Motown, or the Motown sound, is a style of rhythm and blues music[2] named after the record company Motown in Detroit, where teams of songwriters and musicians produced material for girl groups, boy bands, and solo singers during the 1960s and early 1970s. The music of Motown helped a small record company become the largest black American-owned enterprise in the country and a national music industry competitor in the United States.[3]
The sound, a sophisticated strain of R&B and pop, is known for its polished songwriting with "candid" vocal delivery.[2] Musicians involved in the production of a Motown track constituted a mix of eclectic musical backgrounds, such as jazz[8] and rhythm and blues.[3] It had a crossover[4] appeal and it was called "clean R&B that sounded as white as it did black."[8] Productions featured a strong rhythm, layered instrumental sound, and memorable hooks,[9] utilizing large bands, strings, brass, and organs.[3] Motown producers adhered to the "KISS principle" (keep it simple, stupid).[10]
Principal architects of the style were the songwriting trio Holland–Dozier–Holland and record producer Berry Gordy.[4] Their series of hits produced for solo singers as well as groups dominated the American and British charts in the late 1960s and exerted an influence on music in the United Kingdom.[5] Some of the components of the music, such as the "gospel break"[11] and four-on-the-top beat (inverted), survived in disco later in the 1970s.[12]
People would listen to it, and they'd say, 'Aha, they use more bass. Or they use more drums.' Bullshit. When we were first successful with it, people were coming from Germany, France, Italy, Mobile, Alabama. From New York, Chicago, California. From everywhere. Just to record in Detroit. They figured it was in the air, that if they came to Detroit and recorded on the freeway, they'd get the Motown sound. Listen, the Motown sound to me is not an audible sound. It's spiritual, and it comes from the people that make it happen. What other people didn't realize is that we just had one studio there, but we recorded in Chicago, Nashville, New York, L.A.—almost every big city. And we still got the sound.[13]
Marvin Gaye who is often credited with shaping the sound of Motown is also called "Prince of Motown".[14]
motown, music, style, motown, motown, sound, style, rhythm, blues, music, named, after, record, company, motown, detroit, where, teams, songwriters, musicians, produced, material, girl, groups, bands, solo, singers, during, 1960s, early, 1970s, music, motown, . Motown or the Motown sound is a style of rhythm and blues music 2 named after the record company Motown in Detroit where teams of songwriters and musicians produced material for girl groups boy bands and solo singers during the 1960s and early 1970s The music of Motown helped a small record company become the largest black American owned enterprise in the country and a national music industry competitor in the United States 3 MotownMotown in 2006Stylistic originsPop 1 soul 2 Cultural originsc 1964 3 DetroitTypical instrumentsVocal harmony 4 bass beat 5 Derivative formsNorthern soul 6 progressive soul 7 disco 6 Other topicsGirl group teen idolOverview EditThe sound a sophisticated strain of R amp B and pop is known for its polished songwriting with candid vocal delivery 2 Musicians involved in the production of a Motown track constituted a mix of eclectic musical backgrounds such as jazz 8 and rhythm and blues 3 It had a crossover 4 appeal and it was called clean R amp B that sounded as white as it did black 8 Productions featured a strong rhythm layered instrumental sound and memorable hooks 9 utilizing large bands strings brass and organs 3 Motown producers adhered to the KISS principle keep it simple stupid 10 Principal architects of the style were the songwriting trio Holland Dozier Holland and record producer Berry Gordy 4 Their series of hits produced for solo singers as well as groups dominated the American and British charts in the late 1960s and exerted an influence on music in the United Kingdom 5 Some of the components of the music such as the gospel break 11 and four on the top beat inverted survived in disco later in the 1970s 12 Smokey Robinson describes the style in the following way People would listen to it and they d say Aha they use more bass Or they use more drums Bullshit When we were first successful with it people were coming from Germany France Italy Mobile Alabama From New York Chicago California From everywhere Just to record in Detroit They figured it was in the air that if they came to Detroit and recorded on the freeway they d get the Motown sound Listen the Motown sound to me is not an audible sound It s spiritual and it comes from the people that make it happen What other people didn t realize is that we just had one studio there but we recorded in Chicago Nashville New York L A almost every big city And we still got the sound 13 Marvin Gaye who is often credited with shaping the sound of Motown is also called Prince of Motown 14 Notes and references Edit Motown Overview RhythmOne Retrieved 2020 09 16 a b c Hughes Zondra Are Whites Stealing Rhythm amp Blues Ebony Magazine Vol 55 Johnson Publishing Company p 72 ISSN 0012 9011 a b c d Bjorn L Gallert J 2001 Before Motown A History of Jazz in Detroit 1920 60 University of Michigan Press p 199 ISBN 0 472 06765 6 a b c Connell J Gibson C 2003 Sound Tracks Popular Music Identity and Place Routledge ISBN 9780415170277 a b Newton Tony 2011 Gold Thunder A Legendary Adventures of a Motown Bassman Quantum Media Publishing p 120 a b Nowell David 2012 Selected Pages The Story of Northern Soul A Definitive History of the Dance Scene that Refuses to Die Pavilion Books ISBN 9781907554728 Martin Bill 2015 Avant Rock Experimental Music from the Beatles to Bjork Open Court p 96 ISBN 9780812699395 a b Posner Gerald 2002 Motown Music Money Sex and Power Random House p 37 ISBN 0 375 50062 6 Campbell Michael 2005 Popular music in America the beat goes on Wadsworth Thomson Learning ISBN 0 534 55534 9 Williams Otis amp Patricia Romanowski Temptations Lanham MD Cooper Square 1988 updated 2002 p 157 ISBN 0 8154 1218 5 Musical technique of emptying the track of most instrumentation then gradually build ing it back up Echols 2020 Echols Alice 2020 01 29 Hot Stuff Disco and the Remaking of American Culture ISBN 9780393077018 irshey Gerri 1994 1984 Nowhere to Run The Story of Soul Music Da Capo Press p 187 ISBN 0 306 80581 2 Marvin Gaye Prince of Motown Keeping the Blues Alive March 25 2020 Retrieved August 28 2021 This article about a music genre is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Motown music style amp oldid 1128828768, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
