Its name, a portmanteau of motor and town, has become a nickname for Detroit, where the label was originally headquartered. Young women raised in public housing projects, like the Supremes, were schooled in the social graces, and chaperones accompanied the package-tour bus cavalcades that brought Motown to other parts of the United States during the companys early years. Emerging primarily from inner-city ghettos and popularized by such bandleaders as Louis Jordan and Lionel Hampton, rhythm and blues was almost exclusively recorded by small independent labels. In the late sixties, Motown Records released a number of explicitly political hits: Marvin Gayes Whats Going On, Edwin Starrs War, Aretha Franklins Respect, and Smokey Robinsons I Care About Detroit. Ask students to research one of those songs and analyze what it says in the context of the Civil Rights Movement. How did Motown help the Civil Rights movement? The label cultivated a roster of majority Black singers, songwriters, musicians, and producers who combined . President Jimmy Carter and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy are second cousins. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.1Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources. A year later, the Marvelettes scored Tamlas first US number-one pop hit, Please Mr. Postman. After Gordy purchased that first Detroit property, he converted the garage into a small recording studio and the kitchen into the control room. Please compare one Classical sculpture and one Hellenistic sculpture Shop Around, the Miracles first number 1 R&B hit, peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960. from the list below. Students may take notes on the Motown and the Civil Rights Movementreproducible. Not only were they the second most successful singing group of the decadesurpassed only by the Beatlesbut they remain the most successful female singing group of all time. Thanks to its popularity, African-American songs and faces entered the homes of every American in the country, regardless of race. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. While investigating facts about Motown Records Artists and Motown Records Founder, I found out little known, but curios details like: James Jamerson, regarded as the greatest electronic bass player ever, recorded Marvin Gayes Whats Going On, while being flat on his back as he was too intoxicated to stand upright. use of tambourine along w/ drums, distinctive melodic and chord structure, call and response singing style, classical orchestrations, rhythms were upbeat and fun that brought together pop and soul. The music industry is not a naturally harmonious environment; tensions and rivalries bristled from Motowns earliest breakthroughs and its assembly line work ethic was not for the faint-hearted. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Which phrase best describes the role of the Motown studio musicians? One of Motown's famous girl groups is The Marvelettes. 2 What was the purpose of the quality control meetings at Motown? More like this: - How LSD influenced Western culture - The making of an iconic song- Taiwans eerie sonic weapon. The following year, they looked to build on their success by searching for talent outside of Chicago and became acquainted with Sam Phillips, who would later found Memphis's Sun Records. Kovach and Flory claim that the success of Motown Records parallels that of the Beatles (p. 223). What was Barry Gordy Jr.'s first signed act? How did Motown Records achieve crossover success? Updates? Motown records were specifically mixed to sound good on car radios and were characterized by a thumping backbeat that made dancing easy for everyone. In 1959, the year Gordy founded Motown, Harry Belafonte became the first African American to produce a Hollywood film, Odds Against Tomorrow, through his own company. Berry Gordy ended up selling the record label for over 60 million dollars. Verified answer. -The southern soul of his voice Gordy assembled an array of talented local people (many of whom had benefited from the excellent music education program at Detroit public schools in the 1950s) at 2648 West Grand Boulevard, destined to become the most famous address in Detroit. Just because when writing it's easier than saying "The Supremes, the Miracles, the Temptations, the Four Tops, etc." when you're talking about a particular era in music. James Jamerson Jr describes My Girl In 1960, Gordy officially incorporated Motown Records and Tamla under the Motown Record Corporation name. Before Motown, Gordy had signed deals for two singles by rising R&B stars The Miracles, featuring a young Smokey Robinson only to receive a royalty cheque for just $3.19. In just a few short years, Motown Record Corporation was a behemoth, with over 450 employees and had gross earnings in excess of $20 million in 1966. The real Motown Sound became more favorable than the altered renditions. Arwa Haider looks at how an independent record label created one of the most influential sounds of the 20th Century. Its musical themes were instantly