| The Motown Sound...what else can be said about the music that has influenced an entire generation to dance in the streets. Optimistically nicknamed, 'Hitsville, U.S.A.', Motown dominated the charts in the 60's and 70's and continued its hitmaking sounds into the 80's and 90's. Now entering the millennium, Motown is still very much part of our lives as India.Arie and Erika Badu has proven. Motown music has imprinted its soul in our imaginations but it has also become part of our musical heritage. And while British groups made America it's stomping ground, Motown was the only American label that was able to meet the invasion head on. Surprisingly, the dominance of the Beatles on the American charts was defused by what was known then (and now) as a girl group . . . Diana Ross and the Supremes. Such was the power of Motown. It epitomized what American music was all about . . . the sound of young America. |
Founded
by Berry Gordy Jr. on borrowed money, Motown came to epitomize what
America was all about . . . that dreams can come true! There
were many other dreamers in the world of music but Berry had the
foresight to tap into the pulse of the American public like no one else
had before. By combining the sounds of jazz, blues, pop and swing
with hints of  calypso
and other influences of it's day, Motown bursted into the music
scene. Given the nickname, 'Hitsville U.S.A.,' Motown lived up to
its moniker by placing one hit after another on the American charts . .
. soon, the infectious sound of the Motown beat circled the globe and
influenced the way we heard music. Acts as diverse as the Beatles,
the Rolling Stones and Dusty Springfield, exploited the unmistakable
rhythm of what was rapidly becoming known as the Motown sound.
In time, it's roster of artist became legendary. . . the Temptations,
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the
Jackson Five, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Martha Reeves and the Vandallas,
Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mary Wells, the list goes on and on.
The sound was unmistakable: The hand-clapping, the rhythmic beat,
the shout and call, the harmonies. It all came together to work a
magic that turned Motown into a household name. No other label has
been so closely associated with it's sound than Motown. Not RCA,
not MCA, not Columbia, Arista or a dozen other labels. The wonder
of it all is that no one can truely pinpoint what the Motown sound
is. The diversity of it's talent and the various areas that Motown
explored makes it hard to pigeon-hole it's music. Yet, Motown
music remains the most identifiable sound on the radio.
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So come and explore . . . the sound of young America. |
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