The Rayber Voices

Posted on October 29 2021 by dion1

The Rayber Voices - L to R: Robert Bateman, Gwen Murray, Brian Holland. Front: Raynoma Gordy

The Rayber Voices (Detroit, Michigan)

Personnel :

Ranoma Liles Gordy

Robert Bateman (Bass)

Sonny Sanders (First Tenor)

Brian Holland

Discography :

Herman Griffin & The Rayber Voices
1958 - I'm So Glad I Learned To Do The Cha-Cha / I Need You (Hob 112)

Marv Johnson & The Rayber Voices
1959 - Come To Me / Whisper (Tamla 101)
1959 - I'm Coming Home / River Of Tears (UA 175)
1959 - Don't Leave Me / You Got What It Takes (UA 185)
1960 - I Love The Way You Love / Let Me Love You (UA 208)
1960 - Ain't Gonna Be That Wa / All The Love I've Got (UA 208)

Chico Leverett & The Rayber Voices
1959 - Solid Sender / I'll Never Love Again (Tamla 54024)

Barrett Strong & The Rayber Voices
1960 - Whirlwind / I'm gonna cry (Tamla 54033)

Tom Clay & The Rayber Voices
1959 - Never before / Marry me (Chant 103)

Mike Power & The Rayber Voices
1959 - I Left My Love In Paris / Teenage Sweetheart (Zelman 5301)

Biography :

This early Motown backing vocal group came from Detroit, Michigan, USA. The ensemble was established in 1958 and directed by Berry Gordy's second wife, Raynoma Gordy. The Rayber Voices were the original background singers on Gordy's early recordings.

Marv Johnson

This is the original line-up: Raynoma Gordy (Berry Gordy's ex-wife), Brian Holland, Sonny Sanders (Satintones Tenor) and Robert Bateman (Satintones bass), later Gwen Murray was in the group as well. The group was on recordings from mid-1958 to about the end of 1959.

Barrett Strong

The Rayber Voices made their debut on Herman Griffin's I Need You (1958), and toured with Marv Johnson the following year after his Come To Me achieved a modicum of success. Joining the voices at this time was Gwendolyn Murray.

The Rayber Voices
Paste up picture : Bateman, Gordy ,Sanders & Holland

As Gordy's Motown empire grew the Rayber Voices would eventually include members of the Temptations, Martha And The Vandellas, and the Miracles. But the days of using ad hoc ensembles soon ended and by the early '60s the Rayber Voices was replaced by a full-time back-up group, the Andantes.

Songs :

Herman Griffin & The Rayber Voices

I'm So Glad I Learned To Do The Cha-Cha I Need You

Marv Johnson & The Rayber Voices


       Whisper                              Come To Me              You Got What It Takes


I'm Coming Home               Let Me Love You                   River Of Tears