Motown Records es un sello discográfico estadounidense propiedad de Universal Music Group . Fue fundada por Berry Gordy Jr. como Tamla Records el 12 de enero de 1959, [2] [3] e incorporada como Motown Record Corporation el 14 de abril de 1960. [4] Su nombre, un acrónimo de motor y ciudad , se ha convertido en un apodo para Detroit , donde originalmente tenía su sede la etiqueta.
Motown Records | |
---|---|
Empresa matriz | Universal Music Group |
Fundado | 12 de enero de 1959 |
Fundador | Berry Gordy Jr. |
Distribuidor (es) | Capitol Music Group (EE. UU.) EMI Records (Reino Unido) Universal Music Group (en todo el mundo) |
Género | Varios |
País de origen | Estados Unidos |
Localización | Los Ángeles , California [1] |
Página web oficial | www |
Motown jugó un papel importante en la integración racial de la música popular como un sello de propiedad afroamericana que logró un éxito cruzado . En la década de 1960, Motown y sus sellos subsidiarios (incluida Tamla Motown , la marca utilizada fuera de los EE. UU.) Fueron los defensores más exitosos del sonido Motown , un estilo de música soul con un atractivo pop convencional . Motown fue el sello de música soul más exitoso, con un patrimonio neto de $ 61 millones. Durante la década de 1960, Motown logró 79 récords entre los diez primeros del Billboard Hot 100 entre 1960 y 1969.
Tras los acontecimientos de los disturbios de Detroit de 1967 y la pérdida del equipo clave de composición y producción Holland – Dozier – Holland ese año por disputas salariales, Gordy trasladó Motown a Los Ángeles . Motown se expandió a la producción de cine y televisión.
Fue una compañía independiente hasta que MCA Records la compró en 1988. PolyGram compró el sello de MCA en 1993, seguido por el sucesor de MCA, Universal Music Group, que adquirió PolyGram en 1999. [2]
Motown pasó gran parte de la década de 2000 con sede en la ciudad de Nueva York como parte de las subsidiarias de UMG, Universal Motown y Universal Motown Republic Group . De 2011 a 2014, formó parte de la división Island Def Jam Music Group de Universal Music. [5] [6] [7] En 2014, sin embargo, UMG anunció la disolución de Island Def Jam, y Motown se trasladó a Los Ángeles para operar bajo el Capitol Music Group , que ahora opera desde la Capitol Tower . [1] En 2018, Motown fue incluido en el Salón de la Fama de la Música Rhythm and Blues en una ceremonia celebrada en el Museo Charles H. Wright . [8]
Historia
Inicios de Motown
El interés de Berry Gordy en el negocio discográfico comenzó cuando abrió una tienda de discos llamada 3D Record Mart, una tienda donde esperaba "educar a los clientes sobre la belleza del jazz", en Detroit , Michigan . (Los Gordy eran una familia emprendedora). Aunque la tienda no duró mucho, el interés de Gordy en el negocio de la música no se desvaneció. Frecuentaba los clubes nocturnos del centro de Detroit, y en el Flame Show Bar conoció al gerente del bar Al Green (no el famoso cantante), que era dueño de una editorial musical llamada Pearl Music y representaba al músico Jackie Wilson de Detroit . Gordy pronto se convirtió en parte de un grupo de compositores, con su hermana Gwen Gordy y Billy Davis, que escribieron canciones para Wilson. " Reet Petite " fue su primer gran éxito que apareció en noviembre de 1957. [9] Durante los siguientes dieciocho meses, Gordy ayudó a escribir seis caras A más de Wilson, incluyendo " Lonely Teardrops ", un éxito de máxima popularidad de 1958. Entre 1957 y 1958, Gordy escribió o produjo más de cien caras para varios artistas, con sus hermanos Anna, Gwen y Robert, y otros colaboradores en diversas combinaciones. [10]
En 1957, Gordy conoció a Smokey Robinson , quien en ese momento era un cantante local de diecisiete años al frente de un grupo de armonía vocal llamado Matadors. Gordy estaba interesado en el estilo doo-wop que cantaba Robinson. En 1958, Gordy grabó la canción del grupo "consiguió un trabajo" (una canción de respuesta a " conseguir un trabajo " por las siluetas ), y lo lanzó como un sencillo de alquiler del registro a una empresa más grande fuera de Detroit llamado End Records , con sede en Nueva York. La práctica era común en ese momento para un pequeño productor. "Got a Job" fue el primer sencillo del grupo de Robinson, ahora llamado The Miracles . Gordy grabó varios otros discos forjando un arreglo similar, más significativamente con United Artists . [12]
En 1958, Gordy escribió y produjo " Come to Me " para Marv Johnson . Al ver que la canción tenía un gran potencial de cruce, Gordy la arrendó a United Artists para su distribución nacional, pero también la lanzó a nivel local en su propio sello de inicio. [12] Al necesitar $ 800 para cubrir su parte del trato, Gordy le pidió a su familia que tomara prestado dinero de una cuenta cooperativa de ahorro familiar. [13] Después de un debate, su familia estuvo de acuerdo, y en enero de 1959 "Come to Me" fue lanzado regionalmente en el nuevo sello Tamla de Gordy. [14] Gordy originalmente quería nombrar el sello Tammy Records, después de la exitosa canción popularizada por Debbie Reynolds de la película de 1957 Tammy and the Bachelor , en la que Reynolds también protagonizó. Cuando descubrió que el nombre ya estaba en uso, Berry se decidió por Tamla. [ cita requerida ] En abril de 1959, Gordy y su hermana Gwen fundaron Anna Records, que lanzó alrededor de dos docenas de sencillos entre 1959 y 1960. El más popular fue " Money (That's What I Want) " de Barrett Strong , escrito por Gordy y una secretaria llamada Janie Bradford y producido por Gordy. [14] Muchas de las canciones distribuidas localmente por Anna y Tamla Records fueron distribuidas a nivel nacional por Chess Records (a veces con sellos de Anna y Tamla). La relación de Gordy con Chess fomentó relaciones más cercanas con Harvey Fuqua , sobrino de Charlie Fuqua de Ink Spots . Harvey Fuqua se casó más tarde con Gwen Gordy en 1961. [15]
