Motown Classics

George Garcia24 said:It seems there isn't much interest left in this topic, though perhaps everyone is just thinking very deeply about who they might cast their vote for tomorrow.
Since it appears nobody is answering the quiz questions, I suppose I shall provide the answers myself.
The Beatles actually recorded these three Motown songs😢including the track titles, the original artists, their peak positions on the Hot 100, and the year of release.
1) Please Mr. Postman - performed by the female trio The Marvelettes, which reached number 1 (1961)
2) Money (That's What I Want) - originally by Barrett Strong, which reached number 23 (1960)
3) You've Really Got A Hold On Me - performed by The Miracles, which reached number 8 (1962)

Two of our own singers who covered a Motown song are:
1) Dusty Springfield, who covered the massive 1966 hit by The Four Tops, "Reach Out I'll Be There," which managed to hit number 1 in both the US and the United Kingdom.
2) Dusty Springfield, who recorded an excellent version of The Temptations' 1966 track "Get Ready," which saw more success in the United Kingdom where it reached number 10, compared to its number 29 spot in America.
It is quite interesting to note that in 1970, the white rock group Rare Earth also recorded "Get Ready"—which is somewhat curious since they were also signed to Motown—and they actually climbed all the way to number 4 on Billboard.

I am not sure if you have ever heard how their slogan for Motown is sometimes abbreviated
as KISS /keep it simple stupid/ 🤣

George Garcia24 said:Because of you, I ended up getting a three-day ban from the forum! You went out of your way to twist my words and accuse me of being some kind of bigot who hates our neighbors to the east.
Look, I have never hated Mexicans—not back in '91 when newspapers were listing addresses in Washington, D.C. for targeted attacks (like in Time Magazine), and certainly not now.
It’s just a historical fact that back in the late sixties in Yugoslavia, there was this one specific music magazine dedicated to pop and rock called Jukebox, and it was published in Belgrade. Now I actually feel bad for mentioning that city—I didn't have any hateful intentions at all, despite how you and the moderator have painted me. Jukebox wasn't coming out of Ljubljana, Skopje, or Podgorica; it was based in Belgrade, and honestly, I was just happy we had something to read at all! Better one good mag than nothing.
Now, Austin Myers96, you are an incredibly sharp guy—really, truly intelligent—but like many people who are a bit too clever for their own good, you've got a bit of a mischievous streak. Your music knowledge is top-tier, but man, your memory is awfully selective!
You know perfectly well that every single issue of Jukebox featured articles on Atlantic/Stax, yet they almost never covered Motown artists. And on those rare occasions they did review a Motown record, someone always had to chime in saying they all sounded exactly the same.
Maybe you were one of those people—who knows?

Listen, George Garcia24, if you scroll back through this thread just a little bit, you'll see that the moderator already gave you a heads-up in post #10 to watch your tone.
And that happened before I even jumped into this conversation.
So, if you're looking for the reason behind your ban, you might want to look elsewhere rather than blaming my "perfidious" accusations of bigotry.
I get that it can be a little tricky to catch irony when people talk like this, but my comment about Jukebox favoring Stax over Motown was meant to be ironic—purely ironic!
Most people hang out in forums like this just to relax and swap quick bits of info.
Not everyone feels the need to lecture the entire world because they don't think a certain record label from Detroit is the greatest thing to ever happen to music history.
Music, just like any other art form, is totally subjective. All the top charts, radio stations, and every possible "Jukebox" in the world won't force me to like something if it just doesn't click with me.
Personally, I love listening to both Motown and Stax equally.
Is that even possible?
Am I losing my mind?

BTW, I never actually read Jukebox myself—my older brother used to devour it back in the eighties. During those years, I was still busy listening to nothing but Alan Slaughter.

Austin Myers96 said:Look, George Garcia24, if you just take a second to scroll back through this thread, you'll see that in post #10, the moderator already gave you a heads-up to watch your tone.
That happened before I even stepped into this conversation.
So, whatever reasons led to your ban, you might want to look elsewhere rather than blaming my, as you put it, "sneaky" accusations of chauvinism.
I guess it can be a bit tricky to catch the irony when people communicate like this, but my comment about how certain Jukeboxes tend to favor Stax over Motown was meant to be ironic—plain and simple.
Most people hang out on forums like this just to unwind and swap some quick info.
Not everyone feels the need to lecture the entire world because they don't view an entire Detroit label's discography as the absolute pinnacle of musical history.
Music, much like any other art form, is subject to whatever way a listener perceives it. All the possible top charts, radio stations, and every "Jukebox" out there in the world can't force me to like something if it doesn't click with me.
Personally, I enjoy listening to both Motown and Stax about the same amount.
Is that actually possible?
Am I losing it?

