Berry Gordy
‘Stubborn Kind Of Fellow’: Marvin Gaye’s Persistence Earns Pop Debut
'Stubborn Kind Of Fellow,' which Gaye co-wrote with Mickey Stevenson and Berry Gordy’s brother George, established him as a soul contender.
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Features7 days ago‘Dancing In The Street’: Martha And The Vandellas’ Perfect Dance Record
'Dancing In The Street' is the perfect Motown dance record: it's infectious and features great musicians playing their socks off.
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Features1 week ago‘Bless You’: Martha And The Vandellas Say A Pop Farewell
The song turned out to be the end of a US pop crossover story that had begun eight years earlier.
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Features2 weeks ago
‘Inner City Blues’: Marvin Gaye Completes A Social Commentary Trinity
On October 9, 1971, ‘Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler),’ the latest 45 from Marvin’s immortal ‘What’s Going On’ album, bowed on the US pop and R&B charts.
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Features2 weeks ago
‘I Want You Back’: The Jackson 5’s Sensational Motown Debut
The ebullient song was composed by the Motown writing team known as The Corporation, with Alphonso Mizell, Freddie Perren, Deke Richards, and Berry Gordy himself.
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Features3 weeks ago
A Real Motown Miracle: Claudette Robinson Steps In Front Of The Curtain
The co-founder of the Miracles shares memories of life on the road and in the studio with Motown’s first-ever signings.
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Features4 weeks ago
‘Shop Around’: Behind Smokey Robinson And The Miracles’ Classic Song
The Miracles’ ‘Shop Around’ is one of the greatest soul songs of all time. Here's the story of how it got made.
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Features1 month ago
‘Ain‘t No Mountain High Enough’: How Diana Ross Silenced The Doubters
One Motown smash replaced another at No. 1 in the US on September 19, 1970, as Edwin Starr’s ‘War’ was succeeded by Diana’s ’Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.’
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Features1 month ago
How Berry Gordy And Motown Pioneered African-American Businesses
From a tiny $800 loan, Berry Gordy turned Motown into the biggest African-American business of its era, paving the way for black-owned labels that followed.
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Features2 months ago
‘Please Mr. Postman’: How The Marvelettes Scored Motown’s First No.1
Inspiring covers by everyone from The Beatles to Carpenters, The Marvelettes’ ‘Please Mr. Postman’ song put Motown on the map as a true cultural force.
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Features2 months ago
‘Baby Love’: The Supremes Give Birth To A Motown Classic
The Holland-Dozier-Holland classic was first cut a month earlier — and got the thumbs down from Berry Gordy.
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Features2 months ago
‘Do You Love Me’: Tracing The Contours Of A Motown Smash
The six-piece from Detroit, the Contours, took the song to No.1 on the US R&B chart for three weeks.
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Features3 months ago
Got To Give It Up: 15 Songwriters And Producers That Shaped The Motown Sound
The engine that drove the Motown machine was made up of the songwriters and producers who worked behind the scenes to create the Motown sound.
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Features3 months ago
‘Syreeta’: Stevie Wonder Produces Distinguished Debut For His First Wife
The pair had already written hits for Stevie and others when he oversaw her first album for Motown's MoWest label.
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Features3 months ago
When The Temptations’ Motown Story Began With ‘Oh Mother Of Mine’
The first Temptations single may have gone nowhere fast, but the label stuck with them, and soon they began to grow into soul giants.
