From The Page of The National R&B Music Society facebook/pages/The-National-RB-Music-Society-Inc/459607965482 official website rnbmusicsociety On This Day In Music: 56 years ago today Tamla Records was founded by a Cultural Icon, Record Executive, Songwriter, Record Producer, film producer, television Producer Berry Gordy Jr. Motown is an American record company. It was founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. on January 12, 1959, in Detroit, Michigan, as Tamla Records, and was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. The name, a blending of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit. Motown played an important role in the racial integration of popular music as an African American-owned record label which achieved significant crossover success. In the 1960s, Motown and its subsidiary labels (including Tamla Motown, the brand used outside the US) were the most successful proponents of what came to be known as the Motown Sound, a style of soul music with a distinct pop influence. During the 1960s, Motown achieved spectacular success for a small record company: 79 records in the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100 record chart between 1960 and 1969. Gordy reinvested the profits from his songwriting success into producing. In 1957, he discovered the Miracles (originally known as the Matadors) and began building a portfolio of successful artists. In 1959, at Miracles leader Smokey Robinsons encouragement, Gordy borrowed $800 from his family to create R&B label Tamla Records. On January 21, 1959, Come To Me by Marv Johnson was issued as Tamla 101. United Artists Records picked up Come To Me for national distribution, as well as Johnsons more successful follow-up records (such as You Got What It Takes, co-produced and co-written by Gordy). Berrys next release was the only 45 ever issued on his Rayber label, and it featured Wade Jones with an unnamed female back-up group. The record did not sell well and is now one of the rarest issues from the Motown stable. Berrys third release was Bad Girl by the Miracles, and was the first-ever release for the Motown record label. Bad Girl was a solid hit in 1959 after Chess Records picked it up. Barrett Strongs Money (Thats What I Want) initially appearing on Tamla and then charted on Gordys sisters label, Anna Records, in February 1960. The Miracles hit Shop Around peaked at No. 1 on the national R&B charts in late 1960 and at No. 2 on the Billboard pop charts on January 16, 1961 (#1 Pop, Cash Box), which established Motown as an independent company worthy of notice. Later in 1961, the Marvelettes Please Mr. Postman made it to the top of both charts. In 1960, Gordy signed an unknown named Mary Wells who became the fledgling labels first star, with Smokey Robinson penning her hits You Beat Me to the Punch, Two Lovers, and My Guy. The Tamla and Motown labels were then merged into a new company Motown Record Corporation, which was incorporated on April 14, 1959. Berry Gordy House, known as Motown Mansion in Detroits Boston-Edison Historic District. Gordys gift for identifying and bringing together musical talent, along with the careful management of his artists public image, made Motown initially a major national and then international success. Over the next decade, he signed such artists as the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Jimmy Ruffin, the Contours, the Four Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Commodores, the Velvelettes, Martha and the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder and the Jackson 5. Though he also signed various white acts on the label, he largely promoted African-American artists but carefully controlled their public image, dress, manners and choreography for across-the-board appeal. Gordy relocated Motown to Los Angeles in 1972, and there it remained an independent company until June 28, 1988, when Gordy sold the company to MCA and Boston Ventures (which took over full ownership of Motown in 1991). Motown was then sold to PolyGram in 1994, before being sold again to MCA Records successor, Universal Music Group, when it acquired PolyGram in 1999. Motown spent much of the 2000s as a part of the Universal Music subsidiaries Universal Motown and Universal Motown Republic Group, and headquartered in New York City. From 2011 to 2014, Motown was a part of The Island Def Jam Music Group division of Universal Music. On April 1, 2014, Universal Music Group announced the dissolution of Island Def Jam; subsequently Motown relocated back to Los Angeles to operate under the Capitol Music Group.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 22:52:34 +0000
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