The Complete Motown Singles
I'm not one to normally tell you "hey, go look at this neat stuff you can buy on this other site" because, well, I'm much happier if you find things here that you like, but sometimes there is something just too good not the point out.
In early 2005, Hip-O-Select started releasing "The Complete Motown Singles" collection. Each volume covers a year (except volume 1) in the history of the company and features both the A and B sides of every single released during that time period. What you get are the hits you know and love and a whole lot more music that may or may not live up to the company's highlights. You will, though, have as complete a history of the Motown label as has been ever produced (and they have produced A LOT of anthology albums over the years).
Volume 1, a six-disc set, covers 1959 to 1961 and starts with the very first single "Come to Me"/"Whisper" by Marv Johnson. That's followed by the first releases by Eddie Holland (of Lamont-Dozier-Holland fame), Barrett Strong and such little-knowns as the Satintones and the Swinging Tigers. It's not until track 15 on the first disk that the first truly recognizable song comes up, "Money" by Barrett Strong.
Over the next five discs, you'll hear the early hits of the Miracles, Mary Wells, Jimmy Ruffin, the Contours, the Temptations, the Marvelettes and more. The real beauty of the set, though, is being able to hear the complete singles, the hits and the misses, and hear how the Motown sound emerged. Included are multiple takes on some songs that show, for example, how a record sounds with the basic group and vocals and with a string background.
This is a planned 12-part series. To date, they've released Volume 2 (1962 - 4 disks), Volume 3 (1963 - 5 disks) and Volume 4 (1964 - 6 disks). Volumes 5 and 6 are scheduled for later this year.
