(Above article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2017.Newspapers.com.
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A MCRFB Note: Three years after having founded Motown, this article was the very first mention Berry Gordy and Motown Records were given in print by the Detroit Free Press, December 26, 1962.
DETROIT FREE PRESSMonday, December 28, 1964(click on image 2x for larger PC view)Berry Gordy Jr. poses with the Supremes’ newest Motown album outside Hitsville USA headquarters on West Grand Boulevard in June, 1964.Detroit Free Press/Tony Spina; click on image 2x for largest PC view)
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DETROIT — There has been a lot of dispute lately over the definition of rhythm and blues as against rock and roll, pop and blues. To get some opinions on the subject, Billboard talked with several top people in the field and Berry Gordy, head of Tamla-Motown and Gordy Records, this is what he had to say about the matter:
Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr. in front of ‘Hitsville’ circa 1963.
“It originated from Negro folk music. It’s characterized by a heavy-bottom sound — heavy drums and bass — and its strongly dominated by blues. It differs from rock and roll. The latter is lighter and not as heavy on the bass, it’s more pop with a heavy back beat. Rock and roll is derived from R&B, but its a cleaner sound — not as flunky and muddy on the low end — more of a light, up-tempo sound. Rhythm and blues — more than any other type of music — is from the soul and expresses the sincere feelings of the artist. No special musical schooling or training is necessary.
One thing — there’s quite an overlap between rhythm and blues, rock and roll and pop. Take our tune, ‘Do You Love Me,’ by the Contours on Gordy as an example. It was recorded rhythm and blues but by the time it reached the half-million mark, it was considered pop. And if we hadn’t recorded it with a Negro artist, it would have been considered rock and roll.”
Now — talk about being home for the holidays, virtually the entire Tamla-Motown-Gordy artist roster got a Christmas present by returning home to Detroit, ending a two-month concert tour that started in Washington and ended last week at New York’s Apollo Theater. They had a helter-skelter pace of one-nighters in between. Included on the tour were: the Miracles, Mary Wells, “Little” Stevie Wonder (he’s the 12 year-old Motown sensation who plays piano, drums, organs, banjo, harmonica and sings too), the Vandellas, Marvin Gaye and the Contours. The same line-up were signed for a New Year’s Eve show, Monday, December 31 at the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit. END
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(Information and news source: Billboard; January 5, 1963)
A young, dashing, 29-year old Berry Gordy, Jr., photographed here in 1958, the year before he founded Motown Records.(Credit: Getty Images)BERRY GORDY, JR., the man who built Motown Records, circa 1964.(Credit: Getty Images)
BERRY GORDY, JR., stands near Motown Records/ Hitsville, U. S. A., 2648 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit. June, 1965.(Click on image for largest detailed view). Motown’s Barry Gordy, promoting his Motown LP’s before the press, press photo, circa 1964.(Click on image for larger size).
LONDON — Britain has been invaded by Tamla-Motown. The label has been launched here in March (distributed by EMI) with the arrival of the Supremes,Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, the Miracles, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder and the Earl Van Dyke Sextet for a town to town tour and a rash of television appearances. At the moment it is almost impossible to switch on a TV set in the evening without seeing one of the distinguishable Motown acts.
Berry Gordy, Jr., flew in with his “family,” as he refers to his stable of hitmakers. Gordy admits modestly to being a millionaire (the sterling type), but talks about his stars with far more affection than business enthusiasm.
“But I like to think as myself as a businessman. After all Tamla-Motown represents a lot of money now and we try to pull the best deals whenever we can.” That’s an understatement. He is negotiating release of Tamla-Motown records on their own mark throughout the world and continually adding to the roster of talent.
“But I never had the fear of the sound going out. It is not actually true that we have built a business on one actual sound — we have built it around a basic feeling, but at the same time we try to have a variety of sounds and styles. I think there is a big difference, for example, between Martha Reeves and the Vandellas and the Supremes.
“We are also diversifying. Just recently we signed Billy Eckstein and Tony Martin. The Supremes just recently had a country and western album out in America and I have just finished another LP with them, ‘There’s A Place For Us,’ which features all the big Broadway tunes, ‘Somewhere’ and ‘People,’ among them. But I would never get too far from the style (of music) we have become famous for because — well, we like it.”
Thirty-five-year-old Gordy believes a lot in goodwill and in London he seemed to spend a lot of more time looking after the welfare of his artists and their various relations than he devoted to business matters.
On the comparison British journalists have made between him and Brian Epstein, Gordy said, “Epstein is considered with tremendous regard throughout the world and though I feel our role is somewhat different, I think that it is both a favorable and flattering comparison.”
Gordy also stated he is not particularly keen on making a film deal for his Tamla-Motown artists but revealed he had the world sale rights of the TV spectacular they made for the Rediffusion at the start of their British trip. Gordy said he has had many offers to buy Tamla-Motown. “But the label means a lot more to us than just money — it’s hard to say what I might do some day. At present, I don’t intend to sell it.” END
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(Information and news source: Billboard; April 3, 1965)
