• Track Listing

The soul train moves full-steam ahead as this glorious series—which will put out every Motown single release of the Detroit era—continues, this time zeroing in on the first half of 1972. Motown was expanding its horizons at the time, with the Four Tops recording A Simple Game in London with the Moody Blues, the Jackson 5 turning back the clock to Little Bitty Pretty One and Michael Jackson doing the same with Rockin’ Robin. This was the year that MJ also delivered I Wanna Be Where You Are and Marvin Gaye made waves with You’re the Man. You’ll also hear late-career gems by Martha & the Vandellas (Tear It On Down) and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (We’ve Come Too Far to End It Now). Stevie Wonder chimes in with his own Superwoman and as the producer of his then-wife Syreeta. You’ll witness the arrival of the Commodores, who sing The Zoo (The Human Zoo), and find the last Top 10 R&B hit by Jr. Walker & the All Stars (Walk in the Night). You get hits, B-sides and rarities by the likes of David Ruffin, Supremes, Temptations, Thelma Houston, Edwin Starr, Rare Earth—and even pop stars like Frankie Valli and Bobby Darin. A book full of essays and track annotations joins these 5 CDs, as does a bonus 7" vinyl single: two songs by the Blackberries that were never issued as a 45! Motown Select.