relatable (Gordy would also describe the Motown sound as rats, roaches, soul, guts and love), and its songs demanded universal audiences. how did motown records achieve crossover success? Big musical units were no longer economically feasible. What are the characteristics of Motown music? No one has quite been able to reproduce the classic Motown sound. How did Motown achieve crossover success? This might have been savvy attitude from a seasoned entrepreneur who fashioned Motown as the sound of young America but it was also key to why the labels spirit was so ground-breaking. Founded by Berry Gordy, Jr., in Detroit, Michigan, Motown brought Black popular music into the mainstream. In what ways was Berry Gordy involved in the music business? All rights reserved. They also played a major role in financing Gordy in his early years in the music business. Support Your Local PBS Station: Write in the blank the correct form of the modifier in parentheses. In the 1960s, Motown and its subsidiary labels (including Tamla Motown, the brand used outside the US) were the most successful proponents of the Motown Sound, a style of soul music with a pop influence. (If students need a refresher about Civil Rights refer to Civil Rights Timeline. travel clearance covid testing san jose . By the end of the activity, students should have filled out notes in all the boxes on the handout. In the late 1960s Detroit was wracked with violent race riots, and in the early 70s the company relocated to Los Angeles, where its move into filmmaking was generally fruitful. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Forgot Password? Their father, Berry Gordy, Jr., is the Founder and CEO of Motown Records. What accounts for such a dramatic shift in style? How did Motown help the Civil Rights movement? All of Motown's most popular groups had crossover success with both R&B and mainstream pop audiences, but The Marvelettes' song, "Please Mr. Postman," was the first Motown record to reach the number one position on Billboard's Hot 100 pop singles chart in 1961. It does not store any personal data. Briefly describe this gift. Motown Records, also known as Tamla-Motown outside of the United States, is a record label originally based out of Detroit, Michigan ("Motor City", hence mo (tor)town), from where it achieved widespread international success. night blindness means a driver . While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Top artists on the Motown label during that period included the Supremes (initially including Diana Ross), the Four Tops, and the Jackson 5, while Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Marvelettes, and the Miracles had hits on the Tamla label. The company operated several labels in addition to the Tamla and Motown imprints. Motown is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. On January 12, 1959, he started Tamla Records, with an $800 loan from his family and royalties earned writing for Jackie Wilson. In the 1960s, Motown and its subsidiary labels (including Tamla Motown, the brand used outside the US) were the most successful proponents of what came to be known as the Motown Sound . The company loosened its production rules, allowing some of its longtime artists the opportunity to write and produce more of their own material. What did the Matadors change their name to? It was wildly popular. You can specify conditions of storing and accessing cookies in your browser. -Many artists performed the moonwalk so anyone of them could have taken credit for it. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. -In my opinion the first to perform the moonwalk live would be the creator of the moonwalk. Other Motown films would include Scott Joplin (1977), Thank God Its Friday (1978), The Wiz (1978) and The Last Dragon (1985). 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 Motowns Funk Brothers studio band, either staying behind in Detroit or leaving the company for other reasons. How did the success of Motown contribute to the Civil Rights Movement? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. All these songwriters were also producers. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Berry Gordy got his start as a songwriter for local Detroit acts such as Jackie Wilson and the Matadors. Then theyd vote if the song got an A+ it would get released, anything else and it went in the vault. In 1950, the brothers became the sole owners of Aristocrat Records and renamed it Chess Records. The touring-recording group was called the MGs. (2), -Good enough that Sam and Dave would stay under contract with Atlantic but still work with Stax as if they were signed there. What was quality control for Motown Records? As a result of Gordys stringent measures, at the height of its popularity (in the mid- to late 1960s), Motown enjoyed the highest hit ratio for its released singles of any record company in history. