It's that blueprint, which brought artists like the Temptations, Four Tops, and Supremes stardom, that people mean when they describe music as "Motown. [5] Some of the components of the music, such as the "gospel break"[10] and four-on-the-top beat (inverted), survived in disco later in the 1970s.[11]. Motown Classics for Black History Month. Feedback You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. The signature sound of Motown was a polished and sophisticated, jazz-influenced soul that showcased smooth vocals in the forefront of the music. Although both Stax and Motown were producing songs in the genre of soul music during the same period, their sounds were far from identical. And we still got the sound.[12]. Or they use more drums.' The music of Motown helped a small record company become the largest Black American-owned enterprise in the country and a national music industry competitor in the United States. No, Motown was a record label/music scene in Detroit. Motown Music. Motown quietly moved to Los Angeles years before the "official" move in 1972. Some popular artists where the Temptations, the Spinners, the Four Tops, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Smokey Robinson, and so much more. [4] Their series of hits produced for solo singers as well as groups dominated the American and British charts in the late 1960s and exerted an influence on music in the United Kingdom. During the '60s, Berry Gordy, Jr.'s Detroit label became the biggest independent in the music industry, thanks to its smooth, sophisticated blend of R&B and memorable pop melodies. “You Really Got a Hold on Me” by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles. When Holland, Dozier and Holland left the label in a dispute over royalties, producer Norman Whitfield became a major figure at Motown, keeping the label in step with the harder, funkier direction much soul music was heading in. Heard It Through The Grapevine’ – Marvin Gaye (1968) Gladys Knight and the Pips and The Miracles … At Motown, the pop side of the equation took on greater importance than ever before, which helped make the records accessible to a wider audience; their velvety elegance helped cement black popular music firmly into mainstream American culture. The two labels featured the same writers, producers and artists. Crank up the speakers and learn all about that famous Motown sound! Personally, I do, as a subgenre of pop and or soul music, AND a historical reference: 1. Explore our royalty free Motown music collection. 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. On 12 January 1959, the music sensation that changed America – and the world beyond it – was set in motion. Moving on now to Motown, within Motown there are three major music genres Blues, Jazz and Gospel, I will now begin to introduce Jazz and Gospel music and how the features of the two interact with other art forms such as fashion and themes and as well how they influenced Motown. Over the course of its history, the Motown Corporation has owned or distributed more than 45 labels in varying genres. Just to record in Detroit. Blues developed in the 19th century and was originally played by a single performer singing … Though Motown uses a variety of instruments, some of the most common sounds come from percussion instruments and distinctive vocals. Motown music is a musical genre that blends the sounds of rhythm and blues (R&B)and pop music styles. ", I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch). From New York, Chicago, California. It’s hard to resist the tune’s first … Williams, Otis & Patricia Romanowski, Temptations (Lanham, MD: Cooper Square, 1988; updated 2002), p. 157, Musical technique of "emptying the track of most instrumentation then gradually build[ing] it back up" (Echols 2020), The Story of Northern Soul: A Definitive History of the Dance Scene that Refuses to Die, Hot Stuff: Disco and the Remaking of American Culture, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motown_(music_style)&oldid=1019572672, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using infobox music genre with unknown parameters, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 24 April 2021, at 03:11. The music of Motown helped a small record company become the largest Black American-owned enterprise in the country and a national music industry competitor in the United States. Bullshit. Motown began as a Detroit label with a roster of artists that gave a pop sensibility to soul music. Hear Motown artists (music and interviews) on the Pop Chronicles (1969). They figured it was in the air, that if they came to Detroit and recorded on the freeway, they'd get the Motown sound. Motown often utilized the same core session musicians on their records, which helped lay the Motown sound's basic rhythmic foundation of bouncing bass and echoing drums. It's spiritual, and it comes from the people that make it happen. Nobody blends soul, R&B, and pop music quite like the best Motown artists of all-time. Get The App. Founded on Jan. 12, 1959, Motown quickly became another Detroit factory; where the Big Three produced automobiles, Motown assembled the soul and pop classics … Motown had an extraordinary house band (known as the Funk Brothers) made up of some of the best nightclub and bar musicians in Black Detroit, including Earl Van Dyke on keyboards, Benny Benjamin and Uriel Jones on drums, and James Jamerson on bass. During the '60s, Berry Gordy, Jr.'s Detroit label became the biggest independent in the music industry, thanks to its smooth, sophisticated blend of R&B and memorable pop melodies. The Motown label crafted a uniform house sound so instantly identifiable that "Motown" unequivocally became a style unto itself. "Motown" can also refer to the city of Detroit itself, or to the genre of music made by artists like those listed above. From 1961 to 1971, the label produced no less than 110 Billboard Top Ten hits. [9], Principal architects of the style were the songwriting trio Holland–Dozier–Holland and record producer Berry Gordy. Written by world-class composers, our incredible Motown tracks are exclusive and copyright