Metros, The

Big on the Northern Soul scene but little-known outside of it, The Metros from Detroit honed their exquisite harmonies in their school’s bathroom and made just one album, Sweetest One, in 1967 for RCA Victor.

While they undeniably soaked up their home city’s sounds – there were nods to the grit of The Contours and Isley Brothers and to The Four Tops‘ sugar – they were as much inspired by the Chicago soul of the Okeh stable and Curtis Mayfield.

The title track of their album, a delicious gospel-meets-doo-wop number, took them into the US R&B Top 50.

With the Pied Piper team – Motown men Jack Ashford, Joe Hunter, Eddie Willis and Mike Terry – providing a pounding pulse and songs as golden as Since I Found My Baby and I’ll Never Forget You (later covered by The O’Jays), the album should have followed suit.

But it flopped and they soon disbanded.

Percy Williams
Vocals
James Buckman
Vocals
Robert Suttles
Vocals
Arthur Mitchell
Vocals