Various Artists MOTOWN UNMIXED

MOTOWN: UNMIXED is the companion disc to MOTOWN: REMIXED, a project that features original Motown singles filtered through the imaginations of hip-hop and electronica DJs and producers. UNMIXED features the original singles as they were released in the 1960s and '70s. In this sense, the disc is essentially a compilation of great Motown tunes, many of which will be immediately known to anyone vaguely familiar with the label's revered legacy. In addition to some of the all-time staples of soul music, including the Temptations' "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone," Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' "The Tears of a Clown," and the irrepressibly joyous Jackson 5 songs "I Want You Back" and "ABC," there are some lesser-known gems. These include the hearty funk-soul of Rare Earth's "I Just Want to Celebrate" and the orchestral, psychedelic R&B of "Smiling Faces Sometimes" by the Undisputed Truth. The album also features contributions from Edwin Starr ("War") and Rick James ("Mary Jane"), as well