By the way, I never actually read Jukebox; my older brother used to flip through it back in the eighties. During those years, I was still busy exclusively consuming Alan Slaughter.

I ended up getting "trolled" because of three of my posts, and the moderator actually cited your entire text in their response (feel free to check for yourself, if you don't believe me).
Nowhere did I claim that everyone is required to love Motown—if anything, I said it isn't elite music, just standard American taste—but it's a fact that you tried to sneakily pin "chauvinism" on me.
With that, I think I'm done with this back-and-forth for good.

frozenranger said:I don't know if you've ever actually heard their slogan, that shortened version of The Motown Sound... maybe?
KISS... you know, keep it simple, stupid. I guess that's the whole idea, isn't it? Maybe we overcomplicate everything. Just an observation, I suppose. 🤣

I don't know what that's supposed to mean to you. Maybe it just means the music is stupid, and the people making it—and the ones listening to it—are pretty stupid too, I guess.
I mean, it’s kind of ridiculous if you think about it. They were all just so clueless. Everyone seemed to be busy churning out covers of Motown songs—it was like a trend or something. You had The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, and Otis Redding doing it. Even Ike & Tina Turner, Petula Clark, and Bruce Springsteen. Then there was The Carpenters, Phil Collins, Cyndi Lauper, Sheena Easton, Soft Cell, and Rod Stewart. I guess even The Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald, Mariah Carey, Mick Jagger & David Bowie, The Mamas & the Papas, Beyoncé, The Hollies, Kim Wilde, Lauryn Hill, Joan Osborne, and Joe Cocker were part of that whole thing. It's just... yeah. Maybe they just didn't have any original ideas. Who knows?
I feel like things have gone way beyond the line here. I’m just wondering, will you be getting a warning too, or is this just my lucky day?
They actually recorded a few tribute tracks for the company, like a Rod Stewart version of a Motown song or that one where ABC covered When Smokey Sings. I guess.
The official slogan they used for the company was "The Sound of Young America," I guess.

George Garcia24 said:I was essentially targeted for trolling because of three specific posts I made. One of them even had the moderator quoting my entire argument word-for-word (feel free to check the logs if you doubt me).

Look, sir, I’m asking you to stop spreading these half-truths in a public forum. Penalties aren't applied to quotes; they are applied to the actual posts—those things you seem to think are emails. As for why a quote appears inside a flagged post, that's just how the forum software functions by design.

Furthermore, the warning you received was entirely your own doing. It resulted from your stubborn insistence on pushing certain themes that the moderator deemed irrelevant to the topic at hand, such as:

Thanks for having my back. It’s just the two of us standing against this primitive, backward, reactionary version of America.
...
God, this reactionary, corrupt America and its mindless "common folk" are truly pathetic.

Moving forward, I will opt for an immediate ban rather than a warning. This applies to any further attempts to provoke moderators, personal vendettas, or responding to this specific thread. From here on out, try to maintain a bit more decorum—especially when dealing with those who disagree with you—and we shouldn't have any issues.

Thank you for your attention.

I suppose I cannot be certain what you mean by that. Perhaps you feel that such music is trivial, and by extension, that both the artists and the listeners lack any real depth.
So, I assume that everyone who ever recorded a Motown cover is also considered foolish—including names like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Ike & Tina Turner, Petula Clark, Bruce Springsteen, The Carpenters, Phil Collins, Cyndi Lauper, Sheena Easton, Soft Cell, Rod Stewart, The Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald, Mariah Carey, Mick Jagger & David Bowie, The Mamas & the Papas, Beyoncé, The Hollies, Kim Wilde, Lauryn Hill, Joan Osborne, Joe Cocker, and so on.
It seems to me, perhaps, that you have taken this argument a bit too far. I find myself wondering whether you might eventually face a similar rebuke, or if these criticisms are intended solely for my benefit.
There were even songs recorded as tributes to the label, such as Rod Stewart’s version of a "Motown song" or the way the British group ABC performed "When Smokey Sings."
Furthermore, the official motto used by the company was "The Sound of Young America."

