The Velvelettes Discography -
They Were Really Singin' Somethin'
The early Velvelettes discography was so stunted and their group-member changes were so hasty that it's hard to pin them to a style more specific than "Motown soul."
Like in Motown's other girl groups, the backups serve as more than window dressing. Their undulating harmonies accentuate the main lines or huskily proclaim nonsense syllables with equal ardor.
With her downy timbre and expressive delivery, Cal Gill's leads sound both pleasant and adult. (If only more of today's teen-plus warblers managed something beyond babyish and technically florid!)
Since there were no Velvelettes albums back in the day, singles top off this Velvelettes discography. CDs of their familiar and unreleased songs
take us into a past that could have been.
There He Goes (Stevenson)/That's the Reason Why (1963; single, flip side by Hamilton)
Needle in a Haystack (Stevenson/Whitfield)/Should I Tell Them (Sept. 3, 1964; single, flip side by Stevenson/Whitfield)
He Was Really Sayin' Somethin' (Holland/Stevenson/Whitfield)/Throw a Farewell Kiss (Dec. 28, 1964; single, flip side by Holland/Whitfield)
Lonely Lonely Girl Am I (Holland/Kendricks/Whitfield)/I'm the Exception to the Rule (1965; single, flip side by Strong/Whitfield)
A Bird in the Hand (is Worth Two in the Bush) (Holland/Whitfield)/Since You've Been Loving Me (1965; single, flip side by Holland/Johnson)
The Velvelettes (cancelled, 1965)
These Things Will Keep Me Loving You (1966; a single by Bristol/Fuqua/Moy)
One Door Closes (1990; Motorcity album)
Best of the Velvelettes (Apr. 2, 1996)
The Velvelettes Meet the Royalettes (1999)
The Very Best of the Velvelettes (Mar. 23, 1999)
1. He Was Really Sayin' Somethin' (Holland/Stevenson/Whitfield)
2. Lonely Lonely Girl Am I (Holland/Kendricks/Whitfield)
3. Since You've Been Loving Me (Holland/Johnson)
4. There He Goes (Stevenson)
5. That's the Reason Why (Hamilton)
6. I Know His Name (Only His Name) (Dozier/Gorman/Holland)
7. Should I Tell Them (Stevenson/Whitfield)
8. Throw a Farewell Kiss (Holland/Whitfield)
9. These Things Will Keep Me Loving You (Bristol/Fuqua/Moy)
10. I'm the Exception to the Rule (Strong/Whitfield)
11. Needle in a Haystack (Stevenson/Whitfield)
12. A Bird in the Hand (is Worth Two in the Bush) (Holland/Whitfield)
13. Let Love Live (a Little Bit Longer) (previously unissued) (Moy/Riser/Weatherspoon)
14. I'm So Glad It's Twilight Time (previously unissued) (Moy/Morris)
15. Think of the Times (previously unissued) (Bristol/Whitfield)
16. Season's Greetings From Motown ("hidden" bonus)
Motown Anthology (recorded Oct. 5, 1962-Sept. 28, 1967; released Jan. 18, 2005)
1. Selfish Lover (Stevenson/Whitfield)
2. Should I Tell Them (Stevenson/Whitfield)
3. My Foolish Heart (Keeps Hanging on to a Memory) (Hamilton/Stevenson)
4. Mama Please (Fribush/Hamilton/Smith)
5. There He Goes (Stevenson)
6. That's the Reason Why (alternative mix) (Hamilton)
7. I Know His Name (Only His Name) (Dozier/Gorman/Holland)
8. (The) Monkey (Hokey Pokey) (Stevenson)
9. That's a Funny Way (Stevenson)
10. You Can't Get Away (Stevenson/Weatherspoon)
11. Stop Beating Around the Bush (Fuqua/Mitchell)
12. Needle in a Haystack (stereo version) (Stevenson/Whitfield)
13. He Was Really Sayin' Somethin' (alternative version) (Holland/Stevenson/Whitfield)
14. Since I've Lost You (Strong/Whitfield)
15. Think of the Times (Bristol/Whitfield)
16. Throw a Farewell Kiss (Holland/Whitfield)
17. Long Gone Lover (Robinson)
18. Lonely Lonely Girl Am I (alternative version) (Holland/Kendricks/Whitfield)
19. I'm the Exception to the Rule (Strong/Whitfield)
20. Why Must You Go (Stevenson/Whitfield)
21. A Bird in the Hand (is Worth Two in the Bush) (alternative mix) (Holland/Whitfield)
22. Save Me (My Ship of Love is Sinking) (alternative version) (Paul/Walker)
23. Since You're Loving Me (stereo version) (Holland/Johnson)
24. Let Love Live (a Little Bit Longer) (alternative mix) (Moy/Riser/Weatherspoon)
Disc 2:
1. The Boy From Crosstown (alternative mix) (Holland/Whitfield)
2. A Love So Deep Inside (Dean/Stevenson/Weatherspoon)
3. Ain't No Place Like Motown (Witte)
4. He's the One (Colbert/Hunter/Stevenson)
5. Everybody Needs Love (Holland/Whitfield)
6. Something's Happening (Moore/Robinson)
7. Love is Good (Dean/McMullen/Weatherspoon)
8. These Things Will Keep Me Loving You (original lyrics) (Bristol/Fuqua/Moy)
9. These Things Will Keep Me Loving You (alternative lyrics) (Bristol/Fuqua/Moy)
10. Your Heart Belongs to Me (Robinson)
11. Seasons Greetings From Motown 1966
12. I'm in Love (and I Know It) (Cosby/Dean/Weatherspoon/Wonder)
13. (We've Got) Honey Love (Morris/Moy)
14. I'm So Glad It's Twilight Time (Morris/Moy)
15. Bring Back the Sunshine (Ashford/Simpson)
Bonus 1: Battle of the Stars, Live at the Graystone (Feb. 28, 1964; previously unreleased)
1. The Nitty Gritty (Chase)
2. There He Goes (Stevenson)
3. The Monkey Time (Mayfield)
4. I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face (Ragovoy/Taylor)
5. (Ain't That) Good News (Cooke)
Bonus 2: The French recordings (previously unreleased)
1. Puisque Je Sais Qu'il Est À Moi (as Long as I Know He's Mine) (Robinson)
2. Tu Perds le Plus Merveileux Garçon du Monde (You Lost the Sweetest Boy) (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
3. Le Hokey Pokey (The Monkey) (Stevenson)
4. Je Veux Crier (My Foolish Heart Keeps Hanging on to a Memory) (Hamilton/Stevenson)
Why must you go? :) Click here to swap this Velvelettes discography for the Motown oldies singers' biography.
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