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A Bit of Liverpool | Cash-In albums

Writer: faBgear
faBgear
Jun 3
3 min read
A Bit of Liverpool The Supremes

Motown Records put out A Bit of Liverpool by The Supremes on October 16, 1964. British bands dominated the charts. After The Supremes’ hit “Where Did Our Love Go” went to number one, Motown boss Berry Gordy decided to jump on the British music wave. He saw that teenagers were wild about British pop, so he told The Supremes to record songs that were big in the UK and Motown tracks that British bands had started playing. Gordy wanted to mix Motown’s classic groove with the lively style of British bands, so The Supremes could win over more pop fans.

 

Motown rushed to make this album in 1964, when the label was growing fast. The Supremes usually recorded in Detroit, but this time they did most of their work in Los Angeles between late September and early October. Berry Gordy teamed up with Hal Davis and Marc Gordon—both new to The Supremes—and brought in Holland-Dozier-Holland for extra support. The group squeezed in recording sessions between TV spots on The Steve Allen Show and The Lloyd Thaxton Show. They finished just before flying to the UK for their first tour on October 5. Motown got the album into stores in less than two weeks.

 

A Bit of Liverpool The Supremes

A Bit of Liverpool stands apart from other Motown albums because of some odd studio decisions. On the stereo version, sound engineers put most of the vocals on one side and the instruments on the other. Diana Ross usually took the lead, with Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard backing her up, but for songs like “How Do You Do It?” they all sang into the same mic together. Years later, Motown’s tape vaults turned up two more tracks from these sessions: “I Saw Him Standing There,” led by Florence Ballard, and “Not Fade Away,” where all three shared the spotlight. Neither track made the final album.

 

The group arranged and rehearsed The Beatles' "Eight Days a Week" for TV performances on shows like Shindig! and Hullabaloo, but they never recorded it for the album.

 

Diana Ross handles lead vocals on most songs, with Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard adding sharp harmonies. The group keeps a bit of the British pop vibe but puts in Motown’s quick, energetic beat. This blend gives the tracks a danceable feel that works for R&B and pop fans

alike.

A Bit of Liverpool The Supremes

 

The album features five Beatles covers: “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “A Hard Day’s Night,” and “You Can’t Do That.” The Supremes also take on “A World Without Love,” a Lennon-McCartney tune for Peter and Gordon. They branch out with British hits like “How Do You Do It?” (Gerry and the Pacemakers), “Because” and “Bits and Pieces” (The Dave Clark Five), and “House of the Rising Sun” (The Animals). The group also put their stamp on Motown songs like “Do You Love Me” and “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me”—tracks that British bands brought to European audiences.

 

Motown put the album out in the UK as With Love (From Us to You) to connect with British fans. In the US, the album did well—it broke into the Top 10 on the R&B chart and landed at number 21 on Billboard 200. Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard kept a packed schedule during this time. By late 1964 and early 1965, The Supremes had three albums on the American charts at the same time, proving they could keep up with The Beatles.

 

A Bit of Liverpool stands out because The Supremes—a top Black American group—put their spin on songs British bands learned from American R&B. The album proves that Lennon and McCartney’s songs can work in all kinds of styles. Motown kept its own flavor even as it chased new music trends. Even now, soul and pop fans listen to this album for its bold vocals and the way it freezes a moment when The Supremes mixed Detroit soul with Liverpool hits.




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