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Focus on Motown Records: The emblem of the American Dream

A little money and a big dream. This is what Berry Gordy had in 1958, the year he received 800$ loan from his family, to make his dream come true: creating Motown records, one of the best and most known record companies which will revolutionize music. Not only did Motown revolutionize music, but also it churned out some of the most talented and greatest artists on earth such as Diana Ross and the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Jackson 5 and I could go on and on!!

Let’s see how the magic began!!

Gordy, decided to name his new record company, Tamla and the first single produced was “Come to me” by Marv Johnson. A catchy tuned and brilliantly performed song!! Such a good first single!! Super recommended!! The song soon became appreciated in Detroit and also in New York to the point that New York’s United Artists Records approached Gordy to distribute the song nationally!! Among the artists who signed a contract with Motown in 1960 there are Mary Wells and Marvin Gaye. As regards Marvin Gaye, he was a member of a group called Moonglows and when the it split up he signed a contract with Motown. Gaye reached the success in 1962 with the single “Stubborn kind of fellow” with the backing vocals by Vandellas!! This song, is really in the style of Motown and Marvin Gaye. The peculiarity of the record is that little “question and answer” game between Gaye and the Vandellas. Such a good song to play while you’re taking some time to relax!!

1961 has been a very proficient year for Motown due to the fact that so many talented artists such as The Supremes and Stevie Wonder signed with the company and in addition to that, the Temptations released their debut album. As regards the Supremes, they were a group from Detroit, firstly known as the Primettes. In 1960 Smokey Robinson got them an audition with Motown but before getting a contract with the company they needed to finish high school. Eventually the group changed the name into The Supremes and finally signed with Motown. They released “I want a Guy” just two months later. The next artist to sign with the record label in 1962, is Stevie Wonder. He was just an 11 years old kid when he first got the contract. The artist was first introduced to Berry Gordy by Ronnie White, from the Miracles. At the age of 11 Stevie Wonder was already able to play harmonica and his first single was “I Call It Pretty Music But the Old Folks call it Blues”. The next to produce their debut single were The Temptations. The group signed with the company in 1961, and after that, “Oh mother Of mine” was published. 1961 was also the year Motown had its first single gaining the No 1 on the Billboard chart!! The single was “Please Mr. Postman” by The Marvelettes.

1962 was another a good year for the record label. Gordy decided to gather some of the artists in his record company to go on tour around the Eastern seaboard. The last dates of “Motown Revue” ended at New York’s Apollo Theater. In addition, he had the brilliant idea to tape the shows and as a result in 1963 “Let me go the right way” by Supremes and “Fingertips” by Stevie Wonder will be two smashing hits!! These records are contained in “Live at The Apollo Vol. 1”.

1963 is also the year the Four Tops signed with the label, and “Fingertips” by Stevie Wonder reaches the No. 1 on the best sellers and the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The same year Berry Gordy signed a deal with British company EMI Records which chose to release Martha & The Vandellas hit “Heat Wave” as the first Motown single.

Moreover speaking about years, another relevant one for Motown is 1965. During that time Emi Records agrees to “create Tamla Motown Records as a label in its own overseas markets”, along with this, some of the artists of the label including Martha & The Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, The Miracles and the Supremes, start touring England, Scotland and Wales. Additionally, in 1965 Brenda Holloway opens some of the Beatles concerts in New York

In 1967 the 16 year old Stevie Wonder writes and record his next hit “I Was Made To Love Her”. The recording sessions take place at Hitsville in March. Stevie plays harmonica on Whitney Houston’s 1998 version of the song, reshaped as “I Was Made To Love Him” and produced by Lauryn Hill. Among other artists who have covered it: Jackie Wilson, the Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Michael McDonald, Tom Jones, King Curtis, and the Jackson 5 and Chaka Khan. What’s really relevant about the song are the stunning vocals and also Stevie’s brilliant skills in playing harmonica. I really love this song and it’s really recommended!! The same year Florence Ballard leaves the Supremes and she’s succeeded by Cindy Birdsong. In addition Diana admits in Her autobiography: “It was very tough to maintain the stamina to keep going”… “Florence loved to sing, but she just didn’t seem to be able to keep up with the lifestyle.”

