This isn’t just awful on its own terms, as I’d previously believed to be the case, but it turns out it’s also a craven attempt to sponge off another record’s success, the sort of thing I thought Motown had rather grown out of by this point in history. I never learn.
I’d be a massive hypocrite if, having berated the Contours for doing the same thing over and over again, I didn’t at least give them credit for trying something new. I just wish it had turned out a bit… better, that’s all. (5)
There are real signs here of the group’s undeniable R&B and blues sensibility that was missing from the straight-ahead church hall gospel of the A-side, and for that alone it’s more of an entertaining listen. (5)
A very capable gospel jam that doesn’t really work in any other context, and it wears out its welcome much too quickly. (4)
Manifestly silly, despite the macabre subject matter, this is still very much below Motown Quality Control’s usual threshold, and it’s a mystery how it managed to find its way into actual record shops. (2)
Already an artefact from a bygone age in 1963, this is positively an ancient relic now. Embarrassing, depressing, soulless drivel with no redeeming features whatsoever. (1)
Hardly a classic or anything, but it does at least have a sound all of its own, and while completely ineffectual, it’s all still rather pretty. (4)
If you’ve ever wondered what the early Marvelettes might have sounded like without Gladys Horton’s lead vocals, wonder no more; she’s the difference between the two versions, and on this evidence, she belongs in the Hall of Fame. (2)
Barely over two minutes long, this is a brief and pointless exercise, and it’s no surprise history has since glossed over its existence. (2)
This would be a difficult listen if it was in Portuguese, but the sneer in the lyrics (and the underlying, possibly imaginary threat I keep inferring from it, which may be my issue alone, I don’t know) make it tougher still. Creepy and disheartening. (1)
It really is remarkable, just a huge amount of fun. Simple and straightforward, sure, but sometimes that’s the best approach, especially if you’ve got Stevie Wonder in your corner; wind him up and watch him go. You might conceivably get tired of listening to Part 1; you’ll never get tired of listening to this. (9)
Motown Junkies 