Instead of crafting a better follow-up to Money, this is instead an excellent follow-up to Yes, No, Maybe So, with Strong once again giving it the full Ray Charles in his vocal, and the band apparently bringing the same music to the session (apart from a bit more sax instead of trumpet). In summary: Almost the same as Yes, No, Maybe So, but not as good. (4)
A bluesy pop ballad with doo-wop tempo, Mable John turns in a similarly startling lead vocal performance as she did on the A-side, but the song isn’t as strong. (4)
Mable John, an early confidante of Berry Gordy (from back when he was struggling to get songwriting work) and who provides the touching opening essay for the first volume in the Complete Motown Singles box set series, was the first Motown female solo act, beating out the better-known Mary Wells by a matter of weeks, and this engaging bluesy strut was her first professional recording as well as her début single. (6)
Oh good, more early Sixties novelty records! Actually, unlike the interminable A-side Custer’s Last Man, this one is alright to listen to, a “parody” (i.e. total rip-off) of the Olympics’ Hully Gully taken at double speed. (2)
Obviously, the record sold very poorly (obviously), though there was some modicum of success in the fact that those involved don’t appear to have been sued. Listen once, let it raise a faint smile or two, be bemused by the surprisingly downbeat ending, and then forget all about it. (1)
It’s actually a strong song which might have made a respectable showing as a single, rather than being tucked away on the flip side of a flop as turned out to be the case. (7)
It’s a fun little song, and the chorus is catchy (though I struggle not to think of Lord Rockingham XI’s Hoots Mon at the same time), but as a follow-up to a classic hit single it fails to hit the mark; also, the production is weak and muddy, and the sound quality is especially poor. (6)
Better than the first version, but I still don’t think there’s actually very much song going on underneath all the harmonising and vocal pyrotechnics. Pretty, though.
This is a great pop song all the way; that chorus is one of early Smokey’s best, and Robinson absolutely *nails* it, hitting the very top of his range when he sings “I’m on my way-YYY”… great stuff.
It isn’t as awful as Hold Me Tight, but then neither is having a vagrant sneeze in your face.
One of the bottom five worst Motown records of all time, the best thing you can say about Hold Me Tight is that at least Gordy had the balls to admit his mistake in releasing it in the first place, and acted quickly to put this terrible record out of its misery. (1)
Motown Junkies 