Gordy buscó la autosuficiencia creativa y estableció la editorial Jobete en junio de 1959 (incorporada en Michigan). Solicitó los derechos de autor de más de setenta canciones antes de finales de 1959, incluido el material utilizado para los discos Miracles y Frances Burnett, que fueron arrendados a Chess and Coral Records . El Michigan Chronicle de Detroit llamó a Gordy un "productor independiente de discos", ya que sus contribuciones a la ciudad comenzaban a llamar la atención. En ese momento, era el presidente de Jobete, Tamla y la compañía de composición musical Rayber. [dieciséis]
Gordy trabajó en varios estudios con sede en Detroit durante este período para producir grabaciones y demos, pero sobre todo con United Sound Systems, que era considerado el mejor estudio de la ciudad. Sin embargo, producir en United Sound Systems suponía un esfuerzo económico y no era apropiado para todos los trabajos, por lo que Gordy decidió que sería más rentable mantener sus propias instalaciones. [16] A mediados de 1959, compró un estudio de fotografía en 2648 West Grand Boulevard y convirtió el piso principal en un estudio de grabación y espacio de oficina. Ahora, en lugar de comprar sus canciones a otros artistas o arrendar sus grabaciones a compañías externas, Gordy comenzó a usar las impresiones de Tamla y Motown para lanzar canciones que él mismo escribió y produjo. Incorporó Motown Records en abril de 1960. [17]
Smokey Robinson se convirtió en el vicepresidente de la empresa (y más tarde llamó a su hija "Tamla" ya su hijo "Berry"). Varios de los miembros de la familia de Gordy , incluido su padre Berry Sr., los hermanos Robert y George y su hermana Esther, recibieron funciones clave en la empresa. A mediados de la década, Gwen y Anna Gordy también se habían unido al sello en puestos administrativos. La socia de Gordy en ese momento (y esposa de 1960 a 1964 ), Raynoma Liles , también desempeñó un papel clave en los primeros días de Motown, liderando el primer grupo de sesión de la compañía, The Rayber Voices, y supervisando a Jobete. [ cita requerida ]
West Grand Boulevard
También en 1959, Gordy compró la propiedad que se convertiría en el estudio de Motown en Hitsville USA . El estudio de fotografía ubicado en la parte trasera de la propiedad se transformó en un pequeño estudio de grabación, y los Gordy se mudaron a las habitaciones del segundo piso. Dentro de siete años, Motown ocuparía siete casas vecinas adicionales:
- Hitsville USA, 1959 - (planta baja) oficina administrativa, biblioteca de cintas, sala de control, estudio A; (piso superior) Vivienda Gordy (1959-1962), artistas y repertorio (1962-1972)
- Oficina de publicación de Jobete, 1961 - ventas, facturación, cobranza, envío y relaciones públicas
- Berry Gordy Jr. Enterprise, 1962 - oficinas para Berry Gordy Jr. y Esther Gordy Edwards
- Departamento de finanzas, 1965 - regalías y nómina
- Desarrollo personal del artista, 1966 - Harvey Fuqua (jefe de desarrollo artístico y productor de representaciones teatrales), Maxine Powell (instructora en arreglo personal, aplomo y gracia social para artistas de Motown), Maurice King (entrenador vocal, director musical y arreglista), Cholly Atkins (coreografía de la casa) y estudios de ensayo
- Dos casas para oficinas administrativas, 1966: ventas y marketing, viajes y tráfico, y mezcla y masterización.
- Oficina de ITMI (International Talent Management Inc.), 1966 - administración
Motown había contratado a más de 450 empleados y tenía un ingreso bruto de $ 20 millones a fines de 1966.
Detroit: 1959-1972
Los primeros artistas de Tamla / Motown incluyeron a Mable John , Eddie Holland y Mary Wells . " Shop Around ", el primer éxito de R&B número 1 de los Miracles, alcanzó el puesto número dos en el Billboard Hot 100 en 1960. Fue el primer disco de Tamla con un millón de ventas. El 14 de abril de 1960, Motown y Tamla Records se fusionaron en una nueva compañía llamada Motown Record Corporation. Un año más tarde, los Marvelettes anotaron el primer éxito pop número uno de Tamla en Estados Unidos, " Please Mr. Postman ". [13] A mediados de la década de 1960, la compañía, con la ayuda de compositores y productores como Robinson, el jefe de A&R William "Mickey" Stevenson , Brian Holland , Lamont Dozier y Norman Whitfield , se había convertido en una fuerza importante en la industria de la música. .
De 1961 a 1971, Motown tuvo 110 éxitos entre los 10 primeros. Los mejores artistas en el sello Motown durante ese período incluyeron Supremes (inicialmente incluyendo a Diana Ross ), Four Tops y Jackson 5 , mientras que Stevie Wonder , Marvin Gaye , Marvelettes y Miracles tuvieron éxitos en el sello Tamla. La compañía operaba varias etiquetas además de las impresiones de Tamla y Motown. Una tercera etiqueta, que Gordy nombró en su honor (aunque originalmente se llamaba "Miracle") incluía a Temptations , Contours , Edwin Starr y Martha and the Vandellas . Un cuarto, VIP , lanzó grabaciones de Velvelettes , Spinners , Monitors y Chris Clark .
