Hitsville USA 1959-71 - CD 1

Probably the weakest of the four CDs in a generally excellent set, but getting classically great towards the end. Voted "Baby Love"

GOD I LOVE JAMIE!

(but voted Stubborn Kind Of Fellow)

Out of all the boxed-set-disc polls so far, this looks to be the most mind-blowingly consistent. Going with the Four Tops, but could just as easily have voted for "Dancing in the Street," or "Pride and Joy," or "You've Really Got A Hold On Me," or "Please Mr. Postman," or...

Fingertips - Part 2 - Stevie Wonder 15: Heat Wave, (Love Is Like A) - Martha & The Vandellas

Is this a medley? I would've picked "Heatwave", but I like Fingertips well enough too that I don't feel bad voting for the pair.

Particularly, I love Heatwave for the verse

Sometimes I stare in space
Tears all over my face
I can't explain it, don't understand it
I ain't never felt like this before

That one just slays me.

Love love love You Really Got a Hold on Me, Heat Wave, My Guy, Baby I Need Your Loving, Needle in a Haystack, and Baby Love, but had no choice got to got to got to go with Please Mr. Postman.

WAIT!

Without question, You've Really Got A Hold On Me.

Bummer about number 15, but making a new poll would probably be a bad idea. "Fingertips" wouldn't get that many votes in this company, would it?

You Really Got a Hold on Me edges out Baby I Need Your Lovin and Dancin in the Street (love the way Martha says 'street')

Please Mr. Postman

I love later Smokey (those two "Tears" songs and "I Second That Emotion" in particular), but never really liked "You Really Got a Hold On Me" much. Partly has to do with the fact that the first couple of Motown recordings are a bit too "raw" for me. The Motown sound wasn't quite defined yet, and those early ones sounded more like Atlantic soul than the mixture of pop with soul that was the Motown sound.

This CD gets it right from "Heatwave" onwards, and then, the next CD will represent the creative golden age of Motown.

Do you love me

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Do you love me

― Jake Brown, Wednesday, November 19, 2008 9:31 PM (5 days ago) Bookmark

Gier loves you. It's James Brown he hates.

Picking just one is worse than Sophie's choice. Voted for "Pride & Joy" although I would go to bat for literally all of these (maybe not Two Lovers, which is sorta boring).

The Criminally Underrated Classic award goes to "Needle in a Haystack," which stalled at #45 in the chart, presumably behind a bunch of Chad and Jeremy and Dave and Gordon and Peter and Herman types.

How come "Playboy" isn't on this? I heard it the other day and realized that the drums, which I assume are by Benny Benjamin, are awesome. I'll guess if I have to pick a needle out of this haystack I'm gonna go with "Come And Get These Memories."

It's totally "Heat Wave." All the flushed, overpowered hormonal insanity of "Egyptian Shumba," made more dramatic/relatable by seeming less straight-up freaky. I totally get what she's on about in this thing.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

My Smile Is Just A Frown (Turned Upside Down) - Carolyn Crawford
Poll results could have made equal sense upside down.

Except for why there are only 30~ votes when any given Steely Dan poll will get over a hundred.

Hitsville is not a hip musical crush.

Hitsville is a TIMELESS musical crush

Have I said RIP Mike Terry on this thread yet?