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)
Category Archives: Writing credit: Holland-Dozier-Holland
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.
366. Eddie Holland: “Leaving Here”
A fine little record, blessed with a great band performance and considerably more spiky and energetic than might have been expected, but it’s hard not to wonder whether this could have been even better if someone else had sung it. (7)
361. Martha & the Vandellas: “Darling, I Hum Our Song”
Oddly unsatisfying when compared to Eddie Holland’s original version; Martha turns in a very fine vocal performance, but arguably for entirely the wrong song, while the rest of it just doesn’t hang together properly at all. (5)
360. Martha & the Vandellas: “Quicksand”
This just isn’t as good a record as Heat Wave; it’s a perfectly adequate sequel, and a fun little Vandellas single in its own right, but they’d come down from a whole other plane in order to make it. (7)
356. The Miracles: “I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying”
This is manifestly better than Mickey’s Monkey on almost every possible level, even though it shares most of the same ingredients. (8)
355. The Supremes: “Standing At The Crossroads Of Love”
Really quite charming, more so in the knowledge that this is one of the last chances we’ll ever get to hear these unschooled, decidedly teenage Supremes doing their thing. (6)
354. The Supremes: “When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes”
A breakthrough, in more ways than one – but not the way it’s often described. (7)
349. The Darnells: “Come On Home”
Since they barely altered the record from its previous appearance, I suppose there’s no need for me to write too much (everything I said the first time round still applies)… and no need to alter the mark either. Pointless and confusing. (3)
348. The Darnells: “Too Hurt To Cry, Too Much In Love To Say Goodbye”
Plenty of fun, both a fascinating little diversion from the course of the Motown story and a fleeting glimpse into an alternate universe, but its greatest value is that it allowed HDH to both match themselves against the best, and get it out of their systems. (7)
343. The Marvelettes: “He Won’t Be True (Little Girl Blue)”
If the Marvelettes’ sales figures weren’t getting better, this is ample proof that on their day the group still deserved to be counted among Motown’s best. Remarkable. (9)
Motown Junkies 