Got To Go There, Part 1 - Motown flash-in-the- pans...or 'I was a One-Hit Wonder'

[nativeNY63]

Obviously not of the Stevie kind.
Okay, my 1st round draft picks:

Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me [[MJ on vocals, chorus; back up, BG's son??!)

LMAFO [[something like that?) Party Rock anthem [[clearly was the jam AND a monster hit; BG's nephew??! They a couple other charters and they fell off, major fam squabbles + lawsuits...)

Yaw tuurnnnn...

[sansradio]

Redfoo from LMFAO is BG's son Stefan.

Okay, here's one:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9u2rP8ecgE

[Motown Eddie]

Here's one; Berry Gordy's brother, Robert, released 4 singles between 1958 and 1962 under the name Bob Kayli. Only "Everyone Was There" was a minor hit and according to the notes from TCMS-1962, Robert took charge of Motown's Jobete Publishing after 1962. Also co-wrote The Supremes' "Your Kiss Of Fire", Marvin Gaye's "You're What's Happening In The World Today" & "The World Is Rated X" and The Contours' "Minnie The Ugly Duckling".

"Everyone Was There"/"I Took A Dare" [with Berry Gordy Orch.] Carlton-1958
"Peppermint [You Know What To Do]"/"Never More" Anna-1959
"Small Sad Sam"/"Tie Me Tight" Tamla-1961
"Hold On Pearl"/"Toodle Loo" Gordy-1962

[woodward]

Here's one; Berry Gordy's brother, Robert, released 4 singles between 1958 and 1962 under the name Bob Kayli. Only "Everyone Was There" was a minor hit and according to the notes from TCMS-1962, Robert took charge of Motown's Jobete Publishing after 1962. Also co-wrote The Supremes' "Your Kiss Of Fire", Marvin Gaye's "You're What's Happening In The World Today" & "The World Is Rated X" and The Contours' "Minnie The Ugly Duckling".

"Everyone Was There"/"I Took A Dare" [with Berry Gordy Orch.] Carlton-1958
"Peppermint [You Know What To Do]"/"Never More" Anna-1959
"Small Sad Sam"/"Tie Me Tight" Tamla-1961
"Hold On Pearl"/"Toodle Loo" Gordy-1962





A small correction to your Carlton listing. The copy I have reads [with BARRY Gordy Orch.] This might be a very early version of people showing Berry as BARRY.

[BayouMotownMan]

You Can't Turn Me Off-High Inergy

[mysterysinger]

How about

Charlene - "I've Never Been To Me"
Lynda Carter - "The Last Song"
Shanice - "I Love Your Smile"
Frankie Valli - "The Night" [[at least from his Motown days)
Earl Van Dyke "6 By 6"
San Remo Strings "Festival Time"
Bobby Taylor & Vancouvers - "Does Your Mama Know About Me"

[sansradio]

Another from the '80s:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74naC8Yzp7o

[sansradio]

How about

Charlene - "I've Never Been To Me"
Lynda Carter - "The Last Song"
Shanice - "I Love Your Smile"
Frankie Valli - "The Night" [[at least from his Motown days)
Earl Van Dyke "6 By 6";
San Remo Strings "Festival Time"
Bobby Taylor & Vancouvers - "Does Your Mama Know About Me"

Good list, although I wouldn't call Shanice a flash-in-the-pan; she's had 4 Billboard pop Top 40 hits and 12 Billboard R&B Top 40 hits.

[Motown Eddie]

A small correction to your Carlton listing. The copy I have reads [with BARRY Gordy Orch.] This might be a very early version of people showing Berry as BARRY.

You're right! However, I chose not to repeat the spelling mistake that appeared on "Everybody Was There". Anyways, here's a picture of that record with the error.

https://i.discogs.com/n9-Xv-U4QNXo1jYNT9R2giHbfQOJg0dBSCFmbXinFLw/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTU5Mzk5/NTUtMTU0NDIzMDQ1/MC03MjMxLmpwZWc.jpeg

[mysterysinger]

Good list, although I wouldn't call Shanice a flash-in-the-pan; she's had 4 Billboard pop Top 40 hits and 12 Billboard R&B Top 40 hits.

That's a fair point - UK wise Shanice also had 6 hits whereas Rockwell only had 4.

[nativeNY63]

Redfoo from LMFAO is BG's son Stefan.

Okay, here's one:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9u2rP8ecgE

Sans, I think we share the same brain! I lurv me some Finis. When it dropped, played Skip To My Lou relentlessly, daily. Then, radio silence. He fell off the planet, I guess. I still spin it though, on my playlists. Thanks for that!

[nativeNY63]

You Can't Turn Me Off-High Inergy

Remember them. Couple of girls aa guy?

[nativeNY63]

How about

Charlene - "I've Never Been To Me"
Lynda Carter - "The Last Song"
Shanice - "I Love Your Smile"
Frankie Valli - "The Night" [[at least from his Motown days)
Earl Van Dyke "6 By 6"
San Remo Strings "Festival Time"
Bobby Taylor & Vancouvers - "Does Your Mama Know About Me"

Mystery S, still rock out w/Shanice & Bobby. [[Supposedly, the song is somewhat autobiographical, as Tommy Chong [[later half of weedsters, Cheech & Chong) had a similar experience before he joined the act.

[nativeNY63]

That's a fair point - UK wise Shanice also had 6 hits whereas Rockwell only had 4.

