SOULBOOK By Rod Stewart, REACH OUT/DANCING IN THE STREET By Human Nature, and MOTOWN By Michael McDonald

I listened to Rod Stewart, Human Nature (an Australian group), and Michael McDonald sing their favorite Mottown songs. All the participants in covering Motown classics show enthusiasm and energy singing these great songs. All of these guys are obviously involved in a Labor of Love in singing these songs. Of the cover artists, I’d have to go with the Human Nature group who put out not just one, but TWO albums of their interpretation of Motown hits. I think Rod Stewart just tries too hard and Michael McDonald’s distinctive voice doesn’t always work with the material he’s trying to interpret.

Are you a fan of Motown music? Do you listen to cover versions of your favorite Motown songs? Do you have a favorite Motown song? GRADE: B (For Rod and Michael; B+ for Human Nature)

TRACK LIST:

Rod StewartIt’s The Same Old Song4:15
Rod Stewart Featuring Stevie WonderMy Cherie Amour3:10
Rod Stewart Duet With Mary J. BligeYou Make Me Feel Brand New4:36
Rod Stewart(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher3:21
Rod Stewart Featuring Smokey RobinsonTracks Of My Tears3:36
Rod Stewart Duet With Jennifer HudsonLet It Be Me3:16
Rod StewartRainy Night In Georgia4:13
Rod StewartWhat Becomes Of The Broken Hearted3:19
Rod StewartLove Train3:03
Rod StewartYou’ve Really Got A Hold On Me3:17
Rod StewartWonderful World3:33
Rod StewartIf You Don’t Know Me By Now3:59
Rod StewartJust My Imagination3:35
Bonus Tracks
Rod StewartNever Give You Up3:24
Rod StewartOnly The Strong Survive3:19

TRACK LIST: (Reach Out)

Reach Out I’ll Be There3:15
You Keep Me Hangin’ On3:08
Baby I Need Your Loving3:09
If You Don’t Know Me By Now3:43
I Heard It Through The Grapevine3:26
Twenty-Five Miles3:25
I’ll Be There4:10
My Girl3:05
I Want You Back3:00
Stop! In The Name Of Love2:56
You Are Everything3:52
The Tracks Of My Tears2:52

TRACK LIST: (Dancing In the Street_

-1Dancing In The Stree tWritten-By – Ivy Jo HunterMarvin GayeWilliam Stevenson4:25
1-2Ain’t No Mountain High Enough Written-By – Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson4:25
1-3ABCWritten-By – Berry GordyDeke RichardsAlphonso Mizell*, Frederick Perren4:25
1-4Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours Written-By – Lee GarrettLula Mae Hardaway*, Stevie WonderSyreeta Wright4:25
1-5You Can’t Hurry Love Written-By – Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland Jr4:25
1-6Ain’t Too Proud To Beg Written-By – Edward Holland Jr*, Norman Whitfield4:25
1-7What’s Going On Written-By – Al ClevelandMarvin GayeRenaldo Benson4:25
1-8Uptight (Everything’s Alright) Written-By – Henry CosbyStevie WonderSylvia Moy4:25
1-9Please Mr. Postman Written-By – Brian HollandFreddie GormanGeorgia DobbinsRobert BatemanWilliam Garrett4:25
1-10I Can’t Get Next To You Written-By – Barrett StrongNorman Whitfield4:25
1-11Midnight Train To Georgia Written-By – James D. Weatherly*4:25
1-12I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) Written-By – Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland Jr*4:25
1-13What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted Written-By – James Dean, William Weatherspoon*, Paul Riser4:25
1-14Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) Written-By – Barrett StrongNorman Whitfield4:25

TRACK LIST:

1I Heard It Through The Grapevine3:44
2You Are Everything2:48
3Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours4:07
4I’m Gonna Make You Love Me3:56
5Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing2:48
6Reflections3:22
7How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)5:21
8Ain’t No Mountain High Enough2:49
9All In Love Is Fair3:31
10I Want You4:28
11Distant Lover4:20
12I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)5:05
13Since I Lost My Baby4:34
14Too High (Performer [Uncredited] – Fourplay)5:25

23 thoughts on “SOULBOOK By Rod Stewart, REACH OUT/DANCING IN THE STREET By Human Nature, and MOTOWN By Michael McDonald

  1. Deb

    These all seem like solid efforts—but, when it comes to Motown, I’ll stick with the originals. As for a favorite Motown song, too many to count, but “If You Can Want” by Smokey & the Miracles, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder, “Trouble Man” by Marvin Gaye, and “Up the Ladder to the Roof” by the post-Diana Ross Supremes are among my all-time favorites, but there are so many others.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Deb, you have excellent taste in Motown music! Love your choices! It’s had to pick a favorite, but I would go with “My Girl” by The Temptations.

