I am trying to put some value on the collection of a late friend and fellow dj for his widow and have come across a white label demo of Brenda Holloway's Think It Over (Before You Break My Heart) aka Before You Break My Heart aka Reconsider. Image attached.

I see there may have been an Italian release but the image I found to me looks like photoshop created  image which has a release number of TMG 498 (and note that UK TMG releases started at TMG501) and no Italian text at all.

Any ideas of potential history from our Motown gurus? Genuine or bootleg? I have also not yet seen it on the many CD collections, either of just Brenda or Motown.

It looks like one of those early 90s Motown things knocking about,I don’t know for sure,so that makes my observation utterly pointless😂

I'm not an expert on Motown foreign releases but this looks like an "unofficial release". According to the Don't Forget The Motor City" website, the song was cut on June 08,1966 so I don't know where the "13/2/66" date comes in. It looks nice but I suspect someone pressed up these copies.

14 minutes ago, The Yank said:

I'm not an expert on Motown foreign releases but this looks like an "unofficial release". According to the Don't Forget The Motor City" website, the song was cut on June 08,1966 so I don't know where the "13/2/66" date comes in. It looks nice but I suspect someone pressed up these copies.

I concur, it's not real but does look nice. It looks too clean apart from anything else.

It's a decent track by Brenda though.

Peter

It’s the neat English handwriting on the label that throws a spanner in the works too!

It’s probably the very first pressing. Single sided, solid center, early 90s. Had a blank label so obviously some owners tried to upgrade its appearance a bit.

Coming to think of it, Dave McCadden reviewed it in Soul Galore and provided mock up UK TMG label for folks to copy and stick on the 45.

Also the date is wrong Americans write it 2/13/66 that would be the give away .

One of the first releases, wasn't official so a boot, done to look genuine

I'm no expert either when it comes to unreleased Motown but I always associate this with Peter Lourie and all those tracks he played on Richards show after returning from the US with a load of tapes.

I have a feeling he had the White labels pressed, he also did The Andantes That's a funny way.

My memory's not like it was so I could be miles out.

Edited August 26, 2024Aug 26 by Jessie Pinkman

I can't answer your question but interestingly the TMG 498 was used on a mocked up Motown demo for sale last week on ebay which was also Brenda Holloway Before You Break My heart on one side Barbara McNair on the other. It had a solid centre but poorly photocopied to look like it had a four prong centre. Enough people were interested to take it to £40 with postage.

"Unreleased Motown Demo Recording" sounds like a sales pitch to me. Best thing to do is probably keep it till you get a definitive answer from one of the gurus, or let the gentleman from Melton Mowbray take a look.

1 hour ago, Codehound said:

"Unreleased Motown Demo Recording" sounds like a sales pitch to me. Best thing to do is probably keep it till you get a definitive answer from one of the gurus, or let the gentleman from Melton Mowbray take a look.

The 45 is nothing to do with Motown and almost certainly isn’t licensed 

36 minutes ago, Chalky said:

The 45 is nothing to do with Motown and almost certainly isn’t licensed 

Yup, exactly

Thanks for the responses. Certainly the UK date format doesn't make sense for it to be original. Good suggestion to ask RS - will drop him a line.

I wonder whether this was one of those 'releases' that were about when the 'This is Northern soul! : The Motown sound' Cd was released? mid to late 9ts, maybe 97/98, there were two of them, red one and a green one... seemed to be allot of white label tracks abound at the time, and not all official of course...

Think It Over (Before You Break My Heart) or 'Reconsider' was massive off those CD's...  whoooorr, good blast from the past...

this was another, dont know if it was legit or not... sounded good all the same!

2 hours ago, Mal C said:

this was another, dont know if it was legit or not... sounded good all the same!

not not legit

2 hours ago, Mal C said:

I wonder whether this was one of those 'releases' that were about when the 'This is Northern soul! : The Motown sound' Cd was released? mid to late 9ts, maybe 97/98, there were two of them, red one and a green one... seemed to be allot of white label tracks abound at the time, and not all official of course...

Think It Over (Before You Break My Heart) or 'Reconsider' was massive off those CD's...  whoooorr, good blast from the past...

Reconsider was about few years before this CD, 1992 first played

1 hour ago, Chalky said:

not not legit

Reconsider was about few years before this CD, 1992 first played

I know, but it got a BIG boost again though didnt it. Those two CD's were essential purchases at the time, must have sold loads of copies.  Anyhow, I have a feeling Gordon's dub is probably earlier, so maybe done shortly after 1992, just a guess of course..