David Ruffin

The incandescent talent of David Ruffin was too big for even the Temptations to hold. As Smokey Robinson observed, The only way David could survive at Motown was as a solo artist. And so Ruffin left the Temptations in 1969 to strike out on his own with a series of releases that further established him as one of Motown s great voices. These two records, released in 1973 and 1974, respectively, did not spawn any hit singles but instead reflected Ruffin s growth as an artist away from the Motown formula and towards a life spent in the fast lane. David Ruffin, produced by Bobby Miller, whose writing credit appears on eight out of the 10 tracks, is a psychedelic soul masterpiece, and features the definitive version of Gamble and Huff s I Miss You (Part 1). Me N Rock N Roll Are Here to Stay, meanwhile, marked the fiery collision of Ruffin with the brilliant producer Norman Whitfield, with the creative sparks to prove it. Both records appear here on CD for the first time outside of a long out of print, limited edition set, with notes by Gene Sculatti.

David Unreleased LP & More includes the 12 tracks originally scheduled for release in 1971 as LP Motown 733, plus seven amazing bonus tracks from the album sessions and four mono single mixes. It's the great David Ruffin and Motown's Funk Bothers band, directed by several of the company's best producers including Smokey Robinson, Johnny Bristol, Henry Cosby, Clay McMurray and Ivy Jo Hunter. Ruffin, former lead singer of the Temptations, had started his solo career with a bang, as his 1969 album and single, My Whole World Ended, were smash hits. At age 28, entering his prime, he cut his third album while also recording duet tracks with his brother, Jimmy. David watched as the duet album, Jimmy's solo album and the solo debut from Eddie Kendricks, another former Temptations lead singer, were all released.

Brothers in life and brothers at Motown, Jimmy and David Ruffin took advantage of a lull in their respective solo careers to record this underrated 1970 album, released here on CD for the first time! Features the hit single Stand by Me and a couple of unreleased tracks from the album sessions, You're What I Need (Not What I Want) and an alternate mix of Stand by Me without audience overdubs. The 16-page booklet includes a new essay, track annotation and a look at a previously unpublished, alternate album cover!

David Ruffin's solo career never really recaptured the heights he hit as a member of the Temptations but he did have one classic tune "My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)" and quite a few really nice songs both in the classic Motown vein and in funkier, almost-disco styles too. Collectables' Motown Legends: My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me) collects 11 Ruffin tracks like the title track, the gritty "I've Lost Everything I've Ever Loved," the Van McCoy-penned groover "On and Off," and the dramatic ballad "Common Man." There are other David Ruffin collections that provide more tracks and a wider picture of his artistry, but this is an excellent low-priced introduction to his work that includes a couple of tracks that the other compilations ignore, namely his covers of Jackie DeShannon's "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" and Robert Knight's "Everlasting Love," as well as an intensely funky disco track, "Blood Donors Needed (Give All You Can)." The two covers are decent but inessential, the other track is a real gem that is almost worth the price of admission however and it is surprising that other discs of his work have ignored it.

On Who I Am (1975) former Temptations' vocalist David Ruffin joins forces with the multi-talented Van McCoy. McCoy who produced and arranged the album was a hot commodity thanks to his disco hit "The Hustle." Although Motown had relocated to Los Angeles, Ruffin and McCoy brought the project to New York City and availed themselves of the finest studio musicians that the Big Apple had to offer: Richard Tee (keyboards), Eric Gale (guitar), Hugh McCracken (guitar), and Steve Gadd (drums), just to mention a few. The opening midtempo title composition sets the pace and establishes the prevalent dance-centric nature.

In My Stride is the final Van McCoy/David Ruffin collaboration. McCoy surrounded Ruffin's harsh, expressive tenor with strings, horns, New York studio musicians, and Faith, Hope & Charity's slick backing vocals. So much to choose from… "You're My Peace of Mind" is a deceptive groover, accented by an electric harmonica; "Questions" is an unsung gem, Ruffin at his pleading, inquisitive best. On the ballad side, "Just Let Me Hold You For a Night" is a majestic production and one of David's best leads, a gripper from the first note. But there's more: "Hey Woman" and "Rode By the Place (Where We Used to Stay)" are mature, introspective heartache sagas. It's about time Motown did us a favor and compiled all the Ruffin/McCoy sides on one CD package.

There are literally dozens of Motown compilation CDs available, one for almost every occasion. The Northern Soul scene is the famous underground soul dance music scene that became popular in the north west of England in the late 60s and early 70s. The scene thrived on the discovery of rare American soul singles with a dance beat that was heavily influenced by the Motown label's trademark sound. Many of the more obscure least successful Motown acts became popular on the scene. This collection contains the majority of those recordings- minus those that would eventually make the mainstream UK charts on the back of popularity on the Northern scene. The quality of music/performances is first rate as you would expect from the iconic label.

The album was written and released on August 16, 2019. The soundtrack included 60 tracks with a total duration of more than an hour. A compilation is a compilation of songs that are often licensed from other artists and performers. You can see the names of groups and songs in the track list below. Album was released by Motown Records.

2013 compilation, an installment in the popular Backbeats series that explores different aspects of the Soul/Dance/Black music scenes and covers such diverse areas as New York Disco, Southern Deep Soul, 70's Detroit, 70's Funk, Philly Classics, 60's and 70's Soul Anthems, 80's New York House, 70's and 80's Rare Groove, Southern Crossover Soul and Soulful Jazz-Funk.