Diana Ross & The Supremes Pt.3

             “Record-breaking Success in the Guinness Book of Records”

Miss Ross has managed to achieve the number one position on the Official UK Pop Albums and Singles Charts from the 1960s into the 1990s for a duration of 18 weeks in total!

Both herself and the Supremes were inducted  into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988  and were recognized with a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7060 Hollywood Blvd. As lead singer of the Supremes and as a solo artist, Ross has earned 18 number one singles (12 as lead singer of the Supremes and 6 as a solo artist) on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart in America.

Gold selling album in America
produced by Ashford and Simpson.

In 1979 she collaborated once again with her long-time friends Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, whom she had worked with since her silver-certified studio album “Surrender” in the early 1970s. Ashford and Simpson co-wrote and co-produced “The Boss”, an RIAA gold-certified studio album, in 1979. The title single “The Boss” became a number one hit on the Billboard Dance Singles Chart, week-ending 25^th August 1979 (2 weeks).

Gold certification in the UK
awarded by BPI

The legacy still lives on with another greatest hits package “40 Golden Motown Greats Diana Ross & The Supremes” receiving a gold disc in the UK from the BPI on the 22^nd July 2013 for over 100,000 copies sold.

   GG

 The striking success of these compilations is an indication of the depth and variety of the songs recorded by Diana Ross and The Supremes over many years. The albums are part of many people’s record collections and continue to receive air-play to this day. It is not difficult to see why. The Soul Queen of Motown will always be part of pop music’s royalty.

                                    

                                     ©Signaturesoundsonline2013-2016

Diana Ross & The Supremes Pt.2

             “Record-breaking Success in the Guinness Book of Records”

The group's final UK Pop number one album
and certified recording project.

The vocal group’s final compilation number one was the greatest hits album “Diana Ross

and the Supremes 20 Golden Greats”, at the top week-ending 17^th September 1977 (7 weeks). The label received a gold disc from the BPI for over 100,000 copies sold in the UK.

They are also the recording act with the most number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart in America (with 12) and on the Cash Box Pop Singles Chart (with 14)! The Supremes only managed to have 8 singles at number one on the Billboard Hot R&B and Soul Singles Chart from 1964 to 1970, with “Stoned Love” the last of these, week-ending 26^th December 1970 (1 week).

Gold certified greatest hits compilation
in the UK

They are also the recording act with the most number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart in America (with 12) and on the Cash Box Pop Singles Chart (with 14)! The Supremes only managed to have 8 singles at number one on the Billboard Hot R&B and Soul Singles Chart from 1964 to 1970, with “Stoned Love” the last of these, week-ending 26^th December 1970 (1 week).

“Diana Ross’ Greatest Hits”, consisting of ten of Ross' greatest hits as a solo artist, became her second album in 1976 to hit the Top Five in the UK. It was certified gold in the UK for sales in excess of 100,000 copies on 1^st January 1976.                  

Platinum certified album
 for over 300,000 copies in the UK
according BPI.

Miss Ross has managed to achieve the number one position on the Official UK Pop Albums and Singles Charts from the 1960s into the 1990s for a duration of 18 weeks in total!          














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The Year Was 1965: Significant Events in Motown’s History Pt.1

"My Girl" was the group first  number one
on the Billboard 100 Singles Chart  in 1965.

In 1965 Motown Records had five number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. Four of those singles were produced by Holland-Dozer and Holland. The Temptations’ “My Girl” on the Gordy label1965 would become another successful year for Motown with the Temptations’ “My Girl” starting the year in style almost a year after Mary Well’s “My Guy” had reached number one. The song “My Girl” was produced by Smokey Robinson and co-written by his long-term song writing partner Ronald White. The song features the powerful vocals of the late David Ruffin on lead. It went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart week-ending 6^th March 1965 (1 week). The classic hit track also went to number one on the re-activated Hot Rhythm and Blues Singles Chart week-ending 6^th January 1965 (6 weeks). The single also achieved the number two position on the UK Official Pop Singles Chart in 1965.

A live performance of
Jr. Walker and  the All Stars in concert.