Un quinto sello, Soul , incluía a Jr. Walker & the All Stars , Jimmy Ruffin , Shorty Long , The Originals y Gladys Knight & the Pips (que habían tenido éxito antes de unirse a Motown, como "The Pips" en Vee-Jay ). Muchos más sellos propiedad de Motown lanzaron grabaciones en otros géneros, incluidos Workshop Jazz (jazz) Earl Washington Reflections y Earl Washington's All Stars, Mel-o-dy (country, aunque originalmente era un sello R&B) y Rare Earth , que incluía la banda Rare Earth ellos mismos. Bajo el lema "The Sound of Young America", los actos de Motown disfrutaban de una gran popularidad entre el público blanco y negro por igual.
Smokey Robinson dijo sobre el impacto cultural de Motown:
En la década de 1960, todavía no tenía la mentalidad de que no solo estábamos haciendo música, sino que estábamos haciendo historia. Pero reconocí el impacto porque los actos estaban pasando por todo el mundo en ese momento. Reconocí los puentes que cruzamos, los problemas raciales y las barreras que rompimos con la música. Lo reconocí porque lo viví. Llegaría al sur en los primeros días de Motown y el público estaría segregado. Luego empezaron a escuchar la música de Motown y volvíamos y el público se integraba y los niños bailaban juntos y se tomaban de la mano. [18]
En 1967, Berry Gordy compró lo que ahora se conoce como Motown Mansion en el distrito histórico de Boston-Edison de Detroit como su hogar, dejando su hogar anterior a su hermana Anna y su entonces esposo Marvin Gaye (donde las fotos de la portada de su álbum What's Going On fueron tomadas). [19] En 1968, Gordy compró el edificio Donovan en la esquina de Woodward Avenue y la Interestatal 75 , y trasladó allí las oficinas de Motown en Detroit (el edificio Donovan fue demolido en enero de 2006 para proporcionar plazas de aparcamiento para el Super Bowl XL ). En el mismo año, Gordy compró Golden World Records , y su estudio de grabación se convirtió en "Studio B" para el "Studio A" de Hitsville.
En el Reino Unido, los discos de Motown se publicaron en varios sellos: primero en Londres (solo "Shop Around" / " Who's Lovin 'You " y "Ain't It Baby" de los Miracles ), luego Fontana ("Please Mr. Postman "de las Marvelettes fue uno de cuatro) y luego Oriole American (" Fingertips "de Little Stevie Wonder fue uno de muchos). En 1963, Motown firmó con el sello Stateside de EMI (" Where Did Our Love Go " de Supremes y " My Guy " de Mary Wells fueron los primeros 20 éxitos británicos de Motown). Finalmente, EMI creó el sello Tamla Motown (" Stop! In the Name of Love " de Supremes fue el primer lanzamiento de Tamla Motown en marzo de 1965).
Los Angeles: 1972–1998
After the songwriting trio Holland–Dozier–Holland left the label in 1967 over royalty-payment disputes, Norman Whitfield became the company's top producer, turning out hits for The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & the Pips and Rare Earth. In the meantime Berry Gordy established Motown Productions, a television subsidiary which produced TV specials for the Motown artists, including TCB, with Diana Ross & the Supremes and the Temptations, Diana! with Diana Ross, and Goin' Back to Indiana with the Jackson 5. The company loosened its production rules, allowing some of its longtime artists the opportunity to write and produce more of their own material. This resulted in the recordings of successful and critically acclaimed albums such as Marvin Gaye's What's Going On (1971) and Let's Get it On (1973), and Stevie Wonder's Music of My Mind (1972), Talking Book (1972), and Innervisions (1973).
Motown had established branch offices in both New York City and Los Angeles during the mid-1960s, and by 1969 had begun gradually moving more of its operations to Los Angeles. The company moved all of its operations to Los Angeles in June 1972, with a number of artists, among them Martha Reeves, the Four Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and many of the Funk Brothers studio band, either staying behind in Detroit or leaving the company for other reasons. By re-locating, Motown aimed chiefly to branch out into the motion-picture industry, and Motown Productions got its start in film by turning out two hit-vehicles for Diana Ross: the Billie Holiday biographical film Lady Sings the Blues (1972), and Mahogany (1975). Other Motown films would include Scott Joplin (1977), Thank God It's Friday (1978), The Wiz (1978) and The Last Dragon (1985). Ewart Abner, who had been associated with Motown since the 1960s, became its president in 1973.
