Birth of Motown

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Birth of Motown

BIRTH OF MOTOWN
It all started when Berry Gordy Jr borrowed $800 and launched the Tamla label in January 1959. A year later he formed the Motown corporation and launched the Motown label, this was followed by other labels under the Motown banner, including Gordy, Soul and the less well-known Miracle and Workshop Jazz labels.

Motown transitioned R&B and doo wop artists into 1960s soul legends. The label reached the UK in the spring of 1965, the original American label names were combined and, in the UK, the music was released on the Tamla Motown label.

Well, that’s the big picture. Read on for the story of The Birth of Motown.

WHERE IT STARTED
Berry Gordy Jr was born in Detroit, Michigan on 28 November 1929, as well as founding the Motown corporation he was a prolific songwriter and producer. He was also a keen amateur boxer, sparring with the legendary R&B singer Jackie Wilson. Gordy’s mother did not want him to become a professional boxer, which was great news for the music business.

On 12 January 1959: Berry Gordy Jr launched his first record label, Tamla, with an $800 loan. He also set up the music publishing company Jobete, named after his children. At the end of the year he formed the Motown corporation and Motown record label. For British releases he combined the two label names for Tamla Motown – but that’s where our story ends in 1965…

JACKIE WILSON
Berry Gordy Jr’s first break as a songwriter came in 1957, with Jackie Wilson’s Reet Petite. This gave him a UK #6 and helped fund the Tamla venture.
Jackie Wilson was also born in Detroit and in the early 1950s formed the Falcons with his cousin Levi Stubbs, who went on to become the lead vocalist in Four Tops. In a later lineup Wilson Picked was also a member of this same group.
In 1953 Jackie Wilson joined the Dominoes, he replaced Clyde McPhatter who had moved to Atlantic Records to form the Drifters. He parted company with the Dominoes in 1957 for a very successful solo career, with over 40 R&B hits – many of which crossed over into the pop charts.

MARV JOHNSON – 1st single on Tamla: 101
1959 Jan 21: released Come to Me, written by Berry Gordy Jr and Marv Johnson
It received a regional release on the Tamla label and a full national release on United Artists. The UA release hit #30 on the Billboard Top-40.

SMOKEY ROBINSON and the Miracles – One of the cornerstones of the Motown story
Ronald White, Smokey Robinson and a few friends formed the Matadors in 1955, whilst they were all still at high school in Detroit. Berry Gordy Jr saw them at a failed audition for Jackie Wilson’s manager in 1957. He liked them, signed them up and changed their name to “The Miracles”.
1959 Aug 30: The Miracles released Bad Girl on Chess. It also received a limited release on Motown – 1st Motown single.

A year later the Miracles had their first American hit.
1960 Oct 15: Miracles released Shop Around on Tamla, listed on the label as “The Miracles featuring Bill “Smokey” Robinson”.
Produced by Berry Gordy Jr, it reached #2 and gave them their first American hit.

1962 Nov 9: The Miracles released You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me, written by Smokey Robinson and, as it says on the label, “Produced by Smokey”.
The Beatles famously covered the song, in the UK on their second album, With the Beatles and in America on The Beatles Second Album. Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, The Zombies and Small Faces were amongst other artists with a cover version.

Their first UK hit came in 1966, with Going to A Go-Go.

They went on to have a string of hits, as the Miracles, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and Smokey Robinson.

MOTOWN

Hitsville U.S.A.

14 Dec 1959: Berry Gordy Jr set up the Motown Corporation, shortly after the first Motown single, Bad Girl by the Miracles. Formed in Detroit, the recording studios were aptly named “Hitsville U.S.A.”. Berry Gordy Jr decided to follow the example of Stax Records and Phil Spector, by having his own house band of local session musicians. Stax had Booker T & the MGs, Phil Spector had his Wrecking Crew. Gordy recruited the highly respected Funk Brothers.

Along with the Atlantic/Stax Records alliance, Motown became one of the greatest labels for transitioning 1950s R&B and doo wop artists into 1960s soul music legends. So many of the Motown artists had their roots in doo wop groups, The Temptations, Four Tops, Marvin Gaye…

THE SATINTONES – 1st full single release on Motown
1959 Oct 11: The first full single release on Motown came with My Beloved by The Satintones. Motown 1000

MOTOWN 1001 & 1002
1959 Oct: M1001: Eugene Remus released You Never Miss a Good Thing – written and produced by Berry Gordy Jr.

1960 Aug: M1002:Popcorn and the Mohawks released Custer’s Last Man – writing credit: “Wylie – Gordy – Robinson”.
That’s Richard “Popcorn” Wylie, Berry Gordy Jr and Smokey Robinson. Berry Gordy Jr produced the song.

