If you live in the UK, you can find this easily as of February 7. If you're anywhere else, it's going to have to be an import (but Amazon.com has it for a reasonable price). Harry Weinger thinks there's only a market for this stuff in the UK, I suppose On a positive note, it's fantastic to finally have all this stuff on CD plus about a dozen unreleased tracks - including her long lost version of Stevie's All I Do Is Think About You, that Tammi Terrell also covered in 1965. I really can't wait to hear the live version of Summertime, too. All of Brenda Holloway's other GH collections are out
of print, but this is by far the best of the lot.

There's a great review of it here: http://www.sixtiesmotown....ology.html, along with audio and video samples. I've also included the text portion of the review below.



1. I've Been Good To You
2. Think It Over (Before You Break My Heart)
3. I'll Always Love You
4. Sad Song
5. Every Little Bit Hurts
6. Operator
7. I'll Be Available
8. Too Proud To Cry
9. Together 'Til The End Of Time
10. Who's Lovin' You
11. Land Of A Thousand Boys
12. Where Were You
13. I've Got To Find It
14. Suddenly
15. Embraceable You
16. How Many Times Did You Mean It
17. Unchained Melody
18. You've Changed Me
19. A Favor For A Girl (With A Love Sick Heart)
20. All I Do Is Think About You
21. (You Can) Depend On Me
22. Who Could Ever Doubt My Love
23. Can I?
24. Come Into My Palace
25. He's My Kind Of Fellow
26. When I'm Gone
27. Just Look What You've Done
28. You Need Me
29. Love Woke Me Up This Morning
30. You've Made Me So Very Happy
31. I Don't Want Nobody's Gonna Make Me Cry
32. I Prayed For A Boy (Like You)
33. Don't Judge Me
34. Till Johnny Comes
35. Hurt A Little Everyday
36. I'll Always Meet You Half Way
37. Starting The Hurt All Over Again
38. You Are Very Much A Part Of Me
39. I'm On The Right Track
40. You Can Cry On My Shoulder
41. A World Without You
42. How Can You Call It Love When The Feeling's Gone
43. I See A Rainbow
44. I'll Be Alright
45. Everybody Knows
46. Play It Cool, Stay In School
47. Make Him Come To You
48. Summertime (Live - 1966/Detroit)

Just when you thought everything on the Motown front had gone quiet, up bounces this latest offering out of west London from one of the most prolific female stars to come out of Hitsville in the shape of the lovely Ms Brenda Holloway. 2004 had been a good year for Motown releases here in the UK with sets from Barbara McNair, Jimmy Ruffin, Barbara Randolph, and Mable John but to name a few and this year looks like its going to be another bumper year. By the time you read this review this double CD set will be in the shops (see above release date)

Seasoned Motown fans and northern soulies will need no introduction to this great lady's talents and will no doubt already own her two LP's issued during the 1960's which are re-produced here in their entirety namely 'Every Little Bit Hurts' and the even rarer 'The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway' from 1967, which kicks off disc 2 opening with the previously unreleased stereo mix of the northern soul favourite 'Think It Over' (before you break my heart) aka 'Reconsider' and one has to say it sounds so much better in stereo and remains as one of her most memorable moments with the label and a stellar performance from the Funk Brothers on backing.

As with so many of the major acts on Motown there will be songs that were tailor made for that particular artist. 'Operator' was one such song written by Smokey Robinson and issued on Brenda as a '45' back in 1965 and contains a classic Motown arrangement to kill for with some fabulous harmonising in the background proving that some of the mid tempo recordings on the label were equally as appealing as the more uptempo ones. After meeting members of the legendary Funk Brothers last year I have since listened to Motown songs in a completely different way and Brenda's uptempo dance track 'I'll Be Available' apart from being a damn good song, has Eddie Willis' guitar riffs rasping in the background with some really neat drum rolls.

