It was common during the 50's and 60's for albums to be a collection of hits and so-called "filler"; throw-away tracks, quickly recorded tracks. Not until the Beatles and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" did the recording industry really start to re-think what albums could accomplish. Then more thought and planning started going into albums.

Motown never intended to set trends when they released their 60's albums- they pretty much followed the standards of the industry at large. So you got a few hits and additional tracks- I don't like calling those tracks "filler" because Motown was so intent on recording hits, they hardly went into the studio just record mediocre material or "filler" tracks. Because Motown wanted those hits so badly, those albums are chock full of rewards. Often, those albums yielded stunning recordings that could be as strong as the hits those albums were build around.

Here is the side two of one of the best albums ever to come out of Detroit and the Motown Hitsville studio; "Four Tops Second Album." Everything...EVERYTHING on this album clicks so well, it all sounds like it was tailor made to go together as a long-player. Produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland (with a song/production by Smokey Robinson as well), this is Motown and The Detroit Sound at it's mid-sixties best.

Check out this fantastic review of the album here: http://youtu.be/gOsMWMXKOso Encyclopedia Mack