By the 1970s, the Motown "hit factory" had become a target of a backlash from some fans of rock music. Record producer Pete Waterman recalls of this period: "I was a DJ for years and I worked for Motown – the press at the time, papers like NME, used to call it Toytown. When I DJ'd on the Poly circuit, the students wanted me to play Spooky Tooth and Velvet Underground. Things don't change. Nowadays, of course, Motown is hip."[20]
Despite losing Holland–Dozier–Holland, Norman Whitfield, and some of its other hitmakers by 1975, Motown still had a number of successful artists during the 1970s and 1980s, including Lionel Richie and the Commodores, Rick James, Teena Marie, the Dazz Band, Jose Feliciano and DeBarge. By the mid-1980s Motown had started losing money, and Berry Gordy sold his ownership in Motown to MCA Records (which began a US distribution deal with the label in 1983) and Boston Ventures in June 1988 for $61 million. In 1989, Gordy sold the Motown Productions TV/film operations to Motown executive Suzanne de Passe, who renamed the company de Passe Entertainment and continues to run it as of 2018[update].[21] Gordy continued to retain the Jobete music publishing catalog, selling it separately to EMI Music Publishing in parts between 1997 and 2004.[22]
During the 1990s, Motown was home to successful recording artists such as Boyz II Men and Johnny Gill, although the company itself remained in a state of turmoil. MCA appointed a series of executives to run the company, beginning with Berry Gordy's immediate successor, Jheryl Busby. Busby quarreled with MCA, alleging that the company did not give Motown's product adequate attention or promotion. In 1991, Motown sued MCA to have its distribution deal with the company terminated, and began releasing its product through PolyGram. PolyGram purchased Motown from Boston Ventures three years later.
In 1994, Busby was replaced by Andre Harrell, the entrepreneur behind Uptown Records. Harrell served as Motown's CEO for just under two years, leaving the company after receiving bad publicity for being inefficient. Danny Goldberg, who ran PolyGram's Mercury Records group, assumed control of Motown, and George Jackson served as president.
Final years of the Motown label: 1999–2005
By 1998, Motown had added stars such as 702, Brian McKnight, and Erykah Badu to its roster. In December 1998, PolyGram was acquired by Seagram, and Motown was absorbed into the Universal Music Group. Seagram had purchased Motown's former parent MCA in 1995, and Motown was in effect reunited with many of its MCA corporate siblings (Seagram had hoped to build a media empire around Universal, and started by purchasing PolyGram). Universal briefly considered shuttering the label, but instead decided to restructure it. Kedar Massenburg, a producer for Erykah Badu, became the head of the label, and oversaw successful recordings from Badu, McKnight, Michael McDonald, and new Motown artist India.Arie.
Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, and the Temptations had remained with the label since its early days, although all except Wonder recorded for other labels for several years. Ross left Motown for RCA Records from 1981 to 1988, but returned in 1989 and stayed until 2002, while Robinson left Motown in 1991 (although he did return to release one more album for the label in 1999). The Temptations left for Atlantic Records in 1977, but returned in 1980 and eventually left again in 2004. As of 2018[update], Wonder is the only artist from Motown's early period still on the label.
Universal Motown: 2005–2011
In 2005, Massenburg was replaced by Sylvia Rhone, former CEO of Elektra Records. Motown was merged with Universal Records to create the Universal Motown Records and placed under the newly created umbrella division of Universal Motown Republic Group. Notable artists on Universal Motown included Drake Bell, Ryan Leslie, Melanie Fiona, Kelly Rowland, Forever the Sickest Kids, The Veer Union and Four Year Strong. Motown celebrated its 50th anniversary on January 12, 2009.
Relaunch: 2011–present
In the Summer of 2011, Universal Motown reverted to the Motown brand after having been separated from Universal Motown Republic Group, hired Ethiopia Habtemariam as its Senior Vice President, and operated under The Island Def Jam Music Group.[5][7] Artists from Universal Motown were transferred to the newly revitalized Motown label.[6] On January 25, 2012, it was announced that Ne-Yo would join the Motown label both as an artist as well as the new Senior Vice President of A&R.[23][24] On April 1, 2014, it was announced that Island Def Jam will no longer be running following the resignation of CEO Barry Weiss. In a press release sent out by Universal Music Group, the label will now be reorganizing Def Jam Recordings, Island Records and Motown Records all as separate entities.[25] Motown would then begin serving as a subsidiary of Capitol Records.[26] In late 2018, Motown began celebrating its 60th anniversary by reissuing numerous albums from their catalog.
Motown UK launched in September 2020 under Universal UK's EMI Records (formerly Virgin EMI Records) division.[27]
Sonido Motown
Motown specialized in a type of soul music it referred to with the trademark "The Motown Sound". Crafted with an ear towards pop appeal, the Motown Sound typically used tambourines to accent the back beat, prominent and often melodic electric bass-guitar lines, distinctive melodic and chord structures, and a call-and-response singing style that originated in gospel music. In 1971, Jon Landau wrote in Rolling Stone that the sound consisted of songs with simple structures but sophisticated melodies, along with a four-beat drum pattern, regular use of horns and strings, and "a trebly style of mixing that relied heavily on electronic limiting and equalizing (boosting the high range frequencies) to give the overall product a distinctive sound, particularly effective for broadcast over AM radio".[28] Pop production techniques such as the use of orchestral string sections, charted horn sections, and carefully arranged background vocals were also used. Complex arrangements and elaborate, melismatic vocal riffs were avoided.[29] Motown producers believed steadfastly in the "KISS principle" (keep it simple, stupid).[30]
The Motown production process has been described as factory-like. The Hitsville studios remained open and active 22 hours a day, and artists would often go on tour for weeks, come back to Detroit to record as many songs as possible, and then promptly go on tour again. Berry Gordy held quality control meetings every Friday morning, and used veto power to ensure that only the very best material and performances would be released. The test was that every new release needed to fit into a sequence of the top five selling pop singles of the week. Several tracks that later became critical and commercial favorites were initially rejected by Gordy, the two most notable being the Marvin Gaye songs "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "What's Going On". In several cases, producers would rework tracks in hopes of eventually getting them approved at a later Friday morning meeting, as producer Norman Whitfield did with "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and The Temptations' "Ain't Too Proud to Beg".
