The Satintones

The Satintones hold the distinction of being Motown's inaugural vocal ensemble, cutting sides for the label across 1960 and 1961 and issuing a total of six 45s. Those years fell within Motown's initial blues-and-routine-R&B phase, prior to the arrival of the jazz-inflected grooves supplied by the Funk Brothers; Ivy Joe Hunter directed the studio players instead of Earl Van Dyke, nine inferior releases outnumbered every strong one, and radio announcers recoiled from any Tamla or Motown imprint. The lineup began as a quartet—Charles "Chico" Leverett, Sonny Sanders, James Ellis, and Robert Bateman—with Chico having briefly appeared alongside the Spinners and having cut the Tamla single "Solid Sender." The group expanded to five voices in 1961, adding Vernon Williams and Sammy Mack while retaining James Ellis, Sonny Sanders, and Robert Bateman. Accounts differ regarding whether Freddie Gorman of the Originals and hall-of-fame songwriter Brian Holland participated in any sessions, and no released tracks confirm their presence.

None of the Satintones' issued singles—"My Beloved," "Motor City," "Tomorrow and Always," "Angel," "I Know How It Feels," and "Zing Went the Strings of My Heart"—have appeared on Motown anthology collections. "Tomorrow and Always" provoked litigation that Motown ultimately lost; the track not only responded to the Shirelles' hit but reproduced "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" note for note. Every member pursued separate musical activities before and after their time with the Satintones, the most notable path belonging to Sonny Sanders, who later arranged and wrote material at Ric Tic/Golden World Records before relocating to Chicago, where he became a leading arranger and co-authored Barbara Acklin's "Love Makes a Woman." Robert Bateman produced and co-wrote Wilson Pickett's initial solo releases "It's Too Late" and "If You Need Me," helped launch the Marvelettes via "Please Mr. Postman" and "Playboy," and co-wrote Eddie Holland's "Jamie." The Marvelettes' debut LP Please Mr. Postman included two Satintones covers, "Angel" and "I Know How It Feels," while the track "The Feeling Is So Fine" surfaced as a minor single by the Miracles.

An album titled The Satintones Sing MT-602 was slated for release in 1961 yet never reached stores; more than twenty additional Satintones recordings remain vaulted at the label, separate from the twelve sides that appeared on 45s. Around 1990 the members cut new material under Ian Levine's supervision, and those Levine-produced performances prove more satisfying than the group's original Motown work.