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
Salsoul cover

Salsoul

Joe Bataan
Everything Is Slow cover

Everything Is Slow

Bright & Findlay
Face To Face cover

Face To Face

Gino Soccio
Outline cover

Outline

Gino Soccio
Circles cover

Circles

City Limits
Overpowered cover

Overpowered

Róisín Murphy
Naughty cover

Naughty

Chaka Khan
 Rare Groove Vol. 1 cover

Rare Groove Vol. 1

Various Artists