Motown Records
Motown redirects here. For the city, see Detroit, Michigan.Motown Records, Inc., also known as
Tamla-Motown outside of the
United States, is a
record label originally based out of
Detroit,
Michigan (
"Motor City"), where it achieved widespread international success. Motown played an important role in the
racial integration of
popular music as the first record label owned by an
African-American and primarily featuring African-American artists to regularly achieve
crossover success and have a widespread, lasting effect on the music industry.
Incorporated on
January 12 1959 by
Berry Gordy, Jr. as
Tamla Records, Motown has, over the course of its history, owned or distributed releases from more than 45 subsidiaries in varying genres, although it is most famous for its releases in the
musical genres of
R&B,
pop, and
soul music. Motown left Detroit for
Los Angeles in
1972, and remained an independent company until
1988, when Gordy sold the company to
MCA. Now headquartered in
New York City, Motown Records is today a subsidiary of the
Universal Motown Records Group, itself a subsidiary of
Universal Music Group.
In the
1960s, Motown and its soul-based subsidiaries were the most successful proponents of what came to be known as
The Motown Sound, a style of
soul music with distinctive characteristics, including the use of
tambourine along with
drums,
bass instrumentation, a distinctive
melodical and
chord structure, and a
call and response singing style originating in
gospel music.
"Hitsville USA": 1959 - 1972
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The Hitsville U.S.A. building in Detroit, Michigan, which served as Motown's headquaters from 1959 until 1968. |
Berry Gordy, Jr. got his start as a songwriter for local Detroit acts such as
Jackie Wilson and the Matadors. Wilson's single "Lonely Teardrops," cowritten by Gordy, became a huge success; however, Gordy did not feel he made as much money as he deserved. He realized that the "real money" of the business was made producing records and owning the royalties. Therefore, in
1959, he started his own record label, Tamla Records with an $800 loan from his family; his first signed act was The Matadors, who changed their name to
The Miracles. Miracles lead singer
Smokey Robinson became the vice president of the company, and many of Gordy's family members, including his sister Gwen and his father Berry Sr., had instrumental roles in the company.
Also in 1959, Gordy purchased the property that would become Tamla's
Hitsville U.S.A. studio. The photography studio located in the back of the property was modified into a small recording studio and the Gordys moved into the second floor living quarters. Within a few years Motown would occupy several neighboring houses with administrative offices, mixing, mastering and rehearsal studios.
Among Tamla's early artists were
Mabel John,
Mary Wells, and
Barrett Strong. Tamla's first release was
Marv Johnson's "Come to Me" in 1959. The label's first hit was Barrett Strong's "
Money (That's What I Want)" (
1959), which made it to #2 on the
Billboard R&B charts; its first #1 R&B hit was "
Shop Around" by the Miracles in
1960. "Shop Around" peaked at number-two on the
Billboard Hot 100, and was Motown's first million-selling record. Also in 1960, Gordy launched Motown Records as a sister label. Because of the "Motown" name's association with "Motor City" Detroit, the blanket record company under which both Motown Records and Tamla Records operated was incorporated as "Motown Record Coproration". A year later,
The Marvelettes scored the label's first US #1 pop hit, "
Please Mr. Postman." By the mid-1960s, the label, with the help of songwriters and producers such as Robinson and
Holland-Dozier-Holland, was a major force in the music industry.
In the 1960s (from
1961 to
1971), Motown had 110
Top 10 hits and artists such as
Stevie Wonder,
Marvin Gaye,
Diana Ross &
The Supremes,
The Temptations,
The Four Tops,
The Jackson 5, and
Gladys Knight & the Pips were all signed to Motown Records. By the late 1960s the label was billing itself as "The Sound of Young America", with its acts enjoying widespread popularity among black and white audiences alike.
Artist development
Artist development was a major part of Motown's operations. The acts on the Motown label were fastidiously groomed, dressed and choreographed for live performances. Motown artists were advised that their breakthrough into the white popular music market made them ambassadors for other African-American artists seeking broad market acceptance, and that they should think, act, walk and talk like royalty, so as to alter the less-than-dignified image (commonly held by white Americans in that era) of black musicians. Given that many of the talented young artists had been raised in housing projects and were short on social and dress skills, this Motown department was not only necessary, it created an elegant style of presentation long associated with the label.