Many of Motown's best-known songs, including all the early hits for the Supremes, were written by the songwriting trio of Holland–Dozier–Holland (Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian and Eddie Holland). Other important Motown producers and songwriters included Norman Whitfield, William "Mickey" Stevenson, Smokey Robinson, Barrett Strong, Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, Frank Wilson, Pamela Sawyer & Gloria Jones, James Dean & William Weatherspoon, Johnny Bristol, Harvey Fuqua, Gil Askey,[31] Stevie Wonder, and Gordy himself.
The style created by the Motown musicians was a major influence on several non-Motown artists of the mid-1960s, such as Dusty Springfield and the Foundations. In the United Kingdom, the Motown Sound became the basis of the northern soul movement. Smokey Robinson said the Motown Sound had little to do with Detroit:
People would listen to it, and they'd say, 'Aha, they use more bass. Or they use more drums.' Bullshit. When we were first successful with it, people were coming from Germany, France, Italy, Mobile, Alabama. From New York, Chicago, California. From everywhere. Just to record in Detroit. They figured it was in the air, that if they came to Detroit and recorded on the freeway, they'd get the Motown sound. Listen, the Motown sound to me is not an audible sound. It's spiritual, and it comes from the people that make it happen. What other people didn't realize is that we just had one studio there, but we recorded in Chicago, Nashville, New York, L.A.—almost every big city. And we still got the sound.[32]
The Funk Brothers
In addition to the songwriting process of the writers and producers, one of the major factors in the widespread appeal of Motown's music was Gordy's practice of using a highly-select and tight-knit group of studio musicians, collectively known as the Funk Brothers, to record the instrumental or "band" tracks of a majority of Motown recordings. Among the studio musicians responsible for the "Motown Sound" were keyboardists Earl Van Dyke, Johnny Griffith, and Joe Hunter; guitarists Ray Monette, Joe Messina, Robert White, and Eddie Willis; percussionists Eddie "Bongo" Brown and Jack Ashford; drummers Benny Benjamin, Uriel Jones, and Richard "Pistol" Allen; and bassists James Jamerson and Bob Babbitt. The band's career and work is chronicled in the 2002 documentary film Standing in the Shadows of Motown, which publicised the fact that these musicians "played on more number-one records than The Beatles, Elvis, The Rolling Stones, and The Beach Boys combined".[33] Ashford later played on Raphael Saadiq's 2008 album The Way I See It, whose recording and production were modelled after the Motown Sound.[34]
Much of the Motown Sound came from the use of overdubbed and duplicated instrumentation. Motown songs regularly featured two drummers instead of one (either overdubbed or in unison), as well as three or four guitar lines.[33] Bassist James Jamerson often played his instrument with only the index finger of his right hand, and created many of the basslines apparent on Motown songs such as "Up the Ladder to the Roof" by The Supremes.[33]
Desarrollo del artista
Artist development was a major part of Motown's operations instituted by Berry Gordy. The acts on the Motown label were fastidiously groomed, dressed and choreographed for live performances. Motown artists were advised that their breakthrough into the white popular music market made them ambassadors for other African-American artists seeking broad market acceptance, and that they should think, act, walk and talk like royalty, so as to alter the less-than-dignified image commonly held of black musicians by white Americans in that era.[35] Given that many of the talented young artists had been raised in housing projects and lacked the necessary social and dress experience, this Motown department was not only necessary, it created an elegant style of presentation long associated with the label.[36] The artist development department specialized primarily in working with younger, less-experienced acts; experienced performers such as Jr. Walker and Marvin Gaye were exempt from artist-development classes.
Many of the young artists participated in an annual package tour called the "Motortown Revue", which was popular, first, on the "Chitlin' Circuit", and, later, around the world. The tours gave the younger artists a chance to hone their performance and social skills and learn from the more experienced artists.
Etiquetas subsidiarias de Motown
In order to avoid accusations of payola should DJs play too many records from the original Tamla label, Gordy formed Motown Records as a second label in 1960. The two labels featured the same writers, producers and artists.
Many more subsidiary labels were established later under the umbrella of the Motown parent company, including Gordy Records, Soul Records and VIP Records; in reality the Motown Record Corporation controlled all of these labels. Most of the distinctions between Motown labels were largely arbitrary, with the same writers, producers and musicians working on all the major subsidiaries, and artists were often shuffled between labels for internal marketing reasons. All of these records are usually considered to be "Motown" records, regardless of whether they actually appeared on the Motown Records label itself.
Major divisions
- Tamla Records: Established 1959, Tamla was a primary subsidiary for mainstream R&B/soul music. Tamla is the company's original label: Gordy founded Tamla Records several months before establishing the Motown Record Corporation. The label's numbering system was combined with those of Motown and Gordy in 1982, and the label was merged with Motown in 1988. Notable Tamla artists included Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and the Marvelettes. Tamla was briefly re-activated in 1996 as a reggae label, but only released a 12" single by Cocoa Tea called "New Immigration Law". Tamla also had a sub-label called Penny Records in 1959; artists on that label included Bryan Brent And The Cut Outs, who recorded a single for the label entitled "Vacation Time" b/w "For Eternity" (2201). Tamla Records slogan: "The Sound that Makes the World Go 'Round".
- Motown Records: Established 1960, Motown was and remains the company's main label for mainstream R&B/soul music (and, today, hip-hop music as well). The label's numbering system was combined with those of Tamla and Gordy in 1982, and the label (and company) was purchased by MCA in 1988. Notable Motown artists have included Mary Wells, the Supremes, Four Tops, the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Boyz II Men, Commodores, Lionel Richie, Dazz Band, Brian McKnight, 98 Degrees, and Erykah Badu. Motown Records slogan: "The Sound of Young America".
