Author Topic: 16 Big Hits Albums (Read 14518 times)

Silly Wasnt I · « **Reply #15 on:** February 23, 2020, 10:25:48 am »

J-B on Volume 5:-

Great bunch of songs but nothing for the completists...

1. Jr. WALKER & THE ALL STARS - Shotgun : same as the 'Shotgun' cd and 'Compact Command Performances'. Very damaged tape throughout. It has the gun shot at the beginning (unlike the early 2000's UK remastered 2fer 'Shotgun / Soul Session')

2. MARVIN GAYE - How Sweet it is to be Loved By You : common stereo mix - a well done wide stereo mix at that.

3.THE TEMPTATIONS - My Girl : mono mix. Sounds like the stereo album mix folded down to mono to me! Yech!

4. MARVIN GAYE - I'll be Doggone : common stereo mix. Sounds particularly good after the mono 'My Girl'

5. FOUR TOPS - I Can't Help Myself : common stereo mix

6. THE SUPREMES - Where Did sour Love Go : common stereo mix

7. MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS - Nowhere to Run : common stereo mix

8. SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES - The Tracks of my Tears : common stereo mix

9. THE SUPREMES - Come See About Me : common stereo mix. This version has the fading in drum intro.

10. THR TEMPTATIONS - It's Growing : common stereo mix

11. KIM WESTON - Take Me in Your Arms : common mono mix as found on 'Big Motown Hits vol.3'

12. MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS - Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things) : common stereo mix.

13. BRENDA HOLLOWAY - When I'm Gone : common fake stereo

14. STEVIE WONDER - High Heel Sneakers : Long intro version. Well in fact you can year about two more undecipherable words at the very beginning. Knowing you can hear maybe 30 extra seconds of it on the 'Morortown revue Live in Paris' cd which contains the same mix but that is remastered, the BIG HITS version is useless.

15. THE MARVELETTES - I'll Keep Holding On : common fake stereo

16. THE CONTOURS - First I Look at the Purse : common stereo mix with the glitch intact!

Let's move on to VOL.6...

JB

SWI

Silly Wasnt I · « **Reply #16 on:** February 23, 2020, 10:30:35 am »

And Ivor says of Volume 5:-

You’re completely spot-on with your comments on this CD. That odd mono mix of the Temptations’ “My Girl” (I say odd as it isn’t the mono single mix) popped up on the Tempts’ original triple LP “Anthology” compilation back in 1973 but not sure if this mono mix was used on the original “Anthology” double CD set as I never bought that one. The updated and expanded “Anthology” set released in 1995 definitely included the mono single mix.

I’m not sure if this volume of the”16 Big Hits” was one of the volumes that didn’t feature the original stereo album version as I went to get the LP out and discovered, to my horror, that I must have discarded it as all I have is the UK Vol. 5 of this series which was actually Vol. 4 of the US series. The reason I query this is because I thought the original US stereo LP issue of this volume was where both the “true” stereo version of the Marvelettes’ “I’ll Keep Holding On” and the slightly elongated stereo version of Kim’s “Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While)” first appeared.

Ivor

SWI

Silly Wasnt I · « **Reply #17 on:** February 23, 2020, 10:34:18 am »

I think that's where we ended - with Volume 6 hovering in the wings.

It's been a few years since then.

Can anyone dig up more?

SWI

Mikep5 · « **Reply #18 on:** February 23, 2020, 01:45:25 pm »

I leave most of the technical thingies to you guys.
Someone mentioned that in the stereo versions part of the instruments where mixed into the left channel. I can't recall which volume the Temptation's Beauty is only skin deep was on. I vividly recall turning the ballance botton left and only hearing bass some percussion and vocals. When you turned the balance right it was mostly treble with strings and vocals. It was fun to listen to each side, for comparison.

guest23 · « **Reply #19 on:** June 28, 2020, 09:03:36 am »

I'm thinking about compiling a set of of the "16 Big hits" lps onto Cdrs.
The 45 singles mix from TCMS will be enough for my purposes as I've no idea where to find all the stereo alternatives etc.
I wondered initially what happened to vol 2 and 3 but as stated above, Hitsville and Motown Magic presumably take care of those.

With regard the album covers, can anybody recommend the best site for Motown covers. I usually use Google images, or have a stab at "Tamla Motown 16 big hits etc. via google.
Usually I'm happy with the results, but if anybody knows a "go to" site I should be very grateful to hear from you

thank you

humboldt · « **Reply #20 on:** June 28, 2020, 09:08:25 am »

Larry, I like this one.

https://i.pinimg.com/200x150/be/42/ba/be42ba22796824a64d429ddb0cdb96c0.jpg

width=device-width, initial-scale=1 · pinterest.co.uk

guest23 · « **Reply #21 on:** June 28, 2020, 09:16:39 am »

thanks John
i'll try it

Paul Nixon · « **Reply #22 on:** June 29, 2020, 04:07:17 am »

Eric I have really been enjoying JB and Ivor's insight into the US series anyway we can revamp this to carry on to the later volumes - ate you in touch with JBP - I used to be but its been years since we 'talked'

Silly Wasnt I · « **Reply #23 on:** June 29, 2020, 04:13:24 am »

Wish I could, Paul. He's active over on SDF at the moment, with his expert knowledge of Motown's CD releases.

