Their next album proper, Sky’s The Limit (1971), was more mature, utilizing Eddie Kendricks’ beautiful high tenor to strong effect on the shimmering “Gonna Keep On Tryin’ Till I Win Your Love” and the elegant hit “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me),” both songs in a more traditional Tempts soulful vein, if updated. It still sounds amazing – if naïve – today. “Take A Stroll Through Your Mind” was full-on mock-drug-trip weirdness. Psychedelic Shack (1970) featured one song that didn’t use Melvin Franklin’s wonderful bass voice for anything other than talking: “Hum Along And Dance” had very few words and instead took the Sly And The Family Stone path to percussive vocal harmony. He was prone to musical excess – but, back then, excess was best. The Temptations had been stars for six years when the 70s arrived and were scoring hits under the supervision of producer Norman Whitfield. Let’s begin with one of Motown’s most established acts. The Temptations: Psychedelic Shack, Sky’s The Limit, Solid Rock, All Directions, Masterpiece But they are only a part of Motown’s superb 70s-albums story. You’re also aware of Stevie Wonder’s unique 70s albums, which are timeless statements of an original mind. There is, however, a slew of superb Motown albums that are funky, thoughtful, deeply soulful, heavy, and dancefloor-friendly, just waiting to be rediscovered.īefore we get to the heart of the matter, certain assumptions are made here: that you already know What’s Going On, which has enjoyed an extraordinary amount of retrospective acclaim, and therefore you are likely to have investigated the albums Marvin Gaye followed it with, such as Let’s Get It On, Here, My Dear and the rest. Even today, many 70s Motown albums remain under-appreciated in comparison to their rock equivalents. Not everyone was ready for soul as a serious album music. If the kids wanted mature, grown-up albums with a message, he’d deliver the goods, with added soul that the progressive rockers could not match. They’d proved as much with Norman Whitfield’s increasingly heavyweight productions with The Temptations, Gladys Knight, Marvin Gaye and the rest. Listen to the best Motown songs on Apple Music and Spotify.Īt Motown, Berry Gordy, the label’s head honcho, was convinced that anything the rock bands could do, Motown’s artists could do better. There were exceptions, but, for many fans, soul music simply meant three minutes of bliss. Soul music was generally lumped in the former category, with superb one-off hits sold in the shorter format, and albums often arriving as an afterthought if the single sold enough copies. When the 70s arrived, the difference was clear: a single flew for a few weeks but crashed a classic album might sell for years. The other was rock, meant to be taken seriously on increasingly ambitious and lavish albums. One was pop, bought on 7” singles and designed for quick consumption. Prompted by the success of The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, it divided into two loose-fitting categories. When you really get into it, however, you’ll find that Motown’s overlooked albums are need-to-know essentials every bit as strong as the classics everybody talks about.Īs the 60s headed towards the 70s, there was a profound change in music bought by “the kids”. Ever wondered about the amazing albums you’ve never heard, which the rock critics have barely noticed? There are many – and some were released by a legendary label known almost exclusively for releasing superb singles.
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