Detroit Soul 1961-1962 (RSD 2026) - Various Artists (RSD 2026)

This product is a RECORD STORE DAY 2026 title and not available to pre-order.
Available to buy in-store from 8am on Saturday, 18/04/2026 (Record Store Day).
Remaining copies will be available to buy online from 8pm on Monday 20/04/2026.

Here’s a bumper collection of early Detroit Soul/R&B, soon to be called The Motown Sound. Detroit had by far the fastest growing black music industry in the USA in the very early sixties, not just in terms of recorded music but it had a live gig scene just as prolific. The number of new labels and artists that appeared each week was quite phenomenal but most of the labels featured on this compilation, Tamla, Gordy, Miracle and Motown, were part of Berry Gordy’s nascent recording empire. And the others were also Gordy family ventures: Anna was set up by Gordy’s sister Gwen with Billy Davis and Tri-Phi was a Gwen and Harvey Fuqua enterprise. Sleeve annotation by Keith Rylatt