Mike & Brenda Sutton
| Company type | Musical duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Founder | Michael B. Sutton, Brenda Sutton |
| Defunct | 1984 |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Mike & Brenda Sutton formed a musical partnership from the United States, consisting of Michael B. Sutton and Brenda Sutton. They gained recognition for their songwriting and production roles at Motown, as well as for their early 1980s recordings, notably the dance hit "Don't Let Go of Me (Grip My Hips and Move Me)" which was remixed by Shep Pettibone.
Their discovery came through Stevie Wonder, leading them to serve as writers and producers at Motown Records between 1974 and 1979. Among their production achievements are successful tracks such as "There Will Come a Day" performed by Smokey Robinson, "Stay with Me" by Jermaine Jackson, alongside songs created for the band Switch. Their work contributed to one gold and two platinum albums.
Following their tenure at Motown, they teamed up with Cheryl Lynn to co-write the Ray Parker Jr.-produced R&B top 5 hit "Shake It Up Tonight". The duo released two albums, Don't Hold Back (1982) and So Good (1984), which yielded multiple charting singles on R&B and dance charts. Subsequently, they collaborated with Ian Levine on his Motown revival initiative, recording the song "No Other Love".
History
During the early 1970s, Michael B. Sutton composed songs for Motown artists including Thelma Houston, Smokey Robinson, Jermaine Jackson, and the Supremes.
Both Michael and Brenda Sutton were initially members of the disco/R&B ensemble Finished Touch, producing Motown tracks like "Need to Know You (Better)" and "I Love to See You Dance". After Finished Touch dissolved in 1979, the pair signed with Sam Records and issued soul-driven boogie-funk singles such as "Don't Let Go of Me" and "We'll Make It". These singles reached the Billboard Club Play Singles chart, peaking at positions 37 and 49 respectively.
Studio albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1982 | Don't Hold Back |
| 1984 | So Good |
Singles
| Year | Song | Label | Peak chart position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Dance | ||||
| 1982 | "We'll Make It" | SAM | 49 | |
| "Don't Let Go of Me" | SAM | 37 | ||
| "Don't Hold Back" | SAM | — | ||
| 1984 | "Kraazy" | Rocshire | — | |
| "Live It Up (Love It Up)" | Rocshire | — | ||
| "—" indicates singles that did not chart or were not issued in that market. | ||||