Short Cuts

Today, we continue our deep dive into reviewing seven more compelling, affordably priced, and generally well-made reissues of classic 1960s and early ’70s Motown LPs released by Elemental Music and UMe. For those simply seeking clean, pristine, fairly accurate-sounding representations of these vintage vinyl titles with perfect condition covers — many of which are not that easy to find on the collectors market in their original editions — these Elemental/UMe reissues do indeed fill a void for many music fans.

Sonics-wise, we know from the DNA provided in my prior Elemental Motown reissue series reviews (Footnote 1) that these albums were made from 16-bit/44.1kHz digital sources, which many Motown enthusiasts and engineering experts feel are among the best-sounding transfers available of these vintage recordings.

For further understanding of that process, it is worth restating those important DNA details we learned when I asked the label for more insights. Their response was, “Given that we’re issuing a lot of Motown’s earlier and more obscure recordings, the original master tapes were not in suitable condition for remastering and re-cutting new lacquers. Instead, we’ve used the original digital remasters (AAD) from the ’80s — often revered as the best — to make our reissues sound as close to the original Motown LPs as possible. These were done primarily before the MCA acquisition by several engineers, including Gavin Lurssen, Bill Inglot, who did some Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye titles, and Motown legend John Matousek.”

Elemental Music employed a DMM (Direct Metal Mastering) process, cutting the production lacquers directly from hi-res digital files of the original master tapes. The entire 140g virgin vinyl series was manufactured at GZ in the Czech Republic, reportedly using PrismSound and Orfeus 24-bit converters in tandem with Neumann VMS-82 DMM cutting systems.

Each disc in the Elemental Motown reissue series comes housed in a protective plastic-lined, audiophile-grade white inner sleeve, and each LP package also includes a separate one-sheet recreation of a period-appropriate Motown paper sleeve, complete with catalog images of many of the hit albums the label was marketing at the time.

The SRP for each of these single-LP Elemental reissues is $29.99, and they can all be purchased via the Music Direct link graphics that follow each respectively reviewed LP’s tracklisting below. If any of them happen to be sold out when you click to order, you can request to be notified by email when they’re back in stock.

I’m also happy to report that all pressings reviewed in this Short Cuts instalment have generally been quiet and well-centered — save for some exceptions that are detailed below — so I don’t really have any big complaints on that front. And with that, let’s get right into the reviews!

JACKSON 5
THIRD ALBUM
140g 1LP (Motown/Elemental Music)
MUSIC: 7
SOUND: 8

The early Jackson 5 were effectively a singles act resulting in, at times, erratic albums padded with lesser filler material alongside the obvious hits. While many folks will be satiated with a good J5 greatest hits collection, there are valid hidden charms for deeper fans to seek on their “regular” LPs.

Take the J5’s simply named Third Album, which was released in September 1970 and reached No. 4 on Billboard’s Top LPs chart (No. 1 on R&B), featuring another No. 1 Pop single (their fourth consecutive!) “I’ll Be There” (Side 1, Track 1) and the No. 2 “Mama’s Pearl” (Side 2, Track 3). Elemental gives us Third Album on red vinyl, and among its best offerings is a hard-hitting cover of The Delfonics’ 1968 Top 40 smash “Ready or Not (Here I Come)” (Side 1, Track 2) — original title: “Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide From Love)” — featuring a more rocking, electric-guitar vibe.

Not all the Third Album covers work, however, such as the iffy arrangement of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (Side 1, Track 4). But, hey, hearing the J5 respond to Rufus Thomas’ massive 1969 Stax hit “Do the Funky Chicken” (No. 28 Pop, No. 5 R&B) with “How Funky Is Your Chicken” (Side 2, Track 2) is enough fun to make you flap your wings around a bit.

Side 1
1. I’ll Be There
2. Ready Or Not (Here I Come)
3. Oh How Happy
4. Bridge Over Troubled Water
5. Can I See You In The Morning

Side 2
1. Goin’ Back To Indiana
2. How Funky Is Your Chicken
3. Mama’s Pearl
4. Reach In
5. The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage
6. Darling Dear

FOUR TOPS
FOUR TOPS
140g 1LP (Motown/Elemental Music)
MUSIC: 10
SOUND: 8

The reissue of Four Tops’ self-titled classic 1964 debut LP is a pleasant surprise — and it’s one of the best-sounding of the Elemental Motown series I’ve heard so far. The high-end isn’t harsh, and there is a surprisingly robust low-end present, such as the bass on the thumpin’ “Sad Souvenirs” (Side 1, Track 6), a song that slightly echoes The Drifters’ 1963 Mann/Weil and Leiber/Stoller combo-penned No. 9 hit, “On Broadway.” The standout Billboard Hot 100 No. 11 hit “Baby I Need Your Loving” opens the album (Side 1, Track 1), but there are other great tunes that make the Four Tops LP a fun listen start to finish — such as the album closer “Call on Me” (Side 2, Track 5), which sounds like a tribute to Sam Cooke.