MARY WELLS – Berry Gordy hit the jackpot
1960 Jul 8: Berry Gordy signed Mary Wells to Motown.

1960 Sep: Released Bye Bye Baby as the third release on the Motown label, M1003 – producing an R&B hit, peaking at #8. Mary Wells wrote the song, originally intended for Jackie Wilson. But when Gordy heard it he insisted that Wells record the song herself. Gordy produced the track and set Mary Wells on the road to becoming the first female star at Motown.

1961 Jun 3: Released I Don’t Want to Take a Chance – Berry Gordy Jr co-writer and producer.
This gave Mary Wells her first crossover hit – R&B #9 + Billboard Top-40 #33.

1964 Mar 13: Released My Guy – label credits shown as: writer “Wm Robinson” and producer “Smokey”.
This was a huge hit, R&B #1 for 7 weeks and Billboard Top-40 #1 for 2 weeks. It also gave Mary Wells her first UK hit, a #5 on the Stateside label.

Mary Wells left Motown shortly afterwards because of a dispute over her original contract. She moved on and signed to 20th Century Fox Records.

DEBBIE DEAN – 1st white female signing to Motown
1961 Jan: First single Don’t Let Him Shop Around on the Motown label. It was an answer song to the Miracles Shop Around; producer Berry Gordy Jr, Gordy and Smokey Robinson included in the writing credits.

THE TEMPTATIONS – one of the most enduring Motown groups
This legendary Motown vocal group came from a combination of artists from various R&B and doo wop groups. The story of their formation starts back in the late 1950s, when Otis Williams and the Siberians became the Distants: Otis Williams, Elbridge “Al” Bryant and Melvin Franklin. Shoot forward to March 1961, when Otis Williams was invited to audition for Motown. He invited Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams (no relation to Otis) to join him at the audition. They were from the Primes, another vocal group playing the same Detroit clubs as Otis Williams.

The Distants and Primes combined to become the Elgins for the audition. They were successful and signed to the short-lived Motown label, Miracle Records. They discovered another group using the “Elgins” name and became “The Temptations”.

1961 Jul 24: Released their first single: Oh Mother of Mine on Miracle Records.

After a couple of singles on Miracle, they moved to the Gordy label.

1962 Mar 16: The Temptations released their third Gordy single Dream Come True. This finally gave them their first R&B hit, peaking at #22. Most of their subsequent hits were on the Gordy label.

It would take nearly two more years for the Temptation to find mainstream success…

1964 Jan 23: With their fifth Gordy release they finally had their first crossover hit with The Way You Do the Things You Do; Smokey Robinson producer and co-writer. David Ruffin had recently replaced Al Bryant and this was the first single to feature the his voice, although not yet on lead. It was an R&B #1 and peaked at #11 on the Billboard Top 40.

This lineup was known as the Classic Five: Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams and David Ruffin.

1965 Jan 30: More success followed when My Girl entered Billboard Top-40. Smokey Robinson and Ronald White wrote and produced the song. Lead singer David Ruffin took the lead vocal and it gave them their first American #1. A UK release on the Stateside label took them into the British charts for the first time, peaking at #43.

The Tamla Motown label not yet been launched in the UK and Berry Gordy’s Motown songs were released under licence on a number of existing British labels, including Stateside.

MARVIN GAYE – One of Motown’s biggest solo stars
Marvin Gaye was another Motown star who started out in R&B/doo wop groups. In 1957 he formed the Marquees. At this time his surname, Gay, was spelt without the “e”.

1957 Sep 25: The Marquees recorded Hey Little Schoolgirl, this was coupled with Wyatt Earp and released as their only single. The musicians behind Gay were Bo Diddley’s backing band.

Marvin Gay’s big break came when he met Harvey Fuqua of the Moonglows fame. Harvey Fuqua was in the Crazy Sounds when he became involved with Alan Freed in 1952 and he changed their name to “The Moonglows”. Alan Freed was the person who coined the term “rock’n’roll”. A Cleveland DJ, his first radio show was in 1951 – five years before Elvis hit the charts. Freed was one of the most influential men in 1950s rock’n’roll, bringing black R&B music to white teenage audiences.

The Moonglows had an R&B #1 with Sincerely in 1954. This was followed by a string of R&B hits, the last of which came in 1958 with Ten Commandments of Love . Feeling he needed to revitalise the group, Harvey Fuqua formed the New Moonglows with Marvin Gay’s group, the Marquees, around 1959.

Harvey Fuqua became one of the early executives at Motown. In the early 1960s he signed Marvin Gay to the label and added an “e” to the end of his surname. Marvin Gaye was now part of the Motown family.
1961 May 25: Credited as “Marvin Gaye”, he released his first single, Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide on Tamla; Berry Gordy Jr wrote and produced it.

