Category: Motown Snapshot Flashback

MOTOWN ARTISTS SNAPSHOT! BRENDA HOLLOWAY ’67

BRENDA HOLLOWAY circa 1967. A resident living in Los Angeles at the time, “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy“ was recorded at Nashville West Studio in L.A. “You’ve Made Me…” peaked at #39 on Billboard on November 4, 1967. Spending 10 weeks on the charts, the song would be the last single Brenda Holloway would record for Motown Records. Two years later, a cover version of this song was released by Blood, Sweat and Tears. And their version would become their first Top 10 chart-topper. It peaked on Billboard at the #2 spot, April 12, 1969.

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MOTOWN REVUE SNAPSHOT FLASHBACK: 1963 & 1964!

RECORDED LIVE at the DETROIT FOX THEATER! DECEMBER 1964

ON STAGE! THE MIRACLES  * “Mickey’s Monkey” * Saturday, December 26, 1964

DETROIT FREE PRESS Sunday, December 27, 1964

A 1963 MOTOR TOWN REVUE FLASHBACK! THE MIRACLES doing “Mickey’s Monkey“ on stage at the Detroit Fox Theater. Saturday, November 16, 1963
THE MIRACLES (Getty images; December 1964)

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MOTOWN ARTIST SNAPSHOT: JR. WALKER & ALL STARS!

JUNIOR WALKER and the ALL STARS’ ‘Home Cookin” album was released in early 1969. The fifth LP for Walker with Motown (SOUL), the album contained 3 singles having previously charted. “Come See About Me,” charted (Pop #24; R&B #8) in late-1967. “Hip City (Pt. 2)” (Pop #31; R&B #7) and “Home Cookin'” (Pop #42; R&B #19) were released as singles in 1968. The ‘Home Cookin’ ‘ album was released by Motown in conjunction of Junior Walker’s newest single, included in this album, “What Does It Take (To Win Your Love For Me).” This single was released near year’s end, 1968. Ultimately, “What Does It Take…” would become Jr. Walker’s only second (and last) million-seller (Pop #4; R&B #1) single for Motown, 1969.
JUNIOR WALKER circa 1971

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MOTOWN SNAPSHOT FLASHBACK! JIMMY RUFFIN 1967

‘JIMMY RUFFIN SINGS TOP TEN.’ If there was ever a “greatest hits” album Motown came close having produced for Jimmy Ruffin, this LP was it. By the time of its release in early-1967, it produced 4 singles, three songs having made the Billboard Hot 100. The first single off the album, “As Long As There Is L-O-V-E Love,” was initially released in 1965, but failed to crack the singles chart. “What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted,” was released during the summer of 1966, and it would be Ruffin’s biggest. The single broke top ten (#7 Pop; #6 R&B) and stayed 17 weeks riding the chart. A follow-up, “I’ve Passed This Way Before” (Pop #17), was released later that year. The fourth single off this album, “Gonna Give Her All The Love I Got” (Pop #29; R&B #14) made Billboard in February 1967. It was also Ruffin’s last Top 40 single with Motown.
JIMMY RUFFIN 1936 – 2014

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MOTOWN SNAPSHOT MEMORIES: GLADYS KNIGHT ’70s

RECORDED LATE -1972, ‘NEITHER ONE OF US‘ would become the last album Gladys Knight and the Pips would record for Motown. By March 1973, when this LP was released, the group by that time had signed to record with Buddah Records in February. Their 1973 single, “Daddy Could Swear I Declare,” would become the second single taken off the album by the group, having made the top 20 (pop #19; R&B #2) after it’s release in April. The first single from the LP, “Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye),” would become the last single prior Gladys Knight & The Pips departure from Motown. But it would become one of their biggest. The single peaked at #2  (2 weeks) on Billboard, April 4, 1973. The single (Soul S 35098) was released on December 26, 1972.
GLADYS KNIGHT
GLADYS KNIGHT and the PIPS

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A MOTOWN SNAPSHOT FLASHBACK! THE ‘TEMPTS, 1964

IN JANUARY 1964, MOTOWN RECORDS released The Temptations first album, aptly titled, ‘Meet The Temptations.’ This album would also be a first for a new entry member of the group, David Ruffin. Ruffin had replaced member Al Bryant, who was released by Berry Gordy in December 1963. This album features, as main lead, Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks, who divided the twelve songs listed on the album. A track off the album, “The Way You Do The Things You Do,” written by Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers, became a Top 20 chart-topper (lead singer: Eddie Kendricks) as it was their first single. It would reach #11 on the Billboard pop chart on April 11, 1964. The album would be released by the Gordy label in monaural sound only.
THE TEMPTATIONS circa 1964

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