MY FAVE 20 RECORDS BY A VOCAL GROUP
TODAY........FROM 1963
1.ON BROADWAY – THE DRIFTERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E7M4e2lFtw
The Drifters most successful record of the year reaching #9 BB Hot 100
and #7 BB r&b. Released on Atlantic this was penned by Barry Mann &
Cynthia Weil in collaboration with Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller. Released
in UK on London—sadly to no chart action
2. IT’S ALL RIGHT – THE IMPRESSIONS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5FaDo1O5Ds
Penned by Curtis Mayfield and on ABC-Paramount this was the Impressions’
most successful single to date reaching #4 BB Hot 100 and #1 BB r&b.
Released in UK on HMV—again no chart action
3. HEAT WAVE – MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs9d4Uakwzw
With the Motown boom now in full swing Martha & The Vandellas now stoke
up those fires with their biggest single of the year on Gordy reaching
#4 BB pop and #1 BB r&b. Released in UK in October 1963 the very first
Motown record to appear under new distribution via EMI on their new
Stateside label
4. TALKING ABOUT MY BABY – THE IMPRESSIONS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyhQrjN2jaI
Another Curtis Mayfield penned classic for ABC-Paramount that again
rose high in the BB charts reaching #12 Hot 100 and #2 r&b. This was
released December 1963 in USA and February 1964 in UK on HMV
5. THE TEMPTATIONS – I WANT A LOVE I CAN SEE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4dd94kPur4
With their best record of 1963 you knew the Temptations were knocking
louder and louder at that hitsville door and it was just a matter of
time before these guys really EXPLODED!! It really should have happened
with this one but….not long to wait now. As with all their other earlier singles The Temptations were ignored over here and not released---but
that situation is about to change….
6. BE MY BABY – THE RONETTES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdMCAaC8EI0
Hit trio from NYC led by Veronica (“Ronnie”) Bennett (later Spector) who’d been around the block a few times on a couple of labels before
signing on with Phil Spector on his Philles label where their fortunes
changed drastically.This one smashed the US charts open going #2 BB pop
and #4 r&b. On the London label here in UK the gals were just as big
going to #3 in November 1963 (just behind “She Loves You”)
7. SLEIGH RIDE – THE RONETTES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZTzai1H9DM
Those gals are back here with one of my favorite Christmas records ever
(and one that still sounds great at any time of year) taken from what is definitely my very favorite Christmas LP---the various artists’ “A Christmas Gift For You” album on Philles (and London in UK) originally released in November 1963 and of which I once saw hundreds (thousands?)
of copies in an East Coast warehouse
8. SO LONELY – THE FABULOUS PEARL DEVINES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgrtIVC5SQA
I don’t remember now who turned me on to this one or when it was---all I
know is that I’ve been very fond of it since Day One I first heard it.
All I know is that the lead is one Danny Torres and it’s on the Alco
label (based on Long Island NY) and that (like so many other total
rarities) it’s been well bootlegged. And that’s all I know
9. DA DOO RON RON (WHEN HE WALKED ME HOME) – THE CRYSTALS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ2b9-IjlvM
Penned by the reliable team of Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry (with
input from Phil Spector) this is THE archetypal Crystals sound as well
as the Spector sound.A smash hit on both sides of the puddle this real
life wall of sound sprang to #3 on the BB Hot 100 and #5 BB r&b. In the
UK it reached #5 on London in 1963 and then returned to the charts in
1974 reaching #13 on a Warner/Spector reissue
10. I’M THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU – THE IMPRESSIONS youtube.com/watch?v=LGNkcYwTywQ
Still playing the “occasional hit” game before becoming really regular hitmakers with “It’s All Right”,the fine Curtis Mayfield penned “I’m The
One Who Loves You” released in January 1973 was just a minor hit scoring
#73 on the BB Hot 100. It appeared here in UK on HMV but failed to chart
11. IF YOU DON’T COME BACK – THE DRIFTERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaZZeQnUR1E
My favorite side of the minor hit “Rat Race” single (tho 45cat has this
as the “A” side). It’s a fine Leiber & Stoller song with a Johnny Moore lead that didn’t chart but should have. Recorded in NYC April 12 in NYC
at a session that also produced “Only In America” (see below),”Rat Race”
and “I’ll Take You Home”
12. MICKEY’S MONKEY – THE MIRACLES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kLkH1oXvWA
All together now…..”lum dee lum dee lye-eye………….”
