MOTOWN MUSEUM July 19, 2021 [Photo credit: Jim Feliciano (Motor City Radio Flashbacks) 3:39:36 p.m.]
MOTOWN MUSEUM July 19, 2021[Photo credit: Jim Feliciano (Motor City Radio Flashbacks) 3:41:48 p.m.]
MOTOWN MUSEUM July 19, 2021 [Photo credit: Jim Feliciano (Motor City Radio Flashbacks) 3:42:41 p.m.]
MOTOWN MUSEUM July 19, 2021 [Photo credit: Jim Feliciano (Motor City Radio Flashbacks) 3:41:30 p.m.]
MOTOWN MUSEUM July 19, 2021 [Photo credit: Jim Feliciano (Motor City Radio Flashbacks) 3:40:23 p.m.]
MOTOWN MUSEUM July 19, 2021[Photo credit: Jim Feliciano (Motor City Radio Flashbacks) 3:40:54 p.m.]
MOTOWN MUSEUM August 10, 2022 [Photo credit: Jim Feliciano (Motor City Radio Flashbacks) 5:49:47 p.m.]
MOTOWN MUSEUM August 10, 2022 [Photo credit: Jim Feliciano (Motor City Radio Flashbacks) 5:50:04 p.m.]
MOTOWN MUSEUM August 10, 2022 [Photo credit: Jim Feliciano (Motor City Radio Flashbacks) 5:51:02 p.m.]
MOTOWN MUSEUM August 10, 2022[Photo credit: Jim Feliciano (Motor City Radio Flashbacks) 5:51:11 p.m.]
_______________
The Motown Museum is currently undergoing a 50 million dollar renovation and museum expansion.
According to an article in the Detroit Free Press (October 10, 2021), Phase I of the project will consist of construction of a new concrete and granite plaza that will stretch across the front grounds of the museum, spanning across four adjoining houses. It will include a pop-up performance space structuring the front door of the new 50,000 square foot building expansion.
Phase I and Phase II has been completed, according to this Yahoo! News (August 8, 2022) article here. Phase III — adding a new 50,000 square feet expansion facility behind the museum — has yet to get off the ground.
The Motown Museum temporarily closed in July 2021 for the projected renovations. But according to The Detroit News, a partial tour of the museum and its campus was slated to resume, Sunday, August 14, 2022.
The Motown Museum was founded by Berry Gordy’s sister, Esther Gordy, in 1985.
______________
NOTE I: Recently, there has been some comments critical on social media outlets as to the removal of the lawn turf that was part of the Hitsville landscape since Berry Gordy first acquired the property in 1959. What do you think?
Share your comments here with us.
_______________
NOTE II:All photos featured here were taken by Jim Feliciano (Motor City Radio Flashbacks) in 2021 and 2022, as dated. The added March 1966 Hitsville U. S. A. photograph (black and white) is courtesy of the Motown Museum Facebook page.
_______________
ON YOUR PC? You can view all the above photographs ENLARGED. For a larger detailed view click over images 2x and open to second window. Click image anytime to return to NORMAL image size.
Click your server’s back button to return to MCRFB.COM home page.
ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE? Tap over chart image. Open to second window. “Stretch” photos across your device screen to magnify for larger print view.
MOTOWN MUSEUM August 10, 2022 [Photo credit: Jim Feliciano (Motor City Radio Flashbacks) 5:51:58 p.m.]
MOTOWN MUSEUM August 10, 2022 [Photo credit: Jim Feliciano (Motor City Radio Flashbacks) 5:54:03 p.m.]
MOTOWN MUSEUM August 10, 2022[Photo credit: Jim Feliciano (Motor City Radio Flashbacks) 5:52:19 p.m.]
MOTOWN MUSEUM August 10, 2022[Photo credit: Jim Feliciano (Motor City Radio Flashbacks) 5:50:23 p.m.]
MOTOWN MUSEUM August 10, 2022[Photo credit: Jim Feliciano (Motor City Radio Flashbacks) 5:54:57 p.m.]
The Miracles (also known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American rhythm and blues vocal group that was the first successful recording act for Berry Gordy’s Motown Records, and one of the most important and influential groups in pop, rock and roll, soul and R&B music history.
The group that later became the Miracles was formed in 1955 by five teenage friends from Detroit, Michigan, under the name the Five Chimes. Three of the founding members, Smokey Robinson, Warren “Pete” Moore, and Ronnie White, had been singing together since they each were around the age of eleven. The group, influenced by acts such as Billy Ward and His Dominoes and Nolan Strong & the Diablos, featured Clarence Dawson and James Grice in the original lineup.
All of the group’s original members attended Northern High School in Detroit. After Dawson quit the group and Grice dropped out to get married, they were replaced by Emerson “Sonny” Rogers and his cousin Bobby and changed their name to the Matadors.
Coincidentally, both Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers were born in the same hospital on the same date (February 19, 1940), despite not actually meeting each other until they were fifteen. In 1957, Sonny Rogers left to join the United States Army and Claudette Rogers, his sister, who had been singing with the sister group the Matadorettes, joined them shortly afterwards, and in 1958, the group became the Miracles. Following two years of courtship, Smokey and Claudette married in November 1959.
