Freda Payne ~ Band Of Gold 1970 Soul Purrfection Version

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After Holland-Dozier-Holland tried to negotiate a fair contract on all the music they made for Motown, Gordy was not interested in sharing so the trio left the machine.

They then started two labels, Invictus Records and Hot Wax Records. Invictus was the powerhouse here as the biggest hits of either label were Chairman Of The Board "Give Me Just A Little More Time" and Freda Payne's "Band Of Gold". Freda was the sister of Scherrie Payne who joined the Supremes after Diana Ross left.

Born September 19, 1942 in Detroit, Michigan she grew up idolizing Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday and attended the Detroit Institute Of Musical Arts. She was soon singing jingles and talent shows and then moved to New York where she joined artists like Pearl Bailey and Quincy Jones. She released her first album "After All The Lights Go Down Low and Much More!!!" in 1964.

Touring Europe, recording new music and making guest appearances on The Merv Griffin Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson all kept her relevant. Then she went Broadway to flex her acting muscles until 1969 when HDH signed her to Invictus. Her fist single tanked, but the second made her career with "Band Of Gold".

The songwriters Holland-Dozier-Holland were credited as "Edythe Wayne" due to the long reach of the Motown legal department who tried to stifle their careers and sued so they could not even use their own names. Gordy felt that their current status was because of Motown and they owned that part. Freda was not enamored of the song as she was 30 and thought it would be better for a younger artist. Persuaded to record, it was an instant smash peaking at #3 on the Hot100 but even bigger in the UK where it spent six weeks at the top!

Ray Parker Jr played the rhythm guitar here, with Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Williams of Dawn singing background. The electric sitar sound that made the record was played by Dennis Coffey.

The song was famously covered by Belinda Carlisle and Bonnie Tyler in the 80's.