Furthermore in 1968 The Jackson 5, a group from Gary, Indiana, attracts attention and audiences in their hometown and then in Chicago and New York. Thanks to their talent they manage to get an audition with Motown in Detroit in July. The brothers are driven from Gary to Detroit by their father Joe Jackson. “Our job was to perform like we’d never performed before” says Michael Jackson in his autobiography, Moonwalk. Berry Gordy views the audition on videotape and eventually gives the 5 brothers a contract.

In 1969 The Temptations release “Cloud Nine” which soon climbs the Top 10 hit. The single wins Motown’s first Grammy® award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), in the category of Best Rhythm & Blues Performance/Duo or Group.

Regarding the Jackson 5 after recording in Detroit, move to Los Angeles and begin to work on their debut single released for Motown, “I Want You Back.” The song shows the amazing vocal talent of a very young Michael Jackson and the already good skills of his brothers with musical instruments. They were so young and so talented!! The decade closed with the departure of Diana Ross from The Supreme and Jean Terrell joining the group. Diana makes her last TV appearance with the Supremes on December 21 on Ed Sullivan’s The Swinging, Soulful Sixties, and they perform “Someday We’ll Be Together”. Eventually Diana Ross cuts her debut solo 45, “Reach Out And Touch (Somebody’s Hand)”

The new decade begins with “I Want You Back” at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 – the first of the Jackson 5’s four consecutive chart-toppers this year. “We were particularly impressed with the ‘I Want You Back’ session”… “because that one song took more time (and tape) than all the other songs on the [album] combined. That’s the way Motown did things in those days because Berry insisted on perfection and attention to detail.” affirms Michael Jackson in his autobiography “Moonwalk”. This quote is so important because it is in my opinion the emblem of Motown: perfection and attention for details and creating music of quality!! From my point of view this is why Motown succeded so much!! Eventually The Jackson 5’s first tour as a Motown act begins in May in Philadelphia.

Moreover in 1970 Motown establishes a new label, Black Forum, to capture poetry and music which reflects the times and the turbulence such as: racial conflict at home and a foreign war draining America’s resources and spirit. The first releases include LPs by Stokely Carmichael, by Langston Hughes and Margaret Danner, two masters of prose and poetry. The late Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Why I Oppose The War In Vietnam” is another Black Forum release, following earlier albums via Motown by the civil rights leader, including 1963’s The Great March To Freedom. This was recorded in Detroit, when King gave an early version of his momentous “I have a dream” speech to thousands in the city. “Why I Oppose The War In Vietnam” is awarded a Grammy® by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences for best spoken-word recording. It is only Motown’s second Grammy®, and the company has to wait two years for more statuettes. In addition Marvin Gaye after the premature death of Tammy Terrel, restarts working on music to reflect the era’s socio-political climate, notably the Vietnam War, where his brother serves. On this note, “What’s Going On” is released. The song “What’s Going On” is opening the album and in my opinion is an untouchable milestone in music history, especially for its socially engaged lyrics. It’s a shame some artists have tried to cover the song stripping it out of its important and relevant meaning!! However I recommend you the album and the original single “What’s Going On”. The same year Berry Gordy is resident in Los Angeles, and due to that he decides to introduce a California-based label: the MoWest. The record company is open to artists and music from outside, producers, and newcomers. Over time, these include performers from all points of the compass, such as Thelma Houston, Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, Syreeta, Lesley Gore and, briefly, the Commodores.

Furthermore the record label decides to create a show dedicated to Jackson 5, in order to celebrate the upcoming concert in their hometown, Gary, Indiana. The show includes some guest stars on the TV event such as Diana Ross and Bobby Darin, as well as some comedians. After “Goin’ Back To Indiana” is televised, Motown Productions’ decides to produce a Saturday-morning cartoon series, “The Jackson 5ive”, which airs on ABC-TV, featuring the youngsters’ fictionalized adventures in showbusiness. The brothers do not voice their characters, but Diana Ross manages to do it for her part in the first episode.

