Out- Of -The -Box UK surprise hit singles....

**nomis** · 09-24-2010, 09:22 PM

Now and then something from Motown would hit the UK charts wth lightning,Im thinking of songs that failed stateside but scored in england..a couple spring to mind -

Michael Jackson - One Day In Your Life
Diana Ross - Im Still Waiting

Im curious to know if there was anymore? cheers SDF fans..

**booty** · 09-25-2010, 02:07 AM

What about Charlene "I've Never Been To Me"

**jsmith** · 09-25-2010, 02:46 AM

How about R Dean Taylor & this little number .........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EInKyh5QXQ
....... R Dean performing in an English night club .......
Attachment 1333

**westgrandboulevard** · 09-25-2010, 04:45 AM

Isley Brothers 'Behind a Painted Smile'....?

**lester** · 09-25-2010, 05:13 AM

Third Finger Left Hand

**copley** · 09-25-2010, 05:21 AM

Please never say 'England' as it offends Scots, Welsh & Northern Irish when referreing to hits in the UK. It's like when artists say they are touring England and mention that they are appearing in Edinburgh, Glasgow & Cardiff!

Right I can think of the following that became Top 20 hits in the UK but were not massive hits or were not issued in the US:

Elgins - Heaven Must Have Sent You
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Forget Me Not
Jimmy Ruffin - It's Wonderful To Be Loved By You/Farewell Is A Lonely Sound/I'll Say Forever My Love
Marv Johnson - I'll Pick A Rose For My Rose
Isley Brothers - Put Yourself In My Place/I Guess I'll Always Love You
Marvin Gaye - Abraham, Martin & John
Stevie Wonder - He's Mister Know It All/Happy Birthday
Diana Ross - My Old Piano/All Of My Life/Doobedood'ndoobe, Doobedood'ndoobe, Doobedood'ndoo
Gaye/Ross - You Are Everything
Gaye/Terrell - The Onion Song
Four Tops - Simple Game/Do What You Gotta Do
Gladys Knight & The Pips - Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me
Frankie Vali & The Four Seasons - The Night
Jr Walker & The All Stars - Walk In The Night
Syreeta - Your Kiss Is Sweet
Yvonne Fair - It Should Have Been Me
Jackson 5 - Doctor My Eyes
Michael Jackson - Ain't No Sunshine/Farewell My Summer Love

**copley** · 09-25-2010, 05:23 AM

Originally Posted by lester

Third Finger Left Hand

Nope, it was never a hit single. Just the 'b' side of 'Jimmy Mack'.

**underdog** · 09-25-2010, 05:50 AM

also...
The Look of Love - Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gotta See Jane - R. Dean Taylor
Skywriter - Jackson 5
Ain't No Sunshine - Michael Jackson

**rovereab** · 09-25-2010, 06:13 AM

Law Of The Land - Temptations
Why [[Must We Fall In Love) - Diana Ross & Supremes & Temptations
I Second That Emotion - Diana Ross & Supremes & Temptations
I'm In A Different World - Four Tops
Save The Children - Marvin Gaye
Stop, Look and Listen - Diana & Marvin

**timmyfunk** · 09-25-2010, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by booty

What about Charlene "I've Never Been To Me"

It may not have been a big hit in the U.S., but I did hear it on the radio from time to time.

**144man** · 09-25-2010, 01:28 PM

4 Tops - Yesterday's Dreams & What Is a Man

The Commodores' The Zoo [[The Human Zoo) was quite big "north of Watford", but only reached #44 nationally.

**144man** · 09-25-2010, 01:30 PM

I thought Charlene's record went Top 10 in the USA.

**mowest** · 09-25-2010, 01:37 PM

You're right 144man. The song was released twice in the US. It reached #97 in 1977 and #3 in 1982.

**jobeterob** · 09-25-2010, 02:20 PM

And don't forget, Tears of a Clown was nothing in the USA until it exploded in the UK and I guess it turned into the Miracles biggest hit ever!

**tamla617** · 09-25-2010, 04:26 PM

aswell as ghost in my house r dean taylor had hits in uk with
gotta see jane
indian wants me

**copley** · 09-26-2010, 04:43 AM

'Indiana Wants Me' reached #5 in the US so it's not a UK only hit.

**jobeterob** · 09-26-2010, 12:43 PM

I've Never Been To Me by Charlene was a Top 10 American hit.

**copley** · 09-26-2010, 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by jobeterob

I've Never Been To Me by Charlene was a Top 10 American hit.

Mowest has already said that it reached #3.

**theboyfromxtown** · 09-27-2010, 03:47 AM

Originally Posted by copley

Nope, it was never a hit single. Just the 'b' side of 'Jimmy Mack'.

Martha's 45's were oft flipped and promoted, more in America than in the UK but this was an example where it happened here.

