First Motown Record?

[ajb]

what was your first motown record?

mine was reflections-the supremes

come on its just a bit of fun

alan

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

"Shake Sherrie" by the Contours, on Oriole American. Half a crown, in 1963, from a 'Rumbelows'-type shop along the Barking Road, halfway between Canning Town and Plaistow.

First full price one was probably "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes ", after hearing it on Radio Luxembourg's EMI Show....

[Pete S]

Dancing in the street - Martha & the vandellas - 1968 reissue, I was 8 and I heard it played before the Wolves matches, along with This Old heart Of Mine which was even better but the shop didn't have it in the 5 shilling box.

[Makemvinyl]

"Shake Sherrie" by the Contours, on Oriole American. Half a crown, in 1963, from a 'Rumbelows'-type shop

would have probably been a "Westmorelands" in 63

My first was a Jr Walker b side

"SWEETSOUL"

used the name ever since

[Guest Michael Higgins]

First LP was the 21st Anniversary double album (for Xmas 1979, I think), and the first single was R. Dean Taylor's "There's a ghost in my house" soon after.

And there's nothing shameful about "Reflections" -- still give me goosebumps!

[Guest]

Come And Get These Memories - Martha & Vandellas and Stubborn Kind Of Fellow - Marvin Gaye -both Oriole American. Both early 60s from a St Albans record shop I think.

[Guest MBarrett]

For my 15th birthday in 1967 my little girlfriend at the time bought me "I Was Made To Love Her" by Stevie Wonder.

Romance wise we drifted apart but we are still in touch to this day.

When those commemorative vinyl 45's were issued in 2005 I bought her the one with a Stevie Wonder track on as a sort of "belated" thank you.

We had a good laugh about the 38 year wait!

MB

True story - but I'm starting to think there might be the makings of a novel here???!!!

[Geoff]

First Motown 45 for me was Please Mr Postman by the Marvelettes on Fontana, unfortunately it was a jukebox record, but in good condition. Second was the Contours' Do You Love Me on Oriole in 1963, I couldn't stand the awful versions in the charts by Dave Clark 5 and Brian Poole and the Tremeloes.

[Guest Rowly]

The Big Wheels Of Motown Compilation LP in 78 / 79 or so....

[Paul R]

Get Ready, The Temptations. Round about 1970ish.

Paul

[Pete Eccles]

The first record i ever owned (motown or otherwise) was Stevie Wonder - Yesterme - Yesteryou - yesterday was a xmas gift off an aunt as my mum bought my elder bro and sis and myself our first record player between us! and i was the lucky one i think as they got Tracey - The Cufflinks and Kenny Rogers - Ruby don't take ya love to town! xmas 69 i think

Pete

[Guest Bogue]

First Motown would have been 'Ric Tic Relics' LP on UK Tamla Motown or maybe one of the Chartbuster LP's, the silver one with S.O.S e.t.c on

[Sean Hampsey]

Jimmy Ruffin - What Becomes of the Broken Hearted

Cadged it from my mates big sister.

It cost me a kiss.

But it was well worth it...

...especially when I flipped it over and heard 'Baby I've Got It' for the first time!

Still sounds great today!

Sean Hampsey

[Biggordy]

The Motown anniversary double album in the brown gatefold sleeve. Bought in a sale at HMV in Newcastle in 1991 for a fiver.

[Pete S]

The first record i ever owned (motown or otherwise) was Stevie Wonder - Yesterme - Yesteryou - yesterday was a xmas gift off an aunt as my mum bought my elder bro and sis and myself our first record player between us! and i was the lucky one i think as they got Tracey - The Cufflinks and Kenny Rogers - Ruby don't take ya love to town! xmas 69 i think

Pete

Pete - I bought both Tracy and Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town...what a coincidence! I still love that Kenny Rogers record..

[Markw]

I "appropriated" (or maybe liberated) my brother's Chartbusters Volumes 1, 2 and 3 when I was 13.

[KevH]

it think it was THIS OLD HEART OF MINE LP - ISLEY'S...but always remember at school when The Onion Song -Marvin+Tammi was in the charts..fond memories and still like a dance to that now,,,KEV.

[Bazza]

it think it was THIS OLD HEART OF MINE LP - ISLEY'S...but always remember at school when The Onion Song -Marvin+Tammi was in the charts..fond memories and still like a dance to that now,,,KEV.

but always remember at school .....place is full er kids...

Bazza

[Guest krawen]

Road Runner by Jnr Walker & The All Stars

first Motown record I ever bought :dance: remember jigging about to that one at Eastwood go go run by the vicar in a room at the back of the St Marys church ( very early 70's )

Steve B

[Pete Eccles]

Pete - I bought both Tracy and Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town...what a coincidence! I still love that Kenny Rogers record..

