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Published on April 15, 2003
  
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
After the failure of his record
store in Detroit in 1955, Berry Gordy Jr. went to work on
the assembly line for Ford Motor Company. His passion for music remained with him and he
continued to write songs while working there. From 1957, until Gordy founded Motown
records, he wrote and produced songs for various record labels. There was very little
money to be made by working for other recording companies. In 1959, with an $800 loan from
his family, Berry Gordy Jr. conceived Motown Records. The name was an abbreviation of
"Motor City" and was located at 2648 West Grand Boulevard. The building, which
housed the company, was called "Hitsville, U.S.A." Gordy was a talented
songwriter and had the ability early on to know what the youth of the day wanted. He hired
Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Brian Holland, who were still high school students, to
write songs. These three young men were put in charge of writing for many of Motown's top
groups, including the Supremes, the Temptations, and the Four Tops. Many of the singers
that Gordy auditioned were teenagers from Detroit's housing projects and ghettos. Gordy
would shape the raw talent of these young performers, honing their skills with voice and
dance coaches. They would practice until their skills were sharpened and the
"team" felt that they were ready. This "team" of writers, singers, and
other employees of Motown would act as his quality control mechanism. They judged the hit
potential of various performances, and voted. Based on their opinion, Gordy usually knew
if they had a hit. This method seemed to work well. Three quarters of all of the songs
that Motown released became top 40 hits. The "Motown sound," as it came to be
known, combined many different elements, including blues, gospel, pop, and swing. The beat
of this music made it unique, instantly recognizable, and accepted by both black and white
music listeners as great dance music. Gordy knew that his music must appeal to white
listeners to get airplay and sell records. This music competed with the "British
invasion" genre, popularized by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, the Who, and others.
Black music, which for years had been kept out of the mainstream, was now available to
everyone and was receiving widespread airplay worldwide.
Gordy used many of the assembly line techniques
that he had learned at Ford Motor to produce his music. He had all of the components in
house. His staff consisted of writers, musicians, singers, coaches, and teachers. He built
a small studio with all of the necessary recording equipment. It was Gordy's job to ensure
that these components combined to make a quality product, the music. The timing of Gordy's
venture was right on target too. By the late 1950s Detroit was the largest U.S. city
without a strong major independent label. With the establishment of Motown, Detroit's
talented singers and musicians finally had an outlet. Motown became the largest and most
successful independent record company in the United States by 1964. In the late 1960s
Gordy slowly began to transfer his company to California. The move was complete by 1975.
By 1988, when Gordy sold the company, it was the largest black owned-business in United
States history.

THE EARLY STARS OF MOTOWN
Gordy continued producing records and seeking
out talent after he left Ford Motor. The problem that he encountered was that he made very
little money doing this. Tired of being the middleman, Gordy used the $800 loan to
initially fund Tamla Records. With Tamla in place, Gordy founded Jobete Music (named after
his three children), to secure his own publishing rights. He had a very good local
distribution system in place, but he knew that in order to make more money, and secure
better recording contracts, he would have to begin a company that could distribute
nationally. With the profits from Tamla and his other music endeavors, Gordy was able to
launch Motown Records. With Motown, Gordy finally was able to begin distribution
nationally. Gordy continued to sign and develop local talents.
"Who Wouldn't Love a Man Like That,"
was recorded by Mable John in 1960. It was the first single recorded by a female singer on
the fledgling Motown label. In December of the same year Motown had a hit with the
Miracles recording of "Shop Around." In early 1961, Mary Wells hit the charts
with "Bye Bye Baby." Also in 1961, Gordy signed five high school students from
Inkster, Michigan. This group, The Marvelettes, was the first of many girl groups signed
by Gordy. They attracted white record buyers and sold millions of records. They will
forever be remembered for "Please Mr. Postman," which was later covered by the
Beatles.
