20. Once there, Knight would win her first of three Grammys with the Pips, thanks to their timeless hit "Midnight Train to Georgia." The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top 10 hit single "Cloud Nine" in October 1968, pioneered psychedelic soul, and was significant in the evolution of R&B and soul music. 29. Barrett Strong became a Motown writer lyricist, teaming with producer Norman Whitfield. Bullock later produced the Younghearts' two LPs on 20th Century Records, and he also did work for the Dells, Little Richard, Johnny Taylor, Booker T. & the MG's and many others. It is rumoured that Gordy based his hit factory after the Detroit car assembly line that he knew so well: Make a good product, then make something similar, and make it quick. 49. American bass player James Jamerson was the uncredited bassist on most of the Motown Records hits in the 1960s and early 1970s. 42. Motown found success quickly. It was one of the most successful independent record companies in history. 43. Which Motown house band played with hundreds of artists but never had its own hit record? The Four Tops were founded as the Four Aims, that began their careers together while they were high-school students in Detroit. He … 7. 46. Ross also ventured into acting, earning an Oscar nomination for her performance in Lady Sings the Blues (1972), and she also played Dorothy in Sidney Lumet's musical fantasy film The Wiz (1978), opposite Michael Jackson. Photo: Hullabaloo Archive/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images. The two groups were based out of Detroit, and they joined together when the Distants lost some of its members. Although the label's hit-making team of Dozier-Holland-Dozier had left in 1967, Motown continued to spawn hits throughout the 1970s and sign new stars well into the 1990s. 24. 1 hits "Got to Be There" and "Ben." In 1972, Berry Gordy moved Motown's corporate headquarters to Los Angeles, which had become a major music industry hub. Funk Brothers. Motown Then and Now . Some of the lesser-known artists who recorded for Motown in the early 60s include: Singin’ Sammy Ward, Popcorn and the Mohawks, Paul Gayten, Nick & the Jaguars, The Twistin’ Kings, The Swinging Tigers and The Golden Harmoneers. Motown Records produced many of the greatest musicians from the 1960s and 1970s. The music of ‘Motown’ needs no introduction. In 1966, Berry Gordy refused to sign The Jackson 5 because he didn’t want to work with any more children. 1 hits “ABC,” “I’ll Be There” and “The Love You Save.”. But Jackson’s influence on dance in popular culture went far deeper than one move. They played on Motown hits such as “My Girl”, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”, “Baby Love”, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”, “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”, “The Tears of a Clown”, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, and “Heat Wave”. The act that got the first hit record would get top billing, and the others would be supporting acts. Behind the music: Motown – a pop factory with quality control. The musicians who wrote and arranged many of the hit songs for Motown Records from MUS 08 at Foothill College In fact, the vocals on many of his biggest hits are first takes. Vince Staples. 60. Toné! These popular African American vocalists can trace their musical roots from the Lord's house to the top of the charts. The Four Tops sign to their hometown hitmaker, Motown, in April 1963, and record Breaking Through, an album of (mostly) standards for release on the company’s Workshop Jazz imprint. 10. In the early 70s The Jackson Five became Motown’s main marketing focus and the label capitalized on the group’s youth appeal, licensing dozens of products, including the Jackson Five heart logo on Johnny Jackson’s drum set, stickers, posters, and colouring books, as well as a board game and a Saturday morning cartoon. 11. Berry Gordy briefly worked on the assembly line at a Ford car plant. Despite the operatic coda, Wells gets the credit for selling this breathtaking number of a woman slowly going mad over a man she loves and hates at the same time. The Marvelettes were its first significantly successful girl group after the release of their debut single the 1961 number one “Please Mr. Postman”. 56. “Come to Me” by American singer Marv Johnson was the first ever single to be released by the Tamla Records label which would eventually become known as Motown. In the Name of Love," The Supremes is considered Motown's greatest commercial success. The Supremes were founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959. Although he started out as a successful drummer for Motown's early hits, Marvin Gaye became a prolific force at Motown as a solo artist starting in the early 1960s. The stunted growth of blood vessels in the back of his eyes caused his retinas to detach, and the oxygen pumped into his incubator made the condition worse, leaving him permanently blind. 1 purveyor of soul music," Gaye produced many hits, including “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),” “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” his duet with Tammi Terrell. In 1961, "Shop Around" by The Miracles became Motown's first million-selling single, hitting the top of the Billboard R&B chart and number two on the Pop chart. In the Name of Love,” “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” and many more. Which phrase best describes the role of the Motown studio musicians? For several decades, it was one of the leading record labels in the world, scoring countless hits and launching the careers of icons such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. 47. As a session musician he played on 30 Billboard number 1 hits. 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