The Complete MOTOWN SINGLES  Volume 8    -    1968

1968: A year of tragic assassinations that greatly affect the country, of musical controversies with “Love Child” and “Cloud Nine,” another “Grapevine,” and an improbable Motor City triumph—the Detroit Tigers win the World Series. This 6-disc set chronicles that year by way of 144 tracks representing every A- and B-side of every Motown single, plus the stories behind every track, along with critical and personal essays providing overviews of the era.

The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 8: 1968 documents the introduction of several new artists, including Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, whose hit, “Does Your Mama Know About Me,” aroused more controversy. It was also the year the company paired Diana Ross and the Supremes with the “new” Temptations, who sport a new lead singer, Dennis Edwards. They hit big with the duet “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me.” They were then seen on TCB, a groundbreaking, prime-time program that was Motown’s first-ever television co-production and the highest-rated prime-time special of that year.

Marvin Gaye became Motown’s hottest-selling act when “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” stayed a No. 1 smash for months. Its success was vindication for producer Norman Whitfield, who recorded Gaye’s version before the previous year’s hit version by Gladys Knight & the Pips. Its release was denied for more than a year.

The year ended on an extraordinary note. During Christmas week 1968, Motown had five singles in the Top 10: “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” Stevie Wonders’s “For Once In My Life,” the Supremes’ “Love Child,” “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” and the Temptations’ “Cloud Nine.”

The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 8: 1968 is packaged in a mini-78-RPM album format with, as usual, an actual 45-RPM vinyl single in the front sleeve. For this year it’s Marvin’s “Grapevine” on Tamla, to bookend with Volume 7’s “Grapevine” by Gladys Knight on Soul. Accompanying the six CDs is a 132-page booklet stuffed with rare photos, memorabilia, detailed track annotation and two evocative essays.

Disc 38
1. I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You - Rita Wright
2. Something On My Mind - Rita Wright
3. Night Fo' Last - Shorty Long
4. Night Fo' Last - Shorty Long [instrumental]
5. Walk Away Renee - Four Tops
6. Your Love Is Wonderful - Four Tops
7. The End Of Our Road - Gladys Knight & The Pips
8. Don't Let her Take Your Love From Me - Gladys Knight & The Pips
9. (You Can't Let The Boy Overpower) The Man In You - Chuck Jackson
10. Girls, Girls, Girls - Chuck Jackson
11. Why Am I Lovin' You - Debbie Dean
12. Stay My Love - Debbie Dean
13. Thank You Love - Billy Eckstine
14. Is Anyone Here Goin' My Way - Billy Eckstine
15. If You Can Want - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
16. When The Words From Your Heart Get Caught Up In Your Throat - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
17. Whisper You Love Me Boy - Chris Clark
18. I'll Say Forever My Love - Jimmy Ruffin
19. Everybody Needs Love - Jimmy Ruffin
20. Does Your Mama Know About Me - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers [promo version]
21. Fading Away - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers
22. Does Your Mama Know About Me - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers [commercial version]
23. Forever Came Today - Diana Ross & The Supremes
24. Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While) - The Isley Brothers
25. Why When Love Is Gone - The Isley Brothers

Disc 39
1. Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day - Stevie Wonder
2. Why Don't You Lead Me To Love - Stevie Wonder
3. I Am The Man For You Baby - Edwin Starr
4. My Weakness Is You - Edwin Starr
5. Where Would I Be WIthout You - Barbara McNair
6. Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
7. Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
8. Bring Back The Love - The Monitors
9. I Promise To Wait My Love - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
10. Forget Me Not - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
11. Gotta See Jane - R. Dean Taylor
12. Gotta See Jane - R. Dean Taylor [second pressing]
13. If I Were A Carpenter - Four Tops
14. Wonderful Baby - Four Tops
15. I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You) - The Temptations
16. Gonna Give Her All The Love I've Got - The Temptations
17. Linda Sue Dixon - The Detroit Wheels
18. Tally Ho - The Detroit Wheels
19. Here I Am Baby - The Marvelettes
20. Keep Off, No Trespassing - The Marvelettes
21. Sing What You Wanna - Shorty Long
22. Here Comes The Judge - Shorty Long
23. Ain't That Lovin' You - The Volumes
24. I Love You Baby - The Volumes

