The Year Was 1963: Significant Events in Motown’s History

The number one single "Two Lovers"
taken from album. 

1963 became a phenomenal year for Motown, with three recording acts topping the Billboard Hot R&B Side Singles Chart. The first artist to have achieved such a fate was the late Mary Well with her first number of career produced and written by Smokey Robinson. The single “Two Lovers” peaked at number one week-ending 19^th January 1963 (4 weeks).

The single "Fingertips"
from the number
one album.

This was followed by the then newly signed Little Stevie Wonder with the single entitled “Fingertips (Part 2)” which topped  the singles charts on two Billboard listing: Billboard Hot R&B Side Singles Chart week-ending 3^rd August 1963 (6 weeks); Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart week-ending 10^th August 1963 (3 weeks). Also the single achieved similar success on the Cash Box Pop Singles Chart survey week-ending 3^rd August 1963 (4 weeks). It was the first live single in Billboard history to go to number one. The parent album “The 12 Year Old Genius” became the first live album according to Billboard to peak at number one on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart week-ending 24^th August 1963 (1 week). The entire album was produced by the legendary Berry Gordy, Jr.

Martha Reeves & the Vandellas were first
 female  group to have a major hit
 with Holland-Dozier-Holland
with "Heat Wave"

The following month on the 14^th September 1963, The Martha Reeves &; the Vandellas stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot R&B Side Singles Chart for 4 weeks with their single “Heat Wave” produced by Motown main song writing and music produced team Holland-Dozier-Holland premier hit making team at the label.

The label dominated the number one position that year for total of 14 weeks on the Billboard Hot R&B Side Singles Chart.  All these brilliant tracks and albums released and recorded were underscored by The Funk Brothers with vocal support from The Andantes other members of Motown family.



                                      
                                               
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Significant Achievements in the Detroit Sound Pt.1

The studio album that contains
all three number one hits

Did you know that The Supremes became the first female recording act in Billboard Magazine history to have three number one singles from the same studio album. The album was entitled “Where Did Our Love Go.” The singles that went to number one were “Where Did Our Love Go”, week-ending 22^nd August 1964 (1 week) on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart, week-ending 31^st August 1964 (1 week) on the Canadian RPM Pop Singles Chart and week-ending 22^nd August 1964 (2 weeks) on the Cash Box Pop Singles Chart. This was followed by “Baby Love” which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart week-ending 31^st October 1964 (4 weeks), Cash Box Pop Singles Chart week-ending 14^th November 1964 (2 weeks) and Cash Box R&B Singles Chart in 1964. The third release from the album entitled “Come See About Me” came later in the year by reaching the number one position on several single charts, such as the Cash Box Pop Singles Chart week-ending 26^th December 1964 (1week), the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart, week-ending 19^th December 1964 (2 non-consecutive weeks) and the Canadian RPM Pop Singles Chart week-ending (1 week).

The Supremes were indeed the first black female recording act from America to have more than one hit single placed at number one on overseas singles chart listings in both Canada and the UK. The song ”Baby Love” managed to top the UK Official Pop Singles Chart, week-ending 19^th November 1964 (2 weeks).

The Four Tops first Trans-Atlantic hit

In addition to the success that Motown Records had with The Supremes, the label was also responsible for the first male vocal recording act to have a number one on both sides of the Atlantic. The Four Tops with “Reach Out I’ll Be There” went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart week-ending 15^th October 1966 (2 weeks), on the Cash Box Pop Singles Chart week-ending 15^th October 1966 (1 week), on the Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles Chart week-ending 29^th October 1966 (2 weeks) and finally number one on the UK Official Pop Singles Chart week-ending 29^th October 1966 (3 weeks). The track was the second Motown hit single to reach the number one position in the UK after The Supremes with “Baby Love.”

Motown Records managed to have two of their top selling recording acts during the 1960s dominate the number one position on the UK Official Pop Albums Chart for almost the entire month of February 1968. “Four Tops Greatest Hits” was at the top week-ending 10^th February 1968 (1 week) and was followed by The Supremes compilation album “Diana Ross and The Supremes Greatest Hits” week-ending 17^th February 1968 (3 weeks).

All the singles, studio albums and compilation albums listed featured the backing of the legendary Funk Brothers, the Motown Horn section, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra strings section and backing vocals from The Andantes.

                                             


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