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. By Posted split sql output into multiple files In tribute to a mother in twi 0. By the following year, hed merge this into the Motown Record Corporation: an independent empire that would seal its genuinely iconic status, introducing legends including The Jackson 5; Diana Ross and The Supremes; Stevie Wonder; Smokey Robinson; Marvin Gaye; Martha and The Vandellas; The Commodores and many others among its hundreds of signings. charted (lead sheets) horn sections Its songs deserved an international audience since its musical ideas were so immediately relevant. Barry Gordy Jr. would hold every Friday to make sure every song would be a hit. In the early to mid-1960s especially, the Funk Brothers gave Motowns records their signature sound characteristics, including: In 1959, not long after recording Robinsons group, the Miracles, for New York-based End Records and establishing Jobete Publishing Company, Gordy began Motown Records (its name derived from Detroits nickname, Motor City). 1 hits worldwide. 2. Motown's sound is a style of music with a distinct influence. Yet, despite the considerable acclaim these performers garnered, no Motown act of the 1960s matched the success of the Supremes, a girl group that scored number-one hits with Where Did Our Love Go, Baby Love, Come See About Me (all 1964), Stop! After Marvin Gaye recorded Whats Going On, he played it for Motowns Berry Gordy Jr. who said it was the worst thing I heard in my life. Only after Gaye threatened to leave the label was it released, becoming massive hit and considered 4th greatest song of all time by the Rolling Stone. Motown's impact on popular culture is not so simply calculated. In your opinion, did James Brown, Michael Jackson, or someone else originate the Moonwalk? Equal parts finishing school and academy of popular arts, the company provided its acts with elaborate choreography under the tutelage of Cholly Atkins. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Once students are in their expert groups, assign each group one of the following articles to read and analyze. Explain the strategies the label used to promote its artists and music. 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. False, different makes of synthesizers are only compatible with modular synthesizer The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Motown broke down racial prejudice by becoming the most successful independent record company in history and the most successful African-American-owned business in America. Whats Going On: Motown and the Civil Rights Movement, Lunch Counter Closed: Examining the Strategies of the Civil Rights Movement, American Bandstand, Rock & Roll and the Struggle for Civil Rights, African American History: Climbing the Wall, African American History: Honored as Heroes, African American History: Lunch Counter Closed, Crack the Case: History's Toughest Mysteries, Myth of the West: Kit Carson to the Rescue, Myth of the West: Lonely But Free Ill Be Found, Myth of the West: The Battle of the Washita, The Sixties: Dylan Plugs in and Sells Out, The Sixties: Notes from the Ho Chi Minh Trail, Using Primary Sources: Nazi Spy Ring Busted, Using Primary Sources: The Rogue's Gallery, Women's History: Glass Windows & Glass Ceilings, Women's History: Parading Through History, Bookmark the sites in the Activity section of this lesson plan, or print for use in the classroom. When he found the name was already in use, Berry decided on Tamla instead. Sixty years ago, Berry Gordy set up the hit factory of Motown. Provide details about its founding, the style of music, the important people, etc. In your opinion, is Aretha more of a gospel singer or a rhythm & blues singer? 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,[21] Stevie Wonder, and Gordy himself. The social change promised by the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka school desegregation decision and the new civil rights activism made this a heady time indeed to be an enterprising African Americananything seemed possible. Motown played an important role in the racial integration of popular music as the first record label owned by an African American and primarily featuring African American artists to regularly achieve crossover success and have a widespread, lasting effect on the music industry. C. True, Different makes of synthesizers are compatible with each other. What was the purpose of the weekly Motown meeting? This resulted in the recordings of successful and critically acclaimed albums such as Marvin Gayes Whats Going On (1971) and Lets Get it On (1973), and Stevie Wonders Music of My Mind (1972), Talking Book (1972), and Innervisions (1973). (3). B. What about Otis Redding's sound epitomized the Stax Records sound? The fact that Motown was a successful black-owned record label at the height of racial inequity, had a significant impact on the music business. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. That name kept our mission in focus., The Temptations perform their signature hit My Girl in 1965 (Courtesy of EMI Archive Trust and Universal Music Group), Motown was always a serious business, fuelled by the sweetest sounds. Which phrase best describes the role of the Motown studio musicians? __________ One of his dreams is to visit his homeland. (3+3), -Favorite because of the meaning of the song. 