Pete, both records still hold very fond memories and yes it was all downhill for kenny after that lol tho i'm sure plenty will disagree!

And though i'm not a big SW fan i'm glad my first 'real' introduction to popular music was a motown record, not that that particular track had any bearing on my future tastes, if that makes any sense lol

[Guest Simon]

Teena Marie - Behind the groove

Simon

[Guest MBarrett]

Shabby

Come & Get These Memories - Martha & the Vandellas

Hope you don't mind me asking but what would have prompted you to buy this record in the early 60's in the U.K?

Were you going to clubs where they played it? I can't imagine any radio station would have given it an airing.

I'm just very interested in what was going on in the U.K. music scene early 60's - esp. London versus the rest of the country. Always great to hear from someone who was actually there.

MB

[Wilxy]

Just a little misunderstanding-Contours on Gordy

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

Shabby

Come & Get These Memories - Martha & the Vandellas

Were you going to clubs where they played it? I can't imagine any radio station would have given it an airing.

Actually, that's not true. Oriole Records had its own show on Radio Luxembourg, which they bought the airtime for themselves, like a lot of record companies did on 'Fabulous 208'. I certainly heard "Come And Get These Memories" on Luxy myself, and that's probably also where I first heard my own first Motown purchase, the previously mentioned "Shake Sherrie"..

[Guest Trevski]

Mary Wells "My guy" U.S. Motown issue. Aged 13. That was the start of the US original vinyl addiction......

[Baz Atkinson]

AGED 14 ,WIGAN JUNIOR WALKER [GOT TO HOLD ON TO THIS FEELING]STILL GOOSEBUMBS TO THIS DAY WHEN I HEAR THIS BRILL TUNE.

BAZ A.

[KevH]

but always remember at school .....place is full er kids...

Bazza

haven't you gone to TENNERIFFY yet?

[Guest MBarrett]

Actually, that's not true. Oriole Records had its own show on Radio Luxembourg, which they bought the airtime for themselves, like a lot of record companies did on 'Fabulous 208'. I certainly heard "Come And Get These Memories" on Luxy myself, and that's probably also where I first heard my own first Motown purchase, the previously mentioned "Shake Sherrie"..

Tony

Really appreciate you putting me straight on that.

As I was keying it I was thinking Radio Luxembourg but I assumed programmes were only sponsored by the "really big hitters" like EMI.

I would never have guessed that the likes of Oriole would have afforded it.

The information people are prepared to share on this forum is just SUPERB!!

Mind you it's funny to think back on Radio Luxembourg. We would do everything possible to tune in on our little "cats whisker" radios. But where I lived the signal used to sort of come and go in waves. Sometimes sounded like it was travelling a million miles rather than just a few hundred.

Then along came the pirates . . . . . . . . . . and for me life really began!!

MB

[Guest]

Hi. Yes Radio Lux was, at the time, the only way in which you could hear single releases that were anything other than potential chart stuff. EMI and Decca were the big cos that bought the majority of airtime. Oriole, as was said, had ( I think) a fifteen minute slot ( a week!) ... so if you wanted to hear the latest Contours, Mary Wells etc single you had to be tuned in at the right time. I must have heard The Valadiers - I Found A Girl on there as I managed to buy a copy (I'm sure the record shop will have had to have ordered it for me!). As you say, the reception quality was dire!

[Simsy]

Stevie Wonder - Uptight. I think.

[Soulfinger]

The Girl's Alright with Me / I'll be in Trouble:Temptations (Gordy)

Though I think I maybe had Jr Walker's Greatest Hits first.

[Guest mel brat]

what was your first motown record?

mine was reflections-the supremes

come on its just a bit of fun

alan

After nagging my parents for ages, I finally got a record player in 1967. I went out and bought The Four Tops "Walk Away Renee", along with Felice Taylor "I Feel Love Comin' On" (President) which were both in the charts at the time, with pocket money my Gran had given me!

(I also bought the Small Faces' "Itchycoo Park" and the Beatles "Hello Goodbye" c/w "I Am The Walrus" on the same day - but that's another story...!)

Edited April 18, 2007 by mel brat

[Guest kevnewry]

Ben... Micheal Jackson. But things got better after that

[Guest mel brat]

it think it was THIS OLD HEART OF MINE LP - ISLEY'S...but always remember at school when The Onion Song -Marvin+Tammi was in the charts..fond memories and still like a dance to that now,,,KEV.

