Early Motown Classics Never Sounded So Good: The Motown Box Presents Four CDs of 72 of Motown's Best

LOS ANGELES (UMe Records) - With 30 new, exclusive stereo mixes, the four-CD The Motown Box (Motown/UMe), released August 2, 2005, forms the cornerstone of this summer's nationwide PBS Pledge Drive concert special, "Motown -- The Early Years," and is nearly identical to the set offered as a PBS pledge premium (this set contains 8 songs not found on the PBS version and will be available at retail). Featuring 72 classic and rare recordings, the all-stereo collection showcases such superstars as The Supremes, Four Tops, The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations and more.

Applying today's state-of-the-art technology to yesterday's hits, the 30 new stereo mixes were created from the original session tapes. Among them are seven singles heard for the first time ever in stereo: "Since I Lost My Baby" (The Temptations), "Purple Raindrops" (Stevie Wonder's long-lost B-side to "Uptight"), "Pretty Little Baby" (Marvin Gaye), "(Like A) Nightmare" (The Andantes, Motown's unsung backup singers), "Forever" (The Marvelettes), "Third Finger, Left Hand" (Martha & The Vandellas) and "Steppin' Closer To Your Heart" (Gladys Knight & The Pips).

Also appearing are new extended stereo mixes of such classics as The Supremes' "Back In My Arms Again" and "Stop! In The Name Of Love"; the Four Tops' "Reach Out, I'll Be There"; Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"; Jr. Walker & The All Stars' "Shotgun"; The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman"; The Miracles' "The Tracks Of My Tears"; The Temptations' "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" (in a revised "strings" mix); Martha & The Vandellas' "Quicksand," "Jimmy Mack" and "(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave"; and an alternate version of Jimmy Ruffin's "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted." Other new stereo mixes include The Miracles' "Shop Around," "Going To A Go-Go" and "My Girl Has Gone"; The Contours' "Do You Love Me" and Stevie Wonder's "Uptight (Everything's Alright)."

But The Motown Box ventures beyond just the hits. B-sides and rarities include new extended stereo mixes of "I've Been Good To You" from The Miracles, "You'll Lose A Precious Love" from The Temptations and "Just Look What You've Done" from Brenda Holloway, plus stereo reprises of "Love's Gone Bad Love" from Chris Clark, "Let Me Go The Right Way" from The Supremes and "Since You've Been Gone" from the Four Tops.

The Motown Box provides an additional audio companion to the three-hour "Motown -- The Early Years," premiering the first Saturday in August (followed by multiple repeat broadcasts). Blending new performances with archival footage, "Motown -- The Early Years" was created by T.J. Lubinsky, the driving force behind such recent and enormously popular PBS music events as "Doo-Wop 50" and "Rhythm, Love & Soul."