A variety of Hip-Hop artists will help re-introduce Motown’s “Sound
of Young America” to a new Hip-Hop audience via a compilation, Motown
Remixed.
Some of Hip-Hop most well
respected producers took part in the remix project for the legendary label that
boasted such talent as The Temptations, The Supremes, Jackson 5, The Commodores,
Rick James and numerous others.
Motown executives gave each
producer access to a master recording, with permission to create new versions
of the original song.
Producers such as Green
Lantern, Jazzy Jeff, Saalam Remi, Easy Mo Bee and The Bomb Squad’s Hank
Shocklee reworked such hits as The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,”
The Supreme’s “My World Is Empty Without You,” Marvin Gaye’s
“Let’s Get It On” and others.
Hank Shocklee, who as a
member of The Bomb Squad, helped produce Public Enemy’s sonic marvels,
Yo Bum Rush The Show and It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold
Us Back, seized the opportunity to recreate one of his favorite songs.
Shocklee was granted permission
to re-work The Undisputed Truth’s####, “Smiling Faces Sometimes,”
which was originally an R&B hit in 1971.
“Working on this project
was a dream come true,” Shocklee told AllHipHop.com. “Working with
the Undisputed Truth track was great, because I felt that we [the Bomb Squad]
have a similar production style. I’ve always been a fan of [producer]
Norman Whitfield. On my song I stripped it down and really went after making
the song have a Hip-Hop feel to it.”
The project will also be
released on limited edition vinyl singles that include 10 of the album’s
15 remixed songs.
Additionally, DJ Smash will
embark on a Motown Remixed Tour.
The tour will feature Smash
showcasing the remixes and other songs from the Motown catalog in 10 cities
during the month of May and June, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago,
Detroit, Miami, Atlanta, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and a
city to be announced.
Motown Remixed
is slated to hit stores May 24, 2005. Below is the track listing:
1. "I Want You Back"/JACKSON
5
"Z-TRIP REMIX"
2. "I Heard It Through
The Grapevine"/GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS
"THE RANDY WATSON EXPERIENCE SYMPATHY FOR THE GRAPES MIX "
3. "Let’s Get It On"/MARVIN
GAYE
"DA PRODUCERS MPG GROOVE MIX"
4. "Signed, Sealed,
Delivered I’m Yours"/STEVIE WONDER
"DJ SMASH ESSENTIAL FUNK REMIX"
5. "ABC"/JACKSON
5
"SALAAM REMI CRUNK-A-DELIC PARTY MIX"
6. "I Just Want To
Celebrate"/RARE EARTH
"MOCEAN WORKER REMIX "
7. "Papa Was A Rolling
Stone"/THE TEMPTATIONS
"DJ JAZZY JEFF & PETE KUZMA SOLEFULL MIX "
8. "Quiet Storm"/SMOKEY
ROBINSON
"GROOVE BOUTIQUE REMIX," featuring guest soloist ROY AYERS
9. "My World Is Empty
Without You"/DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES
"TRANZITION REMIX"
10. "Just My Imagination
(Running Away With Me)"/THE TEMPTATIONS
"EASY MO BEE REMIX"
11. "Smiling Faces
Sometimes"/UNDISPUTED TRUTH
"FUTURESHOCK ENTERTAINMENT MAIN INGREDIENT MIX"
12. "The Tears Of A
Clown"/SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES
"HOTSNAX REMIX"
13. "Keep On Truckin’"/EDDIE
KENDRICKS
"DJ SPINNA REMIX"
14. "War"/EDWIN
STARR
"KING BRITT MIX"
Bonus Cut
15. "Mary Jane"/RICK JAMES
"DJ GREEN LANTERN EVIL GENIUS MIX"