497. Stevie Wonder: “Pretty Little Angel”
It might sound like damning with faint praise to call this probably Stevie’s best single since his big breakthrough with Fingertips. (6)
Tag Archives: Motown
496. The Supremes: “Always In My Heart”
This sounds wonderful, as well as being one of the Holland-Dozier-Holland trio’s most beautifully understated and underrated songs, a mediation on loss (or even bereavement) as powerful and dignified as anything pop music had done so far. If this was the sound of Motown “selling out”, I’m all for it. (8)
495. The Supremes: “Come See About Me”
All the ingredients are here, not just that beat, that sound, but the mixture of “up” music and “down” lyrics (sometimes up, sometimes down indeed!), the dichotomy of Diana’s cold, dispassionate steely glare and her broken, begging desperation, and the basic structure of beautiful verse, killer chorus. They’re all here, and – thanks to Nella Dodds – they’re all at Number One. (8)
494. The Marvelettes: “A Need For Love”
It’ll never be mistaken for a prime bit of classic Marvelettes, and it’s not in the same league as the A-side, but with these girls it’s always good to hear more – and in the absence of an album, well, it’s nice to catch up on what they’d been up to. (5)
493. The Marvelettes: “Too Many Fish In The Sea”
Probably the best-sounding Marvelettes single to date, certainly the most “grown up”, and – again – excellent. (8)
492. The Headliners: “You’re Bad News”
None of the individual elements of this (the song, the vocals, the band) is completely awful, just mediocre, but somehow when they’re all put together they amount to less than the sum of their parts. I’m not often physically worn out by trying to listen to a record turned up loud, but this one managed it, and I don’t particularly want to hear it again. Sorry, lads. (2)
491. The Headliners: “Tonight’s The Night”
Not completely terrible, it has its redeeming features, but if I find I’m impatiently waiting for a record to finish, then it’s not done it for me, I’m afraid. (3)
490. The Majestics: “The Further You Look, The Less You See”
It’s still a good song, and it still makes for a good record – but the existence of a better previous version means this is reduced to being a bit of a pointless do-over. (5)
489. The Majestics: “Hello Love”
Ultimately I think the good outweighs the bad, but it’s just so strange I can’t give in and love it. (6)
488. The Spinners: “How Can I”
All my complaints about this being slightly scruffy are really only minor niggles, and it’s really only the existence of a better version which diminishes this one for me, and there’s really only a small gap between the two versions… but it’s the same size as the small gap between “rather good” and “bleedin’ great”, and I can’t quite bridge it. (6)
487. The Spinners: “Sweet Thing”
There are so many great moments here that it’s pointless even trying to list them all; it’s just a pity they’ve all been shoehorned into a somewhat ropey little song. And Bobbie Smith I could listen to all day long. For now, knowing there’s so much better to come from these guys around the corner, this will just about do. (5)
Motown Junkies 