Motown Rare Grooves cover

Motown Rare Grooves

Released

Motown got in on the rare groove compilation act in 1988 with a quality selection of mostly unknown songs from their archives. The label’s late sixties early-funk output was represented by the sweet and seductive “Here I Am Baby” from The Marvelettes, forgotten Stevie Wonder album track “You Can’t Judge A Book By Its Cover” and Barbara Randolf’s superior cover of Marvin Gaye’s “Can I Get A Witness.” Gaye’s languid-yet-super-tight funk instrumental ““T” Plays It Cool” was also included, introducing a generation to his overlooked Trouble Man soundtrack, along with his slick little-remembered ’81 single Heavy Love Affair. You also get The Sisters Love heavy-duty cover of Curtis Mayfield’s “Give Me Your Love” which somehow manages to improve on the original, a joyous Willie Hutch track, a lost Jackson 5 tune and lots more. With a nice range of tracks from the late sixties to early eighties, it’s an excellent compilation of lesser-known Motown funk, soul and boogie.

Harold Heath

Suggestions
Human Call cover

Human Call

Earthboogie
High Energy cover

High Energy

The Supremes
To Be True cover

To Be True

Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
Firefly cover

Firefly

Firefly
McFadden & Whitehead cover

McFadden & Whitehead

McFadden & Whitehead
Syreeta cover

Syreeta

Syreeta
Alg0 cover

Alg0

Triorität
Visions cover

Visions

Gladys Knight & the Pips
Who I Am cover

Who I Am

David Ruffin