Motown - Hitsville Uk

[Mike Lofthouse]

Does anyone know the actual dates and artists that toured in the various Motown reviews in the UK in the sixties. I know the 'Motown - Hitsville UK' has a date sheet on the cover including a date for the ABC/Globe in Stockton- where the Beatles played the night Kennedy was assasinated! But I would be interested in any or all the details.

Mike

[Guest MBarrett]

Mike

I am only aware of one full Motortown Revue that came to Europe in the 1960's (someone will doubtless correct me if I am wrong on that!!)

Anyway the one I know about is the one that came over in March/April of 1965.

The artists who took part were:

The Miracles

The Supremes

The Temptations

Stevie Wonder

Martha & the Vandellas

Earl Van Dyke (Described variously as the Earl Van Dyke Band, the Earl Van Dyke Sextet, and Earl Van Dyke and the Soul Brothers)

One U.K. act - Georgie Flame and the Blue Flames was also on the bill.

I don't have a full list of all the dates and venues but on 18th March they were in London and recorded the T.V. special The Sound of Motown which was broadcast on 28th April.

Then followed 21 live performances in 24 days. The first was on 20th March at London's Astoria Theatre, Finsbury Park.

I believe right at the end they went over and did one concert in France which was at the Olympia Music Hall in Paris. A recording of this concert was released as an L.P. Tamla 264.

I may have a bit more stuff which I will add later. Meanwhile it is quite likely that those dates on the front of the "Motown - Hitsville UK" CD are from this tour. I don't have that CD so would you mind listing the dates out for us. We should be able to get to 21 eventually - not sure if that is with or without Paris!!

MB

[Guest MBarrett]

I should have mentioned before that this tour coincided with the Tamla Motown record label being set up by EMI.

The first releases on the Tamla Motown label were in March 1965 and the first 6 (TMG501-6) were by the 6 artists who made up this U.K./European Motortown Revue.

Here is a photograph taken at Marble Arch in London. Not sure if The Temps or Stevie Wonder are in this photo shoot??

[Mike Lofthouse]

Mike

I am only aware of one full Motortown Revue that came to Europe in the 1960's (someone will doubtless correct me if I am wrong on that!!)

Anyway the one I know about is the one that came over in March/April of 1965.

The artists who took part were:

The Miracles

The Supremes

The Temptations

Stevie Wonder

Martha & the Vandellas

Earl Van Dyke (Described variously as the Earl Van Dyke Band, the Earl Van Dyke Sextet, and Earl Van Dyke and the Soul Brothers)

One U.K. act - Georgie Flame and the Blue Flames was also on the bill.

I don't have a full list of all the dates and venues but on 18th March they were in London and recorded the T.V. special The Sound of Motown which was broadcast on 28th April.

Then followed 21 live performances in 24 days. The first was on 20th March at London's Astoria Theatre, Finsbury Park.

I believe right at the end they went over and did one concert in France which was at the Olympia Music Hall in Paris. A recording of this concert was released as an L.P. Tamla 264.

I may have a bit more stuff which I will add later. Meanwhile it is quite likely that those dates on the front of the "Motown - Hitsville UK" CD are from this tour. I don't have that CD so would you mind listing the dates out for us. We should be able to get to 21 eventually - not sure if that is with or without Paris!!

MB

Brilliant - thanks for that. It was a little before my time but a colleague from work went along. Amazing the acts that appeared locally in those days. Ike & Tina supported the Stones at the same venue.

I don't have the CD either - but the flyer that is featured on the cover talks about dates in April with the Stockton date the second one I believe - i can't zoom in on the picture on amazon and see it clearly!!!

Thanks again

Mike

[Guest MBarrett]

This exhibition was held in 2005 - to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1965 tour:

Click here

[FrankM]

Mike

I may have a bit more stuff which I will add later. Meanwhile it is quite likely that those dates on the front of the "Motown - Hitsville UK" CD are from this tour. I don't have that CD so would you mind listing the dates out for us. We should be able to get to 21 eventually - not sure if that is with or without Paris!!

MB

Thanks for that. i did not realise I had the dates sitting on my shelf and spent about thirty minutes online trying to track them down.

"The Tamla Motown Show"

-- and where to see it

in April

Odeon Glasgow 1st

A.B.C. Stockston 2nd

City Hall Newcastle 3rd

Empire Liverpool 4th

A.B.C. Luton 6th

A.B.C. Chester 7th

City Hall Sheffield 8th

A.B.C. Wigan 9th

Gaumont Wolverhampton 10th

Gaumont Ipswich 11th

Guild Hall Portsmouth 12th

Felonious

[Guest MBarrett]

Felonius

Thanks for that.

I've got some information about the March dates from a different source. Unfortunately it's incomplete but I will post what I have and update it later if I can fill in the gaps.

Astoria Finsbury Park 20th

?? 22nd

Colston Hall Bristol 23rd

Capitol Cardiff 24th

Birmingham 25th

?? 26th

Winter Gardens Bournemouth 27th

Leicester 29th

Manchester 30th

Odeon Leeds 31st

Any similarity with venues played by the Beatles is perfectly understandable.