If I can find his e-mail address, I'll ask him.

Ivor, of course, is here with us on MT and he may have additional notes for us.

Have to say, I love all this stuff. From Snake's comments above, it would be great if some clever person could locate these alternate versions on modern CDs.....

SWI

guest23 · « **Reply #24 on:** June 29, 2020, 04:42:13 am »

Yes that would be ideal....classics as you haven't heard ghdm before on 1 ( or more) CD comp.

guest23 · « **Reply #25 on:** July 03, 2020, 09:13:08 am »

Volumes 4 and 5 in the 16 Big Hits series are a strange mixture, not sure what the thinking behind them was.

Vol 4 repeated 9 tracks from 1-3, whilst vol 5 returned to the Stateside era label releases , which were 2/3 years old by the time the LP was issued here in the UK. These UK issues differed from the USA LPs in the main although there are similarities .
I wonder what the selection process was?

Roger · « **Reply #26 on:** July 03, 2020, 11:09:29 am »

Quote from: Snakepit on July 03, 2020, 09:13:08 am

Volumes 4 and 5 in the 16 Big Hits series are a strange mixture, not sure what the thinking behind them was.

Vol 4 repeated 9 tracks from 1-3, whilst vol 5 returned to the Stateside era label releases , which were 2/3 years old by the time the LP was issued here in the UK. These UK issues differed from the USA LPs in the main although there are similarities .
I wonder what the selection process was?

Mr Snakepit …

The UK "Volume 4" TML 11043 (released Mar '67) was the UK issue of what had been "Volume 5" MS 651 in the USA (released Aug 66)

The main difference being that The UK version (TML 11043) was only released in Mono whereas The US version was available in Stereo … I'm not sure what the impact of this in terms of different Stereo/Mono mixes was.
https://www.45worlds.com/vinyl/album/m651

The UK "Volume 5" (S)TML 11050 (released Jun '67) was the UK issue of what had been "Volume 4" MS 633 in The USA (released Nov '65)

Both of these releases ((S)TML 11050/MS 633) were available in both Mono and Stereo.
https://www.45worlds.com/vinyl/album/ms633

In other words, UK Volumes 4 and 5 were compiled in The USA (presumably in Detroit). whereas 1-3 and 6 onwards were compiled in Britain. And volumes 4 and 5 were reversed, presumably in a successful attempt to confuse future Motown fans and discographers!!

Roger

guest23 · « **Reply #27 on:** July 03, 2020, 11:51:32 am »

Roger
Thanks for some clarification. When I was printing off the LP covers , I very nearly hit the button to "go"....and just spotted that the cover for UK vol 5 was identical to the USA ...but I spotted the Vol 4 USA version just in time.

I never owned UK 1-4 , but knew them, had access to them via friends who owned copies etc. In fact, I borrowed either Hitsville (2) or Motown Magic (3) , can't recall which as the covers were similar, from my Art teacher at school.
As I never had the LP I'd like to think I returned it to him in all good faith.

I did have 5-8. I played them to death in the early days. I was very fond of 6 as I recall. But I loved them all..brings back nice memories sorting through these.

Paul Nixon · « **Reply #28 on:** July 04, 2020, 03:14:47 am »

I think that's why it is always best to stick to talking about the US series of the UK series when you start deviating between one and the other it REALLY gets complicated. Can I suggest if you have infor on the UK series a new thread is started or you clearly head up the post UK SERIES - I'm getting too old to try and work these things out lol.

Roger · « **Reply #29 on:** July 04, 2020, 05:32:31 am »

Quote from: Paul Nixon on July 04, 2020, 03:14:47 am

I think that's why it is always best to stick to talking about the US series of the UK series when you start deviating between one and the other it REALLY gets complicated. Can I suggest if you have infor on the UK series a new thread is started or you clearly head up the post UK SERIES - I'm getting too old to try and work these things out lol.

Quite!! Though post #1 in this thread did specifically refer to the UK series and the deviation crept in later. I blame the Volume 4/Volume 5 switcheroo and those folk at Tamla-Motown, London in 1967.

Things could get very messy with a "Motown Chartbusters" thread, where Volume 3 in The UK and US series both used the same cover design, even though the tracklists were radically different.

Roger

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