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JAMES
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TAMLA
~ MOTOWN
Jazz
obsessed ex boxer, Berry Gordy Jr. owner of Tamla-Motown family record
labels,
built Motown Records into the most important independent labels in the
early '60s.
Gathering the very best and hardworking musicians, songwriters, and producers,
Motown Records with the help of an in house band, which maybe was the
best band the pop world has ever had, built the most impressive list of
artists in the history of pop music. Motown became the largest & most
successful independent record company in the USA by 1964.
HITSVILLE
USA
Eight houses on West Grand Boulevard were acquired by the company to house
its growing operations until it moved its offices to a high-rise in downtown
Detroit in 1968. In 1959 with an $800 loan Berry bought a small 2 story
building on West Grand Boulevard. This was split into 2 flats, one for
himself and his young family to live, the second flat were his offices
and he assembled his recording studio in the basement/garage. Gordy called
the music "The Sound of Young America" and fixed a sign over
his studio that read "Hitsville U.S.A." Then in April of 1961
he purchased 2644-2246 West Grand Boulevard & he placed Jobete 9 his
publishing company), the sales, shipping and public relations departments
in it. In January of 1962, he bought 2650-2652 West Grand Boulevard to
house his own and his sister Esther's offices International Talent Management.
From 1965 on 2656 housed the finance department. 2662-64 purchased the
next year was home to the sales and marketing. 2666-68 was bought at the
same time. ITMI was moved to 2670-72 after it was bought in late 1966.
Across the street, and 2657 was converted into Artist Development Department
in early 1966.
(In 1985, Esther Gordy Edwards opened the Motown Historical Museum inside
the restored Hitsville).
THE SNAKE PIT ~ Recording “Studio
A”
In 1959 Motown Records created its first recording studio, originally
a basement/garage at West Grand Boulevard, down a few steps was the famous
“Studio A.” (the snakepit). “Studio A” was open 24
hours a day, seven days a week from 1959 until 1972. Although in 1968
the company moved it’s headquarters to a ten-story building in downtown
Detroit, artists continued to record in “Studio A”.
Motown building: Downtown Detroit
THE
MUSICIANS
1959 ~ 1962
Keyboards - Joe Hunter, Earl Van Dyke, Popcorn
Wylie
Guitars - Robert White, Eddie Willis, Joe
Messina, Larry Veeder, Dave Hamilton
Bass - James Jamerson, Clarence Isabell
Drums - Benny Benjamin, Richard "Pistol"
Allen, George McGregor, Clifford Mack
Percussion - Jack Ashford, Eddie "Bongo"
Brown
Vibes - Jack Ashford, Dave Hamilton, James
Gittens
Trumpets - Herbie Williams, John "Little
John" Wilson, Marcus Belgrave, Russell Conway, Johnny Trudell
Saxophones- Hank Crosby, Andrew "Mike"
Toney, Norris Patterson, Thomas "Beans" Bowles, Teddy Buckner,
Ronnie Wakefield, Lefty Edwards, Eli Fontaine, Ernie Rodgers
Trombone - Bob Cousar, George Bohanon, Paul
Riser
Piccolo
- Clement Barone.
Flute - Clement
Barone.
1963 ~ 1967
Keyboards - Earl Van Dyke, Johnny Griffith,
Johnny Gittens, Ted Sheely
Guitars - Robert White, Eddie Willis, Joe
Messina, Marv Tarplin, Cornelius Grant
Bass - James Jamerson, Tony Newton
Drums - Benny Benjamin, Richard "Pistol"
Allen, Uriel Jones, Frederick Waites
Percussion - Jack Ashford, Eddie "Bongo"
Brown
Vibes - Jack Ashford, Jack Brokensha
Trumpet - Johnny Trudel, Herbie Williams,
Floyd Jones, Maurice Davis, Billy Horner, Jon "Little John"
Wilson, Russell Conway, Marcus Belgrave, Don Slaughter.
Trombone - George Bohanon, Jimmy Wilkens,
Bob Cousar, Paul Riser, Don White, Carl Raetz, Patrick Lanier, Bill Johnson
Saxophone - Hank Crosby, Andrew "Mike"
Terry, Thomas Beans" Bowles, Kasuka Malia, Teddy Buckner, Lefty Edwards,
Eugene BeeBee" Moore, William "Wild Bill" Moore, Angelo
Carlisi, Ernie Rodgers, Dan Turner, Bernie Peacock, Larry Nozero
Piccolo
- Clement Barone.