The promoter of most of the Beatles U.K. tours - Arthur Howes - was joint promoter of this TM tour. He even used the same compere - a guy called Tony Marsh.

Looking back at all this stuff I have noticed something unusual. The Temptations appear in some of the publicity photos and not in others. And they definitely took part in the Sound of Motown T.V. special. But there is no mention of them on this tour poster. I wonder what that was all about??

Edited January 2, 2007 by MBarrett

[FrankM]

I think the Temptations flew in to record the TV show but did not play any live gigs.

Dave Godin had advised Berry Gordy not to do a nation wide tour. According to Malcolm Cook tour manager (he also worked for Howes) only the Glasgow and London gigs sold out and the rest of the halls were empty. Georgie Fame was hauled onto the bill to boost tickets sales.

[Guest MBarrett]

If Georgie Fame was a last minute addition to the tour maybe it meant that the Temptations were dropped to make way for him??!!

Mind you it seems that the Temps made some kind of an impact. My Girl on Stateside went into the Top 50 on 18th March and It's Growing on Tamla Motown on 1st April.

It seems generally accepted that the attendances for most of the tour were quite poor.

I know that it was the norm at the time to do 2 shows on the same night - but maybe that was the killer.

It's a shame that the T.V. special couldn't have been broadcast before the tour got underway. With Dusty Springfield presenting the show and endorsing the acts that would surely have put more bums on seats.

Mike - can your colleague remember which of the shows he attended and whether the audience was as small as as been suggested.

MB

[Mike Lofthouse]

If Georgie Fame was a last minute addition to the tour maybe it meant that the Temptations were dropped to make way for him??!!

Mind you it seems that the Temps made some kind of an impact. My Girl on Stateside went into the Top 50 on 18th March and It's Growing on Tamla Motown on 1st April.

It seems generally accepted that the attendances for most of the tour were quite poor.

I know that it was the norm at the time to do 2 shows on the same night - but maybe that was the killer.

It's a shame that the T.V. special couldn't have been broadcast before the tour got underway. With Dusty Springfield presenting the show and endorsing the acts that would surely have put more bums on seats.

Mike - can your colleague remember which of the shows he attended and whether the audience was as small as as been suggested.

MB

Glad I started this thread - thank you both for all the info.

It was the Stockton show for certain and I recall her saying the audience was small - I'll get back to her for what details she can remember.

Incidently I did see the Supremes at the same venue in the early seventies (1973?) - with Arthur Conley in support. It was the Jean Terrell, Mary Wilson and Lynda Laurence line-up - just looking at the programme now - sadly no dates.

Thanks again

Mike

[Guest MBarrett]

Mike

Sorry I didn't word that question very well. I meant which of the 2 Stockton shows your colleague went to? I imagine they had early evening and mid evening shows same as at Leeds. Probably asking a bit much to remember that after nigh on 42 years! But I would have expected the audience for a 6.20 show to be less than the one later on.

I would be interested in any reminiscences your colleague has. She can write an essay if she likes! Don't know if anyone else would be interested but I would lap it up!!

I imagine she was part of the mod scene - it pretty much went nationwide in 1964. The main exposure to soul music would have been through the likes of Ready Steady Go etc. It's well documented that the pirate radio ships played a big part in popularising soul/R&B in the 60's. But I think even that came later than early '65. I just looked at the Radio London (pirate ship) charts for early '65. Of the artists on this Revue tour only the Supremes (Stop! in the Name of Love) and Martha and the Vandellas (Nowhere to Run) made it into the Radio London "Fab 40".

MB

Edited January 3, 2007 by MBarrett

[Guest MBarrett]

P.S.

Does your colleague realise that the T.V. show was released on video in the mid '80's .

You can pick up copies easily on eBay.

Black & white obviously - but this is a colour image from the show. Dusty dueting with Martha & the Vandellas. I think they are in the middle of "Wishing & Hoping".

Martha and Dusty remained friends until Dusty's death.

MB

[FrankM]

f Georgie Fame was a last minute addition to the tour maybe it meant that the Temptations were dropped to make way for him??

No definitely not. The Temptations were never part of the tour. I'm sure Tony Newton was bringing out a book which covered the tour which may cast soem light on it. Dave Godin must have written something about it some where.

The two shows per night was traditional package show fare going back to variety theatre. The artists got paid per the tour and given the halls accomodated a max of 2000 it was a way of persuading more people to part with a smaller sum of money rather than fewer people and a higher ticket price.

I think it was bad Timing. Two years later The Stax Volt Tour was a lot busier.

[Guest MBarrett]

TM - I agree with you about the timing. It was just that bit TOO soon.

I find this a fascinating picture - coming together after all these years.

As soon as I get the chance I will go into Birmingham Central Library and take a look at the old local newspapers on microfilm.

Will be interesting to see what advertisements they carried for the Birmingham Odeon concert and if there was any review afterwards.

MB