Third Man to release rare Motown single with a compelling backstory as part of Record Store Day

In the last few years, Record Store Day has become a kind of national holiday for vinyl enthusiasts. Taking place on the third Saturday of April—this year, April 21—record stores around the country often offer deep discounts and specialty records. (Have you seen our own guide to Record Store Day?)

Jack White's Third Man Records in Detroit is offering its own special release of the Frank Wilson single "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)." You'd be forgiven if you've never heard of Wilson. After writing and performing this song for Motown Records, Berry Gordy asked him if he'd prefer to be an artist or producer. When Wilson said producer, this label buried the single. 

Only several pressings of it have ever been discovered, but the 7-inch single is a collector's item for soul music enthusiasts. According to Third Man, "this song became a staple of the British Northern Soul scene after one of the two previously known copies of the record was stolen from Motown in the 1970's. A third pristine test pressing appeared in the recent past at Melodies & Memories in Eastpointe, Michigan, and was subsequently sold by record owners Denise and Dan Zieja to Jack White."

[Read Model D's article on how Detroit is poised to be one of the country's premier manufacturers of vinyl records]

The Third Man release will be pressed in purple vinyl and sold exclusively on Record Store Day. It's also planning several other events for the day, including live shows by DJs and bands from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.