#16 The Metros – Since I Found My Baby (1967)

The Metros were a soul outfit from Detroit, and have been described as one of the least-known groups to have recorded on a major label – in their case, RCA Records. The group consisted of four members: Percy Williams (lead vocals), James Buckman, Robert Suttles, and Arthur Mitchell, and they released one album and three singles, in the 1966 to 1967 period. Their first single, Sweetest One (October 1966), was their most successful record, followed by this second, (superior, in my opinion), single, Since I Found My Baby, in March 1967. It’s a Northern Soul classic, with falsetto second tenor vocals, and showcases the genre’s heavy 4-4 beat and fast tempo, so ideally suited to the idiosyncratic flourishes of dancers on a well-sprung dance-floor. An original copy of this record would set you back at least £200.00, (have a look on Discogs), so thankfully, it appears on a plethora of Northern Soul compilations, and has come out as a vinyl reissue in 2011 on Outta Sight Records. (I got a copy of that one).

The Metros’ third RCA single, The Replacer b/w Let’s Groove, bombed, and ended the Metros time with RCA. A further two singles came out in 1967 and 1969 on Boss Records and 123 Records, (whose parent company was Capitol Records), respectively, but failed to make a significant impact, (even in Northern Soul circles).