![]() ![]() David Ruffin, then lead singer of The Temptations, decided that he should receive the same treatment that Robinson, Ross, and Reeves received, and demanded that Motown rename his group "David Ruffin & the Temptations". This was done, according to Gordy, to be able to negotiate for more money for live performances, since Motown would be offering two acts-a lead singer and a group-instead of just one. The Miracles were renamed Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, The Supremes became Diana Ross & the Supremes, and Martha & the Vandellas became Martha Reeves & the Vandellas. In 1967, three of Motown's most popular groups had their lead singers receive top billing over the group. By the late 1960s the label was billing itself as "The Sound of Young America", with its acts enjoying widespread popularity among black and white audiences alike. In the 1960s (from 1961 to 1971), Motown had 110 Top 10 hits and artists such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Jackson 5, and Gladys Knight & the Pips were all signed to Motown Records. Postman." By the mid-1960s, the label, with the help of songwriters and producers such as Robinson and Holland-Dozier-Holland, was a major force in the music industry. A year later, The Marvelettes scored the label's first US #1 pop hit, "Please Mr. ![]() The label's first hit was Barrett Strong's " Money (That's What I Want)" ( 1959), which made it to #2 on the Billboard R&B charts its first #1 R&B hit was "Shop Around" by the Miracles in 1960. A photographer's studio was modfied into the administrative offices for the label, with a large recording studio built downstairs in the basement.Īmong Motown's early artists were Mabel John, Mary Wells, and Barrett Strong. had instrumental roles in the company.Īlso in 1959, Gordy purchased the property that would become Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson became the vice president of the company, and many of Gordy's family members, including his sister Gwen and his father Berry Sr. In 1959, he started his own record label, Tamla Records his first signed act was The Matadors, who changed their name to The Miracles. got his start as a songwriter for local Detroit acts such as Jackie Wilson and the Matadors. In the 1960s, Motown and its subsidiaries were the most successful proponents of what came to be known as The Motown Sound, a style of soul music with distinctive characteristics, including the use of tambourine along with drums, bass instrumentation, a distinctive melodical and chord structure, and a "call and response" singing style originating in gospel music.īerry Gordy, Jr. Now headquartered in both Detroit and New York City, Motown Records is today a subsidiary of the Universal Motown Records Group, itself a subsidiary of Universal Music. Motown left Detroit for Los Angeles, California in 1972, and remained an independent company until 1988, when Gordy sold the company to MCA. ![]() ![]() as Tamla Records, Motown has, over the course of its history, owned or distributed more than 45 labels in varying genres, including Mel-o-dy, Miracle, Gordy, Soul, Rare Earth, and Mo-west. Originally incorporated on Decemby Berry Gordy, Jr. Motown was the first record label owned by an African-American to become a widespread international success, and played an important role in the integration of popular music. The label was originally based out of Detroit, Michigan ( "Motor Town"), and is named for the city's association with the automobile industry. Motown Record Company, L.P., also known as Tamla-Motown outside of the United States, is a record label specializing in the musical genres of R&B, pop, soul music, and hip-hop music. ![]()
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