Compiled and annotated by Mojo magazine’s Lois Wilson, who is also soul columnist for Record Collector, For This I Thank You contains 89 tracks from the formative years of the Motown family of labels.
Here’s the other side of the Motown label started by Berry Gordy in 1959. It’s a more wild, raw and rough-edged side to the polished soulful pop one, later sculpted by Holland, Dozier and Holland for The Supremes and The Four Tops. This one captures the moment, with the intention to get you out on the floor. It is also historically important: it’s the foundations of what we call soul.
The 3CD set comprises some of the most raucous R&B, rollicking rock ’n’ roll, heart-wrenching early soul and delicious popcorn. It includes the heavily bootlegged and current in-demand DJ spins Misery by Barrett Strong and Gino Parks’ title track plus artists ranging from the then little-known but soon-to-be household names Marvin Gaye, Mary Wells, The Marvelettes, The Temptations and Stevie Wonder to the should-have-been-big-but-never-were: the aforesaid Gino Parks, Mable John (the first female to be signed to the label), The Twistin’ Kings and many, many more.