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. After starting his recording career in Motown, Marvin changed his name from Marvin Gay to Marvin Gaye adding the 'e' to separate himself from his father, end all gossip concerning his sexuality, and also in admiration of his idol, Sam Cooke, who also added an 'e' to his last name. literature. It still does. Her mission was to prepare African-American artists from the city's Housing Projects to perform "in the White House and Buckingham Palace". He realized that the more lucrative end of the business was in producing records and owning the publishing. "Shop Around" by The Miracles, released in 1960, was Motown's first record that sold more than one million . What were some of the Church practices that reformers spoke out against from the 14th through the 16th centuries? What was Motown Records originally called? The guys in the pop duo LMFAO are related to Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records. From 2011 to 2014, it was a part of The Island Def Jam Music Group division of Universal Music. What is the formula for calculating solute potential? (3). -Gospel singer Computers/Technology Lab with access to the internet. If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to ourFacebookpage or message us onTwitter. Miracles lead singer William Smokey Robinson became the vice president of the company (and later named his daughter Tamla and his son Berry). Why is Motown important to black history? with Diana Ross, and Goin Back to Indiana with the Jackson 5. Read about our approach to external linking. Robinson was an important songwriter at Motown, as were Sylvia Moy, Norman Whitfield, Mickey Stevenson, Ivy Joe Hunter, and Gordy himself. Second, a new urban dance music, rhythm and blues, was ascendant. Motown celebrations have their place in every element of pop culture, whether its major museum exhibitions (Londons V&A hosted a celebration of The Supremes in 2008) or new-gen entertainment, such as the recent Netflix kids animated series Motown Magic. He set up the labels base in a modest two-storey house at 2648 West Grand Boulevard, also known as Hitsville USA. (2). In the 1960s, Motown and its subsidiary labels (including Tamla Motown, the brand used outside the US) were the most successful proponents of what came to be known as the Motown Sound, a style of soul music with a distinct pop influence. On the line provided, write NNN for noun, ADJA D JADJ for adjective, or ADVA D VADV for adverb. -Her voice sounds soulful and powerful. Chris Clark in the studio with Berry Gordy, Lamont Dozier and Stevie Wonder. 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 Whats Going On. and Stevie Wonders Innervisions albums), although Detroits original Hitsville building remains its spiritual home today, as the Motown Museum. He interviews Tim Hewitt and Ufuoma Wallace, Motown experts who explain how the Motown Sound, in part generated by Jamersons bass style, made history. You can easily fact check it by examining the linked well-known sources. There are almost no words that trigger the same international emotional response., The Supremes in London, 1964 (Credit: EMI Archive Trust and Universal Music Group, taken from Motown: The Sound of Young America, Adam White & Barney Ales, Thames & Hudson). Share. (A) examined in detail Follow us. In addition to the Miracles, who notched Motowns first million-selling single, Shop Around (1960), there were several young singing groups, including the Temptations, Martha and the Vandellas, and the Marvelettes. Artist development at Motown was comprehensive. 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. -Atlantic signed Pickett but after a few unsuccessful songs he went over to stax to try to produce a hit, 1. Franklin, presided over the New Bethel Baptist Church of Detroit, Michigan, and was a minister of . This lesson is written for grades 9-12 but could be adapted for use in grades 6-8 as well. The audiences were segregated. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.1Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.8Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text. by The History of Rock and Roll | Rock and Roll. They played a huge role in the development of the Motown sound, a branch of soul music that featured more sophisticated arrangements and orchestration than the grittier Southern soul that contemporaneously flourished at as the Memphis Sound. The Motown Sound owes some of its uniqueness to the reverb effect created by pumping tracks through the labels Echo Chamber, in the days before computers and synthesizers. The Motown Sound is widely regarded as being the pop, R&B, and soul music of the 1960s. Robinson reportedly told Gordy: You might as well start your own record label; I dont think you could do any worse than this., Smokey Robinson laughing in a sound booth. