UNRELEASED – scheduled for Mel-o-dy 108 (B), April 1963

B-side of Why Go Out Of Your Way

(Written by Freeman Cowgar)

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A disappointment after the relatively refreshing A-side Why Go Out Of Your Way, which had blended some great pedal steel guitar, brushed drums and other fine instrumentation from the Funk Brothers, and a flat but relatively well-pitched lead vocal.

By contrast, this one has a near-reprise of the pedal steel part – though nowhere near as compelling – and some less enthusiastic brushed drums, but the big difference turns out to be the mysterious Billy Merritt himself. His performance here is very similar to the one he’d turned in for the A-side, but somehow, where on Why Go Out Of Your Way it had all sounded reasonably natural, even credible, here he’s just not far enough outside the scope of cheesy Sixties white country music to dispel visions of some horrible, sanded-down “country” TV special, the sort of thing which would have our Billy miming to camera wearing a cowboy hat, surrounded by fibreglass hay bales, cactii painted on the shabby studio backdrop.

Not massively different from the A-side in any really noticeable way, and yet not even half as good. Cloying, dull and just generally not very much fun, this would unfortunately set the Mel-o-dy Records template for the next year and a half.

MOTOWN JUNKIES VERDICT

(I’ve had MY say, now it’s your turn. Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment, or click the thumbs at the bottom there. Dissent is encouraged!)

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You’re reading Motown Junkies, an attempt to review every Motown A- and B-side ever released. Click on the “previous” and “next” buttons below to go back and forth through the catalogue, or visit the Master Index for a full list of reviews so far.

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Billy Merritt “Why Go Out Of Your Way”	Little Stevie Wonder “Fingertips (Part 1)”

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