Here’s another slice of classic soul from Detroit’s Soulhawk label, written and produced by Popcorn Wylie.

Popcorn plays the piano intro as Ron Jackson’s haunting sax floats over the three group members – William Howard, Lonnie Turner Jr and Lloyd Ray Robinson – introduce themselves in turn.

The Mighty Lovers began their performing career as a four-piece harmony group called The Four Deuces in 1966.

Their big break came the following year when Wylie offered them the chance to record a song he and Tony Hester had just composed.

There was just one condition: they had to adopt (and adapt) the song title – Mighty Lover – as their new group name.

Slick marketing, perhaps, but it wasn’t a hit and one of the group left. Released in 1969, this was their next single, and their first as a trio. It was also their last.

The Mighty Lovers might not have found fame and fortune but Popcorn kept them busy as uncredited backing vocalists (and handclappers) on hyphen-loving Jimmey “Soul” Clark’s outings for Soulhawk.

You can hear them on (Come On And Be My) Sweet Darling’, If I Only Knew Then (What I Know Now) – along with some great handclaps – and the song I posted yesterday, (I’ll Be Your Champion) I’ll Be Your Winner.

As a new decade dawned, Howard left the group and Turner and Robinson formed a new group with Norman Dixon and James Nelson.

Originally called Stone Image, they became Innervision, recording The Night The Lights Go Out, backed with the wonderfully-titled There’s A Fungus Among Us.

It was followed by their most successful single, Honey Baby (Be Mine) backed with We’re Innervision.