Disc 40
1. Yester Love - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
2. Much Better Off - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
3. It Should Have Been Me - Gladys Knight & The Pips
4. You Don't Love Me No More - Gladys Knight & The Pips
5. What The World Needs Now Is Love - Diana Ross & The Supremes
6. Your Kiss Of Fire - Diana Ross & The Supremes
7. Some Things You Never Get Used To - Diana Ross & The Supremes
8. You've Been So Wonderful To Me - Diana Ross & The Supremes
9. Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me - Jimmy Ruffin
10. Lonely Lonely Man Am I - Jimmy Ruffin
11. You Met Your Match - Stevie Wonder
12. My Girl - Stevie Wonder
13. I Am Your Man - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers
14. If You Love Her - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers
15. Yesterday's Dreams - Four Tops
16. For Once In My Life - Four Tops
17. You're All I Need To Get By - Mavin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
18. I Care About Detroit - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
19. Please Return Your Love To Me - The Temptations
20. How Can I Forget - The Temptations
21. Hip City (Part 2) - Jr. Walker & The All Stars
22. Hip City (Part 1) - Jr. Walker & The All Stars
23. I Can't Dance To That Music You're Playin' - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
24. I Tried - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas

Disc 41
1. Special Occasion - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
2. Give Her Up - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
3. A Little Bit For Sandy - Paul Peterson
4. Your Love's Got Me Burning Alive - Paul Peterson
5. I Wish It Would Rain - Gladys Knight & The Pips
6. It's Summer - Gladys Knight & The Pips
7. For Love Of Ivy - Billy Eckstine
8. A Woman - Billy Eckstine
9. Can I Get A Witness - Barbara Randolph
10. Chained - Marvin Gaye
11. Don't Let Me Lose This Dream - The Ones
12. I've Been Good To You - The Ones
13. Step By Step (Hand In Hand) - The Monitors
14. Time Is Passin' By - The Monitors
15. Alfie - Eivets Rednow
16. More Than A Dream - Eivets Rednow
17. Destination: Anywhere - The Marvelettes
18. What's Easy For Two Is Hard For One - The Marvelettes
19. Think (About The Good Things) - The Detriot Wheels
20. For The Love Of A Stranger - The Detroit Wheels
21. His Eye Is On The Sparrow - Marvin Gaye
22. Just A Closer Walk With Thee - Gladys Knight & The Pips

Disc 42
1. I'm In A Different World - Four Tops
2. Remember When - Four Tops
3. I Love You Madly - The Fantastic Four
4. I Love You Madly - The Fantastic Four [instrumental]
5. Keep On Lovin' Me Honey - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
6. You Ain't Livin' Till Your Lovin' - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
7. Love Child - Diana Ross & The Supremes
8. Will This Be The Day - Diana Ross & The Supremes
9. Love Child - Diana Ross & The Supremes [alternate version]
10. You Could Never Love Him (Like I Love Him) - Barbara McNair
11. Fancy Passes - Barbara McNair
12. I'll Pick A Rose For My Rose - Marv Johnson
13. You Got The Love I Love - Marv Johnson
14. Malinda - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers
15. It's Growing - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers
16. Malinda - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers [alternate mix]
17. Sweet Darlin' - Martha Reeved & The Vandellas
18. Without You - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
19. For Once In My Life - Stevie Wonder
20. Angie Girl - Stevie Wonder
21. I Comma Zimba Zio (Here I Stand The Mighty One) - Abdullah
22. Why Them, Why Me - Abdullah
23. Bad, Bad Weather (Till You Come Home) - The Spinners
24. I Just Can't Help But Feel The Pain - The Spinners

Disc 43
1. Cloud Nine - The Temptations
2. Why Did She Have To Leave Me (Why Did She Have To Go) - The Temptations
3. Way Over There - Edwin Starr
4. If My Heart Could Tell The Story - Edwin Starr
5. All Because I Love You - The Isley Brothers
6. Behind A Painted Smile - The Isley Brothers
7. I Wouldn't Change The Man He Is - Blinky
8. I'll Always Love You - Blinky
9. Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love - Jimmy Ruffin
10. Sad And Lonesome Feeling - Jimmy Ruffin
11. The Impossible Dream - Diana Ross & The Supremes& The Temptations
12. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me - Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations
13. A Place In The Sun - Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations
14. Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer - The Temptations
15. Silent Night, Holy Night - The Temptations
16. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye
17. You're What's Happening (In The World Today) - Marvin Gaye
18. This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You) - Tammi Terrell
19. Just Too Much To Hope For - Tammi Terrell
20. Baby, Baby Don't Cry - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
21. Your Mother's Only Daughter - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
22. Home Cookin' - Jr. Walker And The All Stars
23. Mutiny - Jr. Walker & The All Stars
24. I'm Gonna Hold On Long As I Can - The Marvelettes
25. Don't Make Hurting Me A Habit - The Marvelettes