667. The Marvelettes: “Anything You Wanna Do”
Coming up in the middle of a run of greatness, given the heights we’ve just crested, well, to call a record pretty stupid but quite good anyway somehow feels even harsher than usual. But here we are. (4)
Category Archives: Writing credit: Clarence Paul
663. Stevie Wonder: “Purple Rain Drops”
Pleasant enough, but I wanted to hear more from the new Stevie Wonder, the Stevie as introduced on the A-side, the Stevie as we now know him. Whatever the reasons for exhuming Purple Rain Drops, this just isn’t him any more. (4)
620. Stevie Wonder: “Music Talk”
Yet again when writing about a Stevie 45 from this weird between-the-wars period, this feels like something of a pointless exercise. (4)
616. Martha & the Vandellas: “You’ve Been In Love Too Long”
They were never going to be the Supremes, but instead, here they take possession of something new, something more dangerous and exciting and grown-up: from here on in, this is the Vandellas’ home turf, and they occupy it with panache. And with a super-catchy chorus to boot. (8)
612. The Marvelettes: “Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead”
I can’t necessarily imagine anyone picking it out as one of their all-time favourites (though no doubt there’ll be some in the comments section!), but there’s really very little wrong with it; for me it just doesn’t go quite far enough, doesn’t scrape the sky in the way it keeps threatening. Still, on a good day, there’s little to touch it. (7)
601. The Contours: “Searching For A Girl”
Not bad or offensive, it’s just sort of there. A fun but forgettable bit of filler. (4)
598. Marvin Gaye: “Pretty Little Baby”
While this isn’t Marvin’s best Motown side so far – it’s bizarre, and it’s miserable, it’s probably my favourite. It’s raw, it’s honest, it’s painful, it’s beautiful, it’s everything I want when I go to Marvin’s later albums. Quite some going. (9)
597. Dorsey Burnette: “They’re Only Words”
Undeniably well-made as a genre piece, and it holds its own well enough against some of Motown’s other MOR-style crooner cuts from more established names; but it’s not to my taste, and as we won’t be hearing from Dorsey again here on Motown Junkies until we get to 1975, it’s a bit of a strange note upon which to be parting. (4)
577. Stevie Wonder: “The Square”
Although it sounds a bit rusty compared to the older and wiser ’65-model Stevie we’ve started to get used to, this turns out to be a more mature and considered piece than Wonder’s actual new records have been of late. (4)
558. Stevie Wonder: “Kiss Me Baby”
Far from Stevie’s worst A-side, but yet another disappointing entry in what was fast becoming a disappointing canon; Motown must have wondered if he’d ever land another big hit again. (3)
536. Hattie Littles: “You Got Me Worried”
A breath of fresh air which sounds like the début from some new talent, the jumping-off point for a new and exciting career. Certainly it doesn’t sound like what it really was: a final, half-hearted throw of the dice from a disinterested label, one of America’s great unsung singers shackled to a record company who didn’t bother to release her records. (7)