- Gordy Records: Established 1962, Gordy was also a primary subsidiary for mainstream R&B/soul music. Originally known as Miracle Records (slogan: "If It's a Hit, It's a Miracle"), the name was changed in 1962 to avoid confusion with the Miracles singing group. The label's numbering system was combined with those of Motown and Tamla in 1982, and the label was merged with Motown in 1988. Notable Gordy artists included the Temptations, Martha and the Vandellas, the Contours, Edwin Starr, Rick James, The Mary Jane Girls, Teena Marie, Switch, and DeBarge. Gordy Records slogan: "It's What's in the Grooves that Counts".[37]
- Tamla Motown Records: Motown's non-US label, established in March 1965 and folded into the regular Motown label in 1976. Distributed by EMI, Tamla Motown issued the releases on the American Motown labels, using its own numbering system. In some cases, Tamla Motown would issue singles and albums not released in the United States (for example, the singles "I Second That Emotion" and "Why (Must We Fall in Love)" by Diana Ross & the Supremes with the Temptations, as well as the successful Motown Chartbusters series of albums).
Secondary R&B labels
- Check-Mate Records: Short-lived (1961–1962) R&B/soul subsidiary, purchased from Chess Records. Notable artists included David Ruffin and The Del-Phis (later Martha and the Vandellas).
- Miracle Records: Short-lived (1961) R&B/soul subsidiary that lasted less than a year. Some pressings featured the infamous tagline, "If it's a hit, it's a Miracle." Renamed Gordy Records in 1962. Notable releases included early recordings by Jimmy Ruffin and the Temptations.[38]
- MoWest Records: MoWest was a short-lived (1971–1973; 1976 in UK) subsidiary for R&B/soul artists based on the West Coast. Shut down when the main Motown office moved to Los Angeles. Notable artists included G. C. Cameron, the Sisters Love, Syreeta Wright, the Four Seasons, Commodores (their first two singles in 1972 and 1973), and Los Angeles DJ Tom Clay. Unlike other Motown releases in the UK that were released by Tamla Motown, MoWest retained its US label design and logo for its UK releases as well. In fact, MoWest lasted longer in the UK up until 1976.
- Motown Yesteryear: a label created in late 1970s and used through the 1980s for the reissues of 7-inch singles from all eras of the company's history, after printing in the initial label has ceased.[39] One Motown Yesteryear single made Billboard′s Top 40 – the Contours' "Do You Love Me", in 1988, when its inclusion in the film Dirty Dancing revived interest.
- Soul Records: Established in 1964, Soul was a R&B/soul subsidiary for releases with less of a jazz feel and/or more of a blues feel. Notable Soul artists included Jr. Walker & the All-Stars, Shorty Long, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Originals, the Fantastic Four, and Jimmy Ruffin. The label was dissolved in 1978. This label has no affiliation with the short-lived S.O.U.L. Records- an early 1990s imprint that was founded by the production team the Bomb Squad.
- V.I.P. Records: Established in 1964, V.I.P. was an R&B/soul subsidiary. Notable artists included the Velvelettes, the Spinners, the Monitors, the Elgins and Chris Clark. V.I.P. also was the outlet for pop records that were leased to Motown by EMI (the distributor of Tamla-Motown in Europe). The label was dissolved in 1974.
- Weed Records: A very short-lived subsidiary. Only one release, Chris Clark's 1969 CC Rides Again album, was issued. This release featured the tongue-in-cheek tagline: "Your Favorite Artists Are On Weed". The logo was a parody of the "Snapping Fingers" logo for Stax Records, but the hand in this case is holding up a peace sign.[40] The name "Weed Records" is now owned by the Tokyo/New York-based Weed Records.
Additional genre labels
Country
- Mel-o-dy Records.: Established in 1962 as a secondary R&B/soul music subsidiary, Mel-o-dy later focused on white country music artists. Notable Mel-o-dy artists include Dorsey Burnette. The label was dissolved in 1965.
- Hitsville Records.: Founded as Melodyland Records in 1974. After the Melodyland Christian Center threatened legal action, the name was changed to Hitsville in 1976. Like Mel-o-dy before it, Hitsville focused on country music. Run by Mike Curb and Ray Ruff, Hitsville's notable artists included Ronnie Dove, Pat Boone, T. G. Sheppard and Jud Strunk. The label was dissolved in 1977.[41] In the UK, Melodyland/Hitsville material was released on MoWest.
- M.C. Records: Operated 1977 to 1978 as a continuation of the Hitsville label. A joint venture between Gordy and Mike Curb.[42] The Mel-o-dy, Hitsville, and M.C. catalogs are now managed by Mercury Nashville Records.
Hip hop/rap
- Wondirection Records.: A record label owned by Stevie Wonder, it had one 12-inch dance release, the 10' 35" rap track "The Crown" by Gary Byrd and the G.B. Experience.
- Mad Sounds Recordings.: Short-lived hip-hop/rap subsidiary label, released five albums in the mid-1990s- including Zig Zag by Tha Mexakinz,[43] Trendz by Trendz of Culture and Rottin ta da Core by Rottin Razkals.
Jazz
- Workshop Jazz Records.: Motown's jazz subsidiary, active from 1962 to 1964. Notable Workshop Jazz artists included the George Bohannon Trio, Earl Washington All Stars, and Four Tops (whose recordings for the label went unissued for 30 years). The Workshop Jazz catalog is currently managed by Verve Records.