Oooh yes! "The Onion Song". That cold, snowy winter of 1969 when everyone was trudging around wearing army suplus overcoats from 'Milletts', remember?! - and Judie "Sock It To Me!" Carne (no relation to Jean!) on "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In"?

Edited April 18, 2007 by mel brat

[Guest mel brat]

The information people are prepared to share on this forum is just SUPERB...

That's nothing! I bet some of the contributors on here are old enough to remember the OVALTINIES on Luxembourg!

[Guest WPaulVanDyk]

i don't really own or have many Northern as my dad has most of the old stuff but i guess my first one was Boyz II Men - The End of the Road i loved it then and still do now.

[Bazza]

haven't you gone to TENNERIFFY yet?

Tomorrow Kev

cya soon

Bazza

[Bigsoulman]

Teena Marie - Behind the groove

Simon

Lenny

[Rich Buckley]

Temptations "Get Ready" (still love it) and Barrett Strong "Money" on UK Tamla re-issues, circa '86 when aged 15. From the wonderful Phase One Records in Wrexham, north wales! Happy days

Rich

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

After nagging my parents for ages, I finally got a record player in 1967. I went out and bought The Four Tops "Walk Away Renee", along with Felice Taylor "I Feel Love Comin' On" (President) which were both in the charts at the time, with pocket money my Gran had given me!

(I also bought the Small Faces' "Itchycoo Park" and the Beatles "Hello Goodbye" c/w "I Am The Walrus" on the same day - but that's another story...!)

...nothing to be ashamed of there, really! Apart from "Walk Away Renee"...

[Guest]

Heaven Must Have Sent You - The Elgins. From a 25p rack at Jack Hobbs records, 1983.

[Scallybob]

Behind A Painted Smile-Isleys.

Not only my first Motown record but also the first record I ever bought.

[Guest mel brat]

...nothing to be ashamed of there, really! Apart from "Walk Away Renee"...

Yeah, but a better record than "Shake Sherry", eh?

Edited April 19, 2007 by mel brat

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

Yeah, but a better record than "Shake Sherry", eh?

Not in this or any other lifetime, mate...

...However, the Left Banke original (which I DID buy as a new release) is still to die for. And it doesn't have an excruciating version of 'Mame' on the other side either...

[macca]

the first motown record I bought was martha & the vandellas 'dancing in the street'. I was ten years old & on a shopping trip with my big sister in boots.

she bought canned heat 'let's work together'. I can remember being obsessed with the 'calling out' bit. I still love both records. my next motown purchase was 'tell me it's just a rumour baby' in 1974, by which time I'd been well & truly bitten by the northern bug. I think having an older sister who was into classic soul & motown definitely helped me on the road. she also bought other things like those rock machine albums on CBS with the pervy covers & things like electric flag - mike bloomfield & buddy miles - superb stuff. my very catholic parents were really scandalised at those. different times...

Edited April 19, 2007 by macca

[Guest mel brat]

Not in this or any other lifetime, mate...

...However, the Left Banke original (which I DID buy as a new release) is still to die for. And it doesn't have an excruciating version of 'Mame' on the other side either...

Sorry, I have an Oriole copy of "Shake Sherry" too, but I think it's just bloody awful!

(I'm not defending "Walk Away Renee" either particularly, it was just the first TM record I bought!)

Edited April 20, 2007 by mel brat

[paultp]

Teena Marie - Behind the groove

Simon

Very good Simon!

My first was River Deep Mountain High by The Tops & The Supremes.

As an aside, a long term obsession is collecting the first 100 UK Motown LP's, got about 60 at the mo, just bought another 4 off the eBay at between a fiver & a tenner a piece, apart from 11007 which cost me 30+. Meet The Temptations (11009) just went for an outrageous 129 quid

If anyone has any they don't want I'm quite happy to have them at a reasonable price if I haven't got them already, its not too compulsive an obsession though so don't hike em up

Cheers

Paul

[Guest MBarrett]

Paul

Ref your collection of the first 100 Tamla Motown L.P.'s.

Just wondered if you have seen this ad. Published when the first 6 were released circa March 1965. (plus the first 6 E.P.'s and, I believe, 6 singles)

MB

[Guest marge]

R Dean Taylor. I was nine and I blimmin loved it.

[paultp]

Paul

Ref your collection of the first 100 Tamla Motown L.P.'s.

Just wondered if you have seen this ad. Published when the first 6 were released circa March 1965. (plus the first 6 E.P.'s and, I believe, 6 singles)

MB

That's superb, is that an original poster? What size is it?

I have a couple of original Motown posters kicking abot somewhere, 70's US ones though. I've got a handful of the EPs but never gone after them seriously though. Really like picture sleeve records.

Thanks

Paul