Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam)

1961 Motown song

"Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam)"

Single by The Valadiers
B-side| "Take A Chance"
Released| October 23, 1961
Recorded| 1961; Hitsville USA (Studio A)
(Detroit, Michigan)
Genre| Soul, R&B
Length| 2:33
Label| Miracle (Motown)

Songwriter(s)| Robert Bateman
Brian Holland
The Valadiers
P. Bennet
Lawrence Horn
Ronald Dunbar
Producer(s)| "Brianbert"
(Brian Holland &
Robert Bateman)
The Valadiers singles chronology
|  | "Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam)"
(1961)  | "Because i Love Her"
(1962)

|
|

"Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam)"

Single by The Monitors
from the album  Greetings! We're The Monitors
B-side| "Number One In Your Heart"
Released| February 24, 1966
Recorded| January 28, 1966; Hitsville USA (Studio A)
(Detroit, Michigan)
Genre| Soul, R&B
Length| 2:37
Label| V.I.P. (Motown)
V.I.P. 25032
Songwriter(s)| Robert Bateman
Brian Holland
The Valadiers
P. Bennet
Lawrence Horn
Ronald Dunbar
Producer(s)| Mickey Stevenson
Henry Cosby
The Monitors singles chronology
| "Say You"
(1965)  | "Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam)"
(1966)  | "Since I Lost You Girl"
(1966)

|
|

"Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam)" is a 1961 song recorded by three American R&B music groups, The Valadiers, The Monitors, and The Isley Brothers for the Motown label.[1] It was written by Robert Bateman, Brian Holland, Stuart Avig, Martin Coleman, Art Glasser, Jerry Light, P Bennet, Lawrence Horn and Ronald Dunbar. (Avig, Coleman, Glasser and Light were members of the Valadiers.) The Isley Brothers version was shelved while the Valadiers' and Monitors' versions give both groups their first and only charter on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and became the biggest "hit" for each; both groups could only archive very minor hits due to non-promotion.[2][3]

The song lead (Valadiers lead singer Avig, Monitors lead Richard Street, and Ronald Isley respectively) tells the listeners about his frustrations of being drafted into the army, and how he doesn't want to leave his family, friends and girl behind. The Valadiers and Monitors version also have a Drill Sergeant near the end (played by Valadiers' Jerry Light and Monitors' Warren Harris respectively) barking orders and telling the lead to get in line and march. This would be the only leads for both Light and Harris in their respective groups, as Avig and Coleman were the leads for the Valadiers and Street was the Monitors' lead singer.

The Valadiers were the first to record the song in late 1961.[1][4] Their version would only make it to No. 89 on the pop chart,[2][5][6] not enough (and too little too late) to save the Miracle label from being shut down and replaced with the Gordy label (to which both the group and the Temptations would be reassigned to). The Isleys were the next to record it on January 22, 1966, and then the Monitors just days later on January 28.[1] The Isley Brothers' version was shelved until 1972, three or four years after they left Motown to restart their T-Neck record label. The Monitor's version would become their biggest "hit" on not only the U.S. Pop charts but on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart.[3][7] But while it reached No. 21 on the U.S. R&B charts (their second and last single on that chart), it only peaked at No. 100 on the U.S. Hot 100 (the first of only two to make the U.S. Pop charts - their last was on the Bubbling Under chart).[3][7]

## Personnel

[edit]

### Valadiers' version

[edit]

* Lead vocals by Stuart Avig and Jerry Light
* Backing vocals by Stuart Avig, Marty Coleman, Art Glasser and Jerry Light
* Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers

### Isley Brothers' version

[edit]

* Lead vocals by Ronald Isley
* Backing vocals by O'Kelly Isley, Jr. and Rudolph Isley
* Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers

### Monitors' version

[edit]

* Lead vocals by Richard Street and Warren Harris
* Backing vocals by Sandra Fagin, Maurice Fagin, and Warren Harris
* Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Don't Forget the Motor City". www.dftmc.info.
2. ^ a b The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 1: 1959–1961 [CD liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records
3. ^ a b c The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 6: 1966 [CD liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records
4. ^ "126. The Valadiers: 'Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam)'". Motown Junkies. April 10, 2010.
5. ^ Biography by Andrew Hamilton, Allmusic.com. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002 (1st ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 736. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
7. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 312.

