Brenda Holloway / Earl Van Dyke & The Soul Brothers - Think It Over (Before You Break My Heart)

WEST GRANDレーベルはMotownの音源アーカイヴを探究するために設立された。第2弾となる本作は、ユニバーサル／Motown公式ライセンスのもと、クラシック曲の未発表ミックスを世界初公開する。

Brenda Hollowayの『Think It Over (Before You Break My Heart)』は1960年代に録音されながら当時未発表となった幻の音源。The Beatlesが最後のライヴ公演の前座に起用したこの才能豊かなアーティストのパフォーマンスが、ついに日の目を見る。

1990年代にアセテート盤が発見され、英国ノーザンソウル・シーンでプレイされ始めた際、誤って『Reconsider』というタイトルで流通。ブートレグが出回る中、真実が明らかになるまで時間を要したが、現在ではノーザンソウルとモータウンの象徴的なアンセムとして確固たる地位を築いている。

今回のリリースでは、Brendaの圧倒的ヴォーカルが際立つA面と、Motown伝説のバックバンドFunk Brothers（Earl Van Dykeら）の演奏の凄みが炸裂するB面を収録。いずれもこれまで存在すら知られていなかった2種類のミックスを採用し、楽曲の新たな魅力を掘り起こした。

ソウル愛好家の熱い要望に応えるこの一枚は、歴史的価値と音源の希少性を兼ね備えたコレクター必携のアイテム。ヴァイナル盤に刻まれたMotown黄金時代の息吹が、現代に蘇る──まさに傑作の名にふさわしい。

A1. Brenda Holloway - Think It Over (Before You Break My Heart)
B1. Earl Van Dyke & The Soul Brothers - Think It Over (Before You Break My Heart)

West Grand has been set up to mine the Motown tape vaults.

Their second release - under licence from Universal / Motown - captures two previously unreleased mixes of a classic.

Brenda Holloway’s “Think It Over (Before You Break My Heart)” was recorded in the 1960’s - the same decade she was selected by The Beatles to open their last ever live show - but not issued by Motown in that decade.

It took until the 1990's for an acetate copy to turn up and start getting plays on the UK Northern Soul circuit. It became clear what a very special recording had been ignored. As befits the strange world of Northern Soul a lack of info on the much prized acetate meant the track was credited as “Reconsider” - the phrase Brenda uses mostly during her magnificent vocal virtuoso performance - which turned out to be incorrect.

Nevertheless bootlegs were produced as “Reconsider” and it took a while before the correct info to emerge. Legimate copies have since been released and slowly but surely this gem of a Soul record that firstly nobody knew about and then got given the wrong name has become an iconic Northern Soul and Motown anthem.

Demand has proved insatiable and West Grand add to the mystique by coming up with two previously unknown mixes releases for the first time ever worldwdide

he a side vocal highlights Brenda’s vocals as even more breathtaking than everyone first thought, while the fip shows just how amazing Earl Van Dyke and pals - Motown’s legendary Funk Brothers - really were.

MASTERPIECE.