clear. Facebook Twitter Berry Gordy's Motown put Detroit on the map as a city, a record label, and a sound that was Soul music in the 1960s. When we were first successful with it, people were coming from Germany, France, Italy, Mobile, Alabama. [3] Motown producers adhered to the "KISS principle" (keep it simple, stupid). Simply click on the clue posted on LA Times Crossword on December 24 2018 and we will present you with the correct answer. With its catchy melodies and universal messages, the Motown Sound has become one of the most significant musical accomplishments and stunning success stories of the 20th century. Other websites. Listen, the Motown sound to me is not an audible sound. Sir Duke (Stevie Wonder) Stevie’s 1976 tribute to the swing jazz giants who inspired him as a kid is … Motown, or the Motown sound, is a style of rhythm and blues music[2] named after the record company Motown in Detroit, where teams of songwriters and musicians produced material for girl groups, boy bands, and solo singers during the 1960s and early 1970s. Thus a new urban sound created a niche in the music industry competing with Motown, British Invasion, folk and many other musical genres. On this page will find the solution to Motown music genre crossword clue. Today, the label is a subsidiary of The Capitol Music Group, which in turn, is a division of The Universal Music Group. Motown 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. Works cited: “Motown Music – The Sound That Changed America.” Motown Museum. It is played with a variety of musical instruments, from electric to acoustic. "Don't Mess With Bill," The Marvelettes. Label Code LC 0881 or LC 00881 R&B » Early R&B » Motown The Motown label crafted a uniform house sound so instantly identifiable that "Motown" unequivocally became a style unto itself. This article about a music genre is a stub. Blues. Also known as: Motown The Motown sound is the signature Pop Soul style developed by the Detroit label Motown Records, founded by Berry Gordy, that found huge success during the 1960s. [3] It had a crossover[4] appeal it was called "clean R&B that sounded as white as it did black. During the '60s, Berry Gordy, Jr.'s Detroit label became the biggest independent in the music industry, thanks to its smooth, sophisticated blend of R&B and memorable pop melodies. Detroit-born 29-year-old Berry Gordy founded Tamla Records with an … Tune in for all the classic Motor City hits! Part of that is due to Motown The Musical, a theatrical smash at home and abroad, which tells how Gordy’s dreams and determination (plus a song or two) created what may be the most celebrated record company in history. But their arrangements were frequently lush and elaborate, adding strings, horns, woodwinds, piano, extra percussion, or whatever else might enhance the music's urbane stylishness. Songs On This Station Play Ain't Too Proud To Beg Hughes, Zondra "Are Whites Stealing Rhythm & Blues?". It has offered voices of black people, that without the work of Berry Gordy may have gone unheard. Acappella became the starting point and catalyst for oldies radio programing, reissues of records of the late 40's and 50's and the preservation and promotion of rhythm and blues vocal groups. In fact, mid-'60s Motown tunes were played by the cream of L.A.'s studio musicians, such as bassist Carol Kaye, who played on a number of Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye recordings. Here is a little pick me up… sort of. The legacy of Motown is that it lives on through the dominance of contemporary genres such as rap, which currently reigns as the most popular music genre in the U.S. As an irresistible force of social and cultural change, the legendary Motown catalog made its mark on not just the music industry, but society at large. It was made up of R&B, soul, funk, and "doo-wop" artists mainly in the 50s and 60s. Indeed, the Funk Brothers remained largely anonymous. Motown, or the Motown sound, is a style of rhythm and blues music named after the record company Motown in Detroit, where teams of songwriters and musicians produced material for girl groups, boy bands, and solo singers during the 1960s and early 1970s. The Motown sound, which came of age in the 1960s, must also be considered soul music. "[7] Productions featured a strong rhythm, layered instrumental sound, and memorable hooks,[8] utilizing large bands, strings, and organs. [2] Musicians involved in the production of a Motown track constituted a mix of eclectic musical backgrounds, such as jazz[7] and rhythm and blues. For many music fans, the Motown Sound is the defining sound of the 1960s pop, R&B, and soul music.The distinctive musical style—all tambourines, driving bass lines, and gospel-influenced vocal harmonies—became synonymous with the Detroit studio where … [3], The sound, a sophisticated strain of R&B and pop, is known for its polished songwriting with "candid" vocal delivery. This polished pop craftsmanship, when matched with the smoothly soulful vocals of the Motown artist roster, became ubiquitously popular during the early '60s, with songwriters like Smokey Robinson and the team of Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Brian Holland turning out one gem after another with almost assembly-line regularity. From everywhere. The label could also go dark when the mood … In addition to its lighter, more pop-oriented artists such as the Supremes, the Motown label produced artists with genuine gospel grit— the Contours (“Do You Love Me” [1962]), Marvin Gaye (“Can I Get a Witness” [1963]), and Stevie Wonder (“Uptight [Everything’s Alright]” [1966]). 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. In 1970, the Jackson 5 became superstars with a funky bubblegum-soul that began to break away from established Motown formulas, and during the rest of the decade, performers like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder took greater control of their own music, investing it with their own personalities and helping break up the standardized Motown blueprint. Motown has been an important genre of music to American society. 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