* v
* t
* e

The Monitors

* Richard Street
* Sandra Fagin
* John "Maurice" Fagin
* Warren Harris
* Darrell Littlejohn
* Leah Harris
* Herschel Hunter

Albums|

* Greetings! We're The Monitors (1966)
* Grazing In The Grass (1990)
* The Elgins Meet The Monitors (1997)
* Say You! The Motown Anthology (2011)

Singles|

* "Hello Love" (1964, unreleased)
* "Say You" (1965)
* "Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam" (1966)
* "Since I Lost You, Girl" (1966)
* "Bring Back The Love" (1968)
* "Step By Step (Hand In Hand)" (1968)
* "Standing Still" (1990)

Related articles|

* Thelma Records
* Norman Whitfield
* The Temptations
* The Elgins
* The Velvelettes

* v
* t
* e

The Isley Brothers

* Ernie Isley
* Ronald Isley

* Marvin Isley
* O'Kelly Isley Jr.
* Rudolph Isley
* Chris Jasper

Studio albums|

* Shout! (1959)
* Twist & Shout (1962)
* Twisting and Shouting (1963)
* This Old Heart of Mine (1966)
* Soul on the Rocks (1967)
* It's Our Thing (1969)
* The Brothers: Isley (1969)
* Get into Something (1970)
* Givin' It Back (1971)
* Brother, Brother, Brother (1972)
* 3 + 3 (1973)
* Live It Up (1974)
* The Heat Is On (1975)
* Harvest for the World (1976)
* Go for Your Guns (1977)
* Showdown (1978)
* Winner Takes All (1979)
* Go All the Way (1980)
* Grand Slam (1981)
* Inside You (1981)
* The Real Deal (1982)
* Between the Sheets (1983)
* Masterpiece (1985)
* Smooth Sailin' (1987)
* Spend the Night (1989)
* Tracks of Life (1992)
* Mission to Please (1996)
* Eternal (2001)
* Body Kiss (2003)
* Baby Makin' Music (2006)
* I'll Be Home for Christmas (2007)
* Power of Peace (2017)
* Make Me Say It Again, Girl (2022)

Live albums|

* Live at Yankee Stadium (1969)
* The Isleys Live (1973)
* Live! (1993)

Compilation albums|

* Timeless (1978)

Singles|

* "I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door"
* "Shout (Part 1)"
* "How Deep Is the Ocean?"
* "Twist and Shout"
* "Nobody but Me"
* "Testify (Part 1)"
* "Love Is a Wonderful Thing"
* "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)"
* "I Guess I'll Always Love You"
* "That's the Way Love Is"
* "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)"
* "Behind a Painted Smile"
* "Put Yourself in My Place"
* "It's Your Thing"
* "I Turned You On"
* "Keep On Doin'"
* "Freedom"
* "Love the One You're With"
* "Spill the Wine"
* "Lay Lady Lay"
* "Lay-Away"
* "Pop That Thang"
* "Work to Do"
* "It's Too Late"
* "That Lady (Part 1)"
* "What It Comes Down To"
* "Summer Breeze"
* "Live It Up"
* "Fight the Power (Part 1)"
* "For the Love of You"
* "Harvest for the World"
* "The Pride"
* "Livin' in the Life"
* "Take Me to the Next Phase (Part 1)"
* "Groove with You"
* "I Wanna Be with You (Part 1)"
* "It's a Disco Night (Rock Don't Stop)"
* "Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time for Love) (Parts 1 & 2)"
* "Between the Sheets"
* "Choosey Lover"
* "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)"
* "Contagious"
* "Make Me Say It Again, Girl"

Filmography|

* It's Your Thing (1970)

See also|

* Discography
* T-Neck Records
* Isley-Jasper-Isley

* Category:The Isley Brothers
* Portal:Rhythm and blues

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template