- Blaze Records.: A short-lived label featuring a Jack Ashford instrumental released in September 1969, "Do The Choo-Choo" with b-side "Do The Choo-Choo Pt II" written by L. Chandler, E. Willis, J. Ashford, with label number 1107.
- Mo Jazz Records.: Another jazz label created in the 1990s, this was Motown's most successful jazz imprint. Notable artists included Norman Brown, Foley, Norman Connors, and J. Spencer. It also reissued instrumental albums like Stevie Wonder's 1968 album Eivets Rednow and Grover Washington Jr.'s CTI/Kudu albums under the Classic Mo Jazz subsidiary. This label (including its roster and catalog) was folded into Verve Records after the PolyGram/Universal merger.
Rock
- Rare Earth Records.: Established in 1969 after the signing of Rare Earth (after whom the label was named), Rare Earth Records was a subsidiary focusing on rock music by white artists. Notable acts included Rare Earth, R. Dean Taylor, the Pretty Things, Love Sculpture, Kiki Dee, Toe Fat, The Cats and Shaun Murphy (both solo and her collaborations with Meat Loaf). The label also was the subsidiary to house the first white band signed to Motown, the Rustix.
- Prodigal Records.: Purchased by Motown in 1976, Motown used Prodigal Records as a second rock music subsidiary; a successor label to Rare Earth Records.[44] The Rare Earth band moved over to the label following the Rare Earth label's demise. Pop singer Charlene's #3 pop single for Motown I've Never Been To Me was originally released and charted on this label in 1977 (#97). Prodigal was dissolved in 1978.
- Morocco Records.: Acronym for "MOtown ROCk COmpany". As the name suggests, Morocco was a rock music subsidiary. Active from 1983 to 1984, it was a short-lived attempt to revive the Rare Earth Records concept. Only seven albums were released on the label. Its two most promising acts, Duke Jupiter and the black new wave trio Tiggi Clay (via their lead singer, Fizzy Qwick) eventually moved to the parent label.
Other
- Divinity Records.: Short-lived (1962–1963) gospel subsidiary. With five releases by artists- Wright Specials, Gospel Stars, Bernadettes, and Liz Lands. Label sequence starts at 99004 to 99008, the final recording being "We Shall Overcome" (for label number 99008) that was recorded in the Graystone Ballroom, was withdrawn and transferred to GORDY 7023B as the "I Have A Dream" speech by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
- Black Forum Records.: Short-lived (1970–1973) spoken-word subsidiary that focused mainly on albums featuring progressive political and pro-civil rights speeches/poetry. Black Forum issued recordings by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Stokely Carmichael, Elaine Brown, Langston Hughes, Margaret Danner, and others.[45]
- Natural Resources: This label was active from 1972 to 1973 and in 1976 as a minor subsidiary for white artists and instrumental bands. It later served as a label for Motown, Tamla and Gordy reissues and Motown compilation albums in 1978 and 1979.
- Motown Latino Records.: Short-lived (1982) subsidiary for Spanish-language Latin American music. Its only artist was Jose Feliciano.
- Gaiee Records.: Only one single was released on this label, in 1975; Valentino's "Gay/Lesbian" anthem "I Was Born This Way", which was later covered by fellow Motown artist Carl Bean in 1977.
Independent labels distributed by Motown
- Biv 10 Records: A hip-hop/R&B label that was founded by Bell Biv Devoe/New Edition member Michael Bivins. The label operated throughout most of the 1990s. Its roster included Another Bad Creation, Boyz II Men, and 702.
- Chisa Records: Motown released output for Chisa, a label owned by Hugh Masekela, from 1969 to 1972 (prior to that, the label was distributed by Vault Records).
- CTI Records: Motown distributed output for CTI Records, a jazz label owned by Creed Taylor, from 1974 to 1975. CTI subsidiaries distributed by Motown included Kudu Records, Three Brothers Records and Salvation Records. With a few exceptions, the bulk of CTI's recordings are now owned by Sony Music Entertainment.
- Ecology Records: A very short-lived label owned by Sammy Davis Jr. and distributed by Motown. Only release: single "In My Own Lifetime"/"I'll Begin Again", by Davis in 1971.
- Gull Records: A UK-based label still in operation, Motown released Gull's output in the US in 1975. Gull had Judas Priest on its roster in 1975, but their LP Sad Wings of Destiny, intended for release by Motown in the US, was issued after the Motown/Gull Deal had fallen through.
- Manticore Records: A record label created by the members of the rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Manticore released albums by ELP and various other Progressive rock artists. Manticore was originally distributed in the U.S. by Atlantic Records from 1973 to 1975 but switched to Motown distribution until the label folded in 1977.
Miscellaneous labels associated with Motown
- Groovesville Records
- Inferno Records
- IPG Records
- Rayber Records
- Ric-Tic Records
- Rich Records
- Summer Camp Records
- Tabu Records
Etiquetas británicas (anteriores a Tamla Motown)
- London American Records issued the releases for Motown from 1960 to 1961.
- Fontana Records issued the releases for Motown from 1961 to 1962.
- Oriole American Records issued the releases for Motown from 1962 to 1963.
- Stateside Records issued the releases for Motown from 1963 to 1965, when the Tamla Motown label was created.
Ver también
- Hitsville USA
- Motown discography
- Music of Detroit
Referencias
Citations
- ^ a b "A revitalized Capitol Records forges a new path forward". Los Angeles Times. February 3, 2015. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
- ^ a b Cruz, Gilbert (January 12, 2009). "A Brief History of Motown". TIME. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ^ "History - Classic Motown". Motown Records. Archived from the original on January 11, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ^ Woodford, Arthur M. (2001). This is Detroit, 1701 - 2001 (1st ed.). Detroit, Mich.: Wayne State Univ. Press. p. 198. ISBN 0-8143-2914-4.