**copley** · 09-27-2010, 04:52 AM

Oh, so you are back John. I'm still waiting!!

**nomis** · 09-27-2010, 05:09 AM

Hi John - did a Supremes B side ever get considerable play? my Auntie remembers "Put Yourself In My Place " which I thought was odd to recall...

**copley** · 09-27-2010, 05:27 AM

I don't ever recall any Supremes 'b' sides getting played.

**nomis** · 09-27-2010, 05:30 AM

Thanks Copley there must have been a You Cant hurry Love single in my grandparents house...

**copley** · 09-27-2010, 05:35 AM

Yes, that could be it - lol! I have just remembered that I did hear 'Going Down For The Third Time' being played on some pirate radio station of the day. That could have been due to the DJ having had contact with strange substances!

**nomis** · 09-27-2010, 05:37 AM

not one of their strong B sides and I love The Supremes ! strange choice for sure...

**nomis** · 09-27-2010, 05:42 AM

I never understood the US not going with Ross/Gaye- You Are Everything especially after it went top 5 in the UK..

**copley** · 09-27-2010, 06:04 AM

I love 'Going Down For The Third Time'. As for 'You Are Everything' I assume that it was not a single in the US because the it had been a top 10 hit for The Stylistics in '72 which had flopped in the UK.

**nomis** · 09-27-2010, 06:10 AM

Ever seen the video Top Of The Pops made for it ? a couple on the beach..ah the days you could have a hit single without promoting it...

**jsmith** · 09-27-2010, 11:00 AM

R Dean Taylor's "Ghost In My House" made the top 3 of the UK Pop Charts in 1974 .....
....... but it ALMOST made some US charts over 7 years earlier .......
Attachment 1346

**copley** · 09-27-2010, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by jsmith

R Dean Taylor's "Ghost In My House" made the top 3 of the UK Pop Charts in 1974 .....
....... but it ALMOST made some US charts over 7 years earlier .......
Attachment 1346

Gosh, the bottom song listed is a long forgotten fav of mine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUILZ...eature=related

**tomato tom** · 09-29-2010, 03:52 PM

Dont forget Frankie Valli & 4 Seasons THE NIGHT exploding in the UK. Did *** in the U.S. Didnt Yvonne Fairs It Should Have Been Me [[HUGE UK HIT AT NO 3) graze the U.S Top 100?... Oh, not sure how it did without checking the numbers, but The Marvelettes Reaching For Something I Cant Have was HUGE when I was in college, and on the juke box played non stop...Paulo XXX.

**tomato tom** · 09-29-2010, 03:55 PM

I remember Whisper You Love Me Boy being played all over... But maybe that was all over me...Paulo XXX

**Glenpwood** · 09-29-2010, 04:24 PM

What about Ms. Ross' last UK top 10 back in 1999, "Not Over You Yet"

The Metro production team remixed the album version and made it very Cher "Believe" like. Despite its success overseas, Motown never bothered to issue it here....

**daviddh** · 09-29-2010, 05:35 PM

didnt AUTOMATICALLY SUNSHINE become a big hit in the UK.

**nomis** · 09-29-2010, 05:39 PM

It reached no.10 - a very respectable position

**rovereab** · 09-29-2010, 06:03 PM

I think Why Did You Leave Me Darling by The Temptations was released as a 45 in the UK. Not sure if it hit the top 30.

**robbert** · 09-29-2010, 06:30 PM

In the Netherlands All I Know About You [[b-side The Happening, 1967) was played several times by the then illegally run pirate radiostations on ships in the North Sea... like Radio Veronica and Radio Noordzee. The Happening went top 10, but it was not officially a double sided hit.

By the way, Going Back To Indiana by Jackson 5 was Top 10 in Holland... anywhere else? Was it even released as a 45 in the UK?

**mysterysinger** · 09-30-2010, 06:41 PM

Some of the Supremes B sides became classics in their own right - There's No Stopping Us Now for one. This was also covered as a single on MAM by Wild Honey [[alias Tina Charles).

**mowest** · 09-30-2010, 06:52 PM

The Supremes' "There's No Stopping Us Now" made it to #1 in Philadelphia on WIBG and #4 in Boston on WBZ and in Pittsburgh on KDKA.

**tomato tom** · 10-06-2010, 04:45 PM

Thelma Houston No Ones Gonna Be A Fool Forever was the first U.K. Mowest 45 and got a lot of play, but didnt sell too well as no one could get hold of it, I remember. EMI didnt press up enough copies. Same with The Sisters Love Mr Fix It Man. Lots of play, but no copies in the shops. I remember Thelma had a BBC T.V. Special at the time, and no one could buy the record. Paulo XXX

**rubcale** · 10-07-2010, 12:15 PM

I can't remember what the A-side was but wasn't The Young Folks by Diana and the Supremes a B-side which was flipped over and made the lower regions of the Hot 100?