1962 Jul: His first American hit came with an R&B #8, Stubborn Kind of Fellow. The writing credit went to “Gaye – Stevenson – Gordy”, with the artist credit on the label as Marvin Gaye and underneath, in slightly smaller print, The Vandellas.

1962 Dec: Hitch Hike gave Gaye his first crossover hit, R&B #12 and Billboard Top-40 #30; co-written by Gaye.

Marvin Gaye was still two years away from his 1st UK hit. That came with Once Upon a Time, which peaked at #50 in July 1964. Released on Stateside, this was a duet with Mary Wells.

THE MARVELETTES – First #1 for Berry Gordy
The all-girl vocal group formed in Inkster High School, Detroit in 1960. By the time they entered a local talent contest in 1961, they had become the Marvels. They came a disappointing fourth in the competition, where the first three prizes were auditions with Motown. Not to miss out, they managed to persuade the good people at Motown to let them audition. They were successful, changed their name to the Marvelettes and became the first all-girl super group at Motown.

1961 Aug 21: Released Please Mr Postman on Tamla. This was the first #1 for Berry Gordy Jr. Lead singer Gladys Horton was just 15 years old at the time and playing drums on the song was the label’s own Marvin Gaye. The B-side, So Long Baby was not the same song as the Del Shannon hit.

In the UK it was released on Fontana but failed to trouble the charts. The Marvelettes’ only hit in the UK was with When You’re Young and in Love, which gave them a #13 in 1967. This song was their sixth UK Tamla Motown single and before Tamla Motown came to the UK, they had also released singles on Fontana, Oriole and Stateside.

THE SUPREMES – the most successful girl-group at Motown
The Primettes came together in the late 1950s, although they weren’t called that yet. The original group included Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard. They were much sought after backing singers. Their recordings included Wilson Pickett’s Let Me Be Your Boy and a host of artists for Bob West on his Lupine label.

Milton Jenkins managed the Primes, which included Eddie Kendrick and Paul Williams, who went on to be founding members of the Temptations. He became involved with the girls and changed their name to the Primettes. In 1960 they failed an audition at Motown. Undeterred, they released Tears of Sorrow as the Primettes on the Lupine label. The Motown audition in January 1961 proved more successful, they signed to the label and changed their name to the Supremes.

1961 Mar 9: Released their first single, I Want a Guy on the Tamla label; Berry Gordy Jr co-wrote and produced it.
1962 Nov: Achieved their first R&B hit, a #26 with Let Me Go the Right Way; another composition and production from Berry Gordy Jr.
1963 Oct: First crossover hit When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes, an R&B #2 and #23 on the Billboard Top-40. It was written by Holland – Dozier – Holland and produced by Holland – Dozier. This songwriting and production team were one of the key elements in Motown’s success in the 1960s.

The Supremes’ first chart success in the UK came with Where Did Our Love Go, which was released on Stateside and gave them a #4 in 1964.

MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS – Another one of the very successful girl groups at the label
1962 Sep 27: The group’s Motown debut I’ll Have to Let Him Go, was released on the Gordy label.

1963 Feb 22: Released Come and Get These Memories, another Holland, Dozier, Holland composition and production. It gave the group their first American crossover hit: R&B #6 + Billboard Top-40 #29.

1963 Jul 10: Released Heat Wave, once again Holland – Dozier – Holland. It gave them an R&B #1 for 4 weeks and made #4 on the Billboard Top-40. The song was covered by the Who on their second UK album, A Quick One, released in 1966. When the album was released in America, it was called Happy Jack because the US album included their first American hit single, Happy Jack. The song was probably included on the album as a tip of the cap to their mod roots. Liverpool’s Liverbirds also covered the song in 1966.

Martha and the Vandellas scored their first UK chart success in 1964 with Dancing in the Street, released on Stateside it peaked at #28.

LITTLE STEVIE WONDER – the youngest member of the Motown family
Ronnie White, a member of the Miracles, introduced Stevie Wonder to Berry Gordy in 1961. Gordy signed the eleven-year-old as “Little Stevie Wonder”.

1962 Aug: His first single I Call It Pretty Music (But Old People Call It the Blues) Pts 1&2, featured Marvin Gaye on drums and was released on the Tamla label.

1963 May 21: Released Fingertips Pts 1 & 2. Produced by Berry Gordy Jr, Fingertips Pt 2 was an R&B #1 for 6 weeks and topped the Billboard Top-40 for 3 weeks. This gave him his first crossover hit, a song taken from the modestly-titled album 12 Year Old Genius

Stevie Wonder’s first UK hit came with Uptight in 1966, released on the Tamla Motown label it peaked at #14.

