Aagh! What The Fuck Is That Song

You know when you get a snippet of a song lodged in your brain and it just keeps on repeating as if on a loop and the more you try and pin down the track the more confused and frustrated you get? Well that happened to me on Friday night.  I had this minute bit of a track in my head and couldn't dislodge it. I had a feeling it was mid sixties soul, incredibly smooth with a lush arrangement but for the life of me I couldn't identify it. I knew that it wasn't obscure that it was by one of the big male stars or vocal groups. At first I thought that it might be a Marvin song but quite quickly ruled that out, it wasn't the Four Tops or the Temptations. Something made me think of Smokey Robinson, so I checked through all of the stuff I have by him but no title rang a bell but I was sure that it was something to do with him and wracked my brain, eventually I came up with the words "I'm a lucky boy, you're my pride and joy. Which I duly typed into Google and lo and behold the search came back with "My Love Is Your Love (Forever)" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. I clicked on the Youtube link and yuk, this was the song alright but way too fast, no subtlety and horrible drums. This wasn't the version in my head but with one more search and one clicking on the link there it was, The Isley Brothers, of course it was! So back to my iTunes and there it was track two on Richard Searling's first volume of "Tamla Motown Connoisseurs" released back in 2001.

"My Love Is Your Love (Forever)" was written by the young Stevie Wonder and Ivy Jo Hunter. It was recorded by The Isley Brothers in 1967 and was incredibly shelved by the powers that be at Motown it is quite amazing the amount of absolute crackers that were deemed not good enough by the label! It was finally released in 1972 on a Dutch compilation album! Nowadays it is quite easy to pick up a white label boot copy and it was pressed up and released last year as part of the Motown 7s Box Set volume 1 which I was going to buy until I heard all off the bad reviews about pressing quality and missing singles. I did buy Volume 2 which is excellent  and as a result I may buy a copy of the first set if I ever find myself with a spare fifty quid. But I digress, just listen to this, this Bank Holiday Monday (if living in the UK) and if it doesn't brighten up your day, well there really is no hope for you.

The Isley Brothers - My Love Is Your Love (Forever)