Search - Various Artists :: Cellarful of Motown: Rarest Motown Grooves

Great set of Motown rarities - Give us more please!

James E. Bagley | Sanatoga, PA USA | 10/16/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This forty-track, double-disc of rare Motown recorded between 1962 and 1970 is one of the year's most delightful sets. Issued first in England (where collecting rare Motown is an everyday obsession for many), the vast majority of these tracks were never commercially released. In addition, none were previously available on cd and all are remastered from the original tapes. Upon my first listen, it sinks in just how underappreciated Brenda Holloway was at Motown. On each of her five tracks (the most allotted to any artist on this set) - such as the frantic "Trapped In A Love Affair" and the despondent "How Can I" - Holloway caresses even the most mundane lyrics into something special. It is incomprehensible that these recordings took over 35 years to get released (and even more perplexing that there are still a lot more unreleased Holloway tracks in the Motown vaults). Incidentally, her little sister Patrice Holloway finally gets a Motown track released with the enclosed enchanter "The Touch Of Venus." With repeated listenings, it also becomes abundantly clear that most of these unearthed recordings are of an astonishingly high quality. Kim Weston's hypnotic plea "Don't Let Me Down" is easily among the best half-dozen recordings she made at Motown, while Jimmy Ruffin's soulful "On The Avenue" displays a vocal range far beyond what he utilized on his hits ("What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted," "I've Passed This Way Before"). Other gems include the scorching "I Like Everything About You" by the Dennis Edwards-led Contours, as well as a shelved Gladys Knight & the Pips single "Here Are The Pieces Of My Broken Heart" (recorded in 1966, almost a full year before their first released single) that presents Knight at her most tormented. Near the end of the second disc, the quality drops off considerably with the Isley Brothers caught in an unmelodic "A Weakspot In My Heart," followed by some off-key vocals by the Lewis Sisters (their lasting legacy at Motown lies in their songwriting, not their singing) on "Don't Make Me Live Without Your Love," and a badly matched Yvonne Fair and Chuck Jackson (she sings him under the table) on the Marvin and Tammi castoff "It Must Be Love Baby." Fortunately, the always dependable Velvelettes end the collection on a high note with the bouncy company anthem "Ain't No Place Like Motown." If your Motown collecting tastes are limited to the major artists, this collection isn't likely to tempt you (there is one track each from Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and the Temptations, with nothing at all from the Supremes, Four Tops, and the Miracles). If you're like me, however, and get as much (if not more) enjoyment from artists like Holloway, Carolyn Crawford, the Monitors, and Velvelettes, then this is a set that you've gotta get! While you're at it, check out the British import Motown Big Hits And Hard To Find Classics Vol. 4 for more rare Motown magic."

Only Motown Could Do It

James E. Bagley | 06/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well worth hunting down, this collection issued in Great Britain includes more than three dozen unreleased Motown gems, again illustating that the recording which went on day and night at Hitsville was turning out a massive amount of unique music, much more than could be marketed and a lot of which deserves still to be heard. When you consider it's not just hundreds of unreleased singles in the vaults but dozens and dozens of full albums no one has ever heard outside the Motown offices, the neglected history here is overwhelming. The "Cellarful" album, two beautifully packaged and annotated C.D.s, makes a good start toward getting this music out finally. What's startling is the quality. Virtually everything here is as strong as the music which WAS released. Some of it is remarkably clever. The Barbra McNair opener could just be the best record she made for Motown (the company didn't have a clue what to do with her, as was true with all its artists who came from the outside). But there's SO much more out there--Martha's "Coney Island," "In A World of My Own (Martha's Song);" The Marvelettes' "I'm So Glad That Summer's Here;" the entire "Supremes Sing and Perform the Disney Classics" album; Diana Ross' "Cupie Doll" and "In the Evening of Our Love"--great record after great record. As for already-released material, where is Mary Wilson's solo album augmented with all her leads for the Supremes?; why haven't the post-Diana Supremes' albums been rereleased (there are TONS of extra tracks in existence); where is Syreeta's unreleased album; and where is Diana's fabled Harold Arlen album? There's SO much gold in them thar vaults being unmined. Well, this is a great start, beautifully mastered and wonderfully packaged. If you want more like it, you've got to let Motown know by BUYING it in BIG numbers!"

Ureleased Gems

Skip | Baltimore, MD United States | 03/10/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Listening to these songs, you can get an idea of a sort developing of the Motown Sound on an ongoing basis. There are number of songs that would've been released singles on many another record label, particular Brenda Holloway's numberous inclusions. A previous review stated that the Funk Brothers did unusual arrangements to compensate for weak lyrics. That's not likely, because the Funk Brother often had no lyric sheets, and didn't even know who was going to sing over the tracks they recorded (in many cases, several acts recorded their vocals over the same tracks). In fact, the titles they saw were not necessarily the title the songs would have once released.Still, we all have our opinions and/or our favorites. Despite less than spectacular vocals, "Don't Make Me Live Without Your Love" is without a doubt my favorite song on the set. Wonder what Tammi Terrell's version sounds like? And I can't imagine Diana Ross tackling "Here Are The Pieces Of My Broken Heart," (my 2nd favorite) not after hearing Gladys Knight tear into it here...but I'd love to hear it.If you like the Motown Sound, if you like innovation, you'll at the very least appreciate this collection."