Not all of the talents that Gordy signed were
instant hits. Some took years to achieve success. Others became "one hit
wonders" of the music world. Many of the singers recombined and formed other groups
until they found just the right combination of music and vocals. Many more never made the
hit parade and are only known as footnotes in the musical history of Motown or have been
forgotten. Gordy worked hard to transform this pool of young raw talent into a roster of
recording artists who would later electrify the pop music world, win Grammy awards for
their achievements, and sell millions of records. Motown Records built one of the most
impressive rosters of artists in the history of pop music. The Supremes, the Temptations,
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Marvelettes, Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye, Martha and the
Vandellas, the Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, and Gladys Knight and the Pips were some of the
early stars of Motown. They helped pave the way for some of the newer acts of the 1970s,
such as the Commodores and the Jackson 5. Many of the group performers had successful solo
careers as well. Some of these include Eddie Kendricks and Dave Ruffin from the
Temptations, Lionel Ritchie from the Commodores, Diana Ross from the Supremes, Smokey
Robinson, and Michael Jackson. Never in the history of musical recording had so much
writing, singing, and dancing talent been assembled in one place.

THE SUPER GROUPS AND HIT SINGLE ARTISTS
In
1995, I saw Smokey Robinson perform live at the Pine Knob Music Theatre in Michigan. It
was at a time in my life where money was scarce and there was little left for
entertainment. I got the tickets at the last minute from a friend who could not go. It was
one of the best concerts that I had ever attended. The show was not a sellout, so Smokey
asked that those seated on the lawn to move forward into the empty seats in the pavilion.
The next couple of hours were pure escapism. Smokey went through all of his standard hits
and some of his newer material. His great voice, pitch, and range remain unchanged after
all these years.
Smokey Robinson was instrumental in the success
of Motown. The hit records of the Miracles helped infuse Motown with cash. Smokey had many
talents as a singer, writer, producer, and arranger. Berry Gordy put him in charge of many
of the various Motown Acts. Most fans know Smokey Robinson mainly for his work with the
Miracles and his solo career. He was also a brilliant writer and producer, and was
instrumental in the early success of the Temptations. Without Smokey, Motown Records might
not have succeeded. Smokey and Motown records were the ideal fit. Smokey later became a
vice president with Motown and continued in that capacity well into the 1980s.
The Four Tops were an older act signed by
Motown. They grew up in Detroit and began working together in 1954. Although Berry Gordy
tried, he was not able to sign them for Motown until 1963. The Four Tops were a steady
group with a good work ethic. They grew up together and were like brothers. They were the
only group in the Motown family that did not have personnel changes within the group. They
were already seasoned professional performers when Berry Gordy finally was able to sign
them. He assigned the Holland, Dozier, and Holland writing team to work with them and
write their songs. They had the biggest successes of their careers at Motown, which
transformed them from stars to superstars. When H-D-H (the writing team was commonly known
by this abbreviation) left Motown during a contractual dispute, the hits dried up for the
Four Tops and they left Motown for Casablanca Records. They returned to Motown a few years
later and had further successes there. They left Motown again in the late 1980s.
Martha Reeves auditioned for Motown early in
the 1960s, but was hired as a secretary instead. She answered phones and filed away papers
while continuing to work on her music. When Mary Wells failed to appear for a recording
session, Martha realized her big opportunity had come. She recruited some of her friends,
and together they did the recording session. This was the beginning of Martha and the Vandellas. Reeves invented the name "Vandellas." It was a combination of Van
Dyke Street (which was near her home), and Detroit vocalist Della Reese. Martha and the
Vandellas had many hits for Motown, and developed quite a rivalry with another Motown
group, the Supremes. Both groups were assigned to the H-D-H writing team, and Martha and
the Vandellas felt that the Supremes were being given the better material. Martha Reeves
went solo in the 1970s, but she was not as successful commercially as she was with the
Vandellas. In late 1989 and into the 1990s Martha and the Vandellas reunited again to
perform their old songs.
