Name: 25 Miles
Brand: Edwin Starr

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

MOT940

Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2023-11-03

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Scorpio

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

Total Cap

Black LP

Artist

Edwin Starr

Genre GB

Funk / Soul

Label GB

Motown

The legendary Motown label was founded on January 12, 1959 and incorporated as Motown Recording Corporation on April 14, 1960 by Berry Gordy, Jr., who merged his two successful imprints, Tamla and Motown. It was one of the most successful independent record companies in history. Its stable of hit-making artists such as The Miracles, The Supremes, The Temptations and many others, along with a talented staff of musicians and songwriters, collectively created the "Motown Sound," a world famous hybrid of soul, doo-wop, rhythm & blues and pop. Its motto was "The Sound of Young America".

Motown remained independent until 1988 when MCA Records and private equity firm Boston Ventures teamed up to buy the label from Gordy for $61 million. It was bought again by PolyGram in 1993, becoming a part of the Universal Music Group after it purchased PolyGram in 1999. Within Universal, Motown was incorporated into various other subsidiaries including Universal Motown Records Group from 2000 to 2011 and later moved to Island Def Jam Music Group until both label groups were disbanded by UMG in 2014.

In January 2023 under Chivon Dean's new leadership as president and CEO, Motown has been divested from the Capitol Music Group while remaining under the Universal Music Group. Over its history, the Motown

Edwin Starr was an American soul vocalist born on January 21, 1942 in Nashville, Tennessee. He is best known for his powerful interpretation of the Vietnam War protest song "War," which became a timeless anthem. Sadly, he passed away on April 2, 2003 in Bramcote, Nottinghamshire, England.

Starr's music resonates with fans who appreciate soulful sounds and meaningful lyrics. His unique style has influenced many artists including *The Elgins*, *Jr. Walker & The All Stars*, *Jimmy Ruffin*, and *The Contours*. Other notable performers inspired by Starr include *Martha Reeves & The Vandellas*, *The Miracles*, and *Gladys Knight & The Pips*.

With a discography that spans several decades, Edwin Starr's contributions to the music industry continue to be celebrated today. Fans of soul music will find solace in his captivating vocals and timeless melodies.

Newest Listed Items

Edwin Starr's second album is an embarrassment of riches, soaring lyricism mated to a pounding, emphatic beat that won't let the listener go. Released in April 1969, 25 Miles was actually comprised, in part, of single sides, some going back as far as 1967, but was a more unified body of music than the preceding Soul Master LP. It embraced many of the changes that started to overtake Motown Records for the better as the 1960s came to a close, and it got a lot of what it did just right. The topical ballad "I'm Still a Struggling Man," though it didn't do that well as a single, featured one of Starr's most moving vocal performances, and in its lyric was the distant precursor to the musical/social vision that would burst forward full-force on Marvin Gaye's What's Going On -- it's still a love song, but is laced with bitter images and a social awareness that makes it all the more poignant. Aside from jewels like that, and the killer Starr original "24 Hours (To Find My Baby)," the album is also one of Starr's most rewarding vocal showcases, from the rough-hewn passion of "Backyard Lovin' Man," across the tender vulnerability of "If My Heart Could Tell the Story," to the soaring falsetto he generates on "He Who Picks a Rose"; the latter should have made great singles, as could the soaring, lushly produced "Soul City (Open Your Arms to Me)." Indeed, a good three-quarters of this LP could have been perfectly acceptable for AM airplay, so consider the album a gift in terms of accessibility and pop craftsmanship in a soul setting, as much now as then -- even the updating of "You Beat Me to the Punch," which gives it a whole new sound. Surprisingly, Norman Whitfield only produced a pair of cuts on this album, and the more startling of them is the gospel-flavoured Whitfield/Barrett Strong number "Gonna Keep on Tryin' Till I Win Your Love," which is a delightful throwback to the sound of Sam Cooke; it makes a good pairing with "Pretty Little Angel," a Clarence Paul/Stevie Wonder/Mike Valvano copyright (and another lost potential single), and they flow right into "If My Heart Could Tell the Story." The whole record is a keeper, and one of the finer under-regarded albums in the late-'60s Motown library. Allmusic.

25 Miles

Music GB

Discover 25 Miles by Edwin Starr. Motown's under-regarded album showcases Starr's moving vocals and pop craftsmanship. Vinyl records available.