Bargain Audio CDs & Priceless Collection (series)

Motown Legends

Description by OLDIES.com:

A budget-priced 11-track collection of Motown favorites from Mary Wells. All original recordings.

Product Description:

This is part of ESX Entertainment's Motown Legends series.

The Mary Wells edition of the MOTOWN LEGENDS series contains some of the singer's biggest hits, including the smoothly grooving "You Beat Me to the Punch," the shy-and-sexy "Two Lovers," and "My Guy," Wells's signature song. It is interesting to note that Smokey Robinson penned each of these three songs and four other tunes on this 11-track compilation. Wells's music also benefited greatly from Robinson's production, and her vocal style, perhaps not coincidentally, recalls Robinson's in its high, breathy embellishments.

Wells's sound embodied the Motown aesthetic--smooth soul-pop that married R&B traditions with pop hooks and a high-gloss production that ensured commercial success. And tunes like "Operator" and "Everybody Needs Love," in their instrumentation and overall execution, in addition to representing classic Motown, are little pop gems. Wells's place in the Motown story is sometimes overlooked, but this collection reminds listeners that such an oversight is a mistake.