Some
More Motown facts written by Alex MacKenzie.
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Berry
Gordy was born on the 28th November 1929.
Jackie
Wilson launched his solo career in 1958 with the singles "Reet
Petite"
and "To Be Loved," both written for him by a pre-Motown Berry Gordy,
Jr
Many
people believe Berry launched the Tamla label fist, but many people
didn't
know that Berry created another label before the Tamla label. It
was
called the Rayber label! It was developed 2 months before the Motown
label
there was only one artist on that label, Wade Jones. The song was
called
“I Can’t Concentrate” [Rayber 101]).
Thomas
Beans Bowles had the first Black Band to record on the Tamla label,
the
Swingin’ Tigers. Bowles
. Mary
Wells came to the attention of Berry Gordy as a 17-year-old, hawking a
song
she'd written for Jackie Wilson; that song, "Bye Bye Baby," became her
first
Motown hit in 1961
. Maxine Powell from the Motown Artist Development Department, ran Detroit’s
first
black modeling agency from 1951 to 1964
Maxine
Powell ran the Ferry Centre, a combination office centre, and
hall-for-rent, Claudette and Smokey Robinson, had their wedding reception
there.
The first record with the famous Motown Map Label was The Contours “Funny”
The first record on the Miracle Label was “Don’t Feel Sorry For Me” by
Jimmy
Ruffin
. Denis
Edwards the Temps singer was lead singer with The Contours on the
record
Its So Hard Being A Loser
In
1969 Carol Gill, as lead singer of The Vellettes, married Richard Street
of
the Temptation.
“Where
Did Our Love Go," 1964 hit that took the Supremes to No. 1 on the US
charts.
It should have been the Marvelettes' song. "Berry Gordy had intended
the
song to be recorded by the Marvelettes, but they rejected it as being
too
sweet,"
Whitfield
and Strong "I Wish It Would Rain" in 1968 was the first Motown
release,
to incorporate the use of sound effects.
The first woman producer at Motown was Moy Sylvia
Motown's first number one single, in the US, was "Please Mr. Postman"
(1961).
By the Marvelettes
Marv's Johnson’s "You Got What It Takes" was his third 1959
release; the
song
was written by Berry Gordy, Gwen Gordy, and Tyran Carlo (pseudonym for
Billy
Davis), and published by Jobete. It reached 10 in the US, making it
the
first Berry Gordy production to reach pop's Top 10.
The
original version of "Someday We'll Be Together," which was recorded by
Diana
Ross & The Supremes in 1969, had Johnny Bristol as the session's
producer,
and also the male voice doing harmony.
The “Lady Sings the Blues," film based on Billie Holiday life was
produced
and
financed by Berry Gordy
During
the "Lady Sings the Blues," film, the voice that the young Billie
hears
when she keeps playing the song, "Ain't Nobody's Business" on the
ancient
gramophone. Is by Blinky a Motown Artist?
Jobete
(pronounced "Jo-BET"), is named after Berry Gordy three children,
Hazel
Joy (Jo), Berry IV (Be), and Terry (Te)
In
1958 Berry Gordy produced a record by Herman Griffin titled "I Need
You"
on
the H.O.B. (House Of Beauty) label, which is notable in that it was the
first
song to be published by Berry`9__________p;__'s publishing company called Jobete
Mike Hanks owned the House of Beauty label a fierce rival of Berry Gordy in
the
early years. The name came from his beauty parlour.
The House of Beauty connection to Motown is this is where Raynoma Gordy
(Berry
Gordys second wife) had her hair done.
"I
Need You" was the first record to credit the Rayber Voices, as background
singers.
The Rayber Voices where named after Berry's second wife, Raynoma,
(Ray)
and himself (Berry).
Marv Johnson has the distinction of having the first record released on
Berry
Gordy's Tamla label, "Come To Me/Whisper". It was licensed to United
Artists
and was released on UA 160
At Christmas 1968, Billboard published its year end issue, and for the week
ending
December 28, Motown had five records out of the Top Ten on
Billboard's
Hot 100:
1
Marvin Gaye, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine,"
2
Stevie Wonder, "For Once In My Life,"
3
Diana Ross & the Supremes, "Love Child,"
7
Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations, "I'm G€=__________?__onna
Make You Love Me"
10
The Temptations, "Cloud Nine."
Berry Gordy Earned 367 million dollars in 16 years.
Motown is the only record label to get its name into the dictionary.
Beginning with the ebullient "Heatwave", by Martha and The Vandellas
in
1963,
Holland-Dozier-Holland reeled off twenty-eight top 20 songs over three years.
Holland-Dozier-Holland are responsible for more number one songs than any
other
non-performing song writing team in music history.
The
Beatles and The Rolling Stones, both recorded (and performed) Motown
songs
throughout their careers, including, "Please Mr. Postman," "Ain't
Too
Proud
to Beg;' "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) Barrett Strong's
"Money"
is the only song by an outside artist that both groups recorded in
their
entire careers.
Motown had 69 songs that reached US No. 1
The numbers of singles sold is astounding; between 1960 and 1970 sixty-seven
percent
of the singles Motown released hit the charts (the industry standard
"hit
ratio is around ten percent). Fifty-six of those songs were number one
on
either the pop or R&B charts, and twenty-one topped both.
In
1964, when the Beatles began setting some records of their own, Motown
released
sixty singles, seventy percent of which hit the charts, and
nineteen
made it to number one. The Supremes alone racked up five
consecutive
number one pop hits starting with "Where Did Our Love Go?" in
1964.
In 1966, Motown's hit ratio topped seventy-five percent.