This Four Tops release also features the preferred, and hard-to-find, mono mix. There is just one NM mono copy of the original listed on Discogs for $145 (!) at the time of this posting, though there are also a handful of VG copies selling for less. I’ve been looking for a mono copy of Four Tops for ages, and it is hard to find a popular party LP like this one in any sort of decent shape, so Elemental’s reasonably priced and fine-sounding reissue is a much appreciated acquisition and listen.

Side 1
1. Baby I Need Your Loving
2. Without The One You Love (Life’s Not Worth Living)
3. Where Did You Go
4. Ask The Lonely
5. Your Love Is Amazing
6. Sad Souvenirs

Side 2
1. Don’t Turn Away
2. Tea House In China Town
3. Left With A Broken Heart
4. Love Has Gone
5. Call On Me

THE UNDISPUTED TRUTH
THE UNDISPUTED TRUTH
140g 1LP (Motown/Elemental Music)
MUSIC: 5
SOUND: 7

The self-titled July 1971 debut by The Undisputed Truth includes their No. 3 Billboard Hot 100 smash of Norman Whitfield’s classic composition/production “Smiling Faces Sometimes” (Side 2, Track 1). As great as that track is — and it is great! — the rest of the album doesn’t quite rise to that level of performance/production transcendence. Overall, the LP is a bit erratic, due to its emphasis on popular hits that feel like filler, such as back-to-back songs that were hits for The Fifth Dimension in the ’60s — “California Soul” (Side 1, Track 3) and “Aquarius” (Side 1, Track 4) — and these lesser arrangements don’t do much to elevate the performances either. Umpteenth covers of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (Side 2, Track 5) and Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” (Side 2, Track 6) don’t enhance the offering for this talented — albeit manufactured by and for the producer — assemblage of session singers.

I wish The Undisputed Truth sounded as grand as its hit single track, the aforementioned “Smiling Faces Sometimes.” Now, the LP itself is not awful as the remastering sounds decent enough, though I do wish they had also recreated the original release’s Gordy label (the Motown subsidiary this LP was originally released on). A popular release like many soul albums of the era, The Undisputed Truth is not super-easy to find clean originals of, even if they aren’t super-valuable on the collector’s market. But if you’re a fan of this music to any degree, this new Elemental release is worth it for its big hit alone.

Side 1
1. You Got The Love I Need
2. Save My Love For A Rainy Day
3. California Soul
4. Aquarius
5. Ball Of Confusion (That’s What The World Is Today)

Side 2
1. Smiling Faces Sometimes
2. We’ve Got A Way Out Love
3. Since I’ve Lost You
4. Ain’t No Sun Since You’ve Been Gone
5. I Heard It Through The Grapevine
6. Like A Rolling Stone

DIANA ROSS AND THE SUPREMES
LOVE CHILD
140g 1LP (Motown/Elemental Music)
MUSIC: 7
SOUND: 7

Featuring topical lyrical themes of broken relationships and affairs that were a popular trend in music at the time, November 1968’s Love Child was the first Supremes album not featuring Motown’s songwriting/production powerhouse team of Holland-Dozier-Holland. Some favorite tracks here include the stinging “Keep an Eye” (Side 1, Track 2), written by Ashford & Simpson, and the Burt Bacharach-esque “Does Your Mama Know About Me” (Side 1, Track 4), co-written by no less than Tommy Chong of Cheech & Chong fame! Of course, the mega-hit title track “Love Child” (Side 1, Track 1), was the group’s 11th No. 1 U.S. single, which sold 500,000 copies in its first week and 2 million copies overall for the year.

That all said, Love Child sounds a bit on the bright side in this new remaster, and while all the instruments are clear, its old-style stereo mix feels kind of thin, ultimately. And that’s a shame, as Love Child is a surprisingly good album from end to end.

Side 1
1. Love Child
2. Keep An Eye
3. How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone
4. Does Your Mama Know About Me
5. Honey Bee (Keep On Stinging Me)
6. Some Things You Never Get Used To

Side 2
1. He’s My Sunny Boy
2. You’ve Been So Wonderful To Me
3. (Don’t Break These) Chains Of Love
4. You Ain’t Livin’ Till You’re Lovin’
5. I’ll Set You Free
6. Can’t Shake It Loose

THE TEMPTATIONS
SOLID ROCK
140g 1LP (Motown/Elemental Music)
MUSIC: 9
SOUND: 8

This January 1972 release was the first album The Temptations recorded after Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams left the group, and its title is not unwarranted. Solid Rock was a No. 1 smash hit and it is a fine listen start to finish, in part due to producer Norman Whitfield’s presence. I compared this new Elemental reissue — one of the few LP in this series to appear as a gatefold — to a nice white-label promo copy I own, and it fared quite well.

