Category: Motown

MOTOWN MONDAYS! SPOTLIGHTS ON THE ELGINS

— THE ELGINS —

1962-1967

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The Elgins were an American vocal group on the Motown label, active from the late 1950s to 1967. Their most successful record was “Heaven Must Have Sent You”, a song written and produced by the Holland–Dozier–Holland team, which was a hit single in the US in 1966, and in the UK when reissued in 1971.

The Elgins 1967

Founding members Robert Fleming, Johnny Dawson, Cleo “Duke” Miller and Norman McLean recorded together for various small labels in Detroit prior to their Motown days, as The Sensations, The Five Emeralds, and The Downbeats, and also recorded as The Downbeats for Motown in 1962. The record company suggested that they add female lead vocalist Saundra Mallett, who had recorded unsuccessfully for the label, backed by The Vandellas; she later married and became Saundra Edwards.

The new group’s first single release was “Put Yourself In My Place”, issued in December 1965; early copies credited the record to The Downbeats, but Berry Gordy wanted to use the name Elgins, which had previously been one of the names used by The Temptations. The record rose to no. 4 on the Billboard R&B chart and no. 72 on the Billboard Hot 100, and its B-side, “Darling Baby”, also made the Hot 100.

Several months later, they issued “Heaven Must Have Sent You”, which again reached both the R&B and pop charts, becoming their biggest pop hit. They also released an album, Darling Baby. However, their follow-up single, “I Understand My Man”, was less successful, and the group broke up in 1967.

With the continuing popularity of Motown records in the UK fueled by the Northern Soul scene, “Heaven Must Have Sent You” was reissued in 1971 and peaked at no. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. “Put Yourself In My Place” was also reissued and made the chart. With Saundra Mallett Edwards being unwilling to rejoin the group, the Elgins toured the UK with former session vocalist Yvonne Vernee Allen taking her place. One of Yvonne Vernee’s solo singles from the 60’s, “Just Like You Did Me”, also became popular on the Northern Soul scene, especially at Wigan Casino Soul Allnighters. Vernee also recorded some material with The Elgins at Motown, but none of it saw release.

In the photo above, the original V.I.P. artists consisted of (standing) Duke Miller, Saundra Mallet, Johnny Dawson and Norman McLean (kneeling).

Saundra Mallet passed away in 2002.

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Source: The Elgins; Wikipedia

The above featured V.I.P. Recording Artists (Motown) promotional photograph was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

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DETROIT MOTOWN MONDAY: RECORD FLASHBACK! 1966

—THE ELGINS—

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Released February 19, “Put Yourself In My Place” peaked at #4 (charted 13 total weeks R&B overall) on the Billboard R&B chart in 1966. B-side: “Darling Baby”

V.I.P. 25029 (Source: Billboard Top R&B Singles)

 

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HITSVILLE: THE MAKING OF MOTOWN | THE FULL DOCUMENTARY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzkyK3iXIP0&list=LL&index=124&t=3303s

‘THE MAKING OF MOTOWN’

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HITSVILLE U.S.A.! Documentary film that focuses on the period beginning with the birth of Motown in Detroit in 1958 until its relocation to Los Angeles in the early 1970s.

The film tracks the unique system that Gordy assembled that enabled Motown to become the most successful record label of all time.

The creation and initial success of Motown was achieved during a period of significant racial tensions in America and amid the burgeoning civil rights movement.

(SHOWTIME Channel; You Tube)

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Note: Uploaded for a free view and for a limited time, as of March 21, 2021, the Showtime documentary ‘Hitsville: The Making of Motown’, has been removed from the official SHOWTIME You Tube Channel.

In its replacement (March 21, 2012), we will now feature the official SHOWTIME trailer for the documentary.

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Note: We are happy to inform you again the complete documentary ‘Hitsville: The Making of Motown’ is back up on the You Tube SHOWTIME Channel as of Thursday, February 17 2022, therefore, as featured here previously, we now have it back up on this site once again for your view here as well. 🙂

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MOTOWN MONDAYS! A 1964 MARY WELLS MOTOWN RECORDS AD

A CLASSIC BILLBOARD MOTOWN /TAMLA RECORDS AD PAGE RIP February 8, 1964

— MARY WELLS —

MOTOWN RECORDS 1962-1963

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“What’s Easy for Two Is Hard for One” (also known as “What’s Easy for Two Is So Hard for One“) is a song written and produced by Smokey Robinson and released as a single by singer Mary Wells for the Motown label.