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Motown remained a force in popular musica vital, near-primal influence with stunning longevity. He briefly owned a jazz record store, but his true love was songwriting. The purpose of the meetings was to assess the previous weeks work: all of the music Motown artists and producers had recorded. True to his commitment to quality, Berry Gordy, Jr. would not slap a Motown label on every song his producers offered. In 2018, Motown was inducted into Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame class at the Charles H. Wright Museum, and Motown legend Martha Reeves received the award for the label. 1 How did Motown achieve crossover success? Gordy prided himself on having learned about producing a quality product from a brief stint on the assembly line at an auto plant. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. (4), 1. Despite its great number of hits, Motown was actually a small company, but it was run with unmatched efficiency. What was the name of the songwriting team at motown records from 1964-67? The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The fact lists are intended for research in school, for college students or just to feed your brain with new realities. It had taken the gospel-soaked soul and beauty of Black American music and created crossover hit after crossover hit, scorching the . -I Say a Little Prayer: I like the tempo and rhythm of the song First, after World War II, big-band swing, the dominant popular dance music in the United States during the Great Depression, became pass. Motown would deliver more explicitly political anthems, too: notably Edwin Starrs fiery 1970 classic War; its songwriters, Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, would also make an evocative statement on The Temptations 1970 hit: Ball of Confusion (Thats what the World is Today): Segregation, determination, demonstration, integration/ Aggravation, humiliation, obligation to our nation. -I Never Loved a Man: The unique sound made it interesting to listen to, 1. It was originally founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, and was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Have students divide up into expert groups corresponding to the numbers they counted off (eg: all the number 1s should work together, etc.). Serving as both recording studio and administrative headquarters, this two-story house became the home of Hitsville. Motowns roster included several successful solo acts, such as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder (a star as both a child and an adult), and Mary Wells. Detectlves . Pop production techniques such as the use of orchestral string sections, charted horn sections, and carefully arranged background vocals were also used. A third label, which Gordy named after himself (though it was originally called Miracle) featured the Temptations, the Contours, and Martha and the Vandellas. -The types of instruments his songs incorporated fit the Stax sound perfectly, 1. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.2Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text. 4 What was quality control for Motown Records? , , all synthesizers are compatible with each other. Does it do so today? African American Registry - Motown Records, Motown - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Gordy, Robinson honored at reunion of Motown stars, Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland. Motown was known for having it's own sound, the "motown sound." This sound came 1006 Words 5 Pages Decent Essays 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. The move was completed in 1972, and Motown later expanded into film and television production, remaining an independent company until 1994, when it was sold to PolyGram before being sold again to MCA Records successor Universal Music Group when it acquired PolyGram in 1999. Tamlas first release, in the Detroit area, was Marv Johnsons Come to Me in 1959 (released on United Artists). Motown played an important role in the racial integration of popular music as an African American-owned label that achieved significant crossover success. In several cases, producers would re-work 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 Aint Too Proud to Beg. Motown, recording company founded by Berry Gordy, Jr., in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., in 1959 that became one of the most successful Black-owned businesses and one of the most influential independent record companies in American history. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.9Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources. Aretha Franklin, in full Aretha Louise Franklin, (born March 25, 1942, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.died August 16, 2018, Detroit, Michigan), American singer who defined the golden age of soul music of the 1960s. 1 with "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)." Read more The Supremes' debut at Copacabana The Supremes make their triumphant debut at New York's Copacabana nightclub. Gordy tried other jobs before sticking to songwriting and opening Motown Records.
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