Locking Up My Heart
Encyclopedia
"Locking Up My Heart" is a 1963 single released by Motown girl group
The Marvelettes
on the Tamla
record label.
The first charting single written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland,1 "Locking Up My Heart" was also the first single to feature Wanda Young
as lead vocalist (on the A-side
) albeit in a split lead vocal with (main lead vocalist) Gladys Horton
. The track was recorded 8 January 1963 in Studio A Hitsville USA and released 15 February 1963; the B-side: "Forever", was a cut from the 1962 Playboy
album and featured Young as lead vocalist.
"Locking Up My Heart" broke-out in Baltimore and San Francisco to enter the Billboard Hot 100
dated 23 March 1963 at #83; Motown considered the track to be significant enough to re-press it with adjusted instrumentation that April. However "Locking Up My Heart" lost its strong initial momentum as disc jockeys in some markets - including Pittsburgh - began to play the intended B-side: "Forever", and the Hot 100 dated 4 May 1963 showed "Locking Up My Heart" stalled at #44 as "Forever" debuted at #100; subsequently "Locking Up My Heart" would abruptly drop from the chart while "Forever"'s popularity would fail to coalesce into major hit impact with the track peaking at #78.
Both sides of the single ranked in the R&B Top 30 where "Locking Up My Heart" (#25) was succeeded by "Forever"(#24).
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
The Marvelettes
The Marvelettes
The Marvelettes were an American singing girl group on the Tamla label. Motown's first successful female vocal group, the Marvelettes are most notable for recording the company's first #1 Pop hit, "Please Mr...
on the Tamla
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
record label.
The first charting single written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland,1 "Locking Up My Heart" was also the first single to feature Wanda Young
Wanda Young
Wanda Young is an American singer, famous for being the member and later lead singer of the popular Motown all-female singing group The Marvelettes.-Biography:Wanda was born in 1943 and raised in the western Detroit suburb of Inkster, Michigan...
as lead vocalist (on the A-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
) albeit in a split lead vocal with (main lead vocalist) Gladys Horton
Gladys Horton
Gladys Catherine Horton was an American R&B and pop singer, famous for being the founder and lead singer of the popular Motown all-female vocal group The Marvelettes.-Biography:...
. The track was recorded 8 January 1963 in Studio A Hitsville USA and released 15 February 1963; the B-side: "Forever", was a cut from the 1962 Playboy
Playboy (The Marvelettes album)
Playboy is the third album by Motown girl group, The Marvelettes, released to capitalize on their hit singles "Playboy" and "Beechwood 4-5789", in 1962. It also includes the single, "Someday, Someway", and heartfelt standard, "Forever", which would be released as a single the following year. Other...
album and featured Young as lead vocalist.
"Locking Up My Heart" broke-out in Baltimore and San Francisco to enter the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
dated 23 March 1963 at #83; Motown considered the track to be significant enough to re-press it with adjusted instrumentation that April. However "Locking Up My Heart" lost its strong initial momentum as disc jockeys in some markets - including Pittsburgh - began to play the intended B-side: "Forever", and the Hot 100 dated 4 May 1963 showed "Locking Up My Heart" stalled at #44 as "Forever" debuted at #100; subsequently "Locking Up My Heart" would abruptly drop from the chart while "Forever"'s popularity would fail to coalesce into major hit impact with the track peaking at #78.
Both sides of the single ranked in the R&B Top 30 where "Locking Up My Heart" (#25) was succeeded by "Forever"(#24).
- 1The first Holland-Dozier-Holland production was "Dearest One" an overlooked 1962 release by Lamont DozierLamont DozierLamont Herbert Dozier is an American songwriter and record producer, born in Detroit, Michigan. Dozier has either co-written or produced several US Billboard #1 hits.-Career:...
.
Personnel
- Lead vocals by Gladys HortonGladys HortonGladys Catherine Horton was an American R&B and pop singer, famous for being the founder and lead singer of the popular Motown all-female vocal group The Marvelettes.-Biography:...
(verses) and Wanda YoungWanda YoungWanda Young is an American singer, famous for being the member and later lead singer of the popular Motown all-female singing group The Marvelettes.-Biography:Wanda was born in 1943 and raised in the western Detroit suburb of Inkster, Michigan...
(choruses, outro), - Background vocals by Wanda Young, Georgeanna TillmanGeorgeanna TillmanGeorgeanna Marie Tillman Gordon was an American R&B/Pop singer and an original member of the Motown girl group The Marvelettes....
, Wyanetta ("Juanita") Cowart, Katherine Anderson and The AndantesThe AndantesThe Andantes were a prolific female sessions group for the Motown record label during the 1960s. Composed of Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps, the group sang background vocals on numerous Motown recordings, including songs by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, The Temptations, Stevie... - Instrumentation by The Funk BrothersThe Funk BrothersThe Funk Brothers was the nickname of Detroit, Michigan, session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown Records recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972...
| Chart (1963) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 44 |
| U.S. Billboard R&B Singles | 25 |