The Motown Sound

TRIBUTES

AND

ACCOLADES


This page is for fun and information only. My hope is to give fans the resource necessary to obtain answers to their questions. My sources are from various magazines and news articles that has been printed with additonal facts provided from other fans from the internet, which were later verified. If by any chance the information is erroneous, please e-mail me with the corrections and the source. Also, if you have any suggestions or want to contribute, don't hesitate to let me know.


INDEX

Motown

Birthdates

Motown's #1 Singles

The Motown Covers

Commercials

DOUBLE PLATINUM

THE GRAMMYS

Motown in Print

On Tour

Books Magazines/Articles

Motown Misses Back To The Top

The following are some of the groups/artists who Motown either rejected (*) or released before (<) / after (>) they hit their stride.

KiKi Dee

I've Got the Music In Me, Don't Go Breaking My Heart (w/Elton John)

The 5th Dimension

Up, Up Away, One Less Bell To Answer, Age of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In

Dave Edmond

Dave Edmond is the curator of the museum of Rock & Roll. Under Rare Earth records (a subsidiary label of Motown) Love Sulpture recorded the single 'Blues Helping' in 1969. He left Motown and recorded the Rock classic "I Hear You Knocking"

Aretha Franklin *

Respect, Chain of Fools, Jump to It

The Isley Brothers

That Lady, It's Your Thing, For The Love Of You

Gladys Knight & the Pips

Midnight Train to Georgia, Best Thing That Ever Happenned to Me, On and On

Stephanie Mills

Never Been In Love Like This Before, Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin'

T. G. Sheppard

Before he was a giant country superstar, T.G. Sheppard recorded an album on Melodyland (a subsidary of Motown Records) which included several country hits including: Devil in the Bottle, Trying to Beat the Morning Home and Another Woman.

The Spinners

I'll Be Around, One of A Kind (Love Affair), Could It Be I'm Falling Love

Frankie Valli

Who Loves You, December 1963, Grease, My Eyes Adore You

Vince Aletti's All Time Top Ten Motown Singles

This is a personal list. It's not meant to be definitive of Motown's Ten Most Important Records. It's not even definitive for me (I left out "Fork in the road," "Strange I Know," "My Girl", "Hitchhike," "I'll Try Something New,"--getting carried away again--and I might have a whole different list next week). "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game is something of a minor Motown gem but I chose it because I had once dedicated it to George Crowell on a radio station in Dayton, Ohio.

1. "You've Really Got a Hold On Me"

(William Robinson), Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. "I don't like you but I love you": the supreme love song if you tend to get hung-up. And Smokey's aching voice was never more expressive. When I first heard this on the radio, I was stunned--I never knew songs could be so real.

2. "Ooo Baby Baby"

(Moore, Robinson) Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Smokey is sweeter, sadder here, filling the song with exquisite, drawn-out ooo's that are both painful and sensual. His line, "I'm crying," is nearly unbearable--you can feel every tear. The Miracles provide infinite depth to every sigh.

3. "Heat Wave"

(Holland, Dozier, Holland), Martha and the Vandellas. The song explodes, yes explodes. The ultimate song by the ultimate funky girl group; not just singing ABOUT passion (heatwave) but SINGING PASSION. Scream, girls.

4. "Two Lovers"

(William Robinson) Mary Wells. Damn, I love Mary Wells. She knew what she was singing about (love, requited and un, as LeRoi Jones says) and you can hear that knowledge in every phrase. No woman at Motown sang better than her. And this song! "Cause you're a split personality/and in reality/both of them are you." Oh, Smokey.

5. "You Beat Me to the Punch"

(Robinson, White) Mary Wells. The song that got me hooked on Motown; I memorized every nuance. A great short story. Mary and tough male chorus with an incredibly fine Smokey production, especially the ghost-like vibes/organ hovering in the background.

6. "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game"

(William Robinson). The Marvelettes. Smokey gave the Marvelettes some of his cleverest songs. "Hunter" is merely one of the best, containing the line "Love hit me like a sudden slap," and just beat out "Don't Mess With Bill." The lead is a beautiful combination of frail breathiness with a hint of raunch.

7. "You're My Everything".

(Whitfield, Penzabene, Grant), The Temptations. Landau says this song was badly recorded but I don't give a f**k when sweet voiced Eddie Kendricks trades off lines with David Ruffin, one of the toughest and best Motown vocalists. And just dig the idea: you're my EVERYTHING. Although "Since I Lost My Baby" is a much better song, this choice is for Edward.

8. "Baby Love"

(Holland Dozier Holland) The Supremes. Oooooooooo. The perfection of the formula while retaining some of the early nastiness. "Baby Love" is a nearly arbitrary choice among the early Supremes songs--all of them blend together in sexy whispers and insistent beat. "Where Did Our Love Go," "Come See About Me," or "Stop in the Name of Love" could easily have been substituted.'

9. "I Heard it Through the Grapevine"

(Whitfield, Strong) Gladys Knight and the Pips. When this record came out, it revealed the rest of the music scene for the boring, weak shit it was. Vitality, old "Heat Wave" energy, and Gladys Knight with her rich, jolting voice riding high on one of Motown's two or three finest production jobs.

10. "I Want You Back"

(The Corporation) Jackson 5. The Motown spirit reborn. From the opening scream a f***k**g masterpiece. Clearly one of the best singles ever made and besides, they're cute.

Submitted by: Bullsfan <traxler@mag-net.com>

This is the 2nd in the set of reviews of The Motown Story by Vince Aletti, a senior editor of Rolling Stone and an author for Rolling Stone Magazine, 1970

Motown Back To The Top

As (Stevie Wonder)