THE TAMLA MOTOWN PAGE

Photo of [Berry Gordy] sent to me by Ian Durham Thanks Ian.

On November the 28th 1929 in Detroit Michigan a legend was born, he was the seventh of eight children born to Berry Gordy senior, a plastering contractor, and his wife Bertha who sold real estate and insurance, the family also ran a Grocery store. Berry dropped out of school and became a boxer until he was drafted into the Army in 1951 where he gained an equivalent high school degree. In 1953 he Married Thelma Coleman, and left the Army soon after, he then opened the jazz 3D record mart which was financed by the family soon after that, but it was to fail in 1955 leading him to work at the Ford motor factory. During this time Berry and Bertha had a daughter they named Hazel Joy in 1954, They had two sons Berry IV and Terry but were to divorce in 1959.

While working at the factory Berry used to constantly write songs and send them to singers and put them into Contests, Berry and his sister Co wrote a song with Billy Davis called "Reet Petite" in 1957 and was recorded by Jackie Wilson, this became a hit and Berry earned $1000 from the song. He went on to write another four songs for Jackie Wilson which were also hits. berry's first lone production was called "Ooh shucks" by the Five Stars on the Mark X label in 1957 and was becoming good at spotting talent, in 1958 he had spotted a band at a talent show called the Miracles and asked them to record with him ending in them releasing a single on End records called Got a "job" which was a flop, then later on they released another single called "I cry" which was also a flop. But in the lead singer of the Miracles he had discovered a great singer, songwriter and Producer in William "Smokey" Robinson, as well as three others in the shape of Marv Johnson, Eddie Holland and his brother Brian. They recorded and released Marv Johnson singing a single called "My Baby O" and then Brian Holland released one called "Shock" which are to be very significant to the Motown story.

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In 1958 Berry produced a single by Herman Griffin called "I need you" on the H.O.B label which was the first publication by Berry's publishing company Jobete music, it was made up from the names of his three children "Hazel (Jo), (Be)rry and (Te)rry. Berry by this time had remarried a girl called Raynoma, he named his new backing singers after her and himself "The Rayber voices" (Ray)noma and (Ber)ry, he then decided to borrow $800 from his family and start his own record label called "Tammy" after the Debbie Reynolds film, but that was already being used so he then decided to name it "Tamla". The labels first release was "come to me" by Marv Johnson and was an average hit, United Artists signed Marv Johnson to a contract with Berry still producing him and they released "You got what it takes" in 1959 which got into the top ten. Berry then formed another label called "Motown" and released "Bad girl by the Miracles" and Barrett Strongs "Money", these were both to be big hits, Berry leased "Money" to Anna records who were distributed by Chess, Anna records was co owned by Berry's sisters Anna & Gwen Gordy and Billy Davis, but was to be soaked up into Motown later on.

In the late 50's Detroit was just about the only Large City that did not have any decent independent record labels so the establishment of Motown was a great outlet for the local talent like a young singing group called "The Primettes". They auditioned for Berry but he thought they were too young and asked them to return when they had graduated from school which they did and was signed by Motown in 1961, they had their name changed to "The Supremes" and had their first release in April of 1961 on Tamla. In the same year a producer of Motown called Robert Bateman auditioned a singer called Mary Wells who was immediately signed up, she released a song called "Bye Bye Baby" in December of the same year which in turn made her the first big star for them. Then Berry discovered another singing band called "The Distants" who then changed their name to The "Temptations" They had a single released on the new subsidiary label Miracle, this was not as big a success but was to be the start of one of the biggest acts Motown were to discover. Another of Berry's discoveries was a backing singer from a Washington band called "The Moonglows", his name was Marvin Gaye who put out a few records before his first hit "Stubborn kind of fellow" in 1962, he had moderate success until the late sixties when he too became a huge star. Robert Bateman discovered another big hit group in the shape of "The Marvelettes" at a talent show also in 1961, he and Berry produced and released a single with them called "Please Mr Postman" and it was to be their first number one. Soon after that the Miracles released "shop around " which turned out to be their first million seller reaching number two later in the same year.

The next great discovery was a young singer called Martha lavaille who started at Motown as the secretary of Mickey Stevenson who was the head of Motowns A&R department, While there Motown she got married so becoming Martha Reeves. One day Mary Wells missed a recording session so Martha called in her part time vocal group she was singing in to fill in. They were called " The Del-Phis " they recorded a song called "There he is" and released it on Melody which was another subsidiary, "There he is" was a flop but they continued as back up singers later changing their name to " The Vandellas " and backing Marvin Gaye's "Stubborn kind of fellow" in 1962.