Flute - Dayna Hartwick, Clement
Barone.
Strings - Gordon Staples (concertmaster)
and the Detroit Symphony Strings.
1968 ~ 1972
Keyboards -
Earl Van Dyke, Johnny Griffith
Guitars - Robert White, Eddie Willis, Joe
Messina, Dennis Coffey, Wah Wah Watson
Bass - James Jamerson, Bob Babbit, Eddie
Watkins
Drums - Richard "Pistol" Allen,
Uriel Jones, Andrew Smith
Percussion - Jack Ashford, Eddie "Bongo"
Brown
Vibes - Jack Ashford, Jack Brokensha
Trumpet - John Trudell, Russell Conway, Herbie
Williams, Floyd Jones, John "Little John" Wilson, Maurice Davis,
Marcus Belgrave, Billy Horner, Don Slaughter, Eddie Jones
Trombone - Jimmy Wilkins, Bob Cousar, Paul
Riser, Don White, Carl Raetz, Patricl Lanier, Paul Johnson
Saxophones - Hank Crosby, Kasuka Mafia,Teddy
Buckner, Lefty Edwards, Bernie Peacock, Thomas "Beans" Bowles,
Eugene "BeeBee" Mooore, William "Wild Bill" Moore,
Angelo Carlisi, Ernie Rodgers, Dan Turner, Eli Fontaine, Larry Nozero,
Lanny Austin
Piccolo
- Clement Barone.
Flute - Dayna Hartwick, Clement
Barone.
Strings - Gordon Staples (concert master)
and the Detroit Symphony Strings
FURTHER
LIST
Motown's West Coast Studio
Band.
Keyboards
- Mike Rubini, Joe Sample,
Clarence McDonald, Don Randi, Larry Knechtel
Guitars - Arthur Wright, David T.Walker,
Thomas Tedesco, Louie Shelton, Adolph Green, WeldonT. Parks
Bass - James Jamerson (session), Wilson Felder,
Carol Kaye, Bill Pitman, Ron Brown
Drums - Earl Palmer, Ed Greene, Gene Pello,
Paul Humphreys
Percussion - Gary Coleman, Bobbye Porter,
King Errisson, Joe Clayton, Sandra Crouch, Jerry Steinholtz, Emil Richards
Arrangers - Gene Page, James Carmichael,
Arthur Wright, Gil Ashley
THE FUNK
BROTHERS
left to right: Benny
Benjamin - drums [top], James Jamerson - bass, Joe Hunter - keyboards,
Larry Veeder - guitar, Hank Cosby - sax/arranger and Mike Terry - baritone
sax.
The Funk Brothers
performed like a championship team and were the very best and most successful
band in the history of popular music. This studio band have played on
more No. 1 hits than Elvis Presley, The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and
the Beach Boys put together, and 1000's of other tracks over a decade
and a half ~ but alas ~ they were never given any credits! In the late
50's a group of true dedicated Jazz musicians played the bars and clubs
around Detroit, they were known as the Joe Hunter Band, led by Mr. Joe
Hunter on piano. The Joe Hunter band show-cased Berry's work around Detroit.
This built the foundations of what came to be called "the Motown
Sound". Legend has it that Alabama-born Shorty Long christened the
group ~ "Today" he would announce, "we ain't playin' nuthin'
but Funk, Brothers!" and the name stuck! So the first Tamla "the
Motown Sound" tracks were all backed by the Joe Hunter Band. In 1963
Joe Hunter moved on from Motown, he was replaced by the great Earl Van
Dyke. The recordings were all done in a smoky, dimly lit basement type
room, originally a garage with carpets hung on the walls, they affectionately
dubbed "The Snakepit." at Hitsville, West Grand Blvd. in Detroit.
They were paid $10 per song. The Funk Brothers never went on tour together.
There was a separate touring band who backed the Motortown Revue, led
by Choker Campbell or George Bohannon, but the Funk Brothers on tour?