      Reply
    2. wolfi7777

      I have to agree but would like to add my favourite:
      You can’t hurry love …
      Generally the Holland/Dozier/Holland songs fascinated me the most.

      Reply
  2. Michael+Padgett

    Not really. I won’t say I dislike it, and some of it is very good. But when I do listen to it it’s more likely to be incidentally than intentionally. What’s the old saw, “three chords and an attitude”? I’ll go with that.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Michael, I was interested in all these singers drawn to covering their favorite Motown songs. But, as Deb said, the original versions are better.

      Reply
  3. Patricia Abbott

    I prefer the originals too but I rarely listen to it. I usually opt for podcasts and audiobooks if I want to listen. Although I love going to a musical and am headed to see A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC this weekend. And a concert tomorrow at the DSO with Brahms and Rachmaninoff . So I guess most of my music is live nowadays but not pop. I love all the girl groups especially but Smokey is in a class by himself.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Patti, I have many Smokey Robinson (and the Miracles) CDs. Wonderful music! Not much music for me today: I’m going to see JOHN WICK, CHAPTER FOUR at 3 P.M.!

      Reply
  4. Steve+A+Oerkfitz

    Growing up in the Detroit suburbs I heard plenty of Motown. My favorites are Smoky Robinson’s Tears of a Clown and Tracks f My Tears.

    Reply
  5. Jeff+Meyerson

    Yes, Smokey is a genius. We’ve seen him in concert solo once, and I saw him in the early ’60s with The Miracles. We also saw Rod several years ago because Jackie likes his “standards” CDs, and even she admits that was not good. Rod’s voice is shot.

    On the other hand, we are huge Michael McDonald fans and have seen him solo, with the Doobie Brothers, and with The Dukes of September – Donald Fagen and Boz Scaggs.

    You’re wrong, by the way. McDonald has also done TWO Motown cover albums.

    I have no idea who Human Nature is, by the way.

    I have to agree that sometimes McDonald’s fit with a song is not great, but many of his Motown covers are really good.

    As to favorite Motown songs, too many to name. Anything written (My Girl) or sung (You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me, The Tracks of My Tears) by Smokey gets a vote. Also I Heard It Through the Grapevine and What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye, Reach Out I’ll Be There by the Four Tops, This Old Heart of Mine by the Isley Brothers (their only Motown song), many others.

    Jackie’s favorite is What Becomes of the Broken Hearted by Jimmy Ruffin.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Jeff, love Jimmy Ruffin (and David Ruffin, too). “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” is a stellar song! Great taste on Jackie’s part! I’ll have to track down that second Michael McDonald Motown album.

      Reply
  6. Jeff+Meyerson

    Jackie reminded me of Joan Osborne’s terrific cover of “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted ” with the Funk Brothers (as well as “Heat Wave”) in STANDING IN THE SHADOW OF MOTOWN.

    Reply
    1. Cap'n Bob

      You beat me to it. I was going to mention Joan Osborne’s version of “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted.” A great song that you can hear/watch on YouTube.

      Reply
    2. george Post author

      Jeff, I’m a big fan of STANDING IN THE SHADOW OF MOTOWN. Joan Osborne is an underrated singer. Love her rendition of “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” too!

      Reply
    1. george Post author

      Bob, like you I grew up listening to Motown songs in the Sixties. On our local Oldies station, only the 1980s and 1990s music gets played.

      Reply
  7. Todd Mason

    Favorite hundred Motown recordings might be easier, likewise with Stax and others (maybe Only dozens from, say, Jubilee), and don’t ask less than that for Chess, and and…

    But among the first to come to mind when asked for favorites include the Miracles’ “Shop Around” and “Going to a Go-Go”, “Heat Wave” by the Vandellas, ” a Lot of Stevie Wonder but certainly including “Fingertips”, on out past such less-heavily recollected tracks as Gloria Jones’s urgent first recording of “Tainted Love” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSehtaY6k1U and Eddie Kendricks’s solo title track “My People…Hold On” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7ZqR3tU-fc&t=231s

    I can see how McDonald’s voice wouldn’t be quite supple enough for some of his choices, while certainly pretty well-adapted for others…

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Todd, I’m fond of a lot of Michael McDonald’s work…but these Motown songs he covers aren’t a good fit. I love his version of Steve Winwood’s “My Love Is Leaving Me” with Fourplay.

      Reply

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