Many of the young artists participated in an annual package tour called the "
Motortown Revue", which was popular first on the "
chitlin circuit", and later around the world. The tours gave the younger singers a chance to hone their performance and social skills and also to learn from more experienced artists.
Production process
Motown's music was crafted with the same eye towards pop appeal. Berry Gordy used weekly quality control meetings and veto power to ensure that only the very best material and performances the company came up with would be released. The test was that every new release needed to "fit" into a sequence of the top 5 selling pop singles of the week. Many of Motown's most well known songs, such as all of the early hits for
The Supremes, were written by the songwriting trio
Holland-Dozier-Holland. Other important producers and songwriters at Motown's
Hitsville U.S.A. recording studio and headquarters included
Norman Whitfield &
Barrett Strong,
Nickolas Ashford &
Valerie Simpson,
Frank Wilson, Motown artists
Smokey Robinson,
Marvin Gaye and
Stevie Wonder, and Gordy himself.
The many artists and producers of Motown Records collaborated to produce numerous hit songs, although the process has been described as factory-like (such as the
Brill Building). The Hitsville studios remained open and active 22 hours a day, and artists would often be on tour for weeks, come back to Detroit to record as many songs as possible, and then promptly set back out on tour again.
The Funk Brothers
In addition to the songwriting prowess of the above individuals, one of the major factors in the widespread appeal of Motown's music was Gordy's practice of using a highly select and tight-knit group of studio musicians, collectively known as "
The Funk Brothers", to record the instrumental or "band" tracks of the Motown songs. Among the studio musicians responsible for the "Motown Sound" were
Johnny Griffith and
Joe Hunter on piano,
Joe Messina,
Robert White, and
Eddie Willis on guitar,
Eddie "Bongo" Brown and
Jack Ashford on percussion,
Uriel Jones and
Richard "Pistol" Allen on drums, drummer
Benny Benjamin, keyboardist
Earl Van Dyke, and bassist
James Jamerson. The band's career and work is chronicled in the
2002 documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown.
"Hitsville West" 1972 - 1998
After Holland-Dozier-Holland left the label in
1967 over royalty payment disputes, the quality of the Motown output began to decline, as well as the frequency with which its artists scored #1 hits. Even so, Motown still had a number of successful artists during the
1970s and
1980s, including
Lionel Richie and
The Commodores,
Rick James,
Teena Marie and
DeBarge. Motown relocated from Detroit to
Los Angeles in
1972 and attempted to branch out into the
motion picture industry, turning out films such as
Lady Sings the Blues,
Mahogany,
The Wiz,
Thank God It's Friday and
The Last Dragon. By the mid-1980s, Motown was losing money, and Berry Gordy sold his ownership in Motown to
Music Corporation of America (MCA) and Boston Ventures in June
1988 for $61 million.
During the 1990s, Motown was home to successful recording artists such as
Boyz II Men and ex-
New Edition member
Johnny Gill, although the comapny itself remained in a state of turmoil. A revolving door of executives were appointed by MCA to run the company, beginning with Berry Gordy's immediate successor, Jheryl Busby. Busby quarreled with MCA, alledging that the company did not give Motown's product adequate attention or promotion. In 1991, Motown sued MCA to have its distribution deal with the company terminated, and began relasing its product through
PolyGram. Polygram purchased Motown from Boston Ventures three years later. In 1994, Busby was replaced by
Andre Harrell, the entrepreneur behind
Uptown Records. Harrell served as Motown's CEO for just under two years, leaving the comapny after receiving bad publicity for being inefficient. Danny Goldberg, who ran PolyGram's
Mercury Records group, assumed control of Motown, and George Jackson served as president.
Universal/Motown: 1999 - present
By 1998, Motown had added stars such as
702,
Brian McKnight, and
Erykah Badu to its roster. In December of 1998, PolyGram was aquired by
Seagram, and Motown was folded into the
Universal Music Group. Universal briefly considered shuttering the floundering label, but instead decided to restucture it.
Kedar Massenburg, a producer for Erykah Badu, became the head of the label, and oversaw successful recordings from Badu, McKnight,
Michael McDonald, and new Motown artist
India.Arie. In 2005, Massenburg was replaced by
Sylvia Rhone, former CEO of
Elektra Records. Motown was merged with
Universal Records to create the
Universal Motown Records Group, an umbrella division of Universal Music which oversees the releases and catalogs for Motown, Universal,
Blackground,
Republic,
Cash Money,
Casablanca, and other labels.
