Everything you need to know about Rock Music up until 1982.
The Tamla Motown Label.
The Tamla Motown label began in 1958 as the brainchild of Berry Gordy jnr. He was a song writer who worked on the production line of a Detroit car factory. He had great success as a song writer, while still working on the factory floor he wrote a couple of million sellers. The first was Marv Johnson’s ‘You’ve got what it takes’ (covered by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates) and the second was Jackie Wilson’s song ‘Lonely teardrops’. Berry was very ambitious and was convinced that he could do even better if he was in control of his own work. He borrowed $700 from a relative so that he could set up his own label.
He originally wanted to call the label Tammy but as there was already a label of that name he decided to change it to Tamla. He then added Motown to it to represent the importance of Detroit as a source of R&B. At that time Detroit was the main car producing town in the whole of the USA and hence the Motortown or Motown. Berry’s main idea in setting up the label was to promote the huge R&B field that existed in the city.
Their first taste of success came from the distribution of another label’s song. It was the recording of Barrett Strong’s number ‘Money’. This was subsequently covered by hundreds of Beat groups including both the Beatles and the Stones.
Their own first success was not far behind and in 1959 they had their first million seller with a number entitled ‘Shop around’ by the Miracles featuring Smokey Robinson on vocals. Following this success the label began to grow in importance and expanded rapidly. They attracted in a large number of top acts including the Temptations, the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Little Stevie Wonder, Martha and the Vandella’s, the Four Tops and Junior Walker.
Their success lay in their distinctive production technique. They concentrated on taking the raw black R&B sound and creating a smoother, more commercial sound that was geared to appeal to a white audience. A second factor was the high standard of song writing provided by Holland, Dozier and Holland. They penned most of the Four Tops hits in the 1960s.
The coupling of this smooth production and quality song writing was to prove extremely commercial. It hit the right note with white audiences and made Tamla Motown the biggest R&B label of the 1960s.
| Artist | Stand out tracks |
| Barrett Strong | Money |
| Marv Johnson | You got what it takes |
| Miracles & Smokey Robinson | Shop around
You really got a hold on me I second that emotion Tracks of my tears Tears of a clown |
| Marvin Gaye | Hitch hike
Can I get a witness How sweet it is to be loved by you |
| Four Tops | Baby I need your loving
I can’t help myself (sugar pie honeybunch) Reach out I’ll be there Bernadette Walk away Renee Standing in the shadow of love |
| Little Stevie Wonder | Fingertips Pt 1 & Pt 2
Uptight (everything’s alright) Blowin’ in the wind I was made to love her |
| Temptations | My girl
Ain’t too proud to beg Get ready |
| Supremes | Baby love
Where did our love go? Come see about me Stop! In the name of love |
| Martha & the Vandellas | Dancing in the street
Jimmy Mack (Love is like a) Heatwave Nowhere to run to |
| Junior Walker | Shotgun
How sweet it is to be loved by you |
Everything you ever wanted to know about Rock Music!
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Opher Goodwin