Another new name appeared, "Lamont Dozier" he joined up with the Holland brothers and formed the famous" Holland Dozier Holland " Trio, producing "come and get these memories" performed by Martha and the Vandellas and released on the Gordy label in 1963. One of the Miracles "Ronnie White" spotted an eleven year old blind singer and introduced him to Berry, he was very impressed with him and called him a "wonder" his name was "Steveland Morris" and there is no points for guessing what his new name was to be, yes "Little Stevie Wonder" he was signed to Motown on a contract and performed a live recording of "Fingertips pt 2" at the Regal theatre in Chicago which reached the number one spot in 1963.

A band called the four Aims who had been going since1954 had changed their name by 1956 when recording for Chess records to the "Four Tops" they had had little success until coming to the attention of the Holland, Dozier, Holland contingent in 1963, who produced "Baby I need your loving" on the Motown label in August 1964, this became their first big chart hit.

Another important band to Motown was "The Funk Brothers" although not as well known to the public as the likes of Marvin Gaye and the Supremes they were made up of Drummer; Benny Benjamin, keyboard player; Earl Van Dyke, Bass player; James Jameson and guitarist Robert White. The Funk brothers were the most important and highest paid musicians in the Motown corporation due to the fact that they played all the backing music to the other artists during the sixties and were therefore the actual distinctive Motown sound that made them so successful, unfortunately the drummer Benny Benjamin died of a stroke in 1969 and Berry had to replace him with two other drummers because he was so good.

Then the hits started coming thick and fast from 1964 onwards "My Guy" by Mary Wells got to number one and "Dancing in the street" by Martha and the Vandellas got to number two, then "My Girl" by the Temptations." The Supremes had little success at first with their first six releases but were handed over to the Holland, Dozier, Holland production team resulting in their next release "When the love light starts shining through his eyes" getting to number 23, the next release flopped but in July 1964 they had a run of five number ones; "Where did our love go," "Baby Love," Come see about me," "Stop! in the name of love," and "Back in my arms again." The Supremes became the third highest record selling artists in history after The Beatles and Elvis Presley. The Soul and VIP subsidiary labels were formed the first big hit being on the Soul label which was Junior Walker and the All stars with "Shotgun"

Gladys Knight Joined Motown in 1966 from Atlanta, Georgia and with producer Norman Whitfield they released "I heard it through the grapevine" this song was earlier recorded by Marvin Gaye but was not released because Berry Gordy did not like it, it went to number two in the charts. They stayed with Motown for seven years having a few more hits but finally ended up leaving to go to Buddah where they had their biggest hit "Midnight train to Georgia."

1966 was a good year for Motown as Norman Whitfield took over production of the Temptations,and Smokey Robinson, with his first big hit being "Aint too proud to beg" sung by the Temptation which he wrote with Eddie Holland. They also went on to write string of hits for the Temptations including; "I'm loosing you," "Beauty is only skin deep," "I wish it would rain," and "It's you that I need."

In 1967 thirteen Motown records had reached the top ten with two number ones being the Supremes "love is here now you're gone" and "The Happening," They had Five major labels in action Tamla, Motown, Gordy, Soul & VIP, things were really going well.

In 1968 the lead singer of the Temptations "David Ruffin" left with Dennis Edwards taking his place and Barrett Strong joining in on the writing for the Temptations it produced a new sound in the form of "Psychedelic shack," and "cloud Nine," of which both went into the top ten including "I can't get next to you" reaching the number one spot.

Also in 1968 Marvin Gaye's version of "I heard it through the grapevine" the Supremes "Love child," reached number one and there was eight other top ten hits for Motown in the charts in that year

But also in 1968 the backbone of Motown was ripped out when probably the most successful producers in history "Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland" left only to be forced into inactivity from 1968 to 1970 due to lawsuits from Motown. In 1970 they formed Invictus and Hot wax and produced some hits with bands such as Chairmen of the board, Freda Payne and the Flaming Embers but never gained the success like they enjoyed at Motown.

In 1969 the lead singer of the Vancouver's "Bobby Taylor" came across a singing family from Gary, Indiana called The Jackson 5, they were promptly signed by Gordy and produced four number one singles from the first six released with the remaining two reaching the number two spot.

