Let’s put the boot on the other foot - imagine if the Beatles had attempted to record versions of ‘Heaven Must Have Sent You’ or ‘Reach Out’, how do you think they would have sounded?. Probably as bad as some of the songs on this CD, consisting of cover versions of Lennon & McCartney songs sung by some of the biggest names on Motown.

OK so there is no such thing as a bad Motown song but these album fillers taken from the sixties and seventies do little justice to the artists who are singing them here, and as first impressions always count, I’m afraid the majority of these songs failed to excite in anyway whatsoever. I can appreciate how these songs were either relegated to ‘b’ sides or not issued at all. Whilst Motown fans have for many a year now been screaming for something different (and in fairness we are currently getting thanks to Universal - check out other reviews on this site) there surely must be better songs to issue than these.

The opening track ‘A Hard Days Night’ by the Supremes was most disappointing, sounding empty and soul-less, and ‘Hey Jude’ from the Temptations isn’t much better. That said however, Marvin Gaye’s version of ‘Yesterday’ was a good version and appears to have been recorded around the same time as ‘Abraham Martin and John’. I’ve included a Real Media clip if you want to hear it. Please click here.

Another three worthy of mention is Junior Walker with ‘My Love’ and two from the Four Tops who rarely disappoint with ‘Michelle’ and ‘Fool On The Hill’

Other than that the rest of this disc perhaps should have been ‘left in the can as it were’ as much better material must be sitting in the vaults just begging for a chance to be issued. I wouldn’t mind betting that the majority of Motown fans will give this CD the wide-berth, and I also doubt whether MOR pop music collectors will give it anything more than a passing glance.

A full track-listing is included here for reference.
 

The Supremes	A Hard Days Night
Four Tops	Eleanor Rigby
Stevie Wonder	We Can Work It Out
Temptations	Hey Jude
Marvin Gaye	Yesterday
Diana Ross	The Long And Winding Road
The Supremes	Come Together
Syreeta	She's Leaving Home
The Supremes	You Can't Do That
Four Tops	The Fool On The Hill
Four Tops	Michelle
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles	And I Love Her
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas	Something
Gladys Knight & the Pips	Let It Be
Diana Ross	Imagine
Junior Walker	My Love
Edwin Starr	My Sweet Lord

Back to reviews listings page