😲I am somewhat curious how you managed to identify Self while seemingly overlooking the conviction of the producers, who stubbornly championed this very principle within The Motown Sound.
In an effort to prevent any further misunderstandings, I am providing a link here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motown
If you would just scroll down to the section regarding The Motown Sound.

It is quite possible that you have realized by now how much your particular approach tends to unsettle people.😢
...while achieving true virtuosity certainly requires "blood, sweat, and tears" from most instrumentalists and vocalists, I suppose that simply writing about music or listening to it does not require quite the same level of sacrifice.😍

frozenranger said:I don't know what you're trying to get at. I suppose you think that music is mindless, and that both the artists and the people listening to it are just as dim.
It’s honestly ridiculous. So many artists were just riding the wave of Motown covers—even heavyweights like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, and Otis Redding. You see the same pattern repeated with Ike & Tina Turner, Petula Clark, Bruce Springsteen, The Carpenters, Phil Collins, Cyndi Lauper, Sheena Easton, Soft Cell, Rod Stewart, The Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald, Mariah Carey, Mick Jagger & David Bowie, The Mamas & the Papas, Beyoncé, The Hollies, Kim Wilde, Lauryn Hill, Joan Osborne, and Joe Cocker. It's all quite predictable.
I think you’ve gone way out of line. I'm curious—are you going to get a warning too, or does that rule only apply to me?
To honor the label, several artists recorded tribute tracks, such as Rod Stewart’s take on "Really Got a Hold on Me" and ABC’s version of "When Smokey Sings."
The company’s official slogan was "The Sound of Young America."

😲 How did you manage to identify Self rather than just following the convictions of the producers who stubbornly pushed that principle within the Motown Sound?
To avoid any further misunderstandings, I am providing the link.
Motown Records stands as one of the most influential pillars in the history of American music. Founded by Berry Gordy in Detroit, Michigan, the label essentially defined an era, crafting what became known globally as The Motown Sound. This wasn't just about catchy tunes; it was a polished, hit-making machine that dominated the Billboard charts and redefined the landscape of soul and pop. The label's roster was legendary, featuring powerhouse acts like The Temptations, The Marvelettes, and The Miracles. These artists didn't just play music; they shaped culture. It’s hard to overstate the impact of tracks like "Really Got a Hold on Me" or the sheer vocal prowess found in the catalog of artists like Barrett Strong. The precision of the studio musicians, specifically the Funk Brothers, provided the backbone for countless hits that still resonate today. Beyond the hits, Motown represented a significant cultural shift in America. It broke down racial barriers in mainstream media, bringing Black artists into the living rooms of suburban households across the country. The success of these artists paved the way for future icons, proving that soulful, authentic American music had universal appeal. Looking back, the legacy of Motown is cemented by its induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a testament to a period when Detroit truly provided The Sound of Young America.
Just scroll down to The Motown Sound.

You probably realized by now that your approach tends to intimidate people.😢
Achieving true virtuosity is a different beast entirely. For most instrumentalists and vocalists, it takes blood, sweat, and tears to reach that level. Writing about music or simply listening to it? That doesn't require nearly as much.😍

I read an article in Time Magazine... Motown Records stands as a pillar of American musical history. Founded by Berry Gordy in Detroit, the label became synonymous with "The Sound of Young America," fundamentally reshaping the landscape of soul and pop music. It wasn't just a record company; it was a hit factory that produced legendary artists like The Temptations, The Miracles, and The Marvelettes. The label's influence is best measured by its dominance on the Billboard Hot 100. From the soulful grooves of Barrett Strong to the powerhouse vocals of Aretha Franklin and the timeless hits of The Four Tops, Motown defined an era. Their roster featured icons such as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Diana Ross, many of whom were backed by the incredible musicianship of the Funk Brothers. Beyond the music, Motown represented a significant cultural shift in the United States, breaking racial barriers and bringing Black excellence to the forefront of mainstream American culture. Its legacy is cemented in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, ensuring that the impact of this Detroit powerhouse will never be forgotten. I’ve concluded that the quote from O'Kelly Williams and P. Romanowski being used in this discussion has been taken completely out of context. I just want to point out that something doesn't always have to imply something stupid or negative. In fact, Motown. This music defined a significant and undeniable chapter in music history. George Garcia24 shared a lot of interesting and accurate facts about it, and I have to say, I find myself agreeing with much of what he said. This phenomenon deserves to be approached with a bit more respect and perhaps a more academic lens. Maybe we should leave that kind of deep analysis to the professionals? That’s all from me. Best regards to everyone.