Also in 1969 Motown formed the Rare Earth label named after the Detroit band first signed to it who originally went under the name "The Sunliners". This label was formed to deal with the white Psychedelic music and other R & B alternatives that were becoming popular at the time. In 1970 Motown had six of their fourteen top ten hits at number one including the political song "War" by Edwin Starr, ABC's "The love you save, " Smokey Robinson's " The Tears of a clown," and " Aint no mountain high enough," by Diana Ross (pictured left)

1971 saw Motown with eleven singles in the top twenty with "Just my imagination" by the Temptation reaching number one. They launched a television show called "Diana" a special with Diana Ross and another "Going back to Indiana" a Jackson five special, they also produced a cartoon series about the Jackson five in the same year. The Mowest label was formed by the west coast office of Motown with "What the world needs now is love by Abraham, Martin and John but did not produce that much success. Marvin Gaye wrote, produced and sang his own album "What's going on" which sold over a million copies producing such hits like "mercy, mercy Me" and " Inner city blues," Gordy didn't initially want to release it for fear of upsetting the Motown public because of it's political references in songs like "Inner city blues," but Gaye threatened to never make another recording for Motown if he didn't let him and he relented.

!972 produced only four top ten singles but two did get to number one " Ben" by Michael Jackson" and "papa was a rolling stone" by the Temptations. Diana Ross was starring in "lady sings the blues" the story of Billie Holiday and Stevie Wonder released "Talking book" when touring with the Rolling Stones. Also that year Motown packed it's bags and left Detroit for Los Angeles due to being involved with the film and television side of things more than the music, because of that it was probably a good move but many believe that the heart and soul of Motown left with it.

In 1973 Berry Gordy left Motown records and became Chairman of the board of Motown industries and former Vee-Jay executive Ewart Ebner II, became president and in that year Motown had five number one records "Let's get it on" by Marvin Gaye, "keep on truckin" by Eddie Kendricks, "Touch me in the morning" Diana Ross," "You are the sunshine of my life" and "Superstition" both by Stevie Wonder who also won five Grammy awards with his album "innervisions".

1974 only saw four Motown singles reaching the top ten with Stevie Wonders "You haven't done nothin'" the only number one, but his album "Fulfillingness First Finale" made the number one spot within 3 weeks of release and also won five Grammy awards. Another new band were signed up by Motown called "The Commodores", With Lionel Richie they became the best selling Motown act in the seventies after their first album "Machine Gun" went Gold in five Countries they averaged two million sales a year between 1974 and 1980.

1975 was a bad year for Motown "Boogie on reggae woman" by Stevie Wonder was the only top ten record and four of the Jackson five went to Epic records leaving Jermaine Jackson "who had married Berry Gordy's daughter" at Motown. Ewart Ebner II left Motown and "Mahogany" Diana Ross's next movie proved not as big a success as "Lady sings the blues".

1976 and 1977 were much better years with six top ten hits in 1976 including; Diana Ross, The Miracles and Stevie Wonder on the hit lists and 1977 saw three number ones with "Sir Duke" and "I wish" Stevie Wonder and "Got to give it up (pt 1)" by Marvin Gaye. the Commodores had two more top tens.

1978 saw only The commodores "Three times a lady" in the top ten for Motown although it hit record sales figures, Rick James signed for Gordy selling two million copies of his first album "Come and get it" and Diana Ross released her new film "The Wizz".

1979 the Commodores "Still" was the only number one single with "Sail On" making the top ten and Stevie Wonders "Send one your love" also got in the top ten.

During the eighties Motown continued to sell enormous amounts of albums with Lionel Richie's "Can't slow down" becoming Motown's largest ever selling album selling ten million copies worldwide, but in June 1988 Berry Gordy sold Motown records to a" Boston Ventures and MCA partnership" with Berry retaining the Jobete publishing catalogue.

So this amazing man Berry Gordy against all the odd had taken $800 dollars in 1959 and by 1976 he had created the largest Black owned company in the history of the USA and in 1976 was quoted to have said "I have earned $367 million in 16 years, I must be doing something right!".

Written by THE SOULSURVIVOR.

I WOULD BE MOST GRATEFUL TO ANYONE WHO IS KIND ENOUGH AS TO LET ME KNOW OF ANY INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE THAT MIGHT BE INCORRECT SO THAT I CAN IMMEDIATELY RECTIFY IT.

This article was written with information from various sources on the internet and I would like to thank the writers of those articles for making that information available to us all.

CLICK HERE

for A quick coverage of Motown artists

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for the official Holland, Dozier, Holland site

[more great Motown info from Alex!]

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