New Gold Series Features Two-CD Retrospectives

New Gold Series Features Two-CD Retrospectives With Hits and Rarities; Initial Albums Star The Temptations, Steppenwolf, The Mamas & The Papas, Tom Jones, Neil Diamond, Kiss, Marvin Gaye, Donna Summer, Bob Marley & The Wailers and Aerosmith LOS ANGELES, Dec. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Following in the footsteps of the most successful midline series ever, 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection, Universal Music Enterprises presents Gold, a series of double CD retrospectives featuring a litany of Hall Of Fame caliber artists including The Temptations, Bob Marley, Neil Diamond and many more. Gold consists of two-CD retrospectives with complete career overviews or extensive selections drawn from the artist's most important years, digitally remastered tracks, extensive liner notes, credits and period photos. The first ten collections will be released January 11, 2005. THE TEMPTATIONS -- GOLD (Motown/UMe) features 36 selections from the pre-eminent vocal group of all-time, from their Top 40 R&B debut, 1962's "Dream Come True," to "Lady" from their 50th album in 2001. Among the highlights are the pop #1s "My Girl," "I Can't Get Next To You," "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" and "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone." R&B #1s are "Get Ready," "Ain't Too Proud To Beg," "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep," "(I Know) I'm Losing You," "I Wish It Would Rain," "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)," "Runaway Child, Running Wild," "Masterpiece," "Let Your Hair Down" and "Shakey Ground." The gems continue with "The Way You Do The Things You Do," "You're My Everything," "Cloud Nine," "Psychedelic Shack," "Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today)" and "Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)." STEPPENWOLF -- GOLD (Geffen/UMe) presents 31 selections from the legendary rock band of the hippie era, from the signatures "Born To Be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride" through its final Top 30 charter, "Straight Shootin' Woman." Among the other recordings are flashbacks "Sookie Sookie," "The Pusher" and "Rock Me." The album also includes the medley "Monster/Suicide/America," hard rockers "Move Over" and "Hey Lawdy Mama," and a trio of solo John Kay numbers: "I'm Movin' On," "My Sportin' Life" and "Drift Away." DONNA SUMMER -- GOLD (Hip-O/Mercury/UMe) finds dance music's greatest diva offering 34 selections, including all 14 of her Top 10 pop hits. Spanning 1975 to 2003 ("Dream-a-Lot's Theme (I Will Live For Love)"), the collection boasts the classic #1 platinum hits "Hot Stuff" and "Bad Girls," and the golds "Love To Love You Baby," "Last Dance," "MacArthur Park," "Dim All The Lights," "On The Radio" and "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" with Barbra Streisand. Other noteworthy tracks include "The Wanderer," "She Works Hard For The Money," "This Time I Know It's For Real" and "I Will Go With You (Con Te Partiro)." BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS -- GOLD (Tuff Gong/Island/UMe) brings together 34 selections, all of the hits and most popular songs from the reggae master during his 1972-onward career on the Tuff Gong label. Included are such rasta masterpieces as "Stir It Up," "I Shot The Sheriff," a live "No Woman, No Cry," "One Love/People Get Ready," "Get Up, Stand Up," "Exodus," "Jamming" and "Buffalo Soldier." Other well-known tracks are "Waiting In Vain" and "Is This Love" as well as "Lively Up Yourself," "Roots, Rock, Reggae," "Sun Is Shining," a live "Trenchtown Rock" and an acoustic "Redemption Song." NEIL DIAMOND -- GOLD (Geffen/UMe) offers 41 tracks from one of the most popular singer-songwriters of our era. Among its 13 Top 40s are the four gold or platinum singles of his career: #1s "Cracklin' Rosie" and "Song Sung Blue," and Top 10s "Sweet Caroline" and "Holly Holy." The Top 10 "I Am ... I Said" leads the other Top 40 hits: "Play Me," "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show," "Walk On Water," "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," "Soolaimon," "Stones," "Crunchy Granola Suite" and the live "Cherry Cherry." Also heard are concert versions of his earliest successes "Kentucky Woman," "Thank The Lord For The Night," "Solitary Man," "Red, Red Wine" and "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon." AEROSMITH -- GOLD (Geffen/UMe) chronicles the group's '80s and '90s comeback with 34 selections, including all of their hits and best-loved tracks of the period plus live versions, soundtrack contributions and Run-D.M.C.'s revision of the band's "Walk This Way." Along with major successes such as "Angel," "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)," "Rag Doll," the gold "Love In An Elevator," "What It Takes," #1 gold "Cryin'," "Crazy," "Amazing" and GRAMMY- winners "Janie's Got A Gun" and "Livin' On The Edge" are live renditions of vintage favorites "Sweet Emotion" and "Dream On" and more recent hits "Hole In My Soul" and "Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees)." MARVIN GAYE -- GOLD (Motown/UMe) features 34 selections of greatest hits plus rarities from one of music's most soulful singers and songwriters. Heard from the early '60s to early '80s are 18 hits that were Top 10 both pop and R&B, among them "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," "Sexual Healing," "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)," "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)," "What's Going On," "Let's Get It On," "Got To Give It Up, Pt. I," "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby," "That's The Way Love Is" and the duets with Tammi Terrell "Your Precious Love," "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" and "You're All I Need To Get By." KISS -- GOLD (Mercury/UMe) scores with 40 selections from 1974-1982 from the greatest rock show on earth. Leading off with "Strutter" from the band's self-titled debut album, the collection embraces hits and fan favorites such as "C'mon And Love Me," "Hotter Than Hell," the original live version of "Rock And Roll All Nite," the golds "Beth" and "I Was Made For Loving You," "Detroit Rock City," "Calling Dr. Love," "Hard Luck Woman," "Love Gun" and "Christine Sixteen." THE MAMAS & THE PAPAS -- GOLD (Geffen/UMe) culls 32 selections from the catalog of the quintessential '60s vocal group. From the Top 10 pop hymn "California Dreamin'" to the #1 "Monday, Monday," from the Top 10s "I Saw Her Again," "Words Of Love," "Dedicated To The One I Love" and "Creeque Alley" to the Top 40 "Look Through My Window" and timeless tracks "I Call Your Name," "Do You Wanna Dance," "Go Where You Wanna Go" and Mama Cass solo outing "Dream A Little Dream Of Me," the compilation epitomizes the decade of love. TOM JONES -- GOLD (Hip-O/Deram/UMe) showcases 42 tracks from 1965-1975 for one of the most popular singers of the past 40 years. His saga began with the swinging "It's Not Unusual" and "What's New Pussycat?," both Top 10. Jones sang everything from rock to R&B to show tunes to country, and his TV series catapulted the Welshman to superstardom. "Delilah," "Green, Green Grass Of Home," "Love Me Tonight" and "Daughter Of Darkness" were Top 40 while "(It Looks Like) I'll Never Fall In Love Again," "Without Love (There Is Nothing)" and "She's A Lady" were Top 10 and gold. Other classics include "I (Who Have Nothing)," "With These Hands" and "Can't Stop Loving You." Source: UMe CONTACT: Press, Sujata Murthy, +1-310-865-7812, or Todd Nakamine, +1-310-865-7797, or Amy Gardner, +1-310-865-9804, or Radio, Elliot Kendall, +1-310-865-9852, all of UMe ------- Profile: International Entertainment