Chuck Jackson - Teardrops Keep Fallin' On My Heart (1970)

Berry Gordy switched Chuck Jackson to the VIP label for his final LP for the Motown family. It didn't help sales, as this album of ballads and midtempo love sagas sold as poorly as two previous efforts. Many of Jackson's Motown tracks were remakes; the first two albums were loaded with them, but there are only two here. "The Thrill Is Gone" and "Rainy Night in Georgia" are both done in Chuck's distinctive baritone; they're nice, but they have nothing on the originals. "Baby I'll Get It," backed by "The Day My World Stood Still," flopped, as did its lumbering successor "Let Somebody Love Me," an odd choice for a single since its flip "Two Feet from Happiness" had more juice. Chuck's last two singles were Smokey Robinson productions, "Pet Names" and "Who You Gonna Run To"; both stiffed, and neither are on this collection. The latter, originally done by the Temptations, appeared on Jackson's Motown debut Chuck Jackson Arrives. A good CD compilation of Chuck's Motown sides is way overdue.