611. The Supremes: “Nothing But Heartaches”
A genuinely thrilling album track, and that’s where it should have stayed. (6)
Category Archives: Writing credit: Holland-Dozier-Holland
610. The Supremes: “He Holds His Own”
A brief oasis of calm and contemplation amid a sustained barrage of banging high-gloss pop tunes. Really rather lovely, and not at all unwelcome. (7)
609. The Supremes: “Mother Dear”
The magic of Motown runs in the veins of Mother Dear, and it’s only a pity it didn’t seduce the decision-makers deeply enough; while it might not have topped the charts, it would have made a fine, fine single. (9)
608. The Four Tops: “Your Love Is Amazing”
Messy but still full-on excellent, shambling towards greatness; it’s a rush, a buzz, a gas, utterly irresistible in its demented glee. (8)
607. The Four Tops: “It’s The Same Old Song”
Based solely on its reputation, this seemed like it might be a chance to ease up on the flow of constant praise we’ve had recently – but no, this one’s absolutely fine by me. (8)
604. Choker Campbell’s Big Band: “Mickey’s Monkey”
Kind of fun, in a pleasant enough polite early-Sixties jazz rock-out sort of way – but it’s preposterously short, and (maybe as a result) it feels almost completely ephemeral, a highly unusual choice for a first UK-only Motown single. (4)
588. The Supremes: “The Only Time I’m Happy”
I like it more than I probably should. I like it more than Back In My Arms Again, anyway; it’s this one I’ve come away whistling. (8)
567. The Four Tops: “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)”
I don’t know if a record can ever be “magnificently adequate”, which sounds like a veiled criticism even though that’s both exactly how I feel, and not at all what I mean. So instead, I’ll put it more positively: everything about this is just right. (8)
564. The Supremes: “Whisper You Love Me Boy”
Here, Diana Ross sounds nothing like Mary Wells, and yet somehow she makes it work, exactly like Mary Wells. (8)
563. The Supremes: “Back In My Arms Again”
The theme of Motown in 1965 was reinvention, and what this one shows is that even an act with five Number Ones would have to involve themselves in that process a little bit. In the meantime, this is just about as excellent as treading water can be. Take that any way you like. (7)
551. Marvin Gaye: “You’ve Been A Long Time Coming”
Never in a million years is this a single, and a greater contrast to the A-side you’d be hard-pushed to find, but it’s effortlessly beautiful all the same. (7)
547. The Supremes: “I’m In Love Again”
The group’s best B-side since Never Again all those years ago, this is excellent, and it’s no surprise Motown made sure it found a place in history closing out a splendid album. (8)
546. The Supremes: “Stop! In The Name Of Love”
Heartbreaking for us, listening to it all unfold, as uncomfortably as hearing the neighbours having a shouting match and turning up the TV to drown them out. Except you’d never turn up the TV to drown this out, because it sounds absolutely sensational. (10)
544. Martha & the Vandellas: “Nowhere To Run”
The feeling of hearing a Vandellas record and realising that once again, they’re the best group in the world. I’ve missed that feeling. Damn, this is a good record. (10)
532. The Four Tops: “Where Did You Go”
It’s just lacking that final spark, that something extra which would take the song into the realms of greatness, rather than it being pleasing but ultimately inconsequential. Of course, I suppose when something’s this pleasing, it hardly matters. (6)
523. Choker Campbell’s Big Band: “Come See About Me”
Choker carries his task out with professional dedication, and the result is probably the best darned big band cover of Come See About Me we could have hoped for. Assuming your hopes were as low as mine. (5)
501. Marvin Gaye: “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)”
It’s not terrible, and unlike the last Four Tops single, I can see how this could be someone’s favourite Marvin Gaye song. But, honestly, this feels like an artefact from some other, cheesier version of the Motown story, and I can’t open up and love it. (5)
500. The Four Tops: “Love Has Gone”
It’s the sound that makes this work, the sound of the Four Tops and the Andantes hooking it all up, turning base metal into gold. Even the most hackneyed, hoary old material could sound angelic in their hands, and so this – buffed up to a fine sheen by its writer-producers – turns out very well. (6)
499. The Four Tops: “Without The One You Love (Life’s Not Worth While)”
It’s not all that good, and if I didn’t know that they’d dust themselves off and make some of the best records in history, I’d be worried. As it is, I’m just really disappointed – this could, and should, have been fantastic. (4)
496. The Supremes: “Always In My Heart”
This sounds wonderful, as well as being one of the Holland-Dozier-Holland trio’s most beautifully understated and underrated songs, a mediation on loss (or even bereavement) as powerful and dignified as anything pop music had done so far. If this was the sound of Motown “selling out”, I’m all for it. (8)
