I'm playing the 3-CD "Motown 50 - Yesterday Today Forever" anniversary set, 50 favorite Motown tracks as voted by the fans, which makes this comp unique. Surprisingly, NO "You Keep me Hangin' on" by Supremes, but otherwise all the usual suspects are there. Jackson 5's "I Want you Back" was voted no.1. Only two rarities on the set, "Heaven Must Have Sent you" by The Elgins, and the most valuable record in the world, "Do I Love you (Indeed I do)", a Northern Soul stomper by Frank Wilson. My all-time favorite Motown song is "Reach out, I'll be There" by Four Tops. This new comp would make an excellent gift idea for a soul novice.

My favs are never at the top of the list:

Ain't No Mountain High Enough-Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
More Love-Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

25 Miles - Edwin Starr

War - Edwin Starr.

Another Edwin Starr I'm afraid.....Stop Her On Sight (S.O.S) and The Temps Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me).

Motown Chartbusters Vol 3 is a pretty good single disc original comp into for the uninitiated.

My co-favorite, along with Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On".

My Top 5 Are:

1. Shake Me Wake Me (When It's Over) -- Four Tops
2. Destination Anywhere -- Marvelettes
3. Just My Imagination -- Temptations
4. My Girl -- Temptations
5. Love Child -- Supremes

Get Ready - Temptations
Your Precious Love - Marvin & Tammi
Reach Out - Four Tops
Uptight - Stevie Wonder
Get Ready - Rare Earth

"I Want You Back" is my favorite all-time single, so that would be 1.

"Stop In the Name Of Love" probably # 2, then "Ball Of Confusion".

Smiling Faces Sometimes - Undisputed Truth
Function in the Junction - Shorty Long
Living For The City - Stevie Wonder
Ball Of Confusion - Temptationss
I'm Living In Shame - Supremes
War - Edwin Starr
What's Goin On - Marvin Gage

Hard to list just 5 (or 7)

"I Heard It Through the Grapevine"--Marvin Gaye

Wow, Charles--and here I thought I was the only one who would list "Smiling Faces Sometimes"--but that's my favorite all-time song, anyway.

Temptations- "My Girl" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"
Stevie Wonder- "My Cherie Amour" "Higher Ground" and "You Are the Sunshine of My Life"
Marvin Gaye- "What's Going On" & "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)"
Jackson 5- "Dancing Machine"
Supremes- "Someday We'll Be Together"
Jr. Walker- "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)" & "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted"
Smokey Robinson- "Crusin'"

"What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" was a hit for Jimmy Ruffin. Are you sure Jr. Walker covered it?

Another good one is "What Does it Take to win Your Love" by Jr. Walker & the All-Stars. Famously covered by Santana in the 1980's.

My bad. It was Ruffin's version I should have mentioned.

I listened to it just now, what a great voice he had!

Same Old Song-Four Tops

In my college days, a buddy of mine in the Fine Arts department talked me into going to see a collection of "art" films that the faculty and students had done. To make a long story short, I found them incredibly boring and pretentious, and couldn't wait until the last reel was over. Afterwards we stopped at the local Dairy Queen for burgers and fries. They were playing an oldies station and "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye came on.

"Now that's art!" I said, pointing up to the speaker.

So Marvin and the grapevine get my vote.

(p.s. That buddy of mine is now a major music collector, and probably owns three times as many CDs as I do. Jazz, rock, bossa nova and, yes, a lot of Motown.)