It has some excellent drum sequences

It has great guitar work, similar to that used in Band of Gold on Invictus (1970)

It has strings

It is a lesser known artist

Its on their subsidary label.

Not necessarily everyone's choice but what would you choose

 

Always gonna be a purely subjective viewpoint on this.

For me it's the Isley's "This Old Heart of Mine" just coz it's a great Motown dancer that means so much to ME personally (hearing it as a youngish lad, the impact it had on me & my love for soul that's been with me for 50 years up till now).

It ain't my fave soul record (or even fave soul dancer) but it is my fave Motown cut.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED FROM A MOTOWN RECORD

FAVE DANCE TUNE FROM MOTOWN

 

Shake Me Wake Me - Four Tops has everything you could ever want from a Motown record !!

For me its Martha Reeves No one There. A sad ,sentimental song , that highlights Martha,s singing range to the full. Always brings a slight tear to the eyes. Makes me think about some of my friends who sadly aren't around anymore.

Lyrics, Guitar, Subject Matter, Vocals Its got it all

The Contours "Baby Hit and Run".

With Dennis Edwards on lead vocals(superior to attempts by ; Billy Gordon, Jerry Green and Joe Stubbs)., this track has the lot; a touch of humour from master "Doom And Gloom" writers ,Dean and Weatherspoon, Ear catching intro ,(A Berry ,QC,fave trick), A roller coaster ride which keeps surprising you with its twists and turns.The original 50p record,now a TMG886will cost you £3,170 less than another piece of Detroit Magic( Al  Williams) .First heard it played early 70s ,at Beachcomber ,A casino warm up session in the bowels of Station Road, by Brian Rigby , a mentor to one Russell Winstanley?  No US format of any or as I hunger for ; an OZ,European, or Lebanese etc ,Unless you know different? LOL Johnny, Malaga. PS,don't forget ,tune into Soul Full Shack for more Complete Motown,see media forum for more info!

Behind a painted smile isleys got the DJ at butlins holiday camp in skegness to play it 3 times the DJ was peter young probably the record that got me into soul music l was around 11 at the time that driving beat of the funk brothers really got into my head at the time looking back now its still a great record with fantastic vocals never heard it played out its probably to commercial for most djs

Brenda Holloway - When I'm Gone

 

Brenda Holloway definately up there , but how can you ever pick one ? or ten? a hundred even .so many would be missed out . 

take your pick from these,  baby i need your loving,i wish it would rain ,something about you, no one can love you more,your all  i need to get by and the one for me that's the most complete motown single is aint no mountain high enough.

Simply too many to choose from

ML

 

The Temptations My Girl.

It is a flawless masterpiece,  great song and great lead vocal (natch).

But that arrangement! The way vocal harmonies, horns and strings combine is a work of genius particularly during the final verse and the exultant choruses..

It is recording that never fails to cheer me up and always seems to provide new delights every time I hear it.

For me - The Temptations 'Since I Lost My Baby'

 

like others have said so many classics.

In the USA, when Motown was peaking in the early years... the face of that label was the Supremes and Lil Stevie Wonder.

Just sayin. That is what we were exposed to the most... on radio & TV shows

I remember guys giving me a hard time because I liked that, in the 60s.& 70s
(most guys here were banging their heads to rock bands. freebird dudes, so to speak)

Edited June 25, 20168 yr by VinylvilleLA

On 6/19/2016 at 11:22, westender said:

The Temptations My Girl.

It is a flawless masterpiece,  great song and great lead vocal (natch).

But that arrangement! The way vocal harmonies, horns and strings combine is a work of genius particularly during the final verse and the exultant choruses..

It is recording that never fails to cheer me up and always seems to provide new delights every time I hear it.

This is of course a great rekkid .... BUT .... for those Brits around & into soul back in Autumn 1965, the hit version that we heard on the radio everyday was Otis Redding's take on the song. So I always have had a soft spot for the Stax version.

As has been said there are far to many great Motown songs to choose from so I guess I'd have to go with the one that made the most impression on me as a fledgling soul fan after time spent being influenced musically by older brothers . I've always loved music from and early age and to this day still sing along to tunes from the sixties imagining my voice is akin to Scott Walkers or Roy Hamilton rather than someone unsuccessfully setting a mousetrap.

All that changed the night in the local church hall when the Dj dropped the needle on the Contours Little Misunderstanding , I was already well on the way to a lifetimes passion but up until that moment I'd never heard records played anywhere other than on the radio and through the old Dansette (one of which nearly killed me but that's another story). Can't remember what preceded said record probably some chart hit of the day but the feeling of awe and wonder that swept over me that night remains with me still, just everything about it continues to give me immense pleasure from beginning to end I could have others have quoted more than the one but as the song goes, first impression are lasting impressions.  

Edited June 25, 20168 yr by Twoshoes
posted before finnished, fat finger syndrome