Elemental Music Motown Sound Collection extends into September with three releases available on the 13th: a mono edition of Meet the Temptations, Diana Ross & the Supremes’ Love Child, and Marvin Gaye’s In the Groove, all on 140 gram virgin vinyl. Considerations of all three follow below.
After three years of trying, The Temptations finally scored a sizable hit. Side one of Meet the Temptations opens with that hard earned success, “The Way You Do the Things You Do”; side two begins with the song’s B-side “Just Let Me Know.” Filling out the rest of LP is nearly everything they released prior to that commercial breakthrough.
It’s worth noting that “(You’re My) Dream Come True,” written and produced by Barry Gordy, was a minor R&B hit for the group in 1962. Had Billboard not disbanded the R&B chart (apparently due to Motown’s haywire crossover success) from late November ’63 to January ’65, it’s very likely “The Way You Do the Things You Do” would’ve climbed to the top spot (it did hit #1 on the Cash Box R&B chart).
In large part due to the inclusion of that first sizeable hit single, and with the A-side marking the entrance of David Ruffin to the group (as Elbridge “Al” Bryant made his departure), the mono release of Meet the Temptations is an essential acquisition for any serious Motown shelf. But any assumptions that the rest of the LP is primarily of interest to vinyl fans with a heavy-duty Motown jones is off the mark, even if the more rudimentary material included does lack the consistency and refinement that marks The Temps’ sound moving forward.
The Andre Williams-produced debut single from 1961 (released on Gordy’s Miracle label) is omitted (later added to Meet the Temptations’ 1999 CD edition), as is their fourth 45, which was issued under The Pirates moniker in 1962. But the rest of the early singles are all right here, and if none of the songs rise to level of the Smokey Robinson-penned and produced “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” the doo-wop infused R&B gusto is appreciated, especially those featuring the bass voice of Melvin Franklin.
Having started out as The Primettes (a sort of sister group to The Primes, an outfit that featured Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams, soon to join The Temptations), the Supremes rose in stature to become Motown’s most successful group. Appropriately, Love Child is the third of four Supremes LPs to see reissue by Elemental this year. This success however, also made them exhibit A for those arguing that Motown placed too much emphasis on pop finesse.
1967 was a transitional year for The Supremes, the spotlight intensifying onto Diana Ross along with a name change to Diana Ross & the Supremes (after a very brief period as The Supremes with Diana Ross). Additionally, Florence Ballard was out, fired due to erratic behavior spurred by alcoholism, and Cindy Birdsong, leaving Patti LaBelle & the Blue Belles for a sweeter gig, was in (Ballard’s subsequent struggles and an early death by cardiac arrest in 1976 was a tragic loss).
Surprisingly, the frictions, the stresses, and the conflicting interests took no audible tool on Love Child, the group’s 15th album and the third to be released subsequent to the name change (all three issued in ’68). That the number of Holland–Dozier–Holland compositions featured on the album is exactly zero makes Love Child’s high level of quality borderline remarkable.
It’s clear from Love Child’s cover design that Motown was striving to stay on pace with the times; the harsh realities detailed in the opening title track drive the point home (while staying focused on personal struggle over protest). Although the Detroit Symphony Orchestra is heard on nine of the album’s dozen tracks (smartly maintaining continuity with the Supremes’ prior output), the set’s overall thrust is tougher and more robust, but stopping short of the gritty or gutbucket.
This adjustment in approach has held up well. This includes the title cut, a reliable oldies station rotator. Other highlights include a sharp cover of Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers’ “Does Your Mama Know About Me,” and a sequence of cuts on side two that can be accurately assessed as sunshine soul, particularly the leadoff track “He’s My Sunny Boy” (a Smokey Robinson composition) and “You’ve Been So Wonderful to Me.” It’s an appealing mode for the group. And if there is no Holland–Dozier–Holland tunes, the writing is solid throughout, including three tracks co-composed by Ashford and Simpson.
Bluntly, the 1960s were not Marvin Gaye’s decade. This should not be a controversial statement. Gaye had his share of fine moments across this period, but far too much energy was devoted to middle-of-the-road adult pop of yesteryear (although to be fair he was pretty solid in this mode and it was Gaye’s choice, not the label’s).
But by the release of Moods of Marvin Gaye in 1966 he’d begun to secure his musical footing (that LP included two R&B #1s). Moods was followed by a pair of likeable duet records, one with Kim Weston, Take Two, in ’66, and then United with Tammi Terrell in ’67. A second LP with Terrell, You’re All I Need, came out in August of ’68, the same month as In the Groove.
The big historical story with In the Groove is that it includes “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” and additionally, there’s Gordy’s obstinance over releasing it as single to consider. He reportedly only relented after disc jockeys turned it into a radio hit. Gaye’s version became the label’s biggest seller, overtaking Gladys Knight & the Pips’ version of the same tune, which had previously been Motown’s biggest sales success. In the Groove was later rereleased as I Heard It Through the Grapevine, because of course it was.
But In the Groove’s album cover is very curious. The design looks like it could’ve been released in 1958. Combined with the record’s prevailing Sam Cooke vibe, it’s obvious Motown was still thinking of Gaye as a throwback artist, at least partially. “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” which is as defined by Whitfield’s skills as producer as it is by Gaye’s handling of the slower arrangement, is a major breakaway from the LP’s Cooke-like direction; it’s interesting to note that Gordy grudgingly acquiesced to the song’s inclusion on the album.
It’s easy to underrate Gaye’s version of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” but hearing the song unwind with fresh ears reestablishes the song’s subtly eerie brilliance. That In the Groove is true to its title is also a special thing, as essentially all of Gaye’s R&B-focused albums leading up to it included tracks that are fairly described as momentum killers. But not here; In the Groove just rolls.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
The Temptations, Meet the Temptations
A-
Diana Ross & the Supremes, Love Child
A-
Marvin Gaye, In the Groove
A-
