That Motown Sound…
Tell me why I’m sitting in the office listening to “I Want You Back” and holding back tears?
I am one of the biggest Motown fans out there…seriously. I read every book I can get a hold of even from Mr. Gordy’s “I’m awesome” biography, to the one by his baby Mama Raymona Gordy… I have extensive collections of Marvin, the Jackson Five, the Temps, The Matadors (Smokey and nem)… even got a couple of modern Motown people like Erykah Badu…
This label wasn’t just a record label…it was a movement…and era…
I have so much pride in the artistry of Black people…even the way Motown was run…it was a true community business! From the amazing Holland Dozier Holland writers to allowing normal people from the streets work their way up to becoming superstars. (Martha Reeves started out as a secretary, and even Marvin Gaye played the drums with the Funk Brothers on the Miracles albums among others.) If you had something to bring to the table, they took you in, paid what they could afford, and put you to work. A very…takes a village to raise a child type place.
A black owned and black run multimillion dollar business business…until they started to cater to non Black crowds…and Barry started replacing executives with yt “experts”
But even then, still the legacy has not and probably will never be eclipsed by any record company EVER.
50 year anniversary is coming up soon. I hope they have a big celebration like they did for 25…”We want you Back” Michael!
DETROIT!
