Baby I’ve Got It! More Motown Girls

(Ace CDTOP 1524; 24 tracks, 64 min.)

  Baby I’ve Got It! More Motown Girls (Ace, CDTOP 1524; track listing at http://acerecords.co.uk/baby-ive-got-it-more-motown-girls; 64 min.; notes by Keith Hughes) is the third volume in this series and not any of these 24 tracks was released at the time of their recording, between 1961 and ’69, and as many as 16 appear here for the first time.

  I’m afraid that this volume is not on a par with its predecessors, which on the other hand is very understandable considering that we’re talking about decreasing amount of vaulted material.  In case of new, unheard songs the failing element seems to be unmemorable melodies, although for dedicated Motown music aficionados that basic, irresistible sound is the main thing that counts - and that part, of course, doesn’t fail.

  The CD gets off to a good start with Gladys Knight & the Pips’ very first recording for Motown in 1966, a quick-tempo dancer called In My Heart I Know It’s Right, and Brenda Holloway carries on equally intriguingly with another fast number, Without Love You Lose a Good Feelin’.  However, as we proceed we stumble on a number of more mediocre tracks, which didn’t pass the Quality Control... and for a reason.  I’ve never cared for kiddie music, so Little Lisa’s and Thelma Brown’s cuts are far from being my favourites. Also on Brenda Holloway’s cover of the title song the fast tempo of the track and the less-than-full intensity of Brenda’s singing don’t match.

  Liz Lands is a fine multi-octave singer, but her style and Motown sound are not always compatible.  Ann Bogan is another distinguished vocalist, but sometimes she tends to soul out too much instead of simply singing in the required pop mode.  The remakes on this set by LaBrenda Pen (It’s All Right), the Marvelettes (Sweet Talkin’ Guy) and Yvonne Fair (I Know) are all interesting to listen to, and I add to that group also Martha & the Vandellas’ I’m Willing to Pay the Price, which actually is Come and Get These Memories, part II.

  I quite liked Kim Weston’s poppy and melodic I Up and Think of You and Barbara McNair’s slightly jazzy show tune, You’ve Got Possibilities.  There are also a couple of downtempo songs included, such as the Lollipops’ There Was and Kim Weston interpreting - in a Since I Fell for You mood - the closing standard titled So Long. 

© Heikki Suosalo

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