In order to ensure that only the top music would be released, Gordy set up a system called Quality Control. This system held meetings on Friday mornings where producers would submit music to be voted on. Because of this, only the music with the most votes would be released and it also created competition between artists to produce better music. Names such as Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Smokey Robinson have all been featured on this hit record.
Motown is one of the most prominent record labels ever produced in American History. It was first developed when American songwriter, Berry Gordy, founded Motown Records Corporation with an $800 loan from his family in Detroit. The name "Motown" was originally thought of because Detroit's nickname is "Motor City" and "City" was replaced with "Town" to create the contraction "Motown".When Motown was created in 1959, it immediately became a success. At the Hitsville USA offices in Detroit, music was produced 24 hours a day. It still today remains one of the most influential music labels ever produced with more than 180 No. 1 hit songs worldwide.
Not only did Motown make its mark in the music industry, but it also provided a spark for social and cultural change. Motown was the first African-American-owned record to reach widespread national acclaim which helped break down racial prejudice. It became the center of American pop music and its upbeat music brought together people of all races. Today, Motown is considered one of the most successful musical accomplishments ever for its influence on the music industry and culture.
I found your post to be quite informational. Before watching the documentary in class and reading your post I had only heard of Motown in passing. It was interesting to gain a more in depth understanding, as well as where the record label got its name. Apparently, "The Beatles covered various Motown songs including: “Please Mr. Postman”, The Marvelettes, “You Really Got a Hold on Me”, The Miracles, “Shout”, the Isley Brothers, “Money (That’s What I Want)”, Barrett Strong".
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https://www.thisdayinmusic.com/liner-notes/50-motown-records-facts/
Similar to Emily, I had only briefly heard of Motown prior to your post and the documentary in class. I was interested to learn that Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records, actually worked in an assembly line at Detroit’s Lincoln-Mercury automobile plant for a few years before he started Motown. Gordy thought that he could bring the came concepts of an assembly line into the music industry; he wanted to “create a place where a kid off the street could walk in one door, an unknown, go through a process, and come out another door, a star,” similar to how a bare metal frame would enter the assembly line and come out the other end as a sparkling new car. His experience working in factories also gave him the idea of implementing “Quality Control,” which ensured that the top products were released. This spurred a lot of competition between various artists, but that only made their bonds stronger and music better.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.motownmuseum.org/story/motown/