From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1967

Hitsville U.S.A Catalogs Record LP Release, Record Billings

DETROIT — The Motown Record Corporation’s single largest record release, 15 packages for fall, was introduced at the company’s first sales convention, held at the Hotel Ponchartrain, Friday to Monday, August 25 to 28. The Motown convention theme was “Showcase ’68.”

Barney Ales, vice-president in charge of sales for Motown, reported a record $4 million in billings for the 15 albums were received at the convention party.

“This party has been a success,” Ales told Billboard. “The acceptance of the product itself has been unbelievable and the album release is our best to date.”

Pointing to the tremendous growth rate to the record industry and the growth of rhythm and blues-oriented companies, Ales told the distributors, “We feel that here in Motown, we have indeed created new dimensions in the world of R&B, because we have worked for world-wide acceptance. While many of our competitors were busy merchandising their old sounds, Motown writers, producers and artists were busy creating a new sound and we take great pride in its having become ‘the sound of young America.’ ”

Fall Package

The new fall release features packages by Chris Clark, the Original Spinners, the Isley Brothers, San Remo Golden Strings, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Jr. Walker and the All Stars, Martha and the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, the Four Tops and Diana Ross and the Supremes (deluxe-double album package with pictures included).

Four new singles slated for release in the fall were “I’ll Come Running,” by the Four Tops; “From Head To Toe,” by Chris Clark; “Wondering,” by Stevie Wonder; and “Window Shopping,” by the Messengers.

A display and browser box for the new product were also shown during the Motown all-star studded extravaganza four-day event held in downtown Detroit.

Highlight

The convention highlight was the special Motown Showcase show presented Sunday night, August 27, at the Roostertail Supper Club. About 500 people, including the distributors plus local dealers, radio personalities and members of the press saw the two-hour show featuring Earl Van Dyke and his Orchestra, the Spinners, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Willie Tyler and Lester, Chris Clark, and Diana Ross and the Supremes.

Berry Gordy, Jr., Motown president, spoke before the show. He credited Smokey Robinson, a company vice-president as well as artist, for urging him to establish a national company with the release of the Miracles’ “Way Over There.” He also remembered his late sister Lucy Wakefield as a creative force in the company.

Gordy pointed out that Motown demonstrated that “people of all races not only can but do work together to achieve heights previously limited by lack of understanding.”

Education Key

He also stated that the racial gap can be bridged by education. “I mean complete education,” Gordy continued. “Educating the black about the black, Educating the white about the white. Educating the black about the white and educating the white about the black.”

The entire convention proceeded smoothly. On Friday night, Hal B. Cook, publisher of Billboard, gave the opening speech of the meetings. END

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(Information and news source: Billboard; September 9, 1967)