Dorsey Burnette first found fame as a member of the pioneering rockabilly group Johnny Burnette & the Rock 'n' Roll Trio, and after the combo split up,
Dorsey went on to a long career as a journeyman pop and country singer, as well as a more successful sideline as a songwriter. In 1964, after
Dorsey had failed to score hits at Dot, Imperial, Reprise, and a handful of other labels, he found new sponsors in an unlikely place. Motown Records, the wildly successful soul and R&B label, was launching a new subsidiary, Mel-O-Dy Records, that would focus on country-influenced sounds, and they signed
Dorsey to a record deal. Between April 1964 and August 1965,
Burnette recorded 28 songs for Mel-O-Dy, some in California and others at Motown's famous Hitsville USA studio in Detroit. Sadly, most of
Dorsey's sessions for Mel-O-Dy went unreleased and none of them produced a hit, but
The Complete Motown Recordings includes all the sides
Burnette cut during his 16-month tenure with Motown and Mel-O-Dy. Ranging from country and refined rockabilly to pop with a soulful undertow,
The Complete Motown Recordings finally allows
Dorsey Burnette's fans to explore a fascinating lost chapter in his discography. ~ Mark Deming