A MOTOWN SNAPSHOT FLASHBACK: JR. WALKER, 1971


‘RAINBOW FUNK’ WAS THE 10TH ALBUM for Junior Walker and the All Stars, released on the Motown subsidiary label, SOUL,  in 1971. Two tracks from the LP were released as singles. “Take Me Girl, I’m Ready” (Billboard Pop #50) peaked on September 11, 1971.“Way Back Home” (Billboard Pop #52)  peaked on January 22, 1972. The two singles also peaked on the U.S. R&B chart at #18 (’71) and #24 (’72), respectively.

JR. WALKER circa 1970


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MOTOWN SUPER SUPREMES: 1 ALBUM, 3 NO. 1 HITS! ’64


WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO released June 1964

WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO * COME SEE ABOUT ME * BABY LOVE

THE SUPREMES 1964

ABOUT THIS ALBUM

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Where Did Our Love Go is the second studio album by Motown singing group The Supremes, released in 1964. The album includes several of the group’s singles and B-sides from 1963 and 1964. Included are the group’s first Billboard Pop Singles number-one hits, Where Did Our Love Go“, “Baby Love, and Come See About Me, as well as their first Top 40 hit, When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes, and the singles A Breathtaking Guy and Run, Run, Run.

With the release of this album, The Supremes became the first act in Billboard magazine history to have three number-one hits from the same album.

It was also, at the time, the highest-ranking album by an all-female group. It remained in the #2 position for 4 consecutive weeks in January 1965, having been shut out of the top spot by the Beatles’ blockbuster Beatles ’65 album.

Of the 12 tracks featured from the album, two were written by Smokey Robinson. Eight songs, including the Supremes three number one singles, were written by (what would be) Motown’s greatest song-writing, hit making trio, Holland-Dozier-Holland.

Where Did Our Love Go remained on the Billboard album chart for an unprecedented 89 weeks. According to Motown data, the album ultimately sold over 3,000,000 copies. This album was also the first ever number one album on Billboard’s R&B album chart in January 1965. (Source: Wikipedia; All-Music)


THE SUPREMES 1964


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MOTOWN SNAPSHOT FLASHBACKS! BERRY GORDY, JR.


DETROIT FREE PRESS Monday, December 28, 1964 (click on image 2x for larger PC view)

Berry Gordy Jr. poses with the Supremes’ newest Motown album outside Hitsville USA headquarters on West Grand Boulevard in June, 1964. Detroit Free Press/Tony Spina; click on image 2x for largest PC view)

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A MOTOWN SNAPSHOT MEMORY: STEVIE WONDER, ’68


FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE‘ is the ninth (tenth overall) studio album by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder on Motown Records, released in November 1968. Then eighteen years old, Wonder had established himself as one of Motown’s consistent hit-makers. This album continued Wonder’s growth as a vocalist, songwriter and producer. It featured songs like the title track, Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day and the modest hits “I Don’t Know Why” and “You Met Your Match.” While “I Don’t Know Why” was not released outright a single, the titled song found it’s way instead on the B-side of Stevie Wonder’s 1969 million-seller, “My Cherie Amour.” It also marked the debut of the Hohner Clavinet (keyboard) on a Stevie Wonder album, which would become a mainstay on albums to come. (Source: Wikipedia; All Music)

STEVIE WONDER circa 1967


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