Motown Treasures

Chris Clark: Motown’s failed answer to Dusty Springfield sounds a bit harsh even if it is true as far as chart success is concerned. I love all of Chris's singles and don't understand why they failed. The trio of 'Love's Gone Bad', 'Head To Toe' & 'I Want To Go Back There Again' deserved to make at least the US top 20 plus Gordy had a personal interest in Chris but all to no avail! What reasons can you think of for her lack of success?

"What reasons can you think of for her lack of success?"

If Nelson George is to be believed, writing in his "Where Did Our Love Go" book, it was because she couldn't sing well .. not that I agree with him at all.

It would be the usual suspects ... lack of promotion, too much competition from other artists and labels, and US radio stations not knowing whether to categorise her recordings as "Black" or "White" (as also happened with Ike & Tina Turner's "River Deep Mountain High").

Having said that, I find it very surprising that her "I Want To Go Back There Again" wasn't a major US Hit.

Roger