NEW YORK (Sacks & Co./ www.sacksco.com/ Universal Motown Records Group/ www.umusic.com) -
Michael McDonald fulfills a longstanding dream with his Motown albums, on which he interprets his favorite songs from the durable and singular canon of classic American soul. The undertaking has proven a tremendous success, thrusting him to-and beyond -heights he has previously occupied as a Doobie Brother, a solo recording artist, and a songwriter.
Motown Two, out now on Motown Universal, has just been certified Gold by the Recording
Industry Association of
America (RIAA), after debuting at No 9 on the Billboard Top Ten and No 8 on Billboard's Hip-hop and R&B chart. McDonald's first Motown album, which was nominated for two Grammys, has sold nearly two million copies worldwide and received widespread acclaim from The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, NPR and many others.
Motown Two consists of 14 songs from such luminaries as Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, and Diana Ross. The album includes landmark songs like "You're All I Need To Get By" and "The Tracks Of My Tears." Stevie Wonder himself plays harmonica on Michael's version of "I Was Made to Love Her." Two also includes some lesser-known masterpieces. "I think there's a beauty in giving people not just the songs they know and love but also something great they haven't had the privilege of hearing."
While recording songs from the Motown catalogue was a daunting and humbling undertaking for McDonald, critics have applauded his interpretations as a moving and respectful testament to an American institution. People magazine called Motown "a fitting tribute to Motown mastery," while The New York Times called the collection a "vocal tour(s) de force that extend(s) the repertory of popular standards into the rock and roll era." Fans have echoed the enthusiasm: Motown is the best selling album of McDonald's solo career.
The release of Motown and Motown Two are only the latest steps in McDonald's storied career. A five-time Grammy winner, McDonald has had a number of radio hits and beloved albums in his solo career. As a member of the Doobie Brothers, he penned such classics as "What A Fool Believes," "Taking It To The Streets," and "Minute by Minute."
