Soul - Motown | Soul Music | R&B/Soul

The 'Motown' sound is commonly referred to as the Rhythm 'n' Blues - and Soul music, written and recorded between 1959 and 1972 in Detroit, Michigan. The term 'Motown' is made up of the words ‚motor‘ and 'town' and is an allusion to the car city of Detroit, where companies such as 'Ford', 'Chrysler' and 'General Motors' had their production halls and offices and which have shaped Detroit to this day, both positively and negatively.

Musically speaking, the 'Motown' sound did not exist at all - it was coined by the press and most of all associated with Berry Gordy Jr. and the 'Tamla / Motown' labels. This "sound" was recorded almost 24 hours a day in the company's own ‚Hitsville‘ studio, mostly under the direction of well-known production teams, such as Holland / Dozier / Holland, Whitfield / Strong or Ashford / Simpson, who in turn also influenced the Motown sound with their own compositions.

Furthermore, in the studio always the same accompanists were used, which were also referred to as the 'Funk Brothers'. The 'Funk Brothers' coined the' Motown 'sound, especially with their saxophone breaks, played by Mike Terry, Thomas, Beans' Bowles and Teddy Buckner, the bass lines of James Jamerson and the drums of Benny Benjamin.

Among the most popular artists of the 'Motown' song are u.a. Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Contours, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Martha Reevs & The Vandellas, Mary Wells, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Junior Walker & The All-Stars, The Temptations, The Jackson Five, The Isley Brothers just to name a few.

At Bear Family Records you'll find all the well-known and lesser known representatives of the 'Motown' sound

Close window

At Bear Family Records you'll find all the well-known and lesser known representatives of the 'Motown' sound