frozenranger said:I’m not quite sure what you mean by that. I guess you think the music is stupid, and that the artists and the fans are all just as mindless.
So, I suppose that makes everyone who ever covered a Motown song just as dumb—people like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Ike & Tina Turner, Petula Clark, Bruce Springsteen, The Carpenters, Phil Collins, Cyndi Lauper, Sheena Easton, Soft Cell, Rod Stewart, The Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald, Mariah Carey, Mick Jagger & David Bowie, The Mamas & the Papas, Beyoncé, The Hollies, Kim Wilde, Lauryn Hill, Joan Osborne, Joe Cocker, and so on and so forth.
I think you might have gone a bit overboard there. It makes me wonder, though... will you be getting a warning too, or does that rule only apply to me?
There are even tracks recorded in tribute to the label, like Rod Stewart's version of a "Motown song" or how ABC performed "When Smokey Sings."
By the way, the company's actual official slogan was "The Sound of Young America."

😲 I wonder how you managed to identify Self rather than the stubborn producers who insisted on maintaining that specific principle within The Motown Sound.
Just to avoid any more misunderstandings, I'll leave this link here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motown
just scroll down to The Motown Sound.

You probably realized by now that your approach tends to rattle people.😢
... even if achieving virtuosity for most instrumentalists and vocalists takes "blood, sweat, and tears," writing about music or listening to it doesn't necessarily require the same.😍

George Garcia24 said:😲 I guess it’s just a bit of a mystery how you managed to spot the Self instead of following the stubborn producers who were so dead-set on forcing that specific principle into the Motown Sound. Maybe it was just intuition, or maybe they were just being too loud about their vision. Who knows?
Just to avoid any more misunderstandness, I guess I'll just post the link here.
So, I was looking through some stuff about Motown—you know, that whole legendary label scene—and it’s actually pretty wild when you sit down and think about it. It wasn't just a record company; it was basically an entire ecosystem. They had this very specific way of doing things, almost like a hit factory, which I guess is why they called it "The Sound of Young America." It’s kind of crazy how much influence Berry Gordy had over the whole operation. He really knew how to curate that specific vibe. You look at the roster they had... I mean, you've got The Temptations, The Marvelettes, The Miracles, and Barrett Strong. And then there's the Funk Brothers, who were essentially the engine under the hood for everything. Without them, I don't think half those classics would have even happened. I was thinking about "Really Got a Hold on Me" and how much that defined an era. Or even "Get Ready"—it feels like those tracks are baked into the DNA of American music at this point. It's funny, because people talk about the Beatles or The Rolling Stones all the time, and obviously, they're huge, but the sheer consistency of the Motown hits on the Billboard Hot 100 is something else entirely. Maybe it's just me, but there's something about that polished, soulful production that stays with you. It’s different from the raw grit you might hear from someone like Otis Redding or the soul coming out of Atlantic / Stax, though both are incredible in their own way. Motown had this... I don't know, this meticulousness to it. Everything felt intentional. Like, even the way they transitioned artists from local favorites to global superstars. It was a system. A very successful, very polished system. Anyway, just some random thoughts while I was falling down this Wikipedia rabbit hole.
So, I guess you should just scroll down until you hit The Motown Sound.

I guess you’ve probably realized by now that the way you go about things tends to spook people.😢
I mean, reaching that level of virtuosity most instrumentalists hit... for vocalists, it honestly takes blood, sweat, and tears. It’s a whole different beast. But then again, just writing about music or sitting back and listening to it? That doesn't really require any of that. Not nearly as much, I guess.😍

