Barbara McNair - The Ultimate Motown Collection (2003) 2CDs
EAC | FLAC | Tracks (Cue&Log) ~ 819 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 316 Mb | Scans ~ 99 Mb
Motown, R&B, Soul, Vocal Pop | Label: Universal/Motown | # 017 554-2 | Time: 02:18:20
EAC | FLAC | Tracks (Cue&Log) ~ 819 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 316 Mb | Scans ~ 99 Mb
Motown, R&B, Soul, Vocal Pop | Label: Universal/Motown | # 017 554-2 | Time: 02:18:20
Barbara McNair is certainly not the only singer to get lost in the shuffle at Motown at the company's mid-'60s zenith, but her tenure there seemed particularly star-crossed – as this 48-track Ultimate Motown Collection illustrates, much of her finest material was inexplicably withheld from release (in particular the much-bootlegged Northern soul classic "Baby a Go-Go"), while official singles like "My World Is Empty Without You" were issued in the wake of existing hit renditions by other Motown artists. But McNair boasted a genuinely sophisticated, sexy style that was unique in the Motown canon, and her voice – though by no means a powerhouse – is nevertheless stronger and more affecting than Diana Ross, whose hand-me-downs she often received. Compiling her full-lengths Here I Am and The Real Barbara McNair, the unreleased Barbara McNair Sings Smokey, non-LP singles, and rare vault material, this two-disc set finally pays McNair the respect she's always deserved – complete with informative liner notes and excellent sound, it's tough to imagine a better representation of her music.