When Motown Came to Britain

In 1965, some of Motown’s brightest new stars, including The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Martha and the Vandellas, and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, arrived in London for a tour that would change the face of British music history. At that time, pop music fans in the UK were unlikely to hear black music on mainstream radio, and names like Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson still meant nothing to most British people, but thousands of miles away fro... [more] In 1965, some of Motown’s brightest new stars, including The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Martha and the Vandellas, and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, arrived in London for a tour that would change the face of British music history. At that time, pop music fans in the UK were unlikely to hear black music on mainstream radio, and names like Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson still meant nothing to most British people, but thousands of miles away from where these exciting new sounds were being recorded in Detroit, a small group of dedicated British music fans had stumbled across the songs and began championing its artists. [less]