- ^ a b "Ethiopia Habtemariam Named Senior Vice President of Motown Records". Billboard.biz. August 10, 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ a b Sisario, Ben (August 10, 2011). "A Young Music Executive Takes Over at Motown". Archived from the original on January 17, 2016.
- ^ a b "Brandon Creed Joins Universal Republic And Island Def Jam Motown". Universal Music. August 15, 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ "Motown Records Leads the 2018 Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame Class of Inductees". SoulTracks. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ Flory, p. 24.
- ^ Flory, p. 25.
- ^ "Motown Museum". Motown Museum. August 24, 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ a b Flory, p. 26.
- ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 879/80. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
- ^ a b Flory, p. 27.
- ^ Flory, p. 28.
- ^ a b Flory, p. 29.
- ^ Flory, p. 31.
- ^ Ron Thibodeaux, "My Smokey Valentine", The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.), February 14, 2009.
- ^ a b "The Motown Mansion!". Motownmansion.com. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ Robb, John (October 31, 2010). The Nineties: What the F**ck Was That All About?. Random House. ISBN 9781409034421. Retrieved March 9, 2019 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Company - De Passe Jones Entertainment". Home - De Passe Jones Entertainment. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
- ^ "EMI Completes Acquisition of Jobete Catalog". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
- ^ Williams, Brennan (January 25, 2012). "Ne-Yo Leaves Def Jam For Motown Records". Huffington Post.
- ^ "Rob Markham, "Ne-Yo Leaves Def Jam To Become Motown Exec", MTV News, January 25, 2012". MTV News. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
- ^ "Island Def Jam Is Over". XXL. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
- ^ "Frequency Magazine". Frequencynews.com. May 2014. Archived from the original on May 8, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
- ^ Angermiller, Michele. "Motown Records Launches UK Outpost". Variety. Variety Music, LLC. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
- ^ "The Motown Story". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
- ^ Chin, Brian & David Nathan, "Reflections Of..." The Supremes [CD boxed-set liner notes] (New York: Motown Record Co./Universal Music, 2000).
- ^ Williams, Otis & Patricia Romanowski, Temptations (Lanham, MD: Cooper Square, 1988; updated 2002). ISBN 0-8154-1218-5, p. 157.
- ^ Yourse, Robyn-Denise (May 19, 2006). "Diana Ross: old wine in 'Blue' bottles". The Washington Times. News World Communications. Retrieved September 16, 2012 – via Questia Online Library.
- ^ Hirshey, Gerri (1994 [1984]). Nowhere to Run: The Story of Soul Music. New York: Da Capo Press. p. 187. ISBN 0-306-80581-2.
- ^ a b c Justman, Paul (2002). Standing in the Shadows of Motown (DVD). Santa Monica, California: Artisan Entertainment.
- ^ Lewis, Pete (May 22, 2009). "Raphael Saadiq: This Years Vintage". Blues & Soul. London (1020). Archived from the original on September 21, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
- ^ Pitts, Leonard, Jr. “The Motown Factor”. Jazziz. Issue 20.12. Dec. 2003. 60-62. Print.
- ^ Laurie, Timothy (2012). "Crossover Fatigue: The Persistence of Gender at Motown Records". Feminist Media Studies. 14 (1): 90–105. doi:10.1080/14680777.2012.737344. S2CID 144019819. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
- ^ Mike Callahan, Patrice Eyries, David Edwards. "Gordy Album Discography, Part 1 (1962-1981)". bsnpubs.com. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
- ^ "Miracle | Motown Junkies". article. motownjunkies.co.uk. October 2, 2009. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
- ^ "Diana-web.com". Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ Mike Callahan, David Edwards. "Weed Album Discography". article. bsnpubs.com. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
- ^ Leigh, Spencer (October 4, 2005). "Obituaries - Ray Ruff". The Independent. London. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
- ^ Mike Callahan, David Edwards. "M.C. Album Discography". article. bsnpubs.com. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
- ^ "Mad Sounds Recordings". Discogs.com. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ Mike Callahan, David Edwards. "Prodigal Album Discography". article. bsnpubs.com. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
- ^ Rickey Vincent, "Louder Than a Bomb: On The Sounds of Black Power" (review of Pat Thomas, Listen, Whitey!: the Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975) Archived April 19, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Los Angeles Review of Books, October 17, 2012.
Print sources
- Flory, Andrew (2017). I Hear a Symphony: Motown and Crossover R&B. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-12287-5.
Otras lecturas
- Jon Fitzgerald (January 1995). "Motown Crossover Hits 1963–1966 and the Creative Process". Popular Music. Cambridge University Press. 14 (1): 1–11. doi:10.1017/s0261143000007601. JSTOR 853340.
- Nelson George (2007) [first published 1985]. Where Did Our Love Go?: The Rise & Fall of the Motown Sound. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252074981.
- Andrew Flory (2017). I Hear a Symphony: Motown and Crossover R&B. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 9780472036868.
enlaces externos
- Official Motown Records website
- Official Classic Motown website
- The Motown Museum
- Complete discography of pre-1986 Motown singles
- Complete discography of pre-1986 Motown albums
- Motown artists interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
- What Makes Motown Sound Like Motown? at Reverb.com, Archive
- The Motown Invasion, 2009 BBC Documentary, at YouTube