Jr. Walker and the All Stars had the first number one of their career called "Shotgun" immediately after dethroning the Temptations on the Billboard Hot Rhythm and Blues Singles Chart week-ending 11^th March 1965 (4 weeks). This was first time that Lawrence Horn received credit for his involvement in producing an act on the label. Berry Gordy Jr. co-produced the track. The session musicians on the track were James Jamerson Jr. on bass, with two guitarists Joe Messina and Eddie Willis, and finally Benny Benjamin on drums gave the track that special touch that sent it to the top of the charts.

In the month of May Smokey Robinson produced his magic formula again with Marvin Gaye, as the latter stepped out of his studio drumming role and turned to singing as the label’s leading up-and-coming male vocalist. Robinson also found time to compose the song “I’ll Be Doggone” with guitarist Marv Tarplin and Pete Moore, founding members of The Miracles, whilst on tour. Marvin Gaye was an emerging genius who co-wrote his first three hit records, “Stubborn Kind of Fellow”, “Hitch Hike” and “Pride and Joy”. He was one of the first artists at Motown to do so. Gaye became brilliant at interpreting other song-writers’ material, improvising and improving on the original song and making it his own in the process. “I’ll Be Doggone” was certainly one of those songs. It topped the Billboard Hot Rhythm and Blues Singles Chart week-ending 22^nd May 1965 (1 week). Each member of The Funk Brothers added their own momentum and richness to the song’s groove helping to send the song to the top! 

                                   ©Signaturesoundsonline2013-2016 

Significant Achievements in the Detroit Sound Pt.5

The original Temptations

Both Norman Whitfield and Smokey Robinson helped The Temptations became one of most popular vocal groups of the 20^th Century. The group has received over thirty RIAA certifications, including a multi-platinum certification for their 1996 release “The Temptations Greatest Hits.” 

Two more albums during the mid-1990s received platinum certification for the group, “All The Million-Sellers” and “The Temptations Give Love At Christmas.” They also collected platinum certifications for their singles “I Can’t Get Next To You”, recorded during the late 1960s and produced by Norman Whitfield, and “My Girl”, also recorded during the early 1960s and written and produced by Smokey Robinson. Both singles sold over two million copies each. According to the RIAA, The Temptations are now the second most certified group behind the Beatles. The Beatles have twenty four gold singles while the Temptations have sixteen gold singles to their credit. All The Temptations records features dynamic studio performance of The Funk Brothers and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra strings section and vocal support of The Andantes.

                                             ©Signaturesoundsonline2013-2016

Significant Events in the music industry ( Part 2 )

                              Some  Key Facts about The Queen of Soul

Aretha Franklin’s second gold album
of her career featuring
the gold single “Chain of Fools”

In the same year she returned to the top with another new studio album entitled “Aretha Arrives” released on 4^th August 1967 by Atlantic Records. The album also   peaked at the number-one position 9^th September 1967 (5 weeks). “Baby I Love You” was the only gold single to be released from the album.

During 1967 alone she had a total of four gold singles from three studio albums on Atlantic

Franklin's third gold album of her career

Records, with all the singles going to number-one on the Billboard Hot Soul and R&B Singles Chart in North America. These gold singles were : “I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You”, “Respect”, "Baby I Love You" and “Chain of Fools.From February to August of 1967, she sold in excess of 3.5 million copies singles and albums.

On the Billboard Hot Soul Albums Chart from 1967 to 1969, Franklin had five number-one studio albums with three of them receiving gold certification for over half a million units sold for each album according to RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). 

Her five first studio albums released by Atlantic Records featured members of the Muscles Shoal Rhythm Section, King Curtis and Sweet Inspirations. The Album “Lady Soul” featured Eric Clapton playing guitar on track “Good to Me As I Am to You”. Her 1968 album “Aretha Now” featured the Memphis Horns Section who played on many classic hit recordings on Stax Records and Hi Records in Memphis.

All her albums from 1967 to 1969 were recorded at Atlantic Records recording studios in New York city with a Southern Soul sound because many of studio session musicians were from the South that gave her recordings a raw and refine Soulful signature sound.

All five of Franklin's studio albums spent a total of 59 weeks at number-one on the Billboard Hot Soul Albums Chart from 1967 to 1969. During her career as a recording artist she has won a total of 18 Grammy Awards and is one of the best-selling female artists of all time, having generated over 75 million copies of singles and album globally. Franklin was also the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, 20 years after her first gold album on Atlantic Records. 

                                       
                                      Researched and compiled by               
                                      Mr K Tomlin Music Historian                   
                                     ©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline2013