In 1971 another new group called “The Commodores’” signs with the label, and begin to record, “If I Were Your Woman.” “The Zoo (The Human Zoo)” is released in March 1972 via the California-based MoWest. The same year Stevie Wonder opens for the Rolling Stones’ summer tour of North America, beginning on June 3rd in Vancouver and running through July and August. The ticket price was just 6.50$!! An extremely small price to listen and experience great music!! It must have been a dream!! The aim was to broaden Stevie’s audience, after the release of “Music Of My Mind”. The release of the album is followed in October by “Talking Book” This work is one of my favorite by this genius!! The album is featuring some of the best timeless masterpieces ever produced by the artis like: “You are the sunshine of my life”, “Blame it on the sun”, “You’ve got it bad girl”, “I Believe (When i fall in love it will be forever)” which is one of my favorite and it has also been covered by George Michael (i recommend you the version of George Michael). The album is also containing one of Stevie’s most famous song “Superstition”

Speaking about the The Jackson 5, their popularity in concerts is getting bigger and bigger. The group played in more than 30 cities through July and August, wrapping the shows in Honolulu. Meanwhile “Lookin’ Through The Windows” is a Top 10 albulm. Their opening act is the Commodores. The five perform their first significant concert dates in Europe this year, with shows in Holland, Germany, France and Britain. It’s also in 1972 that Smokey Robinson decides to leave the Miracles. “The last gig was a heavy happening,” writes Smokey in his autobiography, Inside My Life. “I decided to film my final day with the Miracles, from playing chess and cards in the dressing room to the concert that night.” Smokey is anguished as he sings “The Tears Of A Clown” for the last time with his bandmates . His wife Claudette, who retired from performing with the Miracles in 1964, rejoins the group onstage for the farewells, and Smokey introduces his replacement: Billy Griffin. Motown used the recordings from the final concerts for a double album, “Smokey Robinson and The Miracles 1957-1972”.

The next year (1973) “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone” as well as “Cloud Nine” is honoured in three categories at the Grammy awards. The single wins the award for: best R&B vocal performance by a duo or group, best R&B song, and best R&B instrumental performance. No other recording collects three Grammys this year. Moreover, the R&B instrumental wins bestows recognition upon conductor Paul Riser. In my opinion the song is perfectly arranged and the instrumental part is extremely mesmerizing!! In April Motown’s first movie, Lady Sings The Blues, starring Diana Ross as the jazz singer Billie Holiday is released. Diana receives an Oscar nomination as best actress for her depiction of Holiday, and wins a Golden Globe award as most promising female newcomer. Meanwhile, the soundtrack LP reaches the top of the Billboard charts, and the singer’s version of “Good Morning Heartache” is a Top 40 hit. “It was a brand-new style for me” … “at times slightly intimidating but mostly exciting.” says Diana Ross in her autobiography “Secrets of a Sparrow”. Furthermore 1973 prospects to be a good year for Stevie Wonder, when “Superstition” becomes his first No. 1 on the pop charts. This year Stevie is working on another masterpiece “Innervisions” which will be completed for the release on August 3rd, along with a series of concert dates. At the 16th annual Grammy® awards on March 2, Stevie Wonder’s “Innervisions” album and two tracks from his previous LP, “Talking Book”, are contending with seven nominations, and win five awards. The major prizes are: Album of the Year and Record of the Year for “Innervisions” and “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life,” respectively, while in the Grammys’ R&B Male Vocal category for “Superstition”, also triumphs Marvin Gaye with “Let’s Get It On”.

The following year (1974) Stevie Wonder enjoys another triumph at the Grammy® ceremonies, for “Fulfillingness’ First Finale” which is honored as Album of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. “Boogie On Reggae Woman” gets the Grammy® for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. The song was originally intended for his previous album, but “didn’t feel right for it” Stevie later says. “I went back and I had a demo of ‘Golden Lady’…and that felt better in that spot on Innervisions.” Meanwhile, another track from “Innervisions”, “Living For The City”, receives the Grammy® for Best R&B Song.

