(“The famous one”)

**This is a discography for Motown Records – what we call “Motown” wasn’t just one label, and the other Motown imprints and labels are listed here. If you’re looking for a full list of every ‘Motown’ single (i.e. everything the company released, including Tamla, Gordy, Soul, VIP etc.), try the Master Index instead!**

Berry Gordy Jr’s second label after Tamla, Motown Records (a contraction of Motortown, one of the nicknames for the label’s home city of Detroit, Michigan) became the flagship imprint, as well as the biggest and longest-lived label in the Motown family, giving its name to the parent corporation.

Initially conceived as a second department within the company in order to release more records without compromising the Tamla sales and distribution force, Motown Records came about mainly because radio stations shied away from playing too many records from the same label, lest accusations of favouritism and payola arise; splitting the catalogue into two “different” labels could get around such restrictions. To that end, the initial plan was that group acts would be released on Motown, while solo acts would be assigned to Tamla, though that distinction very quickly broke down.

Motown quickly assumed a dominant position in Gordy’s portfolio. Its main function seems to have been to release records geared towards the pop charts (as opposed to the R&B chart), and to that end a fair number of MOR pop acts were signed to the Motown label, alongisde a few of Motown’s most massive acts (besides the ubiquitous Supremes, Motown Records was home to Mary Wells, the Four Tops and the Jackson 5). In doing so Motown Records managed to inadvertently maintain the artistic R&B credibility of the Tamla and Gordy labels, which together with this one formed the “big three” Motown labels.

The first release on Motown Records was the Miracles’ Bad Girl in September 1959, although this was an extremely limited run; the first “proper” Motown release was the Satintones’ My Beloved a month later.

Motown Records went on to release more records than any other label in the group, including several of the best and best-known Motown songs. The label staggered on long past its prime, through the late Seventies (when hits from the likes of the Commodores and Diana Ross kept the cash flowing in) and into the mid-Eighties as the various other subsidiary labels were wound up or merged under the Motown Records name, this one eventually ended up as the only imprint left standing before Gordy sold the entire company to MCA in June 1988. The final Motown release as an independent company was Brownmark’s I Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, released in May 1988.

Here’s a list of the Motown Records singles that have been covered on Motown Junkies so far.

MOTOWN RECORDS: 45 DISCOGRAPHY (1959-1965)

• THE MIRACLES: Bad Girl (8) / I Love Your Baby (3) (Motown TLX-2207 / G1, September 1959)
• THE SATINTONES: My Beloved (9) / Sugar Daddy (2) (Motown M 1000, October 1959 / April 1960)
• EUGENE REMUS: You Never Miss A Good Thing (4) / Hold Me Tight (1) and Gotta Have Your Lovin’ (2) (Motown M 1001, October 1959 / November 1959 / April 1960)

  

• POPCORN AND THE MOHAWKS: Custer’s Last Man (1) / Shimmy Gully (2) (Motown M 1002, Aug. 1960)
• MARY WELLS: Bye Bye Baby (6) / Please Forgive Me (6) (Motown M 1003, Sep. 1960)
• SHERRI TAYLOR & SINGIN’ SAMMY WARD: Oh Lover (6) / That’s Why I Love You So Much (6) (Motown M 1004, Nov. 1960)

  

• HENRY LUMPKIN: I’ve Got A Notion (7) / We Really Love Each Other (8) (Motown M 1005, Jan. 1961)
• DEBBIE DEAN: Don’t Let Him Shop Around (6) / A New Girl (7) (Motown M 1007, Feb. 1961)
• THE CONTOURS: Whole Lotta Woman (9) / Come On And Be Mine (6) (Motown M 1008*, Feb. 1961 / May 1961)
• RICHARD WYLIE & HIS BAND: Money (That’s What I Want) (4) / I’ll Still Be Around (5) (Motown M 1009, Apr. 1961)
• THE SATINTONES: Tomorrow And Always (2) / A Love That Can Never Be (2) (Motown M 1006, Apr. / May 1961)
• THE SATINTONES: Angel (9) / A Love That Can Never Be (2) (Motown M 1006 (3rd pressing), May 1961)
• MARY WELLS: I Don’t Want To Take A Chance (8) / I’m So Sorry (6) (Motown M 1011, June 1961)
• THE SATINTONES: I Know How It Feels (7) / My Kind Of Love (7) (Motown M 1010, June 1961)
• THE GOLDEN HARMONEERS: I Am Bound (6) / Precious Memories (5) (Motown M 1015, August 1961)
• THE CONTOURS: The Stretch (6) / Funny (1) (Motown M 1012, August 1961)
• DEBBIE DEAN: Itsy Bity Pity Love (2) / But I’m Afraid (6) (Motown M 1014, August 1961)
• MARY WELLS: Strange Love (9) / Come To Me (5) (Motown M 1016, October 1961)
• POPCORN & THE MOHAWKS: Have I The Right (3) / Real Good Lovin’ (3) (Motown M 1019, October 1961)
• THE SATINTONES: Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart (2) / Faded Letter (3) (Motown M 1020, October 1961)
• EDDIE HOLLAND: Jamie (5) / Take A Chance On Me (8) (Motown M 1021, October 1961)
• THE TWISTIN’ KINGS: Xmas Twist (4) / White House Twist (3) (Motown M 1022, November 1961)
• THE TWISTIN’ KINGS: Congo (Part 1) (6) / Congo (Part 2) (6) (Motown M 1023, December 1961)

