It's Been A Long Long Time

The Elgins' "It's Been A Long Long Time": Recording History and Chart Journey

The Elgins were a vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, operating within the orbit of Motown Records during the mid-1960s, one of the most creatively fertile periods in the label's history. Though they never achieved the sustained commercial prominence of Motown's flagship acts, the Elgins produced a body of work that exemplifies the label's distinctive approach to rhythm and blues, gospel-influenced harmonies, and meticulous studio production. "It's Been A Long Long Time" represents one of their later contributions to the Hot 100 chart, a brief but meaningful entry in the group's commercial history.

The Group and Their Motown Career

The Elgins formed in the early 1960s in Detroit and were signed to Motown's VIP subsidiary label. The group's membership included Saundra Mallett Edwards, Yvonne Allen, Johnny Dawson, and Cleo "Duke" Miller, with various lineup adjustments over the years. Their most commercially successful period came in 1966, when "Heaven Must Have Sent You" reached number 50 on the Hot 100 and performed more substantially on the rhythm and blues charts. That song would later achieve considerably greater fame when it was covered by Bonnie Pointer in 1979, reaching the top five. The Elgins' recordings were consistently high-quality productions that reflected the Motown house style developed by the label's in-house production team, the Holland-Dozier-Holland collective, and the broader network of writers and producers working at Hitsville U.S.A.

Recording and Release of "It's Been A Long Long Time"

"It's Been A Long Long Time" was released in 1967, during a period when the Elgins were attempting to consolidate their commercial standing at Motown. The production followed the established Motown formula: polished orchestral arrangements, tight vocal harmonies, and a rhythm track built on the expertise of the Funk Brothers, the legendary session musicians who played on virtually every Motown recording of the era. The song was released on the VIP Records label, the subsidiary through which Motown channeled several of its less commercially prioritized acts during this period. VIP operated as a distinct imprint but shared the resources, studios, and production personnel of the parent label.

Billboard Hot 100 Chart Performance

"It's Been A Long Long Time" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 29, 1967, entering at position 92. The single remained on the chart for only that single week, spending one week at its peak position of number 92. This brief chart showing reflected the competitive nature of the summer 1967 singles market, which was crowded with major releases from established artists across multiple genres. Despite its limited chart run, the recording represents a genuine artifact of the Motown production system at its mid-1960s peak, and the song demonstrates the group's vocal capabilities within the framework of that highly disciplined studio environment. The brevity of its chart life should not obscure the historical significance of the Elgins' overall body of work, which continued to attract attention from collectors and Northern Soul enthusiasts in subsequent decades. The Elgins were among the many Motown acts whose recordings found significant second lives in the United Kingdom's Northern Soul scene, where the group's high-energy, gospel-inflected soul recordings were particularly valued by dancers and collectors who prized recordings that had underperformed commercially in the United States. This posthumous appreciation helped sustain interest in the Elgins' catalog long after the group had ceased active recording, and ensured that songs like "It's Been A Long Long Time" remained in circulation among serious collectors of the Motown era.

Context Within the Motown Catalog

By mid-1967, Motown was operating at the height of its commercial power. The Four Tops, Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and the Supremes were all generating substantial chart activity, and the label's roster was crowded with talented acts competing for promotional resources and radio airplay. In this environment, a group like the Elgins, signed to the VIP subsidiary, necessarily occupied a secondary position in the label's commercial priorities. "It's Been A Long Long Time" appeared during this intensely competitive moment, and its limited chart run must be understood in that context rather than as a reflection of the quality of the recording itself.