Wow. Didn't know Rockwell had other hits! Only remember SWM and his charges of domestic abuse.

[mysterysinger]

Wow. Didn't know Rockwell had other hits! Only remember SWM and his charges of domestic abuse.

None of the others were monsters but I really like his version of "Taxman".

[Motown Eddie]

Don't Forget about Chris Clark. She only had minor hit on Motown with "Love's Gone Bad" in 1966 [#41 R&B/#105 Pop according to Billboard].

[Motown Eddie]

R. Dean Taylor; he had one big hit in the US with 1970's "Indiana Wants Me". And 1968's "Gotta See Jane" flopped in the US but was a hit in England twice [1968 & 1971 and in Canada in 1974].

[sansradio]

Sans, I think we share the same brain! I lurv me some Finis. When it dropped, played Skip To My Lou relentlessly, daily. Then, radio silence. He fell off the planet, I guess. I still spin it though, on my playlists. Thanks for that!

You got it! My brother-in-law was obsessed with that track; he thought it was the perfect pop song.😁

[nativeNY63]

R. Dean Taylor; he had one big hit in the US with 1970's "Indiana Wants Me". And 1968's "Gotta See Jane" flopped in the US but was a hit in England twice [1968 & 1971 and in Canada in 1974].

Lotta covers came outta "Indiana Wants Me" too, I recall.

[nativeNY63]

You got it! My brother-in-law was obsessed with that track; he thought it was the perfect pop song.😁

I wholly agree with your bro-in-law, Sans!!

[copley]

In the UK. Yvonne Fair got to #5 with 'It Should Have Been Me' & Charlene made #1 with 'I've Never Been To Me'. They never charted again. 'The Crown' by Gary Byrd & The GB Experience got to #6 never to be seen again. Also, and this may surprise many people, the Marvelettes were one hit wonders in the UK with their only chart entry being 'When You're Young and in Love'. It reached #13. David Ruffin & Mary Wells were also one hit wonders with 'Walk Away From Love' and 'My Guy'. Rare Earth never charted at all! Rockwell did have two other very minor hits but he is still classed as a one hit wonder. Mary Jane Girls only had one Top 50 hit out of 4 singles. 'All Night Long' got to #13. I'm sure that there may be others.

[copley]

R. Dean Taylor; he had one big hit in the US with 1970's "Indiana Wants Me". And 1968's "Gotta See Jane" flopped in the US but was a hit in England twice [1968 & 1971 and in Canada in 1974].

R. Dean Taylor actually had 4 different hits in the UK

1968 'Gotta See Jane' #17
1971 'Indiana Wants Me' #2
1974 'There's a Ghost in my House' #3
1974 'Window Shopping' #36
1974 'Gotta See Jane' #41

[Motown Eddie]

Syreeta Wright only had one big hit in the USA thanks to her duet with Billy Preston on "With You I'm Born Again". She would have smaller hits with "One More Time For Love"*, "Go For It"*, "Harmour Love" and "Quick Slick". Also had UK chart hits with "Your Kiss Is Sweet", "Spinnin And Spinnin" & "It Will Come In Time"*.

* Duets with Billy Preston.

[copley]

Syreeta Wright only had one big hit in the USA thanks to her duet with Billy Preston on "With You I'm Born Again". She would have smaller hits with "One More Time For Love"*, "Go For It"*, "Harmour Love" and "Quick Slick". Also had UK chart hits with "Your Kiss Is Sweet", "Spinnin And Spinnin" & "It Will Come In Time"*.

* Duets with Billy Preston.

She also hit with 'Harmour Love' #32.

[mysterysinger]

In the UK, Undisputed Truth had only one hit - number 43 with "You + Me = Love" and that was on Whitfield not Motown.

[Motown Eddie]

Here's another 'Flash In The Pan'; Bruce Willis. The Die Hard actor's two album stint with Motown only produced one major hit with his remake of The Staple Singer's "Respect Yourself" [and there were a couple of minor hits both in the US and abroad].

[nativeNY63]

Here's another 'Flash In The Pan'; Bruce Willis. The Die Hard actor's two album stint with Motown only produced one major hit with his remake of The Staple Singer's "Respect Yourself" [and there were a couple of minor hits both in the US and abroad].

I seem to remember Mr. Moonlighting foray into song then. Because he actually CAN carry a tune. He broke out in song on the show. Oftentimes it was a Motown jam.

[nativeNY63]

Didn't BG have MLKJ disc's on Tamla or Jobete during the Civil Rights heyday? Anyone?

[sansradio]

Didn't BG have MLKJ disc's on Tamla or Jobete during the Civil Rights heyday? Anyone?

His album, The Great March to Freedom, was on the Gordy imprint.

[reese]

Didn't BG have MLKJ disc's on Tamla or Jobete during the Civil Rights heyday? Anyone?

Three albums were issued on Gordy. Another, WHY I OPPOSE THE WAR IN VIETNAM, was issued on Black Forum.

[nativeNY63]

Reese and Sansa, many thanks your way!

[Motown Eddie]

I seem to remember Mr. Moonlighting foray into song then. Because he actually CAN carry a tune. He broke out in song on the show. Oftentimes it was a Motown jam.

That's true; I remember seeing Bruce doing this Soul Classic when he was on Moonlighting back in the '80s.


https://youtu.be/1_xdLyrhf7o