The Foundations

In late 1960s Britain, the Foundations operated as a remarkably low-profile ensemble even though they secured multiple chart-topping singles across both the UK and US markets within roughly twelve months and sustained a steady flow of releases across three full years. Upon surfacing in mid-1967, the octet drew immediate acclaim as England’s most credible soul practitioners and the leading exponents of the Motown sound beyond American shores, while also earning respect from jazz audiences. Their biggest successes came via the multi-racial lineup of London and West Indian members with “Baby Now That I’ve Found You,” “Build Me Up Buttercup,” and “In the Bad, Bad Old Days.”

January 1967 saw the group coalesce in a basement coffee bar located in Bayswater after members answered ads placed in Melody Maker. Trinidad-born former boxer Clem Curtis handled lead vocals, London printer Alan Warner played lead guitar, Jamaican Pat Burke covered flute and saxophone, Mike Elliott brought tenor saxophone experience from Colin Hicks’s Cabin Boys and various jazz outfits, and trombonist Eric Allan Dale contributed further jazz credentials. Keyboards, bass, and drums were supplied by Tony Gomez, Peter Macbeth, and Tim Harris, respectively. The name Foundations was chosen simply because rehearsals took place beneath a building.

Early months yielded scant progress, though an audition at the Marquee Club was secured. Their regular appearances at the smaller Butterfly venue—including one storied performance on the final night of the Stax/Volt European tour—proved decisive when record dealer Barry Class caught the set and became manager. Class introduced them to Pye producer and songwriter Tony Macaulay, then enjoying modest success with Long John Baldry yet seeking a fresh act; Macaulay offered the newly written “Baby Now That I’ve Found You,” co-authored with John Macleod, which suited the band perfectly.

Issued in summer 1967, the single stirred no response until BBC Radio 1, newly launched and deliberately avoiding pirate-radio favorites, selected it from overlooked recent releases. By November the track sat at number one on the British charts. Timing aligned with England’s ongoing soul boom that had begun in late 1965 and intensified through Motown and Stax/Volt tours.

Press outlets celebrated the Foundations as the first British act to deliver an authentic soul sound and, as the first multi-racial group to reach the UK summit, their achievement resonated amid shifting racial attitudes. Live shows confirmed the praise: a polished, high-energy stage presence and a forceful, hard-edged soul style that few domestic bands could replicate convincingly.

The debut single climbed to number 11 on American charts via Uni (MCA) and sold more than three and a half million copies worldwide, transforming the group into a British sensation with global reach. An album titled From the Foundations followed, mixing contemporary soul with discotheque-oriented material; covers ranged from Joe Tex’s “Show Me” to Tony Hatch’s “Call Me” in a Motown-styled arrangement alongside fresh Macaulay/Macleod compositions. Although it never charted in Britain, the LP stayed in print for years as a steady seller.

Follow-up “Back on My Feet Again” received heavy promotion yet stalled outside the British Top Ten and barely reached the US Top 50. Its similarity to the debut hit, combined with Macaulay’s refusal to allow original band compositions even as B-sides and his tendency to soften their sound toward pop, sparked friction. Internal tensions surfaced simultaneously as Clem Curtis sensed waning commitment from colleagues who had tasted chart success.

Curtis was encouraged to launch a solo career shortly after recording the group’s standout live favorite, “It’s All Right,” which appeared alongside the concert album Rocking the Foundations. Saxophonist Elliott departed without replacement. Colin Young stepped in as vocalist, blending seamlessly, and the revised lineup scored again in early 1969 with “Build Me Up Buttercup,” written by Macaulay and Mike D’Abo, hitting number two in Britain and number one in America. “In the Bad, Bad Old Days (Before You Loved Me)” followed, reaching the UK Top Ten and US Top 30.

Momentum collapsed once Macaulay left Pye; he later disclosed receiving only producer fees with no songwriting royalties despite millions of sales. Without their sole hit composer, the band attempted a funkier, James Brown-inspired direction on 1970 recordings that drew no interest. The Foundations disbanded that year.

By the mid-1970s both Curtis and Young had reactivated versions of the group. A lawsuit granted Curtis rights to the original name while Young retained New Foundations. The act remained warmly regarded in Britain and gained renewed international attention when “Build Me Up Buttercup” featured prominently in the 1998 film There’s Something About Mary. Curtis has continued performing with a revived lineup, and he and Warner have cut fresh recordings of the band’s classics. Multiple iterations, including Clem Curtis & the Foundations and Alan Warner’s Foundations, toured into the first decade of the 21st century.