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! 

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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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The Philadelphia Signature Soul Sound during the 1980s Pt 1

                                                Featuring female solo artist

By the 1980s, “The Sound of Philadelphia” was no longer the dominating musical force in the music industry, but it still managed to record outstanding tracks of high quality and impact. The sound was eventually overtaken by the “Minneapolis Signature Sound” according to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis who were responsible for Janet Jackson major success and other artists.

The album containing the hit single.

During 1980s several Philadelphia based record producers managed to produce bona fide classic hits as early as 1982, starting with Deniece Williams hit single “It’s Gonna Take a Miracle” which peaked at number-one on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart week-ending 15^th May 1982 (2 weeks) .Both the single and the entire album "Niecy" was produced by the legendary Thom Bell ( one of the key music architect of Philadelphia Sound) and supported by many of the musicians who worked at the famous Sigma Sound Studios during the golden era of the “Philadelphia Soul Sound”. 

The gold certified album "I'm In Love Again"

The following single to make 

 it to the number-one position on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart was a song recorded by Patti LaBelle entitled “If Only You Knew”. The single was produced and co-written by Dexter Wansel with Cynthia Biggs and Kenny Gamble. The song was extracted from Patti LaBelle’s first gold album of her career. The album “I’m In Love Again” was the last Top 40 album on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart listing for Philadelphia International Records and the first for Patti LaBelle. The single “If Only You Knew” peaked at number-one week-ending 28^th January 1984 (4 weeks). Also Patti LaBelle was the first female solo artist on the world famous record label to have a gold album and a number-one single on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart. 

                                          Researched and compiled by                                                         
                                          Mr K Tomlin Music Historian                   
                                          ©Signaturesoundsonline2013-2015

Quinton Joseph (Part 6)

"The R&B and Soul Music Drummer with a Signature Touch"

 The Philadelphia Years:

This album was LaBelle's first Grammy 
Award winning project

In the following decade of the 1990s, Joseph stayed busy working on many projects with Gamble and Huff music organisation. His first major recording project was the late Phyllis Hyman album “Prime Of Life” which obtained near gold sales in North America , he also played on the track “When I Give My Love (This Time)” . 

The album was released in 1991. During that same year he played drums on the legendary Patti LaBelle's gold certified  album “Burin’ a Grammy Award winning project for LaBelle in 1992.                   .

 In 1993 he reunited with the late Teddy Pendergrass on his “A Little More Magic” album playing both as a percussionist  and drummer  on the  track “I’m Always Thinking Of You”, co-producer by Pendergrass and his long  time producer Leon Huff while he was signed at PIR (Philadelphia International Records).

Joseph last major contribution as a drummer was on The Five Blind Boys of Alabama album released in 2003 on Philadelphia International Records, with the title track co-produced by Gamble and Huff with drums played by Joseph. The album was a landmark recording using a more up to date Post-Philadelphia Soul signature sound with great results . 

The album featured many of the old Philadelphia Soul Sound musicians and composers such as Dexter Wansel, Jack Faith, Leon Huff and also sound engineer Mike Taria the son of Joe Taria the sound engineer during the gold era of “The Sound of Philadelphia” during the 1970s.

Quinton Joseph definitely will go down in music history as one of the most successful Soul and R&B drummer to emerge out the Chicago soul and R&B era. His credits listed over a five decades period with outstanding results from to the “Windy City” of Chicago all the way to the city of the Philadelphia also known as the city of “Brotherly Love”.



                                   Researched and compiled by               
                                   Mr K Tomlin Music Historian                   
                                  ©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline2013-2014