EXAM 10 PART 1

Motown
Motown Records, founded by Berry Gordy Jr., ex-boxer and jazz record store owner, was the
most successful studio for soul music in the 1960s. The record label was established when Gordy
teamed up with Smokey Robinson, songwriter and front man of the Motown vocal group, The
Miracles. The Miracles, Shop Around became the labels first hit, reaching number two on the
Billboard charts. Other successful acts that Gordy discovered while exploring the clubs of
Detroit were Mary Wells, the Marvelettes, and Marvin Gaye. Gordy had a paternalistic control
policy over the products released by his label, from deciding on what artists to sign, to the sound
of every final audio mix. He had the last word and everything bore his stamp.

Listening example: Ooh, Baby Baby

Artist: Smokey Robinson

Listening example: My Guy

Artist: Mary Wells

Listening example: Please, Mr. Postman

Artist: The Marvelettes

The staff Motown hired was equally talented as the artists they signed. Motowns most important
songwriting team, H-D-H, was comprised of brothers Eddie and Brian Holland, and Lamont
Dozier. The H-D-H trio composed and produced 28 top 20 Motown hits between 1963 and 1967.
Their hits include Heat Wave by Martha and the Vandellas, and Where Did Our Love Go?
by the Supremes. Also on staff was Motowns house rhythm section, The Funk Brothers. These
musicians were top-notch and created the unique Motown sound, but they were anonymous.
Gordys careful control of Motowns sound included forbidding them to appear together on nonMotown recordings or any live performances. In 1989, the publishing of a book on the life and
work of James Jamerson, bassist in the Funk Brothers, led to the recognition of the individual
members of the Funk Brothers.
Motown also had a fair supply girl groups, including Martha and the Vandellas, The Marvelettes,
and most successfully, The Supremes. The Supremes, consisting of Diana Ross, Mary Wilson,
and Florence Ballard, was signed to Motown in 1962. The trio produced multiple number-one
hits, but the captivating presence of Diana Ross eventually moved her to the forefront of the act.
Eventually Ross left the group to pursue a solo career as a singer and actress.

Listening example: Heat Wave

Artist: Martha and the Vandellas

Listening example: Where Did Our Love Go?

Artist: The Supremes

Motowns music was polished, wholesome, and elegant, especially when compared to the raw
and aggressive sound from Stax. Motowns artists were well groomed and poised. Motowns
lyrics were romantic and inoffensive, the musics beat was danceable, and the recording stayed
within the time constraints of AM airplay. All of these factors combined lead to Motown being
incredibly successful with white audiences.
Marvin Gaye, one of Motowns biggest successes, began his work with the label as a session
drummer. He eventually began recording as a vocal soloist, scoring a significant hits with, How
Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You), Aint No Mountain High Enough, and I Heard It through
the Grapevine, originally recorded for Motown by Gladys Knight with one of Motowns male
vocal groups, the Pips.

Listening example: Aint No Mountain High Enough

Artist: Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrel

Motown featured a stock of male vocal groups in the gospel and doo-wop tradition including the
Four Tops, who sang R&B and crooning numbers, as well as The Temptations. The Temptations
were the finest singers of all the Motown vocal groups. They made very effective use of dance
steps and displayed a great versatility of musical style, ranging from hard-driving R& B to
romantic ballads.

Listening example: Reach Out and Ill Be There

Artist: The Four Tops

Listening example: My Girl

Artist: The Temptations

Gordys over-protectiveness of his product was detrimental to the creativity of some of his
artists, persuading many of his artists to leave the label or re-contract in order to gain more
creative control. For example, Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye stayed with Motown until the
1980s, then moved to Columbia. Stevie Wonder on the other hand, who began as a child solo
artist, was able to re-negotiate his contract to have more creative freedom, remaining with the
label.

Listening example: I Want You Back

Artist: The Jackson Five

Listening example: Superstition

Artist: Stevie Wonder