Motown's current roster includes R&B singers India.Arie, Erykah Badu,
Mýa,
Kem, and
Yummy Bingham; pop singer
Lindsay Lohan; reggae singers
Damian and
Stephen Marley; and rappers
Trick Trick and
Nick Cannon. Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, and The Temptations had remained with the label since its early days (although both Ross and the Temptations each briefly recorded for other labels for several years). Ross and Robinson left the label in 1999, and the Temptations in 2004. Wonder is today the only artist from Motown's "classic" period still on the label.
 |
A posed photograph from Motown's landmark 1965 tour of the United Kingdom. Third from left is Florence Ballard of The Supremes; to her right are her bandmates Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, Miracles member Bobby Rogers, Martha Reeves of Martha & the Vandellas, Ronnie White of The Miracles, Motown chief Berry Gordy, Jr., Vandellas Rosalind Ashford and Gloria Willaimson, and, holding up the sign directly above the "UK", Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson. |
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The classic Motown logo. |
See also: List of Motown No. 1 singles in the United StatesThe following are examples of Motown singles which reached number-one on either the
Billboard Hot 100 or the Billboard
R&B singles chart.
The following is a list of Motown's best-selling or historically significant recording artists, grouped by the decade they joined the label. For a full list of Motown artists, see List of Motown performers.1950s and 1960s*Mabel John
*Marv Johnson
*Barrett Strong
*(Smokey Robinson &) The Miracles
*Mary Wells
*Marvin Gaye
*The Contours
*The Marvelettes
*(Diana Ross &) The Supremes
*The Temptations
*Martha (Reeves) & the Vandellas
*Jimmy Ruffin
*David Ruffin
*Stevie Wonder
*The Spinners
*Kim Weston
*Four Tops
*Brenda Holloway
*Jr. Walker (& the All Stars)
*Tammi Terrell
*The Isley Brothers
*Gladys Knight & the Pips
*Edwin Starr
*The Jackson 5
*Rare Earth1970s*Diana Ross
*Undisputed Truth
*Eddie Kendricks
*G.C. Cameron
*Michael Jackson
*Thelma Houston
*Jermaine Jackson
*Smokey Robinson
*The Commodores
*Teena Marie
*Rick James
*DeBarge
*Bonnie Pointer1980s*Lionel Richie
*El DeBarge
*Chico DeBarge1990s*Boyz II Men
*Shanice
*Debelah Morgan
*Johnny Gill
*Brian McKnight
*Queen Latifah
*Erykah Badu
*702
*98 Degrees2000s*India.Arie
*Michael McDonald
*Kem
*Damian Marley
*Stephen Marley
*Trick Trick
*Yummy Bingham
*Nick Cannon
*Lindsay Lohan
*MýaMajor divisions;Motown Records: Established 1960, Motown was and remains the company's main label for mainstream R&B/soul music (and, today, hip hop music as well). The label's numbering system was combined with those of Tamla and Gordy in 1982, and the label (and company) was purchased by MCA in 1988. Notable Motown artists have included Mary Wells, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Jackson 5, Boyz II Men, and Erykah Badu.Tamla Records: Established 1959; Tamla was a primary subsidiary for mainstream R&B/soul music. Tamla is actually the company's original label; Gordy incorporated Tamla Records several months before establishing the Motown Record Corporation. The label's numbering system was combined with those of Motown and Gordy in 1982, and the label was merged with Motown in 1988. Notable Tamla artists included Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder.;Gordy Records: Established 1961, Gordy was also a primary subsidiary for mainstream R&B/soul music. Originally known as Miracle Records (slogan: "If It's a Hit, It's a Miracle"), the name was changed in 1962 to avoid confusion with the Miracles singing group. The label's numbering system was combined with those of Motown and Tamla in 1982, and the label was merged with Motown in 1988. Notable Gordy artists included The Temptations, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, Rick James, and DeBarge. Gordy Records slogan: "It's What's in the Grooves that Counts"Secondary R&B labels;Check-Mate Records: Short-lived (1961 - 1962) secondary R&B/soul subsidiary, purchased from Chess Records. Notable artists included David Ruffin and The Del-Phis (later Martha & the Vandellas).Soul Records: Established 1964, Soul was a secondary R&B/soul subsidiary