DURING the 60s the Motown record label evolved a distinctive house sound so instantly recognisable that "Motown" unequivocally became a style unto itself.

It was Berry Gordy Junior's baby and it became the biggest independent label in the music industry. The Detroit producer blended R&B and catchy pop melodies in a smooth and sophisticated style that helped bring black music to millions of white Americans... world domination quickly followed.

Groups such as the Temptations, the Four Tops and great individual voices such as Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Jimmy and David Ruffin all chipped in over the years to produce a string of hits that are still guaranteed to fill any dance floor even today.

Using this formula, any show entitled the History of Motown can't really fail... and Sunday night's offering at the Grand Theatre was certainly a huge hit with the audience.

An eight-piece backing band (including four horns) forced on by a driving bass provided the basic rhythmic foundation of bouncing bass and echoing drums synonymous with the sound of Detroit and our four soul-stars took to the stage and launched into a vigorous opening medley of three Temps' hits starting with Get ready ('cos here I come), The way you do the things you do and Ain't too proud to beg.

All slickly delivered by Oliver, Sam, Michael and William Hicks... a talented quartet hailing from Atlanta, the city of Angels and of course... Detroit.

They must have thought they were in slow-Motown as the audience (strangely reluctant) seemed happy to let most of the dancing happen on stage... for the first forty minutes or so anyway. Things improved once Mr Hicks told the crowd that it was all right to have a good time.

The show is not really a history of Motown at all and there are some songs in this particular set (two by the Stylistics and also Going loco down in Acapulco - a hit for the latter-day Four Tops) that should have no place in a Motown history but maybe, in the great scheme of things, I'm being picky because the group delivered a blistering set of hits that had the crowd up on its feet before the interval.

Just my imagination, My girl, What becomes of the broken-hearted and Tears of a clown all played their part in keeping the dancers moving but it was an a cappella version of Return to sender (another non-Motown offering) that actually brought the house down.

By the time they tore into Stevie Wonder's Uptight I thought the balcony was going to give way.

Dancing was slick, timing impeccable and the harmonies to die for.

When you needed strains of Otis or Levi Stubbs they were there and I'm sure I detected a even a little Harold Melvin in there too.

Second half they were dressed like those peculiar waiters from The Loveboat but the crowd lapped it up.

Only disappointment... brass backing needed cranking up a bit My Girl and no Try a little tenderness but everything else was bob on... a great night out.