495. The Supremes: “Come See About Me”
All the ingredients are here, not just that beat, that sound, but the mixture of “up” music and “down” lyrics (sometimes up, sometimes down indeed!), the dichotomy of Diana’s cold, dispassionate steely glare and her broken, begging desperation, and the basic structure of beautiful verse, killer chorus. They’re all here, and – thanks to Nella Dodds – they’re all at Number One. (8)
480. Mary Wells: “Whisper You Love Me, Boy”
Another super Motown record, in a year not exactly short of them, and it shows that Mary was still at the peak of her powers right up until she walked out of Hitsville for the last time. We’ll never know what might have been had she clocked back in again the next day. (8)
479. The Supremes: “Ask Any Girl”
We’ll never hear the Supremes do anything like this again, but it’s a gas alright, alternately charming and thrilling even as its faltering structure trips over its own feet. (6)
478. The Supremes: “Baby Love”
This is one of Motown’s most famous singles simply because it’s one of Motown’s best singles. I don’t care how many times it gets played, it’s as much of a thrill the first time as the 350th, and that’s pretty much the definition of magical. (10)
472. Marvin Gaye: “Baby Don’t You Do It”
A quite remarkable record, rough and loud and crackling with energy, out of step with everything Motown was doing at the time and yet pointing a clear path to Marvin’s future. It’s also brilliant. (9)
452. Tommy Good: “Leaving Here”
A cool enough note for Tommy to bow out on, even if in this particular instance most of the credit is due to other people. (6)
448. Eddie Holland: “If You Don’t Want My Love”
Nice enough as far as it goes, but that turns out not to be far enough. A paper-thin Andantes showcase rather than a blaze of glory, and so probably not the best way to close out our coverage of Eddie Holland here on Motown Junkies, but those are the breaks. (4)
447. Eddie Holland: “Candy To Me”
A good little pop song that never pulls up any trees; a strangely muted but still wholly enjoyable goodbye from a man who never wanted to be a star in the first place. (6)
442. The Four Tops: “Call On Me”
Even if the Tops and Andantes are underused on what turns out to be a rather slight little song, it still all sounds rather lovely. And I’d listen to these guys sing the ingredients off a bottle of HP Sauce. (5)
441. The Four Tops: “Baby I Need Your Loving”
The first time on Motown Junkies we’ve come across a record that on its very first play, right out of the box, made me think it might be the best record that’s ever been made. (10)
440. Mary Wells: “Guarantee (For A Lifetime)”
Crass and tacky in every possible sense, and Mary comes across as already too dignified for this sort of thing. (2)
433. The Supremes: “Where Did Our Love Go”
A magnificent pop record, at once cold and stately and also swaggering and hip-shaking, and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing it for as long as I live. (10)
418. Eddie Holland: “Just Ain’t Enough Love”
As perfect an encapsulation of everything Motown had been working towards all of these years as we’ve yet seen, and more importantly it just happens to be a great pop single to boot. (9)
406. Martha & the Vandellas: “In My Lonely Room”
I’m not really surprised that this wasn’t the big hit to revive the Vandellas’ commercial fortunes – it’s just not that kind of a song, greatly enjoyable though it is – but that doesn’t mean it’s not both a fascinating listen and a super dancer.
401. The Andantes: “If You Were Mine”
The Andantes gave us plenty of magical moments during their time at Motown; it’s only a shame that their sole single release under their own names doesn’t quite reach those same dizzy heights. (6)
400. The Andantes: “(Like A) Nightmare”
A kick in the teeth for the “real” Andantes, but at least future listeners got a lively and engaging record out of the bargain; a mix of underhanded tricks and decent songcraft resulting in a pretty good dance record. (5)
398. R. Dean Taylor: “My Lady Bug Stay Away From That Beatle”
Motown’s ear for this sort of thing was improving all the time, resulting in less atrocities year on year. That they didn’t actually end up releasing this is actually almost something of a pity; this is silly, silly stuff alright, but it’s definitely not awful. (4)
393. Marvin Gaye: “You’re A Wonderful One”
Much, much more than the derivative sum of its musical parts, pretty much entirely thanks to the band and to Marvin himself, now every bit the superstar.
384. The Supremes: “I’m Giving You Your Freedom”
Not awful or anything, but this is a relic from an age already past, and there was very much better to come. Try the A-side, for starters. (5)
383. The Supremes: “Run, Run, Run”
A brilliant pop record, the best thing the Supremes had released since their long-forgotten début I Want A Guy almost three years previously. (9)
371. Martha & the Vandellas: “Live Wire”
Not as good as Heat Wave, then, but – surprisingly – on balance a better, more vibrant and more exciting record than Quicksand.
