Question about Motown "2 for 1" reissues...

You know the UK Motown reissues from The Supremes, The Temptations, etc. that feature two-LP's packaged together usually accross two CD's?

I'm just curious how these are packaged - is the artwork seen on Amazon and the like the actual jewel case cover, or are these slipcovers with the albumks inside, and if that's the case - do they feature the original album art?

Like if I were to pick up the "Psychedelic Shack" twofer - would it come in the lame cover art seen on Amazon or the original gatefold illustration?


Thanks!

 

I just came accross this jpeg which appears to be the back cover of the "Cloud Nine / Puzzle People" twofer... It indicates "Now Digitally Mastered On 1 Compact Disc", although Amazon lists two.

As you can see below, both original album covers are pictured, but I'm curious if that's all that we get or if they are somehow represented inside a slipcase or digipak or something like that?




I know it's silly, but this sort of thing is important to me. An album is more than just the musical contents for me, it's a captured moment of time, memories and feelings and having the original LP artwork is important. I have little room for vinyl records (I barely have room for anymore CD's!) so I just want to decide whether ot not I should go for these reissues or stick to the original records?

Thanks for your help!



PS - Some of these albums I see were previously released on CD by Motown though it doesn't indicate whether they were remastered or anything about the sound quality and fidelity. I see that "Cloud Nine" has it's own release with full cover original artwork, but I'm curious how the sound quality compares with these reissues...

 

Sorry - last time I'm posting before someone replies!


This is a quote from Amazon.com in regards to the "With A Lot O' Soul" twofer CD...


"Packaged in a full color slipcase with original artwork and 8 page booklet."


I don't understand how that's possible... the artwork seen in the picture is clearly not the original artwork! Can somebody please explain how the original artwork is featured?






Look at the difference and you'll understand...




VS...




yeesh.

 

The UK two-fers have slipcases. The original artwork is contained in the booklets.

 

I think this whole series of two-fers comes looking exactly as the picture you posted above does. The one I have is from Diana Ross and is basically photos of the two original album covers exactly like the picture you posted except in this case they are Surrender and Aint No Mountain High Enough [for some reason they have retitled the original "Diana Ross" album] and has the track listings for both inside and then a picture of her on the back of the insert. Thats it. As far as packaging goes this series of releases is extremely bare bones.
If you are looking for faithful recreations of packaging etc then forget this series.
Cheers

Steve

 

Oliver,
The Temptations U.K. 2-on-1 mentioned in your first post features a slipcase with a non-lp cover photo. This same photo serves as the cover of the 8 page booklet that is included.
The moderately slim double hinged jewelcase houses a duplication of the front and back cover artwork for each lp contained on the single cd.
Be aware that in 2000 when the U.K. Temptations 2-on-1's were issued, the same U.S. master from the 1986 series (the cd that you are showing in your second post is from that release) were often used. Regrettably the same 2nd or 3rd generation tapes that had been used for lp or cassette manufacturing were utilized.
Later releases in the U.K. 2-on-1 series corrected this and used original 1st generation lp master tapes. Among the artists covered were Marvin Gaye, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Four Tops, The Isley Brothers, and Jr. Walker & The All Stars. Stevie Wonder was to be the next artist featured, but once Hip-O Select was instituted, has not yet appeared.

 

Thanks Mike,


Just in the insert booklets?

Out of curiosity, what does it look like underneath the slipcases?

Would you happen to have a picture that I can see just to get an idea?


Thanks a lot!

 

I'll have to double check when I get home. I have about 6 different titles from this series.

 

Sorry... it looks like the ones I have must be from a different series from Motown. The picture you posted has the same artwork as the Diana Ross disc I have, but the packaging is minimal in her case. Dont know about these newer editions.

Steve

 

Thanks a lot for all the info guys!


Those two responses came at me fast as I had just finnished responding to Mike's post!



