Berry Gordy

Name: Berry Gordy
Born:28/11/1929, Detroit, Michigan.

Berry Gordy’s Motown record label is perhaps the most famous and popular soul label of all time.  During the 1960s the label scored a massive run of hits and helped create a multitude of black super stars, formerly in the shadow of their white counterparts.

Born into a large family during the depression of the 1920s, Gordy dropped out of school at an early age and became an amateur boxer.  Discovering this career path was rather dangerous, the teenager chose to follow his other passion: music.  Gordy opened a record shop with limited success and soon found himself working in the car factories of Detroit, writing songs in his spare time.  Eventually Gordy got his break when he met the manager of Jackie Wilson and provided the star with a hit with the now classic “Reet Petite.”  Following this breakthrough, Gordy provided more hits for Wilson: “Lonely Teardrops,” “To Be Loved,” and “I’ll Be Satisfied.”  Sadly, a disagreement regarding royalties stopped Gordy writing for Wilson and the budding songwriter was back at square one.

Gordy did not give up his dream and soon became friends with local singer William “Smokey” Robinson.  He became the manager of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and co-wrote a number of hits with the singer.  In 1959, with his confidence restored, Gordy obtained a loan from family and friends and started his own Tamla label.  Based at a small Detroit house (boldly named “Hitsville USA”), the label attracted a great deal of local interest.  The label’s first hit was Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want)” again written by the label’s founder, and more hits for the Miracles followed.  As talk of the label spread, more and more artists and writers offered their services and by the early 1960s Gordy had created a phenomenal production line comparable to the motor factories in which he had once worked.

The label’s success was due, in part, to the competitive edge Gordy encouraged between his artists.  Despite this fierce desire to outdo previous achievements, the business-savvy Gordy also created a family atmosphere within the label.  To nurture rising stars such as Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder, Gordy hired staff to concentrate not only on the music, but the appearance and actions of the artists.

As writers such as Holland-Dozier-Holland, Norman Whitfield and Ashford & Simpson made their mark at the company, Motown broke into the national and international charts, establishing a new kind of soul music, as popular with white music lovers as black.

As success became second nature, the family atmosphere wavered.  Favouritism for certain stars was rumoured, in particularly Diana Ross who had a brief romance with the label owner.  Gordy changed The Supremes into Diana Ross and the Supremes and before long the singer had left for a solo career.  With the Holland-Dozier-Holland departing and the lights of Hollywood in his lights, Gordy relocated the Motown headquarters to Los Angeles, perhaps losing the local magic that had originally brought the talent to the label.  Lady Sings The Blues was the first Motown film, with Diana Ross in the lead role as Billie Holliday and Gordy installed as producer.

Although The Jackson 5’s record-breaking introduction to the US charts continued earlier success, the Motown sparkle dwindled.  The Commodores became the label’s most lucrative act but as the 1980s approached the label began to lose money.  A Motown 25 celebration, famous for Michael Jackson’s astounding Billie Jean performance, marked the end of an era and in 1988 Gordy reluctantly sold Motown to MCA.

Florence Ballard

Name: Florence Ballard
Born: 30/06/1943, Rosetta, Mississippi
Died: 22/02/1976

Florence Ballard’s sad decline from riches to rags demonstrates a previously unseen side to the Motown story.  Having been a founder member of the extremely successful Supremes, Ballard slipped into depression and drug use following her departure from the group in 1967.  Her story adds a tragic tint to the seemingly perfect girl group, yet this sad story should not overshadow Ballard’s singing talents.

Born into a large family in Mississippi, Florence Ballard’s singing career began to take off after the family moved to Detroit.  Along with school friend Mary Wilson and local girl Diana Ross, Ballard began The Primettes and the trio were eventually signed to Motown Records.  Following a list of flop recordings, the Supremes, as they were now called, finally began to make it big thanks to the songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland. The huge success the group achieved began to create problems. Ballard was frustrated by both the grueling schedule and the direction the group was taking.  While she had been brought up listening to the blues played by her Father, The Supremes were increasingly singing soul-less show time numbers before predominantly white audiences.  With Motown boss Berry Gordy now dating Ross, the lead singer demanded more attention than ever and the decision to change the group’s name to ‘Diana Ross and The Supremes’ could only have added to Ballard’s dissatisfaction.

During these tense times it has been suggested that Ballard turned to drink to ease her suffering and continually missed shows.  By 1967 she had been dropped by the band, replaced by Cindy Birdsong.

Florence Ballard’s career following her disappointing exit from The Supremes was in stark contrast to the international success the girl group would continue to experience.  After marrying former Motown chauffeur, Tommy Chapman, Ballard signed to ABC records.  At the new label she was again forced to sing inappropriate material and her records failed to sell.  Believing she had a large amount of money saved for her by Motown, Florence was bitterly angered to find she had nothing from her years with The Supremes.  An attempt to sue the record label for $8 million failed and Ballard sank further into depression.  She kept in touch with Mary Wilson, though saw her old friend infrequently.  Alone, with three children to care for, Ballard became isolated and ever more angered by the treatment she had received from Motown.

In 1976, at the age of 32, Florence Ballard was discovered unconscious at her home having suffered a heart attack, she later died in hospital.  A doctor’s report allegedly mentioned an intake of alcohol and pills that caused the cardiac arrest. Florence’s funeral was an emotional often chaotic affair with hundreds of fans attending. Tragically it was the first time in a decade that Ballard had attracted the public’s attention.  The event was attended by a number of Motown stars, including Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder and The Four Tops who served as pallbearers.

Florence Ballard’s story is a sad reflection on fame.  Her apparent vocal talents were never fully heard yet her kindness and loyalty during The Supremes’ reign will live in the hearts of thousands of fans across the world.

