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Born in Detroit in 1929, he was a jack of all trades, even working as a plasterer in his father's business. But music was always his passion; Gordy started out as a producer and songwriter, penning "Reet Petite" and "Lonely Teardrops" for Jackie Wilson and setting up the Jobete Music Publishing Company. One of Gordy's first producing efforts was the Miracles' "Got A Job." (This was an answer or response song to the Silhouettes' no.1 1958 hit "Get A Job.") In 1959, the Motown Record Corporation was launched. (1959 seems to have been a very pivotal year in rock-and-roll history.) On an $800 family loan, Gordy rented an eight-room, two-story house at 2648 West Grand Boulevard. For several years, this location, the first headquarters and studio, would become world-renowned as "Hitsville USA". Several family members and friends helped out by taking on various administrative roles within the fledgling organization. And here credit must also be given to Raynoma Gordy Singleton, the first Gordy wife. She was very involved in putting together Motown Records as well. Among many things, she was a member of, and helped organize, the Rayber Voices, who did much of the background singing on early recordings. Berry Gordy initially began recording R + B artists such as Mable John and Marv Johnson, who cut the new company's first release, "Come To Me" in 1959, on the equally new Tamla label. Later successful releases included "Money" by Barrett Strong, a no. 2 R + B smash and "Bad Girl" by The Miracles. But Gordy wanted something more distinctive, a fuller sound with some overtures of gospel, but more of a "cleaned-up"pop flavor, that would appeal to both black and white record buyers. And he kept striving for that. One of Gordy's passions while putting together Motown was to groom and cultivate street kids not just for the music, but to make them acceptable to mainstream America and eventually, the world. He firmly believed that just because you're from the ghetto, it doesn't mean that you have to look and act "ghetto." To achieve this end, he hired experts such as Maxine Powell, a former modeling/finishing school operator, to transform ther Motown artists into polished professionals. Speaking, table manners, makeup, clothes, how to move, posture, and even attitude management were taught. Many of the singers resented it, BUT, if you've ever watched any Motown star being interviewed or at a public function, it seems that her lessons paid off.
The copyright of the article The Early Days of Motown in the 1960 Music Scene in 60s Music is owned by Patricia Jacobs. Permission to republish The Early Days of Motown in the 1960 Music Scene in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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