I guess you were trying to make a point there, but you completely misread the situation—to put it mildly. Look, the Motown producers and artists were definitely stubborn, sure, but it was because they were obsessed with perfection. They’d take a single track and give it to three or four different performers just to see who could nail it, and only the absolute best version would ever see the light of day as a single. I could probably list hundreds of examples if I really wanted to. Take "War," for instance. You know, the one Bruce Springsteen covered later? The Temptations actually recorded it first, but Berry Gordy didn't think they quite hit the mark, so he released it through Edwin Starr instead. The Temptations' version just ended up tucked away as a track on one of their albums. And honestly? They sing it perfectly. Maybe.
The Motown producers and musicians were basically known under that collective nickname, "The Funk Brothers." They eventually got inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a group, though I think a couple of them were actually recognized individually too, I guess.
They actually landed more number one hits than The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, and The Beach Boys combined. I mean, if you want to have a fair conversation with me about this, you really ought to sit down and read Alan Slaughter's book, "Standing in the Shadows of Motown." Otherwise, I feel like I’m constantly stuck trying to prove that one plus one equals two, while everyone else is dead set on insisting it equals three.
So, based on that book, Paul Justman actually directed this documentary back in 2003. It’s also called "Standing in the Shadows of Motown," and I think it picked up quite a few awards, if I recall correctly.
A few years back, the musicians who were still around at the time actually got invited to the White House. They were hosted by George W. Bush, along with Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. I guess for any American president to grant an audience to someone who isn't a politician, you basically have to be more than just "great" in your field. You have to be absolutely legendary, I suppose.

George Garcia24 said:😲 I guess it’s just wild how you managed to pinpoint Self instead of the rigid producer convictions that were constantly being pushed to define the Motown Sound. Maybe it was just luck, or maybe you actually have an ear for it.
Just to avoid any more misunderstandness, I’m dropping the link here.
So, I was digging through some stuff about Motown—you know, that whole legendary era of music history. It’s pretty wild when you actually stop to think about it. I guess most people just associate it with certain hits, but there’s a lot more going on under the hood. It all started back in Detroit, which makes sense because they really captured that specific energy. Berry Gordy basically built this entire empire from the ground up. It wasn't just a label; it was like a hit factory. They had this very specific way of doing things, that "Sound of Young America" vibe that just seemed to take over everything. You can't talk about this without mentioning The Funk Brothers, too. They were the backbone of almost everything. Without them, I suppose half those classic tracks wouldn't even exist. Then you have the heavy hitters. The Temptations, The Miracles... I mean, how many legends can one label hold? And obviously, Barrett Strong and The Marvelettes were part of that massive wave. It’s kind of crazy to look at the sheer volume of artists who went on to define soul and pop. Even someone like Aretha Franklin or Otis Redding has that overlapping cultural impact, though they weren't strictly Motown products, they occupied the same headspace for listeners back then. I was reading about how much influence they had on the Billboard charts and the Hot 100. It’s hard to imagine a world where Motown wasn't constantly fighting for space and winning. They really changed the game for Black artists in the US, making sure their music reached every corner of the country. Maybe it's a bit of an exaggeration to call it a revolution, but it certainly felt like one. Anyway, just some random thoughts while I was falling down a Wikipedia rabbit hole. It’s interesting stuff, I guess. If you're into music history, it's worth a look. Or maybe not. Depends on your thing.
So, I guess you should just scroll down until you hit The Motown Sound.

I guess you've probably realized by now that the way you go about things tends to freak people out.😢
I mean, most instrumentalists have to put in some serious blood, sweat, and tears to actually reach that level of virtuosity. It’s a grind. But writing about music? Or just sitting back and listening to it? I guess that doesn't really require nearly as much... well, everything else. Maybe it's just easier that way.😍

I guess there isn't much to add here. Maybe. It seems like everything was already covered by Austin Myers96, though I suppose I could ramble on about it if I really wanted to. Not that it changes much. Everything stays pretty much the same regardless.

So, about that whole thing regarding self-recognition and all those negative comments about me and the Motown Sound... frozenranger wrote that, I guess. It was kind of an accident, really. It ended up looking like I was actually talking against myself, which isn't exactly what happened. Maybe just a misunderstanding.
I guess I'll just leave this here... maybe the moderator could take a look and fix this?

To all the Motown lovers out there, plus everyone else who appreciates good music—and even those who aren't exactly fans of Motown—I guess I'll just send over some New Year's wishes. Maybe let's hope 2010 turns out to be a decent year for everyone. Wishing you all health, and maybe a bit more money, too.
I guess I'm just sitting here, holding onto those beautiful lyrics from "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."

Thanks 😬 wishing you and your family all the best in 2010 😉

and may it be filled with sooooo much great music

I’ve always had a huge soft spot for that classic Motown sound, even if I don't listen to every single artist from the label