Jan 21, 20212 min read

Band of Gold - Freda Payne (1970) 1/22/21

Updated: Aug 9, 2022

In 1970, the legendary songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland (Brian-Lamont-Eddie) had left Motown for Invictus Records, and were in the middle of a lawsuit with their former employer. That didn't stop them from writing hits. In fact, under the pseudonym “Edythe Wayne” they teamed up with songwriter Ron Dunbar to write and produce today's “Great Song of 1970.”

They offered “Band of Gold” to Freda Payne, who initially turned it down because she thought (at age 30) she was “too old” for the song. Well, they talked her out of that silly notion, and to to show her how strongly they felt the song would be a hit, they brought in some high-powered talent to back her up!

First, they hired The Funk Brothers, Motown's house band, to lay down the track...as well as Detroit legend Dennis Coffey to play sitar, and a guitar player named Ray Parker, Jr, (who would later become famous for“Ghostbusters”)!

If that weren't enough, they brought in two background singers: Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson...who later became “Dawn” with Tony Orlando.

With all that talent, how could the song NOT be a hit? It reached the Top 10 in 7 countries...including #1 in the UK and Ireland, #2 in Canada, and #3 in the US!

And this was in spite of some lyrical controversy. Basically, the song was about an unconsummated marriage. Many believed the husband was gay—long before that sort of thing was overtly sung about. In fact, the song was favorite in the gay community at the time.

Ron Dunbar was surprised at this, because it never entered his mind when he wrote the lyrics. To him, it was about a marriage that was a mistake and the couple knew it the moment they said, “I do.” (To shorten the song, he had cut a few lines that may have made the point a bit clearer.)

This is just another example of “interpretation is in the ear of the listener.” :)

Note: There have THREE covers of the song that have charted over the years, and all of them are “Great Songs” in their own way.

In 1986, Bonnie Tyler went #6 on Billboard's Dance Play Chart with her version.

In 1987, Belinda Carlisle went to #26 on the same chart.

In 2007, Season Two American Idol contestant Kimberley Locke not only topped the Dance Play Chart, she reached #9 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Chart!

A lot of talent...and three decades...of hits make “Band of Gold” a “Great Song,” and it all started in 1970” with Freda Payne—and her all-star backup group.