Motown may not have thought there was room for him in their brave new world, and commercially they may have been right; but you can’t help but feel that in discarding such a pro – with such a knack for making good records – they’d made a bad mistake. (8)
Motown’s best ever B-side, and – even in light of the perfect pop precision of My Guy – quite possibly Mary Wells’ best ever record. A genuine masterpiece, and a fitting end to a bunch of brilliant careers. (10)
So bad it’s almost physically painful; scarcely funny even on the level of parody, and perhaps fittingly even the laughs to be had at its expense are cheap and short-lived. (1)
The lyrical “twist ending” makes this a lot less fun; still listenable and everything, but somehow it all now seems so much sappier, so much less interesting. (4)
Beneath all the vocal howling, it’s difficult to tell whether there might be a good song buried in here somewhere. A shame, because the intro is really rather sweet, but I can’t see myself listening to this again. (1)
Fun enough in its way, but already dated even by 1962 standards, and the performances are a let-down. (5)
I guess it’s just one of those songs that works better as communal property, as a vehicle for a live jam or for singalong high-jinks, than something you’d choose to listen to over and over again. 3
This excellently slinky R&B excursion turns out to be one of the best things Gino ever recorded with the label. (6)
Just about the loudest and angriest record Motown had released in its first four years of existence. It’s certainly not blues, but it’s no pop record either; it’s almost defiantly uncommercial. (5)
Interesting, fast-paced fun, too slight to be a single in its own right, but a good opportunity for singer and band to let their hair down; I’m just very intrigued to know what it sounded like before Hattie got to record it. (6)
Roughly twenty times better than the A-side, as well as being by far the best thing the Valadiers ever recorded. That’s not to say it’s a great record, or anything, but it’s a fine go at making a great record. It’s alive, certainly, and it’s enjoyable to listen to. (6)
Motown Junkies 