Probably my only nit to pick here is that, similar to The Undisputed Truth reissue, the powers that be did not recreate the original, vintage Gordy label. Solid Rock is not a super-hard-to-find album, as there are reasonably priced used copies out there on the collector’s market — but, again, if you need a pristine, brand-new copy, you’ll probably enjoy this Elemental edition just fine.

Side 1
1. Take A Look Around
2. Ain’t No Sunshine
3. Stop The War Now

Side 2
1. What It Is?
2. Smooth Sailing From Now On
3. Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)
4. It’s Summer
5. The End Of Our Road

GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS
NITTY GRITTY
140g 1LP (Motown/Elemental Music)
MUSIC: 8
SOUND: 6

If you are like me, I’ll bet you didn’t know that Gladys Knight & The Pips’ 1969 album Nitty Gritty was nominated for a Grammy. I can hear why, as this LP is another solid, funk-forward production from the aforementioned Norman Whitfield, delivering several hit singles including “Didn’t You Know (You’d Have to Cry Sometime)” (Side 1, Track 3) and the Top 20 title track, “The Nitty Gritty” (Side 1, Track 5). Not surprisingly, there are quite a number of Whitfield-penned tracks here, two of which were hits for The Temptations — “Cloud Nine” (Side 1, Track 1) and “(I Know) I’m Losing You” (Side 1, Track 4).

There is a bit of that harsher brightness on the high-end on this reissue, however, and I wish the bass and mids were stronger, but in general, Nitty Gritty is a great album. There are some kickin’ performances from the band, including the funky, sitar-glazed “Ain’t No Sun Since You’ve Been Gone” (Side 1, Track 6), which is a different tune than Bill Withers’ later, similarly titled hit (the latter of which The Temptations actually covered on Solid Rock).

This LP also includes the fun dance track “Got Myself a Good Man” (Side 2, Track 3), which feels cut from the same cloth as the band’s 1966 breakout hit take on “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” This is not entirely surprising, as it was also penned by the same writers, Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. Another hidden gem is “The Stranger” (Side 2, Track 5), which is in the mode of Martha and The Vandellas’ 1964 No. 2 smash hit “Dancing in the Street” — again, not surprising, given it was written by the co-writer of that tune, Ivy Jo Hunter.

Nitty Gritty is another one of those curious LPs that is not especially easy to find on original vinyl in good condition — yet it is not super-collectible, so you can find used copies around, periodically. My only nit to pick here is that I wish the producers had gone the extra mile to recreate the original Soul label design (which was, you guessed it, another Motown subsidiary). Other than that, this Elemental edition is a pretty enjoyable spin.

Side 1
1. Cloud Nine
2. Runnin’ Out
3. Didn’t You Know (You’d Have To Cry Sometime)
4. (I Know) I’m Losing You
5. The Nitty Gritty
6. Ain’t No Sun Since You’ve Been Gone

Side 2
1. All I Could Do Was Cry
2. Keep An Eye
3. Got Myself A Good Man
4. It’s Summer
5. The Stranger
6. I Want Him To Say It Again

MARVIN GAYE
WHEN I’M ALONE I CRY
140g 1LP (Tamla/Elemental Music)
MUSIC: 4
SOUND: 5

When I’m Alone I Cry is a strange misstep of a third album from Marvin Gaye in April 1964, presenting him as a torchy, jazzy big-band ballad singer — about as far removed from his classic R&B hits like “Hitch Hike” and “Can I Get a Witness” as he could get. Like a lesser Tony Bennett record, this album is filled with slow ballads that ultimately feel, well, kinda same-y (if you will). Amazingly enough, When I’m Alone I Cry appears to be one of the more collectible Gaye albums, with VG+ and NM copies asking between $50 and $150 on Discogs at the time of this posting.

The sound here on the Elemental edition is decent, at least, and presented in original mono, plus the reissue producers did recreate the original Tamla twin-globes label design of the times. Oddly, When I’m Alone I Cry was the one album in this series I have come across which was off-center — both sides of it, in fact! Unfortunately, the music here is neither particularly good jazz or pop — so unless you are a Marvin Gaye or Motown completist, this LP may be one of the very, very few entries in the Elemental reissue series to skip.

Side 1
1. You’ve Changed
2. I Was Telling Her About You
3. I Wonder
4. I’ll Be Around
5. Because Of You

Side 2
1. I Don’t Know Why
2. I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face
3. When Your Lover Has Gone
4. When I’m Alone I Cry
5. If My Heart Could Sing

Mark Smotroff is an avid vinyl collector who has also worked in marketing communications for decades. He has reviewed music for AudiophileReview.com, among others, and you can see more of his impressive C.V. at LinkedIn.

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Footnote 1: For Mark Smotroff’s Short Cuts review of Elemental Motown reissues from The Temptations, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight & The Pips, and Eddie Kendricks, go here. (This review originally posted January 31, 2025.)

For Mark Smotroff’s Short Cuts review of Elemental Motown reissues from The Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, and The Supremes, go here. (This review originally posted October 4, 2024.) –MM