The group’s extensive work with Berry Gordy and Tamla Records gave the parent label Motown Record Corporation its first million-selling hit record with the 1960 Grammy Hall of Fame smash, “Shop Around”, and further established themselves as one of Motown’s top acts with the hit singles “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me“, “What’s So Good About Goodbye”, “Way Over There”, “I’ll Try Something New”, “Mickey’s Monkey”, “Going To A Go-Go”, “(Come ‘Round Here) I’m the One You Need”, “Just A Mirage”, “If You Can Want”, “More Love”, “I Don’t Blame You At All”, “Ooo Baby Baby”, the multi-award-winning “The Tracks of My Tears”,”My Girl Has Gone’ “Special Occasion”, “I Second That Emotion”, “Baby Baby Don’t Cry”, the number-one Pop smashes “The Tears of a Clown” and “Love Machine”, “Do It Baby”, and “That’s What Love Is Made Of”, among numerous other hits
Referred to as Motown’s “soul supergroup”, the Miracles recorded 26 Top 40 Pop hits, sixteen of which reached the Billboard Top 20, seven top 10 singles, and a number one single, “The Tears of a Clown”, while the Robinsons and Tarplin were members.
Following the departure of Tarplin and the Robinsons, the rest of the group continued with singer Billy Griffin and managed by Martin Pichinson who helped rebuild the Miracles, they scored two final top 20 singles, “Do It Baby” and “Love Machine”, a second No. 1 hit, which topped the charts before the group departed for Columbia Records in 1977, recording as a quintet with Billy’s brother Donald Griffin replacing Marv Tarplin, where after a few releases, they disbanded in 1978. In all, the group had over fifty charted hits by the time they disbanded.
On the R&B charts, the Miracles scored 26 Top 10 Billboard R&B hits, with 4 R&B No. 1’s, and 11 U.S. R&B Top 10 Albums, including two No.1’s.
Bobby Rogers and Ronald White revived the group as a touring ensemble sporadically during the 1980s and again in the 1990s. Following White’s death in 1995, Rogers continued to tour with different members until he was forced into retirement due to health issues in 2011, dying less than two years later. Bobby Rogers died in March 2013, 2 weeks after his 73rd birthday. Pete Moore died November 19, 2017, on his 79th birthday. Former members Carl Cotton, Marv Tarplin and Donald Griffin are also deceased (in 2003, 2011, and 2015 respectively).
_______________
Information and credit source: “The Miracles” Wikipedia
Released December 29 1962, “You’ve Really Got A Hold Of Me” peaked at #1 (charted 14 total weeks R&B overall) on the Billboard R&B chart in 1963. B-side: “Happy Landing”
FOURTEEN WEEKS overall on the singles pop charts, “Come See About Me” by the Supremes peaked this week at #1 (1 week) on the Billboard Hot 100. Beginning December 13 through week ending, December 19, 1964. (Source: Billboard Pop Annual)
For our previous Billboard 1964 Number One U.S.A. Hits go HERE
THIRTEEN WEEKS overall on the singles pop charts, “Baby Love” by The Supremes peaked at #1 on October 31 (4 weeks) on the Billboard Hot 100. Beginning October 25 through week ending, November 21, 1964. (Source: Billboard)
For our previous Billboard 1964 Number One U.S.A. Hits go HERE
Motown Convention Hypes 1970 Fall Happenings ala San Francisco Chartered
SAN FRANCISCO — Motown disclosed sweeping sales increases on all fronts during its sales convention here last week prior to unveiling an impressive 37-LP new fall product release.
The meeting here marked the firm’s 10th anniversary and also served as the company’s first international convention attended by representatives from its affiliates in the U.K., Holland, Canada, Mexico, Australia and Japan, in addition to its U.S. distributors and their wives.
Phil Jones, Motown’s director of sales, told distributors that the company’s total singles sales during the first six months of 1970 increased by 14.7 per-cent over the same period of 1969 despite the fact that there were three fewer releases this year.
He said that the average sale per singles release during the past 12 months amounted to 618,000. The total percent of singles sales increase since 1960, Jones said, reached 2,400 per-cent.
Jones said that 18 out of 24 singles released during the first six months of this year made the charts, giving Motown a batting average of .750.
In the tape field, Motown showed a 70.8 percent increase during the first half of this year over sales for the same period of 1969, according to Jones. He said that his firm was one of the first to handle its own tape CARtridge production and helped pioneer the field. He said that since 1966, the four -year period showed a 2,600 percent sales increase in Motown’s prerecorded tape product.
On the album front, Jones said, the first six months of this year showed a 37.1 percent LP sales increase over the like period during 1969. Since 1961, the company’s LP sales have increased 5.600 percent, Jones said.
