Biography

The Originals often called "Motown's best-kept secret", were a successful Motown R&B and soul group during the late 1960s and the 1970s, most notable for the hits "Baby I'm for Real", "The Bells" and the disco classic, "Down to Love Town". Formed in 1966, the group originally consisted of bass singer Freddie Gorman, baritone (and the group's founder) Walter Gaines, and tenors C.P. Spencer and Hank Dixon (and briefly Joe Stubbs). Ty Hunter replaced Spencer when he left to go solo in the early 1970s. They had all previously sung in other Detroit groups, C.P. having been an original member of the (Detroit) Spinners and Ty having sung with The Supremes member Scherrie Payne in the group Glass House. Spencer, Gaines, Hunter, and Dixon (at one time or another) were also members of the Voice Masters. As a member of the Holland–Dozier–Gorman writing-production team (before Holland–Dozier–Holland), Gorman (as a mailman) was one of the co-writers of Motown's first #1 pop hit "Please Mr. Postman", recorded by Marvelettes. In 1964, the Beatles released their version. In 1975, Carpenters took it back to #1 again. This was the second time in pop history that a song had reached #1 twice. "The Twist" by Chubby Checker, reached #1 in 1960 and 1961 (Joel Whitburn's "Top Pop Singles - 1955-1996"). In 2006, "Please Mr. Postman" was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.