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It had it's time, but it has been replaced by Rap and Hip-Hop. It's now part of feed, mixed in with all types of outdated music, that plays in the background.
I hear Motown in places one would never expect to hear it, in areas where black people don't even live, like at the Whole Foods Market in Cupertino, CA.
I'm loving all these non-Motown clips in a thread about Motown ...
My Ma retired from and automotive window/glass manufacturer here. Part of her job was going to Detroit. She/we....the family spent A LOT of time in Detroit when I was growing up. It was at least a monthly commute.
It had it's time, but it has been replaced by Rap and Hip-Hop. It's now part of feed, mixed in with all types of outdated music, that plays in the background.
I hear Motown in places one would never expect to hear it, in areas where black people don't even live, like at the Whole Foods Market in Cupertino, CA.
I hear it at my house-frequently!!
Holland-Dozier-Holland. What a songwriting team.
The Funk Brothers. What a band.
The youtubes on the 70's rock band Rare Earth, a white band associated with Motown? yep. Their early lp's and 45's in the early 1970's were released on Rare Earth Records. It was distributed by Motown. Their very first lp was on the MGM folk label, Verve Forecast. It was a flop, and Motown gave them a shot.
Motown gave another rock guy a shot- Bobby Darin. One was "1936-1973". the other one was self titled. Both are quite good, certainly not the Darin from his days of recording "Splish Splash" or "Dream Lover." They were released around the time of his death in October 1973.
Another couple late 60's rock groups who recorded on the Rare Earth label which Motown distributed- S.F. Sorrow (60's psychedelic) and Love Sculpture (British Blues) a notable guy emerged from the band Love Sculpture and had a very notable career- Dave Edmunds.
My favorite Motown 45? There are a few dozen tied for first.
My favorite Motown album? "The Four Tops Reach Out." Check this out--top 20 weekly list of the rock and soul charts--the singles that came out of this lp:
Reach Out- I'll Be There
Standing in The Shadows Of Love
Bernadette
Seven Rooms Of Gloom
Turn To Stone
Walk Away Renee (great version of the Left Banke's 10/66 hit)
If I Were A Carpenter (originally charted by Bobby Darin, written by folk artist Tim Hardin. Seven songs from one lp that went top 20, four going top 5. Amazing!
From it's earliest beginnings to the late 1960's and all of the 1970's and most of the 1980's, I would be hard pressed to find one week that did not have a Motown group on 45 chart a record.
A storied history. Motown Records.
Last edited by DOUBLE H; 04-22-2014 at 08:03 AM..
Reason: correcion
So what is my definition of "Motown" music? At least one singer who can really really sing. Not average, not ordinary...I mean really sing. Most cases it's more than one vocalist doing harmonies. Could be two, could be three or even more. It's trademark Motown to have "soulful" vocals in your songs. My point for posting was many people who remember BTM remember all the finger snapping, instrument-less A Capella vocals and songs void of the richness earlier tunes had with all the "sound". As seen in this thread, it's what younger people associate with being "Motown". To me it's a label only, nothing more. Take The Four Tops for example, they had a full band firing during their songs.
As for Rare Earth, I think they were one of the best with their particular sound and style. It holds it's own against anything anyone else did. Rare Earth brought Rock guitar fuzz tone, wha-wha pedal and various other things to the mix. I always liked it a lot.
So....what I'm getting at is you aren't only looking for BTM. Could be Rare Earth too, or anyone of the others. I think that Black Crows tune is pretty dang close. Especially with the soulful black women singing like their best day in church right with and behind him. That's more "Motown" to me.
the 70's rock band Rare Earth, a white band associated with Motown? yep.
Yes, they were. All the boys in my sixth grade class loved Rare Earth. They especially liked playing the 20-minute version of "Get Ready" during art class. Over and over again. LOL
The Bee Gees, however, did not record for Motown. The Isley Brothers from Cincinnati had a few releases on Motown, but they mostly released music on their own label. Gladys Knight and the Pips recorded for other labels as well; a quick check of my 45s tells me that "Midnight Train to Georgia" was recorded on Buddha records.
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My favorite Motown album? "The Four Tops Reach Out."
I'm going to risk embarrassment here and say the Jackson 5's "ABC". I played that album to death. There are some good covers on that record. Any of Stevie Wonder's 1970s albums would do the trick as well.
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A storied history. Motown Records.
If anyone hasn't seen "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" yet, go watch it right now!
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