The Velvelettes - The Best of
Spectrum Music 544 467-2
Released in the UK March 2001

This title has been a long time coming - thirty odd years in fact as the girls never enjoyed a UK release despite being a formidable act in the early to mid sixties where their single releases were issued on the Motown’s Soul label in the US.

Like so many other acts on the label in the early days the product suffered from that ‘early sound’ which many fans today don’t rate as good as the songs from 64-68. Hard core Motown collectors will or course be cock-a-hoop at the thought of a ‘best of’ collection for less than £7.00.

The Velvelettes never enjoyed the same commercial success that the Supremes or Martha & the Vandella’s did even though their songs were written by supremo’s Norman Whitfield and Eddie Holland etc., although two of their 1964 releases have continued to this day to fill dancefloor’s at oldies venues, and have appeared regularly on radio playlists. Those two songs being ‘Needle In A Haystack’ and ‘He Was Really Saying Something’  (later recorded by Bananarama in the UK).

Both songs had dancefloor appeal and THAT big Motown sound which found instant success with the beat/mod era that was fast breaking in the UK and whilst they were issued individually on Stateside, they are much easier to pick up as 45’s on the Tamla Motown label back to back where they were re-issued in the late sixties, and were one of the longest running catalogue titles in this format until its eventual deletion in the seventies.

As Motown grew, so did the demand in this country for titles that could be used in the discotheques and the issue of ‘Lonely, Lonely Girl Am I’ was almost tailor made for the UK market. Whilst it wasn’t a hit as such there is no doubt as to it’s collectability over the last thirty years and even to this day remains one of the rarest of the rare on the UK label.

A similar story can be said for the other big dancer in the form of ‘A Bird In The Hand’ and not a better opening bass line will you ever hear anywhere, before the tambourine and guitar crash in and before you know it the main song is steaming along like a train out of control - wonderful.

I have to say that the remainder of this set is clearly made up of filler material and is easy to see why a lot of these songs were not considered commercial enough to justify being issued as singles and whilst pleasant enough to listen to, they sadly fall short of the above named songs.

In 1966 we were once again treated to another gem in ‘These Things Will Keep Me Loving You’ a midtempo dancer of the highest order which has continued to be a favourite for years now especially on the northern soul scene. During a poll in 1995 of my listeners all-time favourite Motown tracks, this came in the top 5.

Whilst this CD boasts four unreleased recordings from the sixties only ‘The Boy From Crosstown’ stands out as being anything special and Motown collectors reading this review will be aware of the song via the Marvelettes which has been featured on a white label LP in the UK - yet this is a much better version.

If one has to wait another thirty years before this becomes available again then I suggest you grab a copy now before it becomes deleted and file under classic Motown.

Personal rating 7/10
Collectable rating 9/10
Released March 2001

UK Tracklisting;

He Was Really Saying Something/Lonely Lonely Girl Am I/Since You've Been Loving Me/There He Goes/That's The Reason Why/
I Know His Name (Only His Name)/Should I Tell Him/Throw A Farewell Kiss/These Things Will Keep Me Loving You/
I'm The Exception To The Rule/Needle In A Haystack/A Bird In The Hand (Is Worth Two In A Bush)/Let Love Live/
I'm So Glad It's Twilight Time/Think Of The Times/Stop Beating Around The Bush*/Love Is Good*/Save Me*/Boy From Crosstown*

* denotes previously unreleased