103. The Contours: “Funny”
Quite possibly the worst Motown record of all time. A bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad record. […click title to read more]
Category Archives: Writing credit: Mickey Stevenson
102. The Contours: “The Stretch”
While it’s not quite as striking as their début, The Stretch is another opportunity to enjoy the young Contours having a great time to a stomping beat, which is always a good combination. (6)
97. The Temptations: “Romance Without Finance”
If this unstructured, forgettable mess had been the A-side, it’s possible we’d never have heard of the Temptations again. One to miss, I’m afraid. (2)
96. The Temptations: “Oh Mother Of Mine”
If it’s not an obvious starting point for one of the great groups of all time, it’s a likeable (and danceable!) little record on its own merits. (6)
91. Gino Parks: “That’s No Lie”
Parks can’t be accused of holding anything back, giving a full-on hellfire gospel-rock-blues-whatever performance with echoes of James Brown, but it’s wasted on a standard-issue doo-wop backline that seemingly can’t quite decide on what it wants to be, and an underpowered groove that never gets properly into it.
90. Gino Parks: “Same Thing”
It’s not a fantastic song (it’s pretty simplistic and it doesn’t do anything unexpected), but it will get you dancing; this is probably the jauntiest, most alive dancefloor single the label had released since Barrett Strong’s Money (That’s What I Want) almost two years previously, a neater and more commercial song than the Contours’ similarly torrid Whole Lotta Woman a few months before. (6)
83. Andre Williams: “Shoo-Doo”
Silly, entertaining and much, much better than the charmless, rockabilly-lite Rosa Lee (Stay Off The Bell), mainly because this one actually sounds like an Andre Williams record.
82. Andre Williams: “Rosa Lee (Stay Off The Bell)”
This sounds straight and flat, and not in the least bit scandalous or salacious. It could have been sung by pretty much anybody, which makes you wonder just what the point of getting Andre Williams in to record it was. A real waste. (2)
80. Mary Wells: “I Don’t Want To Take A Chance”
Really this was just the start; there were still two more years of toil and a lot more misses than hits to be endured before Motown would get to where they were heading. But this is a definite start along that path nonetheless, and a great song to boot.
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