for releases with less of a pop feel and/or more of a blues feel. Notable Soul artists included Jr. Walker & the All-Stars, Gladys Knight & the Pips and Jimmy Ruffin. The label was dissolved in 1978.;V.I.P. Records: Established 1964, V.I.P. was a secondary R&B/soul subsidiary. Notable artists included Shorty Long, The Spinners, and The Elgins. The label was dissolved in 1974.Mo-west Records: Mo-West was a short-lived (1971 - 1973) subsidiary for R&B/soul artists based on the West Coast. Shut down when the main Motown office moved to Los Angeles. Notable artists included G.C. Cameron and Syreeta Wright.Alternate genre labels;Divinity Records: Short-lived (1961 - 1963) gospel subsidiary.Mel-o-dy Records: Established in 1962 as a secondary R&B/soul music subsidiary, Mel-o-dy later focused on white country music artists. Notable Mel-o-dy artists include Dorsey Burnette. The label was dissolved in 1965.;Workshop Jazz Records: Motown's jazz subsidiary, active from 1962 to 1964. Notable Workshop Jazz artists included the George Bohannon Trio and Four Tops (whose recordings for the label went unissued for 30 years).Rare Earth Records: Established in 1969 after the signing of Rare Earth (after whom the label was named), Rare Earth Records was a subsidiary focusing on rock music by white artists. Notable acts included Rare Earth, R. Dean Taylor, and Stoney & Meatloaf. The label was dissolved in 1976, and its acts moved to the Prodigy subsidiary.;Weed Records: A very short-lived subsidiary. Only one release, Chris Clark's 1969 CC Rides Again album, was issued. The name "Weed Records" is now owned by the Tokyo-New York based Wee Drecords.Black Forum Records: A Spoken word subsidiary which focused mainly on albums featuring progressive political and pro-civil rights speeches/poetry. Black forum issued recordings by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Stokely Carmichael, Elaine Brown, and others from 1970 until 1973.;Natural Resources Records: This label was active from 1972 to 1973 and in 1976 as a minor subsidiary for white artists and instrumental bands. Served as a label for Motown, Tamla, and Gordy reissues and Motown compilation albums in 1978 and 1979.Prodigal Records: Purchased by Motown in 1974, Motown used Prodigal Records as a second rock music subsidiary; a sister label to Rare Earth Records. The Rare Earth band moved over to the label following the Rare Earth label's demise. Prodigal was dissolved in 1978.;Hitsville Records: Originally founded as Melodyland Records in 1975, the name was changed to Hitsville in 1976. Like Mel-o-dy before it, Hitsville focused on country music. Notable artists included Pat Boone and T.G. Sheppard. The label was dissolved in 1977Morocco Records: Short for Motown Rock Company, Morocco was a rock music subsidiary for white artists. Active from 1983 to 1984, it was a short-lived attempt to revive the Rare Earth Records concept.;Motown Latino Records: Short-lived (1982) subsidiary for Spanish language Latin American music.Independent labels distributed by Motown;Chisa Records: Motown released output for Chisa, a label owned by Hugh Masekela, from 1969 to 1972.Ecology Records: A very short-lived label owned by Sammy Davis, Jr. and distributed by Motown. Only release: single "In My Own Lifetime"/"I'll Begin Again", by Davis in 1971.;CTI Records: Motown distributed output for CTI Records, a jazz label owned by Creed Taylor, from 1974 to 1975. CTI subsidiaries distributed by Motown included Kudu Records, Three Brothers Records and Salvation Records.Gull Records: A UK-based label still in operation, Motown released Gull's output in the US in 1975. Gull had Judas Priest on its roster in 1975, but their LP Sad Wings of Destiny, intended for release by Motown in the US, was issued after the Motown/Gull Deal had fallen through.|width="25%" valign="top"| |
*
Berry Gordy*
Hitsville U.S.A.*Edwards, David and Callahan, Mike. (March 15, 1998)
"The Motown Story & Album Discography".
Both Sides Now Publications.* Posner, Gerald (2002). Motown : Music, Money, Sex, and Power. New York: Random House. ISBN 037-550062-6.
*
Motown Historical Museum*
Complete discography of pre-1986 Motown singles*
Complete discography of pre-1986 Motown albums*
Motown Message Board (French and English)