Otis Redding

Born: 09/10/1941, Dawson, Georgia
Died: 10/12/1967

Born in 1941, Dawson, Georgia, Otis Redding began his singing career, like many other soul artists, in church choirs.  His brilliant voice and charisma led him to sing at local venues around his hometown.  Citing his influences from artists such as Little Richard and Sam Cooke a singing career was always on the cards. When Redding left school he began touring with local singer Johnny Jenkins and the Pinetoppers.  Whilst on tour he acted as a chauffeur and a backing singer, yet his potential as a front man was not revealed.  In prevailing years Redding cut several singles on small record labels, but none brought him success.

Redding’s major break came in 1962 when Jenkins was recording tacks in the Stax studio in Memphis.  Jenkins managed to finish his recordings early and gave Redding the chance to record some of his own tracks.  This seemingly impromptu session produced two songs, ‘These Arms Of Mine’ and ‘Hey Hey Baby’. So impressed by Redding’s singing ability, Stax boss, Jim Stewart immediately arranged a recording contract.  ‘These Arms of Mine’ became Redding’s first single in the summer of 1963. The slow love ballad was a minor hit, but his path towards stardom was set.

While Redding never achieved a top 10 hit during his lifetime, he managed to survive the rock psychedelic movement in which many soul artists began to disappear.  He released an array of classic singles such as: ‘That’s How Strong My Love Is’, ‘I’ve Been Loving You’, ‘Respect’ and ‘Mr Pitiful’ (Reddings first top 50 hit, co-written by Steve Cropper of Booker T And The MG’s).
In 1967 Redding gained world-wide recognition during the Monterey Pop Festival where he was the only soul artist on the bill.  He managed to hold his own among rock acts such as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, an achievement in its own right.  On the 10th December of that year tragedy struck when a private plane crashed into a lake near Madison County.  Its passengers included members of the Bar-kays and Otis Redding.  The world of music had lost one its greatest stars at the young age of 27.  Several posthumous releases followed and ironically he achieved a US number 1 with ‘Dock Of The Bay’, only weeks after his death.  The single marked a new approach from Redding, his death robbing the music world of an artist at his creative peak.
Redding’s full potential was never reached and his energetic, charismatic performances would never be seen live again.  Redding’s endless enthusiasm was sadly missed and the success of Stax records dwindled following the star’s death.  His influence is unquestionable.  If alive today he may of reached the dizzy heights of super stardom like many of the musicians he gave chances to.

– Robert Wan

http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fsoulabums-21%2F8003%2F39ea650b-33d5-40ae-bc0e-becea3e1ed1b&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate Amazon.co.uk Widgets

Norman Whitfield

Name: Norman Whitfield
Born: 1943

After working as a session musician in and around Detroit, Norman Whitfield began writing songs and, in 1962 joined Motown Records.  His songwriting skills produced a number of early hits, including “I Couldn’t Cry If I Wanted To” for The Temptations and The Velvette’s classic “Needle in a Haystack”.   The writer’s passion for the label influenced a great number of artists and writers and created a number of unforgettable writing partnerships.

Despite Whitfield’s obvious songwriting skills, it was his flair for arranging and producing that caught Berry Gordy’s eye.  By the middle of the decade, Whitfield had taken artistic charge of The Temptations, moulding them into a super group who were more than ready for a new psychedelic sound.  Along with studio sidekick Frank Wilson, Whitfield pioneered the use of sound effects on classic tracks such as “Cloud Nine”, “Ball of Confusion” and “Psychedelic Shack”, and helped upgrade the Motown sound for the forthcoming decade.

To understand Whitfield’s prominence during this period, one need only look at the array of songs he co-wrote and produced: “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” (The Temptations, though originally performed by Undisputed Truth), “War” (Edwin Starr), “I Can’t Get Next To You” (The Temptations).  Despite his growing reputation as a genius, Whitfield continued to search for new sounds.  In the early 1970s Whitfield formed the Undisputed Truth from the ashes of the relatively unknown Delicates and by 1971 his “Smiling Faces Sometimes” reached number three in the US charts.  As the 1970s progressed, Whitfield concentrated only on his new band and The Temptations.  But only the Temp’s 1973 album Masterpiece received any critical acclaim.

By 1975, Whitfield had left Motown and formed his own label.  Success for Whitfield Records came in the shape of Rose Royce who scored with the famed Car Wash soundtrack.  But as the disco boom slowly disappeared Whitfield’s high standing within the music industry was lost.

Barrett Strong

Name: Barrett Strong
Born: 05/02/1941, Westpoint, Mississippi.

Perhaps, most famous for the classic 1959 hit “Money (That’s What I Want)” (his only big hit as a vocalist), Barrett Strong became friends with Motown founder Berry Gordy at an early age.  Although he would spend some time at Vee Jay Records, Strong soon returned to Motown and went on to write an array of classic soul songs that defined the “Sound of Young America”.

Along with co-writer Norman Whitfield, Strong penned legendary tracks such as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (for both Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight & the Pips), “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” (for The Temptations) and “War” (for Edwin Starr).

As Motown Records left their Detroit roots for Los Angeles, Strong decided to devote himself to the sounds of Michigan.  He moved to Epic and then Capital Records where he recorded a number of commercially unsuccessful albums (although 1976’s ‘Live And Love’ included ‘Man Up In The Sky’ – later covered by Johnny Bristol).

Still active within the industry, the Motown legend founded Detroit’s Blarritt Records.  In 1990, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from America’s National Association of Songwriters.  Unexpectedly in 2001 Strong returned with the eclectic album Stronghold 2.