FOUR TOPS – the all-time longest serving rock’n’roll group with the same lineup (1954 to 1997)
Still at high school, Levi Stubbs, Abdul “Duke” Fakir, Lawrence Payton and Renaldo “Obie” Benson came together in 1954, as the Four Aims. They released four singles before being signed to the Motown stable in early 1963. As the Four Aims they released their first single, If Only I Had Known, on the Grady label in 1956. They changed their name shortly afterwards to “The Four Tops” because they wanted to avoid confusion with The Ames Brothers. In May 1956 they released their second single Could It Be You on Chess. The third single came in the summer of 1960, with Lonely Summer on Columbia. Lead singer Levi Stub wrote the B-side, Ain’t That Love and John Hammond produced both sides. Their fourth and final single came in late 1962 with the release of Pennies from Heaven on the Riverside label.

The Four Tops Joined Motown

In early 1963 they signed to Motown – on the Workshop Jazz label. There were plans for an album called Breaking Through, described contemporaneously as the Four Tops “Singing Jazz Versions of” songs such as I Left My Heart in San Francisco and Stranger on the Shore. The planned photo for the album sleeve was very similar to the one used later for the Four Tops’ Second Album. Unfortunately, the label was wound up before they completed the album and the project was shelved. It would be 1999 before the album found its way onto record shop shelves, with a release as a part of the Lost and Found series.

They spent their time in the studio, backing other Motown singers. That was, until they were transferred to the Motown label and given the Holland – Dozier – Holland song, Baby I Need Your Loving. They dropped “The” from their name, released the song on 10 July 1964 and finally found success, with a hit record peaking at #11.

Their first UK hit came in 1965 with the release of I Can’t Help Myself on the Tamla Motown label. It gave them a #23 in 1965.

Four Tops went on to become one of the most successful male vocal groups of the era. Unlike their Motown stable-mates the Temptations, who had a regular turnover of singers, the original 1954 Four Tops continued as the same lineup until the death of Lawrence Payton in 1997.

JR WALKER & THE ALL STARS – also introduced to Motown by Harvey Fuqua
Jr Walker started out recording for Harvey Fuqua’s Harvey label. He released three singles between April 1962 and February 1963. Harvey Fuqua took Jr Walker to Motown and signed him to the Soul label.

1964 Aug 24: Released his first single on Soul, Satan’s Blues. Co-written by Jr Walker and co-produced by Berry Gordy Jr.

1965 Jan: His first hit came with the release of Shotgun, an R&B #1 and peaking at #4 on the Billboard Top-40.

Jr Walker’s first UK hit How Sweet It Is was released on Tamla Motown in 1966 and peaked at #22. Written by Holland – Dozier – Holland, it was originally released by Marvin Gaye. Long John Baldry released his cover version in 1969.

HOLLAND – DOZIER – HOLLAND – awesome songwriting and production team, 1963 TO 1967
They were all born in Detroit. Eddie Holland released Little Miss Ruby in the spring of 1958. Berry Gordy Jr. cowrote the B-side, You. Lamont Dozier also released his own singles. Harvey Fuqua and Gwen Gordy wrote Let’s Talk it Over, released in late 1960 on the Anna label. A record label owned by Gwen Gordy, Berry Gordy’s sister. In the early 1960s Brian and Edward Holland came together with Lamont Dozier to become one of the most successful songwriting teams of the era.

They wrote:
1963 Feb: Martha and the Vandellas – 1st crossover hit, Come and Get These Memories.
1963 Jul: Martha and the Vandellas – 1st R&B #1, Heat Wave.

1964 Jul: Four Tops – launched the Four Tops’ career with Baby I Need Your Loving.
Plus other Four Tops classics: I Can’t Help Myself, Same Old Song, and Reach Out I’ll Be There.

1964 Jun 17: The Supremes – 1st US #1, Where Did Our Love Go.
The Supremes’ next 11 American singles – generated 8 #1s – all from the Holland – Dozier – Holland, writing and production team.

Sadly, a difference of opinion between the songwriters and label occurred in 1967 and they went their separate ways.

TAMLA MOTOWN IN THE UK – finally came to the UK
In the early 1960s Motown singles had been released in the UK on a variety of labels including, Fontana, Stateside and Oriole. The first British release on Tamla Motown came on 19 March 1965 with the Supremes single Stop in the Name of Love. This single gave the new label its first UK hit, peaking at #7.

This was the Supremes’ fourth UK hit, the first back in 1964 with Where Did Our Love Go. This was followed by Baby Love a UK #1, and Come See About Me; all released on Stateside.

By the mid-1960s Motown was living up to it’s studio name – Hitsville U.S.A.