" No Way!" ~ quote Earl Van Dyke. Earl also confessed The Funks
moonlighted a bit in the early days. The actual Funk Brothers would not
have time to tour as they were the studio men, the top musicians, who
had to be on standby 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When they weren't
in the studio they would jam in the bars and clubs of Detroit City sometimes
under the name 'Earl Van Dyke and the Soul Brothers'. It is a shame there
are no recordings (that I know of) of the Funk Brothers when they left
the snakepit in an evening and played in the clubs at night, such as their
favorite"Chat Chat" bar. This is where they would get rid of
their frustrations and would 'really' play their first true love, that
funky jazz (and some proper R & B), where bassist James Jamerson would
go wild, playing lots of solos!! Also they used to go on jamming weekends
to the older Jazz boys homes and learn new tricks and tracks off each
other. On weekends and nights like this James Jamerson would play till
his fingers bled at times, and then back to the snakepit early next morning
for Motown, where they would put these new techniques they had devised
in jam sessions into the songs which further enhanced the Motown sound
and kept it a head of others. This awesome band came to sad end in 1973
when Gordy moved to Hollywood.
fuller version
on James Jamerson page
THE LEGENDS
Funk
Brothers
: Smoky Robinson :The Miracles
: Marvin Gaye : Four
Tops
: Temptations
Marv
Johnson
: Jackson
5 : The
Valadiers :
Diana Ross
: Supremes
:Stevie
Wonder
Isley
Brothers : Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
: Jackie
Wilson : Teena Marie
Barrett
Strong : Jr. Walker & The Allstars : Gladys Knight & The Pips
: Edwin
Starr
Rick
James : Marvelettes
:
The
Commodores : Lionel
Richie
:
Michael Jackson
SOME KEY
DATES
1957: Berry
Gordy become a professional songwriter.
1957: Berry
Gordy & Raynoma Liles (second wife to be) formed the Rayber Music
Writing Company. For $100 they would do whatever was necessary to help
a young singer make a record, be it writing, arranging, rehearsing or
recording a demo.
1957: Late '57 Berry
Gordy's first success with Reet Petit performed by Jackie Wilson and The
Dominoes.
1958: James Jamerson
enters with his bass.
1958: Meeting with
The Matadors who's lead singer is William Smoky Robinson. Changing to
the Miracles, Gordy managed their single 'Got A Job'
1958: Formed own label
Tamla Records
1958: Tamla's
first release, R&B singer Marv Johnson's "Come To Me." followed
by "Money," which was recorded by Barrett Strong.
1959: Gordy started his own publishing company,
Jobete Publishing. If you wrote for Motown you were published by Jobete
which grew to be one of the most powerful in the industry.
1959:
A sixteen year old Mary Wells joins Motown as singer/songwriter,
1960: The
Miracles were the very first successful Motown group, bringing Motown
it's first ever gold record for selling a million copies with the song
"Shop Around".
1960:
Marvin Gaye started as a session drummer at Motown
1960: Norm Whitfield, Smoky Robinson, (Brian)Holland-(Lamont)Dozier-(Eddie)Holland
formed the legendary Motown songwriting production crew.
1960: Richard "Popcorn" Wylie signed
to Motown
1961: January, Supremes signed to Motown
1961:April,
2644-2246 West Grand Boulevard is
purchased to house Jobete, the sales, shipping
and public relations
1961: The Valadiers were signed to Motown
Motown's first white group.
1961: Martha Reeves hired as a secretary
at Motown
1961: Before
their move to Motown The
Temptations recorded "Oh Mother of Mine" which received little
response.
1961: Marvelettes
sign to Motown
1962: January,
2650-2652 West Grand Boulevard was added
to house Berry and Esther's offices International Talent Management. (I.T.M.)
1962:
April, the Temptations moved to Motown and
recorded "Isn't She Pretty,"
1962: Songwriting team of Brian Holland,
Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland full employment
1962:
The Vandellas with Martha
Reeves is formed as Marvin Gayes' backing
vocals
1962: Richard "Popcorn"
Wylie leaves to Motown
1963: Carolyn Crawfords signs with Motown,
at the age of 13.
1963: June, Motown's first Album. The Miracles
'You've Really Got A Hold On Me'
1963: The Four Tops
sign to Motown
1963:
Pianist Joe Hunter moved on from Motown, replaced by the great Earl Van
Dyke
1964: Maxine Powell
who had operated a finishing and modeling school is hired, to prep his
performers and transform Motown artists into polished professionals.
1964: Choreographer, Cholly Atkins, a well
known dancer in the 1930s and 1940s who had performed at the Cotton Club
and Savoy Ballroom, is hired to teach these groups how to move gracefully.
1964: Mary Wells was
the first Tamla Motown artist to chart in the UK with 'My Guy'
1964: Harvey Fuqua's labels became part of
the Motown stable bringing Jr. Walker & The Allstars to Motown
1965: 2656 West Grand Boulevard
bought for a
finance department;
1966: 2662-64 West Grand Boulevard
purchased for sales
and marketing.
