A decent song ruined by poor playing and bad production. The Charters aren’t the Funk Brothers by any stretch of the imagination, and listening to this just highlights how important Motown’s house band were for doing justice to – or even improving – the material they were given. (4)
If the A-side had seemed like a conscious attempt to reposition Hattie away from being a blues artist and towards a more R&B/pop place, then this takes things considerably further: it sounds like something that could have been cut by Mary Wells. (8)
Not really blues in itself, it’s at the outer edges of blues-flavoured R&B balladry – but it’s still not really all that commercial. (7)
Not as good as the A-side, but it’s quality stuff and plenty of fun nonetheless, as well as a reminder that Motown in 1962 still hadn’t given up on the blues. (7)
A cracking record, a rollicking, hot-tempered midtempo number – sat astride the imaginary line that divides “R&B-flavoured blues” and “bluesy R&B” – that demands to be turned up loud. (9)
The tune is quite pretty, but all told this is a repetitive, thin, flimsy bit of late-Fifties uptempo doo-wop, a throwback the sort of material Eddie Holland was already leaving behind at the time of this single’s release. (3)
Basically a reworking of Jamie, twice as fast and much more likeable, with 50% more Jackie Wilson. (7)
Too good to be thrown away as either an album track or a B-side, quite frankly, as it might have made one of the better early Miracles singles – but its presence on this reissue at least lets me talk about it at length. Hurrah for commercial pressures! (7)
An exceptionally fine record, and as promising a start as was ever going to be possible for the new Divinity Records imprint. I love it. (9)
Nice enough, clumsy in places, surprisingly powerful in others – but still the best of Motown’s gospel efforts so far. (7)
In front of it all, there’s Marvin Gaye, electric, mesmerising, a star in the making. America had seen his future, just as Motown had done a year before, and it wasn’t knocking out MOR pap like “Mr Sandman”. (7)
Motown Junkies 