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Motown: The Sound of Integration

Motown: The Sound of Integration. Berry Gordy's Motown Records. Built one of the most impressive rosters of artists in the history of pop music Becoming the largest and most successful independent record company in the United States

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Motown: The Sound of Integration

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  1. Motown: The Sound of Integration

  2. Berry Gordy's Motown Records

  3. Built one of the most impressive rosters of artists in the history of pop music • Becoming the largest and most successful independent record company in the United States • Founded by Berry Gordy as Tamla Records in 1959, the company was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in 1960. • The name, derived from the words motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit Motown Records

  4. A high school drop out he became a professional boxer in hopes of becoming rich quick • 1950 he was drafted by the U.S. Army for the Korean war. Background on Berry…

  5. 1953  he opened up the 3-D  Record Mart - House of Jazz. • Too obsessed with his own love of Jazz, Berry was to stubborn to stock the Blues records the neighborhood craved.  So in 1955  the store went bankrupt and was forced to close. Background on Berry…

  6. By 1958 Gordy managed the Miracles and produced their single "Got a Job" on the Endlabe. • The small royalty check he received from End, along with similar small royalty checks for other hits he had co-written, convinced him to form his own label Tamla Records. • Tamla Records eventually turned into Motown Records.

  7. Motown played an important role in the racial integration of popular music • It was the first record label owned by an African -American • First to primarily feature African-American artists • Many achieved crossover success. • In the 1960s, "The Motown Sound", came to be known as a style of soul music with a distinct pop influence. The Motown Sound

  8. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

  9. R&B and Soul singer/songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. • Noted for being one of the primary figures associated with Motown Records, second only to Berry Gordy. William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr.

  10. Robinson's hits, and contributions earned him the title of the "King of Motown". As both a member of The Miracles and a solo artist • Robinson recorded thirty-seven Top 40 hits for Motown between 1960 and 1987 including: • You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me (put Motown on the map) • Shop Around • Served as the company's VP from 1961 to 1988. William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr.

  11. All from the public housing projects in Detroit. • Founding members: • Florence Ballard • Mary Wilson • Diana Ross • Betty McGlown The Supremes 1959- 72

  12. A female singing group, one of the signature acts on Motown Records during the 1960s. • Founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1959. • Original name: The Primettes • They were one of the most successful of Motown's acts, with twelve of the group's singles peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. • Stop! In the Name of Love • Baby Love • Where Did Our Love Go? The Supremes 1959- 72

  13. These hits were written and produced by Motown's main songwriting and production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland. • The Supremes rivaled The Beatles in worldwide popularity, and their success made it possible for future African-American R&B and soul musicians to find mainstream success. The Supremes 1959- 72

  14. Was a singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and instrumentalist. • Starting as a member of the doo-wop group The Moonglows in the late fifties, he ventured into a solo career after the group disbanded in 1960 • Signed with Motown Records. • After a year as a session drummer, Gaye ranked as the label's top-selling solo artist during the sixties. Marvin Gaye

  15. Was as moody as talented • Avoided TV, rarely performed live, and was known to miss scheduled concerts • Mostly worked solo, but had some big hits with Tammi Terrell • Ain’t No Mountain High Enough • Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing More on Marvin Gaye

  16. Let’s Get It On • Mercy, Mercy • What’s Going On • Can I Get A Witness (became theme for Mods) • I Heard It Through The Grapevine (#1) Marvin Gaye Hits…

  17. Founded in Detroit, Michigan • Lead singer Levi Stubbs and Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton The Four Tops

  18. An vocal quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary • Remained together for over four decades. • Hits: • Ain’t No Woman Like the One I’ve Got • Sugar Pie Honey Bunch The Four Tops

  19. Essential component of Motown machine • Turned into stars when they recorded Smokey Robinson’s The Way You Do The Things You Do • More hits followed: • My Girl • Get Ready • Ain’t Too Proud to Beg • The Way You Do the Things You Do The Temptations

  20. Classic Lineup: • Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, and David Ruffin • Became famous for smooth stepping as well as singing • Ruffin later fired by other members of group for not showing for a concert (not by Gordy as other reports state) • Paul Williams apparently shot himself Temptations

  21. A two-time Grammy Award-nominated from Gary, Indiana. • Founding group members Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael Jackson formed the group after changing their name from The Jackson Brothers, which originally consisted of a trio of the three older brothers. The Jackson 5

  22. The band served as the launching pad for the solo careers of their lead singers Jermaine and Michael • Active from 1966 to 1989, the Jacksons played from a repertoire of R&B, soul, pop and later disco. During their six-year Motown tenure, The Jackson 5 were one of the biggest pop-music phenomenon of the 1970s The Jackson 5

  23. Significantly, they were the first black teen idols to appeal equally to white audiences thanks to the successful promotional skills of Motown CEO Berry Gordy. • They left Motown for CBS in 1976, The Jacksons were forced to change their name and replace Jermaine (who remained at Motown) with younger brother Randy. • Their 1989 album 2300 Jackson Street was recorded without Michael and Marlon. Michael and Marlon did appear, however, on the title track. The disappointing sales of the album led to the group's eventual breakup at the end of the year. • Hits: ABC & I Want You Back Jackson 5

  24. The Marvellettes • Please, Mr. Postman • Mary Wells • My Guy Other Motown Performers

  25. Stevie Wonder: • Superstition • My Cherie Amour • Martha and the Vandellas • Dancing in the Streets • Nowhere To Run Other Motown Performers

  26. Rick James • Super Freak Other Motown Performers

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