1966: 2666-68 West Grand Boulevard
purchased
1966: 2670-72 West Grand Boulevard
purchased
1967: Florence Ballard of the Supremes was
replaced by Cindy Birdstrong.
1968: Gordy fired David Ruffin of the Temptations
and hired Dennis Edwards.
1968: Holland-Dozier-Holland quit and filed
suit against Motown
1968: Jackson Five were signed to Motown
Records
1970: Diana Ross goes solo
1971:
Gordy starts to move Motown to Hollywood and established Motown Industries,
expanding to Broadway musicals and films.
1971: After
recording their
million
seller "Vibrations" (Lester Williams on keyboard) while still
at High School in 1970, Eric
& the Vikings signed with Motown Records.
1971: Richard
"Popcorn" Wylie briefly signed with Motown's Soul subsidiary
to cut perhaps his best-known record, "Funky Rubber Band." It
wasn't released until 1975.
1972: Commadores signed to Motown
1973: End of the Snakepit. The recording
studio at Hitsville, West Grand Boulevard is
closed.
1974: Gladys Knight and The Pips signed to
Buddah
1974: Martha Reeves left Motown and recorded
solo
1974: The Four Tops signed with ABC/Dunhill.
1975:
The Jackson Five moved to Epic, Jerome stays with Motown
1977:
Ryck James signed
to Motown
1978: Michael
Jackson moved to Epic
1981: Lional Ritchie goes solo
1981:
Diana Ross moved to RCA
1982:
Marvin
Gaye signed with Columbia.
1983: May.
NBC-TV broadcast of Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Still not
mention of the Funk Brothers.
1983:
August 2nd, James Jamerson dies.
1984: April 1st, Marvin Gaye dies.
1985: A restored Hitsville opened as the
Motown Historical Museum offering tours.
1988: July,
Berry Gordy sold Motown Records to MCA and Boston Ventures for $61 million
1993: Boston Ventures sold Motown Records
to the Dutch-based Polygram conglomerate for $325 million
1994: Warner books published Gordy's self-serving
biography 'To Be Loved'.
1995: Jr. Walker aka Autry De Walt Mixon
looses his battle with cancer on 23rd November
1997:
ABC-TV special, Motown 40: The Music Is Forever - The Funk Brothers at
last got credits
2002: July 25, the documentary film Standing
In The Shadows Of Motown is released, winning 6 awards & 5 nominations.
2005: Renaldo "Obie" Benson of
The Four Tops dies, July
8th
2006: Motown's Funk Brothers and Philadelphia
International's MFSB join together to record the historic album "The
Soulful Tale Of Two Cities"
2007: Motown's first Funk Brother, pianist
and first band leader Joe Hunter dies, February 2nd.
Always Updating
QUESTIONS
Who
was the first white Tamla Motown Artist?
Debbie Dean (Reba Jeanette Smith) was the
first white female artist, joining Motown in 1960, recording (Don't
Let Him) Shop Around / A New Girl (accompanied by The Miracles) - 1961;
Itsy, Bitty, Pity Love / But I'm Afraid
(Marvin Gaye on Drums) – 1961; Everybody's
Talking About My Baby/ I Cried All Night - 1962.
Motown's first
white group., The Valadiers were signed to Motown in 1961.
White guitarist Joe Messina joined Motown in 1962, he was part
of the Funk Brothers Band.
He is on most of the big Motown hits.
White female blues singer Chris Clarke joined Motown in 1963, she
cut 2 demo's with Motown, but sent back to work on the reception! She
recorded her first single, "Do Right, Baby, Do Right",in December
1965, which was written and produced by Berry Gordy. It also featured
the background harmonies of The Lewis Sisters. That single was followed
by "Love's Gone Bad" (July 1966) which became her only R&B
chart entry. With this success Chris was required to promote the record,
presenting Motown with a problem... they had to admit she was White!
There were white female artists Connie Vandyke and Teena Marie, Teena
probably the most successful.
If anyone knows of any earlier white artists please let me know.
By the way the first white Motown artist to enter the UK charts and first
white artist to reach No 1 anywhere was Canadian R. Dean Taylor in 1970
with "Indiana Wants Me". I think most people wrongly think him
as the first white Motown artist. BUT he did some ghost writing for/with
Holland Dozier & Holland earlier on in the 60's.
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