The first recording of "Jimmy Mack" (Holland - Dozier - Holland) by Martha and The Vandellas (Martha Reeves, Annette Beard and Rosalind Ashford) occurred in 1964. The record was shelved by Motown's team of "quality control" because of the Viet-Nam war.

In 1967 Motown finally released the top ten hit "Jimmy Mack" that we know and love with Martha Reeves and The Vandellas (Martha Reeves, Rosalind Ashford and Betty Kelley). The single from the album "Watchout!" topped the Billboard R&B chart. Wikipedia: "The inspiration for the song came from a 1964 music industry awards dinner, which Lamont Dozier attended. At the ceremony the mother of songwriter Ronnie Mack accepted an award for her son, who had recently died, for his composition "He's So Fine". Under pressure to come up with a hit for Reeves and the Vandellas, Dozier and the team penned this song in part as a tribute to Mack the writer".