Gladys Knight & the Pips routines that became a signature of the Pips' stage presentation; Atkins later described his working and personal relationship with the group in his autobiography, "Class Act: The Jazz Life of Choreographer Cholly Atkins": "The one thing that I was pleased about was a stipulation in my contract that allowed me to keep working with Gladys Knight & the Pips as personal clients even though I would be an employee of Motown Records. To tell the truth, Gordy wasn't too happy about it at first, but this is something that I would not compromise under any circumstances. By that time, Gladys
Gladys Knight & the Pips label which featured acts who had more of an R&B flavor than a pop flavor. Their first Motown single, "Just Walk in My Shoes", was a hit in England, but the group was disappointed in having The Andantes sing over the Pips in the song, resulting in the group demanding that the Andantes not be featured on the group's recordings. They also were one of the few Motown acts that didn't regularly perform on the label's Motortown Revues, with an exception being a Christmas showcase at the Fox Theater in Detroit, recorded for the album, "Motortown Revue Live". A second