In 1976 Smokey Robinson’s successor in the Miracles, Billy Griffin, and one of the group’s original members, Warren “Pete” Moore, create a concept album, City of Angels which is described as a “soul opera.” The following March “Love Hangover” is released as a single from the new album by Diana Ross. The producer Hal Davis hears a demo of the song, and quickly records it with Diana in December 1975 in an eight-minute version aimed at the dance floor. “Love Hangover” rises to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late May, and also occupies the summit of the dance/disco and R&B charts. The same year, Stevie Wonder’s “Songs In The Key of Life” is two years in the making, with the final package of 21 tracks. “I hope you enjoy this,” says Stevie to the crowd and he adds “But it really doesn’t matter. I gave it my all and all is the best I can do.” “I Wish”, the first 45 from “Songs In The Key of Life”, is released by Motown in late November, and rises to No. 1 two months later. “I wrote that on a Saturday in the summer of 1976 right after the Motown picnic”… “The song was inspired by the fact that we were having so much fun.” affirms Stevie. The album is another brilliant piece of art and it is also featuring some socially engaged songs such as “Black Man” and “Pastime Paradise” which will be covered by Coolio in the 90s. However, the original version will always remain unbeatable!! Another song I love in this album is “Isn’t she lovely”, which is such an happy and emotional record dedicated to Stevie’s newborn child, Aisha. The album is also so relevant because we can listen how Stevie experiments with some new technologies creating a new style. However he kept his typical musical imprint. This album is very recommended!!

“Live At The London Palladium” by Marvin Gaye is released in March 1977. It is a two-LP set, with three sides from the show, and the fourth featuring a new studio recording, “Got To Give It Up,” running almost 12 minutes in length. “Got To Give It Up (Pt. 1)” becomes the singer’s third No. 1 on the pop charts, while Live At The London Palladium reaches No. 3. Meanwhile Mary Wilson, a founding member of the Supremes, declares that she is leaving the group for a solo career. It follows the release by Motown in late ’76 of their Mary, Scherrie & Susaye album, which includes “You’re My Driving Wheel” their final R&B Top 50 hit. Mary, Scherrie Payne and Susaye Greene play their last concert together in London at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, on June 12. They perform various Supremes’ hits from 1960s, as well as material from their own 1970s albums. Mary, Cindy Birdsong and Diana Ross appear together once more in 1983’s Motown 25 TV special, and the group is inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame five years later. Berry Gordy is inducted at the same ceremonies.

In 1966 Rick James signed with Motown and in 1978 he reconnects with the label , and got the contract with company again. In August, “The Wiz” follows a number of Motown film productions, including Lady Sings The Blues and Mahogany (both starring Diana Ross and Billy Dee Williams) . Shortly after wrapping filming for The Wiz, Diana Ross records an album of her own versions of the songs, in which she plays all the characters. However it remained unreleased until 2015.

The following year Stevie Wonder buys a complete Sony digital recording and editing system to use in the making of his first film soundtrack score, “Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants.” The orchestral suite is very different to his previous work. Stevie’s first 45 from the project, “Send One Your Love” becomes a major hit. To promote the soundtrack album’s release, Stevie undertakes a six-city tour with the National Afro-American Orchestra, including a performance at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. He performs while excerpts from the film are screened behind him. “I love the idea of orchestrating and composing”, “I would love to see ‘Secret’ done as a ballet. I just think if you have a love for music, you cannot limit yourself to any particular kind of music.” declares Stevie. In October 1975, Stevie Wonder performed with Bob Marley on “I Shot The Sheriff” during a concert in Kingston, Jamaica, while the Wailers jam with Stevie’s band. In the fall of 1980, “Master Blaster (Jammin’)” is part of Stevie’s new album, “Hotter Than July”, and its first single release. “Hotter Than July” soon reaches the Top 3 of the Billboard charts as “Master Blaster (Jammin’)” is a Top 5 single. The album also features “Happy Birthday,” created for the recognition of Rev. Martin Luther King’s birthday as a national holiday. On May 13, 1981, Stevie dedicates his birthday concert – in Stockholm, Sweden – to Bob Marley, who had died of cancer two days earlier. “Hotter Than July” is honestly my all time favorite album by Stevie Wonder. I really recommend the album!!