Stevie
Wonder was one of the organizing forces behind U.S.A. for Africa, the
all-star
group whose song, "We Are the World," raised more than $42.5
million
to help ease hunger in Africa.
The Supremes where the most successful Black performers of the 1960
Diana Ross and The Supremes last performances were in Las Vegas in January
1970.
Jean Terrell replaced Ross, and the group continued through 1977, when
it
dis-banded
Jean Terrell of The Supremes was the sister of the famous boxer Ernie
Terrell.
Valerie
Simpson (of Ashford and Simpson the Motown Producers) sang Tammi's
Terrell
part on nine of the eleven songs appearing on the album, Easy,
including
the singles "Good Lovin' Ain't Easy To Come By", "What You Gave
me",
and the posthumously released "Onion Song". This was because of Tammi
continuing
illness.
On January 12, 1959, Berry Gordy borrowed $800 from his family's loan fund
to
start his own record label, called Tamla.
A
now forgotten high point of Brenda Holloway career occurred in 1965, when
she
was the female
vocalist to accompany the Beatles on their North
American
tour.
I Found Myself A Brand New Baby" by Mike and the Modifiers is probably the
most
rare and most expensive originally issued record on the US Gordy label.
The
first group from outside the city of Detroit to sign with Motown, were
the
Velvelettes
Motown
came from Detroit nickname Motorcity.
Tamla was Berry Gordy first label; Motown was not established until
September
1959, operating fully from 1960.
The
Supremes record “I Want A Guy” their first issue on Motown is the rarest
record
on that label. It was scheduled for release on Motown 1008, but at
the
last minute it was transfer to Tamla. Those that escaped can be counted
on
the fingers of one hand.
The
rarest UK Motown single is the The Valadiers “I Found A Girl issued on
the
Oriole label in March 1963
“Where
Did Our Love Go” started an astonishing run of five consecutive
number
1 hits in the US, for the Supremes
Before
the move to 2648 West Grand Boulevard Detroit, (now the Motown
Museum)
Berry Gordy borrowed a series of premises. These included his sister
Louyce
5139 St Antoine where his other sister Gwen was operating Anna
Records
(with Billy Davies), then to Raynoma (Berry Gordy second wife) at
2040
Blaine Street both in Detroit.
Before Motown Berry Gordy and Raynoma developed the Rayber Music Writing
Company
Rayber, a combination of Rays and Berry Gordy's first name, charged
anybody
who wanted to make a record. They advertised on a local radio
station
and caught the ear of their first client, Louvain Demps.
The
first address to appear on the Tamla Label was 1719 Gladstone Detroit,
not
West Grand Boulevard)
The
$800 dollars Berry Gordy borrowed from his family to start Motown is not
necessary
correct. The money was the estimate of the recording, pressing
and,
promotional cost of the planned release of “Come To Me” by Marv
Johnson.
The record It’s the Same Old Song was recorded, produced, pressed and
shipped
to the distributors in 24 hours.
Three
Motown songs “Please Mister Postman”, “Money”, and “You Really Got A
Hold
On Me” appeared on the Beatles second album
The
first song to appear on the Tamla Motown label in the UK was, “Stop In
The
Name of Love” by The Supremes issued on in September 1965.
Marv
Johnson issued the first song from the Motown recording company in the
UK
in May 1959 on London –American label “Come To Me”.
Motown’s
first US million seller was “Shop Around” by Smokey Robinson and
The
Miracles.
The
first song that we are sure James Jameson played on is The Miracles
“Way
Over There”.
The
Funk Brothers moonlighted on a few Ric-Tic and Golden World Records,
most
famously on “Stop Her On Sight” and “Agent Double 00 Soul” for Edwin
Starr.
Motown purchased these labels so in the end they did become Motown Hits.
“Reet Petite” written by a pre-Motown Berry Gordy took a record 29 years 42
days
to reach the top spot. First
released on 15th November 1957, reached
number
1 on 29th November 1986.
Marvin
Gaye “Grapevine” was recorded three years before Gladys Knight
version.
However Gladys Knights version hit the US number 1 first.
Rockwell who sang “Somebody Watching Me” is Berry Gordy son.
The second single released on Tamla was Eddie Holland “Merry Go Round”
Eddie
was
part of the famous Holland Dozier Holland. Team.
Everybody
is familiar with the Tamla and Motown Label, but Berry Gordy also
had
Gordy, Soul, and VIP. Berry Gordy also create Stein and Van Stock
publishing
company to give the feel of a long established company.
Frank Wilson’s “Do I Love You” is the single that has the highest value of
any
Motown recording. It was purchased for £3,300.00 in 1993. It was again
sold
in 1999 for £15.000. The record was due for release, but Frank Wilson
changed
his mind about being a recording artist. He was a producer at
Motown;
therefore the record was pulled. The single has hand written
comments
by Berry Gordy on the label. Only two know singles exist
The
first white UK artist to
sign
to Motown was Kiki Dee.
“Money
That What I Want” by Barrett Strong was written about a week after
the
move to 2648 West Grand Boulevard now re-named “Hitsville USA”
Income
from ”Money” helped establish Berry Gordy next label “Motown”
The top ten UK Motown singles are
I
Just Called To Say I
Love
Stevie Wonder 1984
2
Hello
Lionel Richie 1984
3
Three Times A Lady
Commodores
1978
4
I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Marvin Gaye 1969
5
One Day In M y Life
Michael Jackson 1981
6
Being With You
Smokey Robinson 1981
7
All Night Long
Lionel Richie 1983
8
Reach Out I’ll Be There
Four Tops
1966
9
I’m Still Waiting
Diana Ross
1971
10
The Tears Of A Clown
Smokey Robinson 1970
Alex
MacKenzie.
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