  

• HENRY LUMPKIN: What Is A Man (Without A Woman) (6) / Don’t Leave Me (3) (Motown M 1013, January 1962)
• MARY WELLS: The One Who Really Loves You (9) / I’m Gonna Stay (6) (Motown M 1024, February 1962)
• DEBBIE DEAN: Everybody’s Talking About My Baby (4) / I Cried All Night (1) (Motown M 1025, March 1962)
• EDDIE HOLLAND: You Deserve What You Got (6) / Last Night I Had A Vision (4)(Motown M 1026, April 1962)
• EDDIE HOLLAND: (If) Cleopatra Took A Chance (4) / What About Me (4) (Motown M 1030, May 1962)
• THE SUPREMES: Your Heart Belongs To Me (7) / (He’s) Seventeen (1) (Motown M 1027, May 1962)
• HERMAN GRIFFIN: Sleep (Little One) (5) / Uptight (2) (Motown M 1028, June 1962)
• HENRY LUMPKIN: Mo Jo Hanna (3) / Break Down And Sing (3) (Motown M 1029, July 1962)
• MARY WELLS: You Beat Me To The Punch (9) / Old Love (Let’s Try It Again) (5) (Motown M 1032, July 1962)
• EDDIE HOLLAND: If It’s Love (It’s Alright) (7) / It’s Not Too Late (3) (Motown M 1031, August 1962)
• MARY WELLS: Two Lovers (7) / Operator (3) (Motown M 1035, October 1962)
• THE SUPREMES: Let Me Go The Right Way (5) / Time Changes Things (6) (Motown M 1034, November 1962)
• LaBRENDA BEN & THE BELJEANS: Camel Walk (5) / The Chaperone (6) (Motown M 1033, December 1962)
• EDDIE HOLLAND: Darling, I Hum Our Song (7) / Just A Few More Days (6) (Motown M 1036, December 1962)

  

• LINDA GRINER: Good Bye Cruel Love (7) / Envious (7) (Motown M 1037, January 1963)
• MARY WELLS: Laughing Boy (5) / Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right (8) (Motown M 1039, February 1963)
• THE SUPREMES: My Heart Can’t Take It No More (3) / You Bring Back Memories (3) (Motown M 1040, February 1963)
• AMOS MILBURN: My Baby Gave Me Another Chance (4) / I’ll Make It Up To You Somehow (5) (Motown M 1038, March 1963)
• CONNIE VAN DYKE: Oh Freddy (4) / It Hurt Me Too (4) (Motown M 1041, March 1963)
• MARY WELLS: Your Old Stand By (8) / What Love Has Joined Together (9) (Motown M 1042, April 1963)
• EDDIE HOLLAND: Baby Shake (4) / Brenda (3) (Motown M 1043, April 1963)
• AMOS MILBURN: My Daily Prayer (6) / I’ll Make It Up To You Somehow (5) (Motown M 1046, unreleased)
• THE SUPREMES: A Breath Taking Guy (5) / (The Man With The) Rock And Roll Banjo Band (1) (Motown M 1044, June 1963)
• HOLLAND-DOZIER: What Goes Up, Must Come Down (3) / Come On Home (3) (Motown M 1045, June 1963)
• THE MORROCCO MUZIK MAKERS: Back To School Again (1) / Pig Knuckles (6) (Motown M 1047, August 1963)
• MARY WELLS: You Lost The Sweetest Boy (7) / What’s Easy For Two Is So Hard For One (6) (Motown M 1048, August 1963)
• EDDIE HOLLAND: I’m On The Outside Looking In (7) / I Couldn’t Cry If I Wanted To (7) (Motown M 1049, October 1963)
• CAROLYN CRAWFORD: Forget About Me (6) / Devil In His Heart (8) (Motown M 1050, October 1963)
• THE SUPREMES: When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes (7) / Standing At The Crossroads Of Love (6) (Motown M 1051, October 1963)
• EDDIE HOLLAND: Leaving Here (7) / Brenda (3) (Motown M 1052, December 1963)

