Motown Chartbusters, Vol. 1 was the first in a series of 12 released by Motown's U.K. subsidary, Tamla-Motown. Like many in the series, the album mixes bona fide hits like "Jimmy Mack," "Standing in the Shadows of Love," and "The Happening" with more obscure gems like "7-Rooms of Gloom" and "Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got." Motown's popularity waned slightly with the British Invasion (even though many British acts were covering the label's originals). This compilation was released as the second wave of Motown acts such as
the Four Tops and
the Temptations were beginning to gain momentum. All selections here were Top 30 U.K. hits. Most will be familiar to both Motown aficionados and the casual music fan ("It Takes Two," "How Sweet It Is," "I Was Made to Love Her"). Although not a comprehensive collection, it does offer the chance to pick up 16 classic tracks on one album -- something not many other mid-'60s Motown albums can boast. ~ Rob Flanagan