The Miracles return with a ultra-catchy Holland-Dozier- Holland song
about a cat named Mickey (supposedly based on real life Motown writer
and producer) William “Mickey” Stevenson) and his brand new dance “The Monkey” (pushing said dance in real life to huge popularity with hip
teens) and pushing Smokey & co. all the way to #8 BB pop and #3 BB r&b
with the song. Here in UK this was the last Motown single released on Oriole-American before Motown distribution here switched to Stateside
(see #3 above)
13. COME AND GET THESE MEMORIES – MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S75yUJI8FKs
Only their second single for Motown released on their Gordy label saw
this memorable Holland-Dozier-Holland number by the gals sell well
enough to put them into the Billboard charts for the very first
time—going to #29 pop and #6 r&b. UK release was in April 1963 on Oriole-American
14. SAD SAD GIRL AND BOY – THE IMPRESSIONS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg54_7XxsEs
Lifted from “The Impressions” LP released earlier this was always one of
my favorite Impressions numbers tho it didn’t do that well chartwise
(#67 BB pop but no action on r&b chart) and not released here in UK.
However the group’s fortunes are about to change with their next release—and it’s all right
15. THE SUPREMES – WHEN THE LOVELIGHT STARTS SHINING THROUGH HIS EYES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diEllyM59s0
I guess this was the record that put The Supremes on the map---a
terrifically catchy H-D-H affair handled really well by the girls that
gave them their biggest hit so far---reaching #23 BB pop and #2 BB r&b.
Here in UK this introduced us to Diana and the gals being their first
single over here courtesy the Stateside label.
But just wait till 1964!!!!!!!!!
16. HE’S SO FINE – THE CHIFFONS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPr1Wc1U560
“Doo lang doo lang doo lang”……
Femme foursome from the Bronx led by Judy Craig signed to Laurie label
and not to be confused with the earlier different West Coast Chiffons
group who covered The Shirelles on “Tonight’s The Night”. HUGE hit in 1963 topping both Billboard charts. In UK reached #11 on Stateside
17. WHAT KIND OF FOOL (DO YOU THINK I AM) – THE TAMS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7E6kTIY8PQ
Hailing from Atlanta Ga this quintet led by Charles & Joseph Pope
weren’t newcomers to the music scene having scored a minor hit back in
1962 on the Arlen label with “Untie Me”. But in late 1963 they are now
on ABC-Paramount watching their first single for them “What Kind Of Fool
(Do You Think I Am)” climb the BB pop chart to #9 and go all the way to
#1 on the r&b chart.
18. CHERRY – THE RIVINGTONS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAbhRcDtWS8
The Los Angeles r&b quartet led by Carl White are back here after
appearing with a couple of my favorite records by them in the earlier
1962 entry in this review series.
Here they revive a number originally out in 1953 by The Diamonds (the
black NYC group on Atlantic not those white Canadian guys) on Liberty in
a very decent version trying to follow their earlier “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow” hit---but sadly unsuccessfully as far as sales went. But the record was certainly successful enough with me to make this list (but sadly not to
make UK release)
19. ONE FINE DAY – THE CHIFFONS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paBz4LMyf-w
Okay so how do you follow a smash hit like “He’s So Fine” with another 100% absolutely guaranteed hit? Simple---just record the latest
offering from the Gerry Goffin/Carole King hit factory and you’re away!!
And just sit back and watch “One Fine Day” on Laurie soar to #5 BB pop
and #6 BB r&b. Some folk prefer this one to “He’s So Fine” and I agree its close—but I’ll stay with their first hit. Surprisingly the UK
Stateside issue of this failed to chart
20. A LOVE LIKE YOURS (DON’T COME KNOCKING EVERY DAY) – MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k99k4ghmsK4
The latest catchy H-D-H number at this point in 1963 was chosen by
Motown as the preferred flipside to their huge “Heat Wave” success (see
#3 above) It also appeared as the flip on the UK Stateside release.This
side didn’t chart on either side of the pond naturally being over
shadowed by “Heat Wave”.The song was revived in later years in many versions including Ike & Tina Turner,Dusty Springfield and Manfred Mann
BUBBLING UNDER
21. I CAN’T STAND IT – THE SOUL SISTERS
22. ONLY IN AMERICA – THE DRIFTERS (UNRELEASED)
23. WHEN YOU WALKED OUT – THE ARCADOS
24. YOU’LL WANT ME BACK – THE IMPRESSIONS
25. I CAN TAKE A HINT – THE MIRACLES
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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