Significant Achievements in the Detroit Sound Pt.3

Motown Records first compilation
gold certified album in the UK. 

In addition Motown had tremendous success with two more compilation albums starting in 1969 and also 1970 following their previous success on the UK Official Pop Albums Chart in 1968 with new titles starting with “Motown Chartbusters Volume 3” at number one week-ending 25^th October 1969 (1 week). The compilation album was on the chart for a total of 93 weeks! The album obtained gold certification for the label according to BPI for 100,000 copies sold in the UK. This was followed in 1970 with “Motown Chartbuster Volume 4” that peaked at number one week-ending 24^th October 1970 (1 week).

Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
first UK Pop number one hit.

The next monster single to return to the top was originally recorded in Detroit in Studio A in 1966 entitled “The Tears of a Clown” performed by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. It was released in 1967 on the studio album “Make It Happen.” It re-released in the United Kingdom as single during September 1970 and raced up the UK Official Pop Singles Chart to peak at number one week-ending 12^th September 1970 (1 week) It became a major trans-Atlantic hit since Marvin Gaye’s classic hit “I Heard Through The Grapevine” reaching top of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart week-ending 12^th December 1970 (2 weeks); Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles Chart week-ending 5^th December 1970 (3 weeks) at number one; Cash Box Pop Singles Chart week-ending 12^th December 1970 (1 week). The single potential was discovered by a staff member at EMI Records UK operation by the name of Karen Spreadbury who John Reid a manager at EMI Records UK operations responsible for marketing Motown Tamla recording projects, took her advice and released the single in the UK and within two weeks it was number one on the UK Official Pop Singles Chart.

Freda Payne only Pop
number one hit in the UK and
Trans-Atlantic million seller.

At the same time that “Ball Of Confusion (That’s What World Is Today)” was in the Top Five on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles week-ending 11^th July 1970, they was another single produced in Detroit and performed by Freda Payne entitled “Band of Gold” at number five. The song eventually peaked at number three week-ending 25^th July 1970 (1 week). The song became the first Trans-Atlantic hit to go to number one on the UK Official Pop Singles Chart for the then newly established Invictus Records label founded by Holland-Dozier-Holland in 1968 in Detroit after the they departure form Motown. The single peaked at number one week-ending 19^th September 1970 (6 weeks). The instrumentation on the track were provided by members of The Funk Brothers: Bob Babbitt (bass), Dennis Coffey, Eddie Willis, Ray Monette and Ray Parker, Jr. (guitars), Johnny Griffith (keyboards), Uriel Jones (drums), Jack Ashford (percussion) with backing vocals by Scherrie Payne, Telma Hopkins, Joyce Vincent Wilson and Pamela Vincent.

Another single came out of Invictus Records during the same period which was gold certified single in America called “Give Me Just A Little More Time” performed by the Chairmen Of The Board. The track peaked at number eight on the Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles Chart in 1970; Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart at number three; UK Official Pop Singles Chart at number three the same year.  Both these first two gold certified singles obtained by the label were recorded at the Holland Sound Studios, Inc by Chief engineer Lawrence Horn and mastered by Bob Dennis.




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