Wells’s teaming with Robinson led to a succession of hit singles over the following two years. Their first collaboration, 1962’s “The One Who Really Loves You”, was Wells’s first hit, peaking at number 2 on the R&B chart and number 8 on the Hot 100. The song featured a calypso-styled soul production that defined Wells’s early hits. Motown released the similar-sounding “You Beat Me To The Punch” a few months later. The song became her first R&B number 1 single and peaked at number 9 on the pop chart.

The success of “You Beat Me to the Punch” helped to make Wells the first Motown star to be nominated for a Grammy Award when the song was nominated for Best Rock & Roll Recording in 1963.

Motor Town Revue newspaper ad, featuring Mary Wells November 10, 1963 (click image 2x for largest view)

In late 1962, “Two Lovers” became Wells’s third consecutive single to hit the Top 10 of Billboard‘s Hot 100, peaking at number 7 and becoming her second number 1 hit on the R&B chart. This helped to make Wells the first female solo artist to have three consecutive Top 10 singles on the pop chart. The track sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.

Wells’s second album, also titled ‘The One Who Really Loves You’, was released in 1962 and peaked at number 8 on the pop albums chart, making the teenage singer a breakthrough star and giving her clout at Motown. Wells’s success at the label was recognized when she became a headliner during the first string of Motortown Revue concerts, starting in the fall of 1962. The singer showcased a rawer stage presence that contrasted with her softer R&B recordings.

The ‘First Lady of Motown’ 1962

Wells’s success continued in 1963 when she hit the Top 20 with the doo-wop ballad “Laughing Boy” and scored three additional Top 40 singles, “Your Old Standby”, “You Lost the Sweetest Boy”, and its A-side, “What’s Easy for Two Is So Hard for One”. “You Lost the Sweetest Boy” was one of the first hit singles composed by the successful Motown songwriting and producing trio of Holland–Dozier–Holland, though Robinson remained Wells’s primary producer.

Also in 1963, Wells recorded a session of successful B-sides that arguably became as well known as her hits, including “Operator”, “What Love Has Joined Together”, “Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right” and “Old Love (Let’s Try It Again)”. Wells and Robinson also recorded a duet titled “I Want You ‘Round”, which would be re-recorded by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston.

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Source: Mary Wells; Wikipedia

 

Above featured Billboard Motown ad digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

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DETROIT MOTOWN MONDAY: RECORD FLASHBACK! 1963

—MARY WELLS—

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Released October 26, “What’s Easy For Two Is So Hard For One” peaked at #8 (charted 21 total weeks R&B overall) on the Billboard R&B chart in 1963 into 1964. B-side: “You Lost The Sweetest Boy”

MOTOWN 1048 (Source: Billboard Top R&B Singles)

 

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MOTOWN MONDAYS! THE FOUR TOPS ON CBS’ ED SULLIVAN SHOW

THE MOTOWN SOUND

— The Ed Sullivan Show —

 

The entire Ed Sullivan Show catalogue has hit the streaming platforms!

On June 12, 2020 came news Universal Music Enterprises and Sofa Entertainment brokered a deal to license and make available the entire Ed Sullivan video performance from the Sofa library, who acquired the entire catalogue in 1990. UME will make available the entire catalogue for public streaming in restored, digitized form, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Since its premiere launch on June 12, more videos have been added on the official Ed Sullivan You Tube channel, highlighting the Motown sound. As reported, it will take three years to upload the more than 10,000 performances which aired Sunday evenings on CBS-TV from June 20, 1948 to June 6, 1971.

For more on this story, go HERE.

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Note: Ed Sullivan passed away on October 13, 1974. He was 73.

 

THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW . . .  CBS’ MOTOWN CLASSICS!

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NEW! For this ‘Motown’ Monday, we are featuring three classic Motown video performances from the Ed Sullivan Show:

The Four Tops (1966), The Temptations (1967), The Supremes (1965)

MORE Ed Sullivan Motown performances will be forthcoming on Motor City Radio Flashbacks!

 

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FINAL 1970 RECALL: HIGHLIGHTING THE NATION’S NUMBER ONE HITS!

— NUMBER ONE 1970 —

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THIRTEEN WEEKS on the singles chart, “ABC” by The Jackson 5 peaked at #1 on May 25 (2 weeks) on the Billboard Hot 100. Week ending April 25 through week ending May 2. (Source: Billboard)

 

For the COMPLETE 21 Billboard Number One U.S.A. Hits 1970 go HERE

NUMBER 1 IN AMERICA * APRIL 25 -MAY 2, 1970

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