Any word on Complete Motown Singles 1972?

The full track listing/pre-order info for the final CMS volume, Vol. 12B:
1972 has now been updated to www.hip-oselect.com, including a detailed
track listing. As of today, the release date is still shown as Dec. 10th.
Whereas Amazon's price for it is currently $97.07, the Hip-O Select web
site's price is just $75.98. So I have just pre-ordered from the latter, with
priority shipping. The moment I get it, I will analyze it, and provide for Pat
one final "guest review" for this series. Nine more db songs will be
included on Vol. 12B, including a newly-pressed 45/Box Set cover insert
of "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone".

-Michael Jackson--Ben
-Gladys Knight & The Pips--Daddy Could Swear, I Declare (this was
actually a Top 40 hit in the late spring of 1973; but it's a nice bonus...)
-Temptations--Papa Was A Rollin' Stone
-Jackson 5--Corner Of The Sky

(and these five, which all reached their chart peak positions in early 1973)

-Stevie Wonder--Superstition
-Jermaine Jackson--Daddy's Home
-Marvin Gaye--Trouble Man
-Diana Ross--Good Morning Heartache
-Gladys Knight & The Pips--Neither One Of Us (as the last track on the
last CD.) Although my info has both the included singles by this group
actually issued as 45s in 1973 (between 1/1 and 1/21/73 for "Neither...",
debuting in BB on 1/27/73), to me, it's a nice touch to end the CMS series
on a "high note", with a #2 smash hit, as well as ensuring that all of the
group's Top 40 hits on Soul/Motown were all included in this series (with
their first 45 for Buddah issued in June of '73.) I also think it's great that
when Harry Weinger & Co. realized they had a little bit of extra CD
capacity left over to play with, they decided to put it to good use, and
were able to include Gladys' last two Motown Top 40 hits. A class move!



Edited by jimct

I was about to finally purchase the two 1972 volumes of this series with some Amazon gift cards I received for my birthday. Then I noticed: There are MORE incorrect stereo versions substituted for mono versions!

In fact, it looks like 1972B might be all stereo. For example, "Ben" is stereo; "Little Bitty Pretty One" on 12A is stere; the 45s for both were mono.

Really disappointing.

jimct wrote: Weinger stated that *all* 1972 mono 45 versions were simply fold-downs of the stereo 45 versions. So, all other things being equal, he opted to include the stereo single masters for these 1972 45 tracks. (And you know that I, like you, am normally partial to mono 45 versions.) Personally, I thought his rationale here made good sense, trusting that his facts were in order. Brian, if you've happened upon any evidence where Weinger mis-spoke, and located any 1972 mono single mixes that *weren't* simply fold downs of the stereo single mixes, then please provide specific examples.

Mm... I had suspected that could be the reason. Because just last night I verified that "Got to Be There" is definitely, 100% a fold-down, and it sounded to me like "Ben" probably was, too, although it was hard to tell from the 45 someone posted on YouTube.

Yes, I agree that the decision makes sense. Thanks, Jim.

Edited by Brian W.