Motown at the talk of the town

[captainjames]

Did any other artists from Motown make it to the Talk of The Town besides the Temptations and the Supremes ?

[reese]

Stevie Wonder. I think he recorded a live album there.

[longtimefan]

Actually, The Temptations released an album titled The Temptations Live At London's the Talk of the Town [[1970).

The track listing is as follows:

"I'm Gonna Make You Love Me"
"The Impossible Dream"
"Run Away Child, Running Wild"
"Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down"
"Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet [[A Time For Us)"
"I Can't Get Next to You"
"This Guy's in Love with You"
Introduction Of Band And Group
"I've Gotta Be Me"
"[[I Know) I'm Losing You"
"Cloud Nine"
"Everything Is Going To Be Alright"

[midnightman]

Stevie did do an album at the Talk of the Town the same year as the Temptations, yes.

As for other Motown acts, I don't know. Maybe the Four Tops but who knows?

[copley]

Stevie's album

http://www.steviewonder.org.uk/Albums/live_tott.htm

1 Pretty World
2 Never had A Dream Come True
3 Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day
4 My Cherie Amour
5 Alfie
6 Drum Solo
7 Bridge Over Troubled Water
8 I Was Made To Love Her
9 Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday
10 For Once In My Life
11 Signed, Sealed, Delivered [[I'm Yours)

The Four Tops never appeared at TOTT.

[captainjames]

Well, I am glad Stevie made it there as well. I am surprised that the Miracles or Smokey never played there.

[reese]

Actually, The Temptations released an album titled The Temptations Live At London's the Talk of the Town [[1970).

The track listing is as follows:

"I'm Gonna Make You Love Me"
"The Impossible Dream"
"Run Away Child, Running Wild"
"Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down"
"Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet [[A Time For Us)"
"I Can't Get Next to You"
"This Guy's in Love with You"
Introduction Of Band And Group
"I've Gotta Be Me"
"[[I Know) I'm Losing You"
"Cloud Nine"
"Everything Is Going To Be Alright"

The album also opened with a hits medley.

[theboyfromxtown]

I once heard this rumour that the "Talk of the Town" people thought they were getting the Tops but got the Temps instead! It's perhaps understandable because the Tops were far more popular in the UK.

Cindy Birdsong premiered "Dancing Room" at the same place....but it was called "Stringfellows" by that time.

Sharon Davis organised a party of fans from the Motown fan clubs [[£5 was the charge) to attend the Supremes performance. Perhaps one of those members who went on that trip and who posts here, would like to pick up this thread and let us know what happened. I couldn't afford £5; it was way out of my league in those days.

[bob_olhsson]

I can offer a bit of trivia.

Those Talk of the Town recordings were made by EMI's Norman Smith who was also the original engineer for the Beatles. The sound quality of the master tapes [[ I think they were 4 track) was absolutely incredible.

[theboyfromxtown]

I can offer a bit of trivia.

Those Talk of the Town recordings were made by EMI's Norman Smith who was also the original engineer for the Beatles. The sound quality of the master tapes [[ I think they were 4 track) was absolutely incredible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJdkCs5RdQg

[bob_olhsson]

Wow, he didn't have the hair when I met him in London around 1968!

[soulstevie]

@ I can offer a bit of trivia.

Those Talk of the Town recordings were made by EMI's Norman Smith who was also the original engineer for the Beatles. The sound quality of the master tapes [[ I think they were 4 track) was absolutely incredible.

Hi Bob, I just bought the 1994 Master Series-CD of the Supremes "Talk of the town" album and it says: Produced by Tony Palmer, Recording Engineer: Malcolm Addey

[alanh]

I was working at EMI's Abbey Road studios at the time of the Temptations' Talk Of The Town recording and was part of the team that took in the recording equipment and helped set it up. I wasn't part of the 'mixing' side of things and as such my work was finished before the show, but I asked and was allowed to go back and watch the show from the wings and 'hang around'. Looking back, with all we know now about the history of the group etc, I'm really annoyed that I can't remember too much detail - apart from it being a big thrill! But it was forty years ago, plus as much as I liked Motown and soul music, I didn't appreciate it then as much as I do now. I certainly remember that we set the mixing desk up downstairs from the stage level, in what seemed very much like a dungeon, so we needed cameras and TV monitor so that Norman and the desk engineers could see the group on stage. I also remember big metal rings in the walls of 'the dungeon' that were used, apparently, in the earlier usage of the venue to tie up elephants when circus animals were part of shows there!

After the Temps show had finished, I remember the production team went straight back to Abbey Road to do some initial mixing - I assume before any Motown people from the States went back.

[bob_olhsson]

Indeed it's over 40 years for me too!

I distinctly remember seeing Norman Smith's name on the tape boxes which was a bit of a surprise so I wonder about that Malcolm Addey credit. Those tapes were my absolute favorite source for crowd noises and applause.

