David Ruffin
David Unreleased LP & More

As many of you know, Hip-OSelect.com recently moved from one fulfillment house to another, which caused a momentary hiccup in our shipments, for which we are truly sorry. One good thing came out of the move, however: we discovered 80 copies of "David," David Ruffin's long-thought sold-out unreleased album with bonus tracks. We have been receiving a steady flow of pleading inquiries about this piece, so we are happy to say that the 80 copies of the 23-track collection will be again available from March 2nd on our site on a first come, first served basis. Sorry, only one to a customer.

*****

David Ruffin is one of the greatest soul singers of all time.
If you know that, you need to get this album.

If you don’t, you really need to get this album.

David, David Ruffin’s extraordinary, unreleased third solo album, was finally unleashed from deep in the Motown vault in the early days of Hip-oSelect.com. With rave reviews and a limited run, the album quickly sold out, the first sold-out title in the Select catalog. Now, for a brief and very limited time only, David is here again.

This is the original release, not a re-press; included are the original 12 tracks scheduled for release as Motown 733, plus seven amazing bonus tracks from the album sessions, and the mono single mixes of the four songs issued as singles in 1971.

It’s the great David Ruffin in his prime, with Motown’s Funk Bothers band in full flower and the company’s producers and arrangers on their gameleft behind, until now.

Sorry, orders limited to one per customer.

*****
In late 1969, David Ruffin was having a good year; his solo career was doing well, after a tumultuous period at the end of his otherwise successful tenure with the Temptations. His album and single, “My Whole World Ended,” were smash hits. A second album, appropriately titled Feeling Good, was about to be released.

Ruffin, then 28 years old, began work on a third album, with Motown producers Smokey Robinson, Clay McMurray, Johnny Bristol, Henry Cosby, Ivy Jo Hunter and Duke Browner, who deliver originals like “Each Day Is A Lifetime,” the proposed album’s first single; the dramatic “I Can’t Be Hurt Anymore”; the upbeat “Anything That You Ask For”; the mournful “Let Somebody Love Me”; the intensely exciting “It’s Gonna Take A Whole Lot Of Doing”; and stunning covers of recent hits, “I Want You Back,” “Rainy Night In Georgia” and, with a swaying choir, “Heaven Help Us All.”

Ruffin was simultaneously recording duet tracks with his brother, Jimmy, for the eventual 1970 LP release, I Am My Brother’s Keeper. Jimmy would have his own third solo album, Groove Governor, released in the fall of 1970. Eddie Kendricks, David Ruffin’s high tenor counterpart in the Temptations, was making plans to leave the group, just as “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)” hit #1. Eddie’s solo album All By Myself, and the Temptations’ Sky’s The Limit, were released April 1971.

David was scheduled for release a few months later, late spring/early summer 1971. “Don’t Stop Lovin’ Me,” Browner’s B-side to Cosby’s “Each Day Is A Lifetime,” got some airplay, hit the lower rung of the Pop charts. “You Can Come Right Back To Me” b/w “Dinah,” both Smokey co-productions, are issued as a second single.

And then, in a move that ranks high among the many Motown mysteries, David was never released. The performances, many of them new compositions, are never heard again, not even as filler for future albums. David Ruffin’s next solo album was released in 1973, meaning he had four years between official LP releases.

Yet the tapes survived. The stories remain fresh. The sound of David Ruffin at the height of his powers can now be heard. The packaging faithfully reproduces artwork of the era, including rare photographs, an essay detailing the sessions and the moment, and full track annotations.

But hurry – David will soon be gone again.