You mentioned that some of the old masters were used for these two-on-one reissues... apart from those instances, how would you rate the overall sound quality - and how would you rate them similarly against the old CD issues previously available?


What would you guys consider the definitive sources of these albums?


It sucks that Motown didn't take the time to put a little more effort in!

I don't understand why they just couldn't release each CD individually with reproduced artwork and liner notes, etc?

 

Thank you so much!!!


So if I understand this correctly, one side of the slimline jewel case features the original LP cover art for "Album A", and the flipside of the slimline showcases the original LP cover art for "Album B"?


If I were to toss away the slipcases, I'd be left with faithful reproductions of the original album artwork?



If so, that's great and you just helped me make up my decision!!

 

The two-fer you pictured is the old 80s US version. They are known for having edited tracks.

 

Really, it was the only one listed on Amazon?


The only edited album version I've heard of was the "Masterpiece" twofer... were there any others?


Also can anyone please confirm what I wrote above regarding the slipcovers?

Thanks a lot!

 

Sorry... just want to bump this thread again before it hits the second page.

 

Oliver,
In answer to your question, I've taken a closer look and sometimes the answer concerning artwork is yes and sometimes no. Case in point: The U.K. 2-fer 'Psychedelic Shack'/'All Directions' coupling - the first listed album's artwork is faithfully re-produced; the second's is not. The back-cover photo from 'All Directions' is used but is placed in the center with only the song titles (no other credits) re-typed in white ink occupying the next 4 lines (2 titles per line) below the photo.

 

Wow, thank you so much Marv - really interesting history!

I never considered that aspect.


Still on the subject of the Mortown two-fers... I've noticed that certain issues were released seperately but in the same format both in the UK and US. I'm not sure if they were issued at the same time or not but they both seemed to have dropped in 2001. here's a good example that I've come accross and I'm wondering if there is any difference in quality between the two (in order to determine which to opt for)...

US:




UK:




Thanks again for all that insightful info!

 

Here are a few pics(poor!) of the slim dbl jewel case for the UK Cloud Nine/Puzzle People. There is only 1 disc despite the dbl sided case.

 

Not bad at all... Thanks a lot!!!

 

These recent Motown two-fers are as described: newer artwork on the slipcase, original art for each album on either side of the dual case. The reverse of the J-cards show the reverse side of the original covers. You can toss the slipcase if you want. You'll have original cover art remaining.

Bear in mind also, that this is Motown UK, and the covers for the UK LPs were used here, which were often different than the US LPs. Sometimes the names were different as well. Marvin Gaye's "In the Groove" became "Grapevine". The two-fer has the "In the Groove" cover.

The Supremes two-fers use the 1980s masters. I believe all the others are newer. The Jackson 5 two-fer seems to be the same master as the US two-fer (I don't own those, so I can't be certain.)

Also, the later UK two-fers have bonus tracks (Vandellas, Isleys, etc.). And soundwise, they blow the 80s CDs out of the water.

Try 'em! You'll like 'em!

 

With regards to the 'Jackson 5' 2-fers: in the U.K. only 2 couplings were released- the same 2 that were part of the 1986 program using the same masters- 'Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5'/'ABC' and 'Third Album'/'Maybe Tomorrow'.
The 2001 U.S. J5 2-fers were newly remastered from the original master tapes by Jeff Willens, included bonus tracks, and contained the photos from the original album artwork in the booklet (song titles and running times, composer and producer credits appeared on separate pages following the artwork). In addition 'Going Back To Indiana'/'Looking Through The Windows', 'Skywriter'/Get It Together' and 'Dancing Machine'/'Moving Violation' were part of the U.S. 2001 2-fer series. Jeff Willens also re-mastered the fine U.K. Four Tops, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, Isley Brothers 2-fers; Ellen Fitton , the Jr. Walker & The All Stars.

 

Does anyone know where to find a discography of these individual (re-issue) cds that Motown released in the late 80's/early 90's?