LOS ANGELES (UMe Records/ www.umusic.com) - "The Sound Of Young America" is young once again. "Motown Remixed" (Motown/UMe), set for release on May 24, 2005, re-grooves 15 of the greatest songs of Motown for a new generation. On this album, which features more than a dozen of the world's top producers/remixers, you'll hear Motown classics like you've never heard them before.
These producers and remixers were given unprecedented access to the Motown vaults, to put their spin on classics from the most famous record label in popular music. They (respectfully) funk up, turn inside out and chill out best-loved Motown songs, from "I Want You Back" to "My World Is Empty Without You," from "Let's Get It On" to "Mary Jane." Classic Motown's most significant foray ever into DJ, dance and club culture, the project also includes the release of three vinyl mega-singles, which in total will include 10 of the album's 15 tracks, with several of them in exclusive extended versions: "Volume 1," "Volume 2" and "Volume 3" will all be released on May 10th. Additionally, Motown/UMe will issue a "Motown Unmixed" CD compilation, featuring original versions of songs from the album on May 24, the same day as the "Remixed" album.
Among the events surrounding this album is a Motown Remixed Tour, featuring DJ Smash, who will bring these remixes as well as a display of DJ skills utilizing the Motown catalog to 10 cities in May and June (Black Music Month): New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Detroit; Miami; Atlanta; San Francisco; Philadelphia; Washington, DC; and a city TBA.
Motown Remixed stars producers/remixers and the songs:
- "The Randy Watson Experience": AKA Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson (The Roots, Common, Nikka Costa, Joss Stone) and James Poyser (Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Roots, Anthony Hamilton), for Gladys Knight & The Pips' "I Heard It Through The Grapevine"
- DJ Green Lantern (Eminem, Nas, Tupac, and has his own new album coming soon), for Rick James' "Mary Jane"
- Salaam Remi (Ludacris, Amy Winehouse, Fugees, Nas, Jamiroquai), for the Jackson 5's "ABC"
- DJ Z-Trip (Jurassic 5, Chuck D, Rush, and has his own new album "Uneasylistening Vol. 1"), for Jackson 5's "I Want You Back"
- DJ Jazzy Jeff (Will Smith, Jill Scott, Kenny Lattimore, KRS-1), for The Temptations' "Papa Was A Rolling Stone"
- DJ Spinna (Guru, De La Soul, Mary J. Blige), for Eddie Kendricks' "Keep On Truckin'"
- Hank Shocklee as Futureshock Entertainment (Public Enemy, Ice Cube, Peter Gabriel), for the Undisputed Truth's "Smiling Faces Sometimes"
- Easy Mo Bee (Alicia Keys, Notorious B.I.G., Miles Davis), for The Temptations' "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)"
- Mocean Worker AKA Adam Dorn (Tenacious D, Charlie Parker Remix, 4 solo albums), for Rare Earth's "I Just Want To Celebrate"
- Hotsnax AKA Full Phatt (Ashanti, Nelly, Outkast, Christina Milian, Bob Marley), for Smokey Robinson & The Miracles' "The Tears Of A Clown"
- King Britt (Digable Planets, Macy Gray, Tori Amos, Destiny's Child, several solo albums), for Edwin Starr's "War"
- DJ Smash (Roy Ayers, Chico Hamilton, Cassandra Wilson), for Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours"
- Da Producers, including Paul Simpson (Serious Intention, Spinners, Jacksons), for Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On"
- Rafe Gomez and David Baron as "The Groove Boutique" (the nationally syndicated cool jazz mix show of the same name), for Smokey Robinson's "Quiet Storm"
- Tranzition (everyANYTHING), for Diana Ross & The Supremes' "My World Is Empty Without You"
Track List:
1. "I Want You Back"/JACKSON 5
"Z-TRIP REMIX"
2. "I Heard It Through The Grapevine"/GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS
"THE RANDY WATSON EXPERIENCE SYMPATHY FOR THE GRAPES MIX "
3. "Let's Get It On"/MARVIN GAYE
"DA PRODUCERS MPG GROOVE MIX"
4. "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours"/STEVIE WONDER
"DJ SMASH ESSENTIAL FUNK REMIX"
5. "ABC"/JACKSON 5
"SALAAM REMI CRUNK-A-DELIC PARTY MIX"
6. "I Just Want To Celebrate"/RARE EARTH
"MOCEAN WORKER REMIX "
7. "Papa Was A Rolling Stone"/THE TEMPTATIONS
"DJ JAZZY JEFF & PETE KUZMA SOLEFULL MIX "
8. "Quiet Storm"/SMOKEY ROBINSON
"GROOVE BOUTIQUE REMIX," featuring guest soloist ROY AYERS
9. "My World Is Empty Without You"/DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES
"TRANZITION REMIX"
10. "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)"/THE TEMPTATIONS
"EASY MO BEE REMIX"
11. "Smiling Faces Sometimes"/UNDISPUTED TRUTH
"FUTURESHOCK ENTERTAINMENT MAIN INGREDIENT MIX"
12. "The Tears Of A Clown"/SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES
"HOTSNAX REMIX"
13. "Keep On Truckin'"/EDDIE KENDRICKS
"DJ SPINNA REMIX"
14. "War"/EDWIN STARR
"KING BRITT MIX"
Bonus Cut
15. "Mary Jane"/RICK JAMES
"DJ GREEN LANTERN EVIL GENIUS MIX"
For the producers/remixers of "Motown Remixed," revisiting songs that have inspired them was a dream come true. For Old School Motown fans, "Motown Remixed" is a resurrection. For fans of current hip-hop, R&B and Pop, "Motown Remixed" is a revelation. So hear it again for the first time.