Original LP
1. Each Day Is A Lifetime
2. I Want You Back
3. Out In The Country
4. You Can Come Right Back To Me
5. I Can't Be Hurt Anymore
6. Rainy Night In Georgia
7. I've Got A Need For You
8. Anything That You Ask For
9. Let Somebody Love Me
10. For The Shelter Of Your Love
11. Dinah
12. Don't Stop Lovin Me
Bonus Tracks
1. Its Gonna Take A Whole Lot Of Doin
2. I Want Her To Say It Again
3. Your Heartaches I Can Surely Heal
4. Get Away Heartbreak (Keep On Moving)
5. You Make Me Do Things I Don't Want To Do
6. Mountain Of Memories
7. Heaven Help Us All
Mono Single Mixes
1. Each Day Is A Lifetime
2. Don't Stop Lovin Me
3. You Can Come Right Back To Me
4. Dinah

http://hip-oselect.com/scr.public.produ ... 1D5081D913

{EDITED TO ADD UPDATED INFORMATION FROM HIP-O SELECT WEBSITE ON WAREHOUSE FIND, COURTESY OF "classicyesfan." ~ Jay}

Oh well...I guess I no longer have a really scarce title here.

My inside source (Harry Weinger) tells me that this is NOT a re-press.

"When we switched warehouses last fall we discovered a little less than 100 pieces. Tjhey did consider a re-press but as you say, "when it's gone, it's gone." We even considered *not* selling those few - but since the quantity was so small, the decision was made to make them available. They will likely be gone in a few days. Sorry for the confusion."

All,

I have updated the topic accordingly. From a quick look at the Hoffman site, it looks like some of them are jumping all over it, so I would recommend that people act fast.

Jay

My heads-up is now officially recorded at Hip-O's website:

"As many of you know, Hip-OSelect.com recently moved from one fulfillment house to another, which caused a momentary hiccup in our shipments, for which we are truly sorry. One good thing came out of the move, however: we discovered 80 copies of "David," David Ruffin's long-thought sold-out unreleased album with bonus tracks. We have been receiving a steady flow of pleading inquiries about this piece, so we are happy to say that the 80 copies of the 23-track collection will be again available from March 2nd on our site on a first come, first served basis. Sorry, only one to a customer."

Only there are now just 80 copies found....

They can't be selling that fast, I just ordered one.

I got one earlier this evening, too. Thanks so much for posting this. I hesitated buying it when it was first released and then when I decided to pull the trigger, it was gone! I did get it off of iTunes over a year ago just to get those sweet soul sounds.

I was able to get one just now. Question - what kind of turn around is Hippo-Select for shipments (I did not do rush). Just curious. I will going to D'yer Mak'er next Saturday.

Yeah, I just ordered one too so they're not selling that fast.

Looks like they're now sold out.

Guess the remaining copies did sell out pretty quickly after all. Glad for all of those who managed to obtain a copy.

Jay

Considering there were only 80 available I'm surprised that they didn't sell out immediately. Glad I got mine.

I secured myself a copy, but I had to ask soulmusic.com to order it for me, as Hip-O still won't ship to Denmark. I just hope the order will be processed. Thanks for the heads-up, guys, this was one of my most sought-after CD's.

I actually called my order in to ensure a copy. Couldn't believe I was lucky to score this!
Thanks for Eddy Scott for the original post about the availability :}

Rick A.

Good thing you called...I just received the "Dear John" that the item is no longer available, despite earlier confirmation. Bummer.

I just got the same e-mail about it no longer being available. I ordered it on March 4. Rick and NoU, when did you guys order?

Honestly, I'm kinda pissed. The "Sold Out" on the page didn't come until the 5th. Just called them and they said that essentially the database wasn't accurate so it set up order numbers even though they had run out. The lady I spoke with didn't know specifically when they sold out.

Thanks a lot Hip-O-Select for absolutely #*!@#( nothing.

I also got shut out after supposedly placing a successful order.

Add me to the "your order has been cancelled" list.

I ordered mine the morning of the 3rd. It came today.

I ordered on 3/4 and received an order #/confirmation; Hip-O cancelled order on 3/10.

I believe I ordered the early a.m. of the 5th...possibly late in the evening of the 4th, before it went 'sold out'

I finished listening to it today- very happy with it. But...if you have TCMS vols. 11a and 11b and Motown Sings Motown Treasures you have some of the best tracks.