Gladys Knight and the Pips - The Motown Years & Anthology
Spectrum 544 313-2
Gladys Knight without question enjoyed the majority of her chart success after she left Motown and went to record for Buddah Records in 1973. Those years also saw a couple of songs that were produced by Van McCoy and these remain firm favourites with soul fans across the world.
Her career at Motown really took off around 1966 with the issue of ‘Just Walk In My Shoes’ which even today ranks amongst the finest uptempo tracks that the label ever issued. Mention it to any self respecting soul fan and they will no doubt tell you of dozens of venues over the years that have retained this song on their playlist. In 1967 there were to be two big songs in her career namely the original version of Marvin Gaye’s ‘I Heard it through the Grapevine’ which Marvin took to the top of the charts both here in the UK and the U.S. in late 1968.

The other song which should have been a bigger hit than it was was ‘Take Me In Your Arms’ which hit the UK charts and gained a lot of play on Radio Caroline and also the newly formed Radio One thanks to Emperor Rosko.

That same year EMI issued the blinding ‘Everybody Needs Love’ as a 45 but only when one flipped it over to the ‘b’ side did one realise that this was a masterpiece in the making. The song was ‘Since I Lost You’ and it is somewhat sad that this particular song is NOT included on this CD.

Most artists on the label at that time were doing cover versions of each others songs and Gladys wasn’t to be left out as she tackles the Temptations song ‘I Wish It Would Rain’ which wasn’t as strong and probably why it didn’t sell well, the same could be said for the other cover of Brenda Holloway’s ‘Every Little Bit Hurts’ which is still nevertheless a pleasure to hear.

The rest of this CD is made up of singles that were issued in the early seventies just before she left the company. In fairness whilst some of them charted and sold well they do not reflect the real talent of this unique artist whilst she was recording for Motown in the sixties. These songs include ‘Nitty Gritty’ ‘It Should Have Been Me’ and ‘Help Me Make It Through The Night’ which whilst commendable, are not as good as the previous decades songs. Nevertheless they still command a place on radio stations’ Gold Playlists.

Personal rating 7/10
Expect to pay around £6.99 in the UK
Released July 2000


Gladys Knight & the Pips
The Very Best Of - Anthology (Double CD)
Motown 520 483-2
Released in the UK on 6th August 2001
Twelve months on and here we have another slice of Motown magic from Gladys Knight, only this time in the form of a double CD anthology chronicling her career from 1964-1973 until she left Motown to join Buddah records. It is ironic that having given Motown fans a string of superb singles and albums during her stay at Detroit that she should find greater commercial success at Buddah and CBS in years to come. One thing is certain, and that is her career at the Motor City was overshadowed by fellow artists who somehow achieved more attention from Berry Gordy's marketing team resulting in the likes of the Supremes/Marvelettes/Martha & the Vandella's etc., to have a string of constant chart hits during the sixties, whereas Gladys only kept popping up now and then.

Where she did find favour, was with the British northern soul fraternity who took an instant liking to her striking uptempo slice of Motown dance floor magic with 'Just Walk In My Shoes' a firm favourite to this day. In 1967 almost eighteen months before Marvin Gaye took 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' to the top of the charts around the globe, Gladys had in fact cut the song as a '45'  to mediocre success and Marvin took the credit for it's enormous success.

If you want a hear Gladys at her ultimate best then click here to wallow in Motown nostalgia as she delivers what can only be described as a killer mid tempo ballad in 'Since I Lost You' (a flip to the UK single 'Everybody Needs Love'). Not a finer song could you wish to hear and one of those songs that would have justifiably took pride of place as an 'A' in it's own right. Taken from her first Motown LP 'Everybody Needs Love'

The hit singles 'Take Me In Your Arms' and 'Everybody Needs Love' need no introduction and are included on disc one helping make it a strong side alongside other goodies such as 'Cloud Nine' 'It Should Have Been Me' and 'I Wish It Would Rain' all of which have been recorded by other fellow Motown artists to some degree of success.

The group had the benefit of the song writing partnership of Whitfield & Strong on certain songs amongst others, which no doubt helped take such gems as 'Friendship Train' and 'You Need Love Like I Do' to make a lasting impression during the latter part of the sixties. As the Motown sound changed from '68' onwards Gladys took it all in her stride never faltering in that pinpoint perfect vocal delivery together with the 'Pips' who surely must take equal billing as being the perfect match for Gladys' talent. It was good to see they too recorded solo for casablanca in the late seventies - great LP.

Disc two delivers a string of hit 45's from the late sixties and early seventies opening with her previously mentioned 'Friendship Train' written by Barrett Strong & Norman Whitfield using the same formula that gave the Temptations so many hits during the psychedelic era at Motown. There were so many acts covering each others songs at that time its often hard to pick out the best, but 'Tracks Of My Tears' is worthy of mention here as a cracking version not too far removed from Smokey's '65' hit.

Other notable well know hits include 'Daddy Could Swear I Declare' (watch out for a real media video clip on this site soon) and 'If I Were Your Woman' and 'Help Me Make It Through The Night' all adding up to a definitive hits collection that will take pride of place in anyone's music collection.

Available now
Rating 9/10
Motown Audio