  

• BOBBY BREEN: How Can We Tell Him (2) / Better Late Than Never (7) (Motown M 1053, January 1964)
• THE SUPREMES: Run, Run, Run (9) / I’m Giving You Your Freedom (5) (Motown M 1054, February 1964)
• SAMMY TURNER: Only You (2) / Right Now (3) (Motown M 1055, February 1964)
• MARY WELLS: My Guy (10) / Oh Little Boy (What Did You Do To Me) (10) (Motown M 1056, March 1964)
• MARVIN GAYE & MARY WELLS: Once Upon A Time (5) / What’s The Matter With You Baby (4) (Motown M 1057, April 1964)
• EDDIE HOLLAND: Just Ain’t Enough Love (9) / Last Night I Had A Vision (4) (Motown M 1058, April 1964)
• BOBBY BREEN: You’re Just Like You (5) / Here Comes That Heartache (5) (Motown M 1059, May 1964)
• THE SUPREMES: Where Did Our Love Go (10) / He Means The World To Me (5) (Motown M 1060, June 1964)
• MARY WELLS: When I’m Gone (8) / Guarantee (For A Lifetime) (2) (Motown M 1061, unreleased)
• THE FOUR TOPS: Baby I Need Your Loving (10) / Call On Me (5) (Motown M 1062, July 1964)
• EDDIE HOLLAND: Candy To Me (6) / If You Don’t Want My Love (4) (Motown M 1063, July 1964)
• CAROLYN CRAWFORD: My Smile Is Just A Frown (Turned Upside Down) (7) / I’ll Come Running (3) (Motown M 1064, August 1964)
• THE SUPREMES: Baby Love (10) / Ask Any Girl (6) (Motown M 1066, September 1964)
• MARY WELLS: Whisper You Love Me, Boy (8) / I’ll Be Available (4) (Motown M 1065, unreleased)
• THE SPINNERS: Sweet Thing (5) / How Can I (6) (Motown M 1067, October 1964)
• THE SUPREMES: Come See About Me (8) / Always In My Heart (8) (Motown M 1068, October 1964)
• THE FOUR TOPS: Without The One You Love (Life’s Not Worth While) (4) / Love Has Gone (6) (Motown M 1069, November 1964)
• CAROLYN CRAWFORD: When Someone’s Good To You (5) / My Heart (4) (Motown M 1070, November 1964)
• TONY MARTIN: Talkin’ To Your Picture (1) / Our Rhapsody (1) (Motown M 1071, November 1964)
• CHOKER CAMPBELL’S BIG BAND: Come See About Me (5) / Pride And Joy (6) (Motown M 1072, December 1964)

  

• THE FOUR TOPS: Ask The Lonely (8) / Where Did You Go (6) (Motown M 1073, January 1965)
• THE SUPREMES: Stop! In The Name Of Love (10) / I’m In Love Again (8) (Motown M 1074, February 1965)
• THE SUPREMES: Back In My Arms Again (7) / Whisper You Love Me Boy (8) (Motown M 1075, April 1965)
• THE FOUR TOPS: I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) (8) / Sad Souvenirs (7) (Motown M 1076, April 1965)
• BILLY ECKSTINE: Down To Earth (4) / Had You Been Around (6) (Motown M 1077, May 1965)
• THE SPINNERS: I’ll Always Love You (9) / Tomorrow May Never Come (3) (Motown M 1078, June 1965)
• THE FOUR TOPS: It’s The Same Old Song (8) / Your Love Is Amazing (Motown M 1081, July 1965)
• THE SUPREMES: Mother Dear (9) / He Holds His Own (7) (Motown M 1080, unreleased)
• THE SUPREMES: Nothing But Heartaches (6) / He Holds His Own (7) (Motown M 1080, July 1965)
• TONY MARTIN: The Bigger Your Heart Is (The Harder You’ll Fall) (2) / The Two Of Us (2) (Motown M 1082, August 1965)

* The M 1008 catalogue number was also briefly used for one pressing of the Supremes’ I Want A Guy, usually listed as Tamla T 54038.

(Click a song title to read a full review of that side. NB: The coloured numbers after each title indicate the highly subjective mark out of ten I gave that song on the day I happened to write about it. They weren’t intended to be taken too seriously.)