The impact of Motown on pop culture worldwide is immeasurable. For this kid, raised in comfortable but ‘uptight’ 60’s Britain - where ‘out of sight’ was where we lived, mostly hunched over a stack of 45s - the songs emanating from Berry Gordy’s Detroit hit factory sounded an undeniable call to freedom, self-expression and joy from that promised land across the pond, America. Motown conjured unknown worlds, from romance (and whatever Great Mysteries lay beyond)… to church, and what it might feel like to have a meaningful faith… to social and political issues, of which I knew nothing yet could still sense the power, pain and desire for change beneath these exquisite harmonies. It was, and 50 years on still is, electrifying. In this collection, featuring eight of Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Singers of All Time,” we celebrate the quieter side of the label in a soulful Sunday soundtrack. Classics by artists who only ever required a first name — Marvin, Stevie, Diana, Smokey — are interwoven with remarkable readings of Motown standards by their legendary friends — Aretha, Otis & Al. The full range and possibilities of the songbook are heard in two exclusive a cappella tracks: a stunning new trip-hop update of the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” by Sonos, and Gladys Knight & The Pips’ breathtaking call-and-response on “Grapevine.” Happy Birthday, Motown. And thank you.

http://www.bn.com/sundaymusic