Among the incredible statistics Jones tossed at the distributors was Motown’s 10-year singles chart batting average. Jones said that during Motown’s decade the company released 535 singles. Of these, 357 made the charts, giving it a percent- age of 66.7 of all the singles it has released hitting the charts.
In announcing the new fall product, Motown revealed it was adding a new label, Black Forum, which will be devoted to “the presentation of ideas and voices of the worldwide struggle of black people to create a new era. Black Forum also serves to provide authentic material for use in schools and colleges and for the home study of black history and culture.”
Three LP’s were introduced in launching the Black Forum line. These consisted of a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. album dealing with his opposition to the Viet Nam war, an album featuring black poets Langston Hughes and Margaret Danner, and an LP devoted to Stokely Carmichael.
Fall Product
The fall product array included a TemptationsGreatest Hits LP and a Martha Reeves & the Vandellas album on the Gordy label; Earl Van Dyke, Jimmy Ruffin,Jr. Walker and the All Stars, the Ruffin Brothers, The Originals, and Gladys Knight & the Pips on Soul; the VIP line offered LP’s featuring Chuck Jackson, a new group called the Hearts of Stone, and an album by the Spinners produced by Stevie Wonder. On the Rare Earth label, new LP’s included a release by a new English group, Sounds Nice (the group was named by Paul McCartney), and albums featuring Power of Zeus, Lost Nation which was produced by Ollie McLaughlin, Holland’s top chart riders The Cats, who will be on tour in the U.S. this fall, the Poor Boys, and Rare Earth.
An eight-LP release on the Motown label will feature the Jackson 5, the Supremes, the Four Tops, an album packaging the Supremes with the Four Tops and the Magnificent 7, Gordon Staples and the Strong Things, volumes 1 and 2 of a new series called Chartbusters (this features a gold foil package with only the color of the type on the sleeve being changed from one release to the next for easy identification purposes), with each Chartbuster package featuring established Motown names, and an album of Diana Ross to round out the Motown label portion of the fall offering.
On Tamla, the new release included albums by the Marvelettes with this LP produced by Smokey Robinson; Marvin Gaye in a package of his 16 biggest sellers; and an album of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.
The Chisa label features Letta, the Hugh Masekela South African discovery.
4 Yule Packages
In addition to these LP’s, the firm unveiled four Christmas packages. These featured Yuletide product by the Temptations (Gordy), an album of various artists on Motown (Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles), Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (Tamla), and the fourth holiday package, the Jackson 5 (Motown). Tom Schlesinger, in charge of the firm’s graphics supervision, was credited with producing the sales presentation.
The meetings convened on Aug. 28 and were concluded Aug. 31 afternoon. They consisted of a well organized schedule of activities, highlighted by a banquet and show on Aug. 30. The show featured performances by Jimmy and David Ruffin, the Four Tops, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and following the intermission, Rare Earth and the Jackson 5.
Bobby Darin, newly signed to Motown, and Smokey Robinson were co-masters of ceremonies.
Each performer brought a standing ovation. The last two acts on the bill brought the house down. Despite the late hour, the distributors applauded loud and long for the Jackson 5 clamoring for more.
Berry Gordy Jr., Motown’s president, addressed the distributors and members of his own company prior to the show stressing that the company was celebrating its 10th anniversary. He recalled the circumstances surrounding the birth of Motown, and related some of the milestones in its growth. His brief talk was comprised of a mixture of nostalgia and humor.
Welcoming remarks to all assembled were delivered by Barney Ales, Motown’s executive vice president and general manager. Ales singled out the presence of international representatives at the convention, and then introduced Gordy.
Among the guests attending the festivities were Mr. and Mrs. Berry Gordy Sr. Representatives from abroad included from the U.K. Ken East (EMI), Philip Brodie (EMI), John Reid (EMI), John Marshall (from the London Tamla-Motown operation), and Bill Fowler (Carlin Music).
Other international representatives attending were George Barlow (EMI), Australia; John Bush (EMD, Mexico; Gerry Oord (EMI) and Pete Felleman (EMI), Holland, and Don McKim (Phonodisc), Canada. Representatives from Japan included Joshihisa Honda (Victor of Japan) and Kazuo Hoshino (Cosdel). END
_______________
Information, credit, and news source: Billboard; September 12, 1970
Note: All photos featured herein courtesy Billboard from issue as dated.
_______________
Click on images for enlargement (PC). Stretch images across your (Mobile) device’s screen for enlarged detailed view.
Above article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2020.Newspapers.com.
The above featured ‘Motown’ newspaper article (Detroit Free Press) was clipped, saved, and digitally imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
_______________
Missed any of our previous MOTOWN related news prints? GO HERE
— A VIEWING TIP —
ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE? Tap over above newsprint images. Open to second window. “Stretch” print image across your device screen to magnify for largest print view.
ON YOUR PC? Click on all images 2x for largest print view.
_______________
The Motown Museum is currently undergoing a 50 million dollar renovation and museum expansion.
______________
ON YOUR PC? You can view all the above photographs ENLARGED. For a larger detailed view click over images 2x and open to second window. Click image anytime to return to NORMAL image size.