There has been a tendency over the years to rate Motown acts purely on their recordings that were made for dancing and it goes without saying that some of the finest songs are those that border on ballads and one such example being 'Together Til The End Of Time' which saw a single release in the US around 1965 with copies being freely available on market stalls in Manchester at the end of the sixties (how I wish I had bought them all up at that time). Newcomers to Brenda's music will thrill at listening to 'Where Were You' from it's opening hand claps and its simple yet effective arrangement showing just what a great talent she was. Want to move up a step? take the gorgeous 'How Many Times Did You Mean It' and you travel back in time to an era of Hitsville that will never be re-created. Have a listen in this case to the orchestral arrangement and simple drum patterns before adding in Brenda's sweet and sexy vocal delivery - this is as good as it gets!.

Let's have a delve into the unreleased material included on this set and we find another gem in form of 'All I Do Is Think About You' and you quickly realise what all the fuss is about when we talk nostalgia and is one hell of a song that will have you reaching for the repeat button on your CD player time and time again. Each time you play this particular song you'll pick up on something new from it that you failed to spot on the previous play. Quite often its difficult to know exactly who recorded certain songs originally, and not just who actually got the main single version released on them. Whilst we all recognise that the Isley's had a single release on 'Who Could Ever Doubt My Love' but by clicking the audio link at the bottom of this page you will soon realise what a stellar performance Brenda turns in on her version - judge for yourself whether you think this is the best version?

The same comments apply on the next unreleased song which is Brenda's interpretation of the song recorded on Gladys Knight & the Pips in 'He's My Kind Of Fellow' which uses the same backing track as the aforementioned, and this song alone is worth the price of this CD and will hit bulls eye with the northern soul fraternity - click below to see what you think?

'I'll Always Meet You Half Way' was certainly not single material but would have made a good album filler despite its disjointed arrangement it does actually grown on you the more you hear it. The most obvious northern soul killer on the CD has to be 'I'm On The Right Track' which doesn't strike with the usual Motown groove and could have originated out of any area of the US - watchout for this song becoming a monster on the scene. From the opening piano intro on 'How Can You Call It Love' and the first drum roll you know your in for a treat and the pick up's and turn rounds are just classic Motown down to a tee (check out Jamerson's killer bass line) and play LOUD! More out and out uptempo grooves can be found too with the appealing 'I See A Rainbow' another tune tailor made for the dancefloor's and one that will quickly find itself on the playlists of the many DJ's on the scene. A selection of unreleased audio clips are included at the bottom of this page for your attention.

Even without the unreleased material on disc 2 Brenda Holloway stands head and shoulders alongside any of the other giants of the label and it is nothing short of a crime that she did not receive better promotion by the bosses at Motown during her stay at Detroit as her vocal delivery, and commitment, to giving us her best is evident on listening to these songs. Listen to the songs on her first LP and you can instantly pick up a star in the making - sadly it wasn't to be from a commercial point of view and her popularity today is left the many thousands of Motown fans world-wide wishing they could turn back the hands of time and made her a bigger and more successful artist at the time.

There's some cracking stuff on her first LP 'Every Little Bit Hurts' for those who enjoy the slightly rawer sound of Motown and it wasn't difficult to see that this was one special lady. From that same LP my favourite song has to be 'A Favour For A Girl' which was regularly requested on my Motown radio show ten years ago. Whilst I have mentioned two LP's issued in the sixties there is the withdrawn LP 'Hurtin' And Cryin' which can be found on this set and although the LP was cancelled there are a number of titles on it that did see the light of day as singles most notably 'When I'm Gone' 'Just Look What You Have Done' and her biggest selling single of all the sultry 'You Made Me So Very Happy' which also provided a top 20 hit for blues/rock group Blood Sweat & Tears. The first two of the aforementioned songs are listed below as streaming video links so feel free to see this great lady in action.

I've saved what I consider to be the best till last, with two tracks from the 'Hurtin' And Cryin' withdrawn LP entitled 'I'll Be Alright' and 'Make Him Come To You' Click the audio links below and judge for yourself. Everyone will have their own favourite tunes from Brenda's reportoire but one thing is sure and that this is one serious release that you will not want to be seen without.

Order today and look forward to the next release in this series from Chris Clark.

With special thanks as always to the team at Uninversal Music UK for another job well done - thanks Daryl and Sylvia.

One last final mention to the Funk Brothers on backing - let's not forget 'It's What They Left In The Groove That Counts'

Enjoy!

I was sad enough to recognise that sign straight away

Oh the memories.....