The next year “Street Songs”, made at The Record Plant in Sausalito, where Rick had cut his third album, “Fire It Up”, is released. “I decided to go back to Buffalo to chill,”… “I disguised myself and went to the Perry Projects, just to walk around. That’s when I knew what I needed. Reality. The street.” he explains. He lived in the studio for a week, writing and recording persistently. “Marvin Gaye was still my idol”, “and I wanted to create something along the lines of his What’s Going On – only with more of an emphasis on sex.” he declares in his autobiography, Glow. In February 1991, Rick wins his first Grammy award.

At a Motown press conference in Hollywood in 1982, Berry Gordy announces that Stevie Wonder has re-signed to the company and releases “Original Musiquarium I”, a 16-track, two-LP set, featuring twelve of Stevie’s biggest hits and four new songs: “That Girl” “Front Line” “Do I do” and “Ribbon In The Sky.” I recommend you to listen to “Do i do” which is one of my favorite songs in the album, especially for the brilliance of the instrumental part!! In May Lionel Richie’s career away from the Commodores takes flight with the chart-topping achievement of “Endless Love” his duet with Diana Ross, including “Lady.” His own debut solo album “Lionel Richie”, is released in September.The album contains nine songs either written or co-written by Lionel. “I didn’t want a cast-of-thousands production,” the singer/songwriter says. “The challenge was to find musicians who were willing to sweat and pull off precisely what I was looking for.”.“Truly” reaches No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November, and is also a worldwide success. It later wins a Grammy® award in Best Pop Male Vocal category.

Eventually in 1983 the two-hour Motown 25 special is staged and recorded by Motown Productions before an audience at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on March 25, for later broadcast by NBC-TV. The proceeds from the event will be donated to charity. Among the Motown artists taking part are: Diana Ross & the Supremes, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, the Jackson 5, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye Martha Reeves, Jr. Walker, Mary Wells and the Commodores. Guest stars include Linda Ronstadt, Billy Dee Williams, Dick Clark and Adam Ant, and the show is hosted by Richard Pryor and Smokey Robinson. The show includes the Jackson 5 singing their early hits, followed by Michael Jackson’s explosive solo performance of “Billie Jean” and introducing his universally renowned dance step the “Moonwalk”. The performance is followed by Marvin Gaye’s compelling version of “What’s Going On” preceded by his reflections on music and artistry; Stevie Wonder’s ebullient performance of “I Wish”; and the performance “battle” between the Four Tops and the Temptations. Lionel Richie is seen on video, singing “You Mean More To Me” to young Lanette Butler, poster child for the current campaign by the National Association of Sickle Cell Disease. Most anticipated is the Supremes’ reunion of Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong, filled with drama and an excerpt from “Someday We’ll Be Together” followed by a command to Berry Gordy to come to the stage, to be honoured by his stars. The show is edited and broadcast by NBC-TV as “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever”, and it is a huge hit with the national TV audience and the highest-rated broadcast of the week. Later in the year, it receives television’s prestigious Emmy award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program. Later, the show’s executive producer, Suzanne de Passe, says of the stars present that night, “Watching them try to get their turn to hug the man who had made it all possible for them brought tears to my eyes.”

In conclusion someone once said that good art is timeless and will live forever, I think Berry Gordy along with Motown artists were aware of it and they contributed to create and leave something we will cherish and love forever!! @motownrecordsofficial @motownrecords

I suggest you guys to buy the albums or songs if you’re interested don’t download music illegally please. You can get the albums on @discogs-official @amazon and you can get the songs and the digital version of the album on @itunes there are also app for music like @spotify and Tidal.

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