Freda Payne's Band Of Gold

Unlike most black artists, Freda Payne was raised on jazz, not gospel. 
Born Freda Charcilia Payne on 19 September 1945 in Detroit, Michigan, Payne’s professional career started early when she sang on commercials in her hometown. It was hardly a riveting start, but it did give her the chance to later sing with the Pearl Bailey Revue, gaining valuable experience for her future career. Her stay with the Revue led to her performing on stage with jazz greats like Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton and Sammy Davis Jr. She was quite content to remain within this musical circle until she met composer and producer Quincy Jones, who invited her to perform as a soloist with his orchestra at the prestigious Apollo Theatre in New York. 

Due to her musical upbringing Payne’s first love was naturally jazz and when, during 1965, she signed a recording contract with the Impulse label, a subsidiary of ABC Records, she recorded her growing art. As splendid as her work was, it only appealed to a limited audience. Broader acceptance was what she now craved, and the pull of popular music led to her joining the Invictus label during 1969. It was a wise move as it reunited her with hometown friends, Brian and Eddie Holland and Lamont Dozier, who prior to opening their own company, Invictus, were Motown’s famous in-house composer/producer trio working with The Supremes, Martha and The Vandellas, the Four Tops and so on. However, when the trio became dissatisfied with the company’s royalty payment system and working conditions, they left in a flurry of lawsuits to start Invictus Records, although for a time they had to work anonymously because of certain stipulations included in Motown’s lengthy legal action.

Once under the Invictus banner, the jazz singer immediately made a name for herself in the American R. & B. chart with ‘Unhooked Generation’, but it was to be ‘Band of Gold’, penned by Ron Dunbar and Edith Wayne, that transformed her into an international success. Apart from presenting Payne in October 1970 with her first and only Billboard No1, selling one million copies, the title also topped British No. 1, a position it held for six weeks, before repeating the success across Europe. The track, with its instantly recognisable twangy introduction, and which, loosely speaking, told of an unconsummated marriage (or did it?), also stood the test of time, remaining popular for two decades. Numerous cover versions have also been recorded, including a sophisticated eighties dancefloor mix by the American singer Sylvester. 

Freda Payne said in 1978: "It has taken me until recently to really fully appreciate just how big a record that was all around the world. My name is synonymous with that song and it will take a real monster hit for me to ever live it down. I know that has been one of the problems of my career."