[westgrandboulevard]

theboyfromxtown....

Me too! I couldn't afford £5 to see the ladies at 'The Talk Of The Town' either...so, in my naivety, I wrote to them there and told them!!

With my letter, I also sent a brand new autograph book, with a stamped addressed envelope, and asked if they would kindly please start it off for me.

I wasn't really expecting too much [[but hoping like hell, of course!) yet back it came, virtually by return, duly signed, with sweet messages. I still have it.

Although it's possible that someone else could have signed for any of the three ladies, all the writing and signatures correspond to the examples that I have seen since, over all these years, so I'm inclined to feel they are genuine.

On arrival, I opened it and just sat there, looking at it, thinking Diana's, Mary's and Cindy's hands have touched this page..and now it's mine. [[aaah,sweet boy....!)

With it came a lovely photo, again with all signatures, and I noticed that Cindy had pressed hard to make her name clear... 'Cindy '67'

After that, I loved them even more, especially after the reports that Diana was distancing herself from Mary and Cindy.

A response to a written request, a signed photo and autographs successfully convinced at least this fan that, at the time, they seemed a united group..and that was enough for me.

[uptight]

Cool story, westgrandboulevard.

Bob and soulstevie, the difference between Norman Smith's and Malcolm Addey's credits might be who recorded the raw, live audio onto multi-track tape and who later mixed the tracks for LP. Just a thought.

Or maybe one of them was responsible for The Temptations' and Stevie's recordings and the other responsible for DRATS' recording.

[bob_olhsson]

I had the impression that we mixed it in Detroit but there may well have been a mix done in England for England.

[alanh]

Norman Smith was certainly the producer for the Temptations show and was there on the night. Engineers were Dave Harries [[mispelt Harris on the [UK] sleeve) and Richard Hale. Richard was one of the main Abbey Road location unit team. Bob - as far as I remember all the mixing for it was done at Abbey Road. Some days after the show the final mix session was set for one evening and I remember asking Dave to try to ensure the 'Soul Clap' FX was prominent if he could [[bearing in mind it was an 'in trend' at the time and he might not have been aware of it!) in the 'Soul Clap' link between [[I Know) I'm Losing You and Cloud Nine. That leads me to a question Bob - would the UK have been able to issue their own mix of a Motown live show without it being heard/getting approval from Detroit?

[uptight]

That was a good question for Bob.

While the US got Stevie Wonder Live! [[from Detroit's The Roostertail), the UK got him Live at London's Talk of The Town. If this UK album could be mixed without much help from Motown [[US), then why not DRATS and The Tempts' live cuts from the same venue? It seems like simply shipping mixed tapes to Motown [[US) for their approval would've been feasible back then.

Also, didn't Motown UK release a few singles that they decided to promote that were not issued in the US? I think they had some power to release records in the UK.

[booty]

Norman Smith - Was that not Hurricane Smith of "Don't Let It Die" fame?

[roger]

Hello all ..

I can remember when I first heard "I Can't Get Next To You", a week or so prior to its U.K. release, on BBC Radio Two of all places, that the D.J. announced that THE TEMPTATIONS were London bound and shortly to appear at "The Talk Of The Town".

That would put their appearance there as January/February 1970 .. so, to answer Uptight's question, by that time U.K. Motown had a release schedule that was quite independent of U.S. Motown .. for example there had been a number of reissues of "in-demand" oldies in preference to current U.S. releases ..

With THE TEMPTATIONS in 1969 we had re-releases of "Get Ready"/"My Girl", in February 1969 and "Ain't Too Proud To Beg"/"Fading Away" in May 1969, prior to finally getting "Cloud Nine" in August 1969, a full 9 months after its U.S. release.

Also we had "I Second That Emotion" off the DIANA ROSS AND THE SUPREMES/TEMPTATIONS L.P. released as a 45 in September 1969, which was never a U.S. single release.

Also in September we had "Do What You Gotta Do" by THE FOUR TOPS released as the British 45 off their "Four Tops Now" L.P. whereas the U.S. went for "Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me".

So, it wouldn't surprise me at all if U.K. Motown/EMI would be able to remix/issue without needing to seek approval from Detroit by that stage.

Roger

[bob_olhsson]

EMI was given copies of every mix we were seriously considering releasing and given the freedom to do pretty much anything they wished.

I think it's safe to say that Motown was more popular in Europe than in the United States. EMI and Carlin Music, our European music publisher, both played a huge role in that success.

[alanh]

Booty - yes, Norman was Hurricane [[for a short while). See theboyfromxtown's link in an earlier post.

Norman was one of the senior producers at Abbey Road, starting out as an apprentice, then engineer, head of A&R for the Parlophone label after George Martin and producer. He died in 2008.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/norman-smith-engineer-for-the-beatles-producer-for-pink-floyd-and-briefly-a-pop-star-792727.html