Gladys Knight and the Pips, like the Four Tops,
had been performing and recording for many years prior to being signed by Motown. Their
Motown years were from 1966-1973, and they had a consistent string of R & B hit
records. Gladys Knight began her singing career at 4 years old, and her parents were
accomplished gospel singers. The group sang more of a bluesy genre compared to their
Motown contemporaries, and was particularly impressive with their intricate harmonies and
Gladys's powerful voice. Gladys Knight had a short-lived television and solo singing
career after the group disbanded. She continues to perform in selected venues. The Pips
have retired.
Marvin Gaye was one of the most consistent and
successful Motown artists, with almost three dozen hit R & B singles from 1962-1985.
He had thirteen number one singles and was touted as Motown's leading sex symbol. Other
Motown artists were jealous of Marvin, and felt that Berry Gordy favored him, giving him
better material and preferential treatment. While some of these allegations might have
been true (Marvin was married to Gordy's sister), there is no denying that Marvin Gaye was
a very talented performer. He had great success with duos with Tammi Terrell, Kim Weston
and Mary Wells. Marvin was a writer, as well as a singer, and in his later years with
Motown proved that he was a very able producer as well.
Through the years, Marvin had developed a huge
addiction to cocaine. It is believed by many that his heavy drug usage caused his mood
swings, and at times, his odd behavior. He was high on drugs on the day that he and his
father had a violent argument. Marvin's father was a prominent minister, with whom he was
frequently at odds with, even into his adult life. This conflict led to the ultimate
tragedy, when on April 1, 1984, Marvin was shot and killed by his estranged father.
The top vocal group in Motown history was the
Temptations. From 1965-1989 this quintet had forty three top ten singles. They had
fourteen number one hits. All of the members of the Temptations were born in the Deep
South, coming from Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas. Their parents moved here when the
children were young, to seek a better economic life in the auto plants of Detroit.
The original group was actually two rival music
groups, the Primes and the Distants. They merged to form the Elgins. When the Elgins
finally got a recording contract with Motown, Berry Gordy hated the name and told them to
invent a new one. From that day forward they became the Temptations.
The Temptations became known for their
harmonizing vocals and polished dance routines. Smokey Robinson wrote, produced, and
arranged many of their early songs. Later, Norman Whitfield, a very talented writer, took
the group in a different direction. He added more intricate arrangements to their music
and showcased all of their voices, instead of having just one lead singer. "Cloud
Nine" featured heavy guitar riffs, a radical musical departure for Motown artists.
The music of the Temptations explored issues such as race, war, life in the inner city,
and social problems. Their music changed along with the social fabric of America.
The Temptations' personal lives were not by any
means as harmonious as their music. Life on the road, and away from their families, broke
apart many of their marriages and relationships. There were some bitter rivalries and ego
problems between the group's leader, Otis Williams and David Ruffin. Problems with drug
and alcohol abuse took its toll on the group. In 1973, Paul Williams, after battling
alcoholism for many years, took his life. David Ruffin was kicked out of the group and
replaced by Dennis Edwards from the Contours, mainly due to David's rampant drug use.
David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks went on to have marginally successful solo careers with
Motown. The group splintered in the late 1980s and there were actually two groups of
Temptations on tour. One group was led by Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin, the other by
David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, and Dennis Edwards. David Ruffin died of a drug overdose in
1991. Less than a year later, Eddie Kendricks succumbed to cancer.
In 2003 the Temptations are still touring. The
only original member that remains is Otis Williams. A court battle between Otis Williams
and Dennis Edwards resulted in Edwards' being prohibited by a federal judge from using the
name "Temptations." Edwards now tours, mainly in Europe, as "Dennis Edwards
and The Temptations Review."
Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson were only 15
years old, when they met at a talent show in 1959. Shortly afterward, they were introduced
to another teen named Diana Ross. All three girls resided in or around Detroit's
Brewster-Douglass public housing project near Mack Ave. and the Chrysler Service Drive on
Detroit's near east side. This was one of the most poverty-ridden and crime-infested areas
of the city, but all three girls exhibited a drive to succeed early on. They formed a
group called the Primettes, which was the sister group to the Primes (early Temptations).
Florence Ballard was the leader of this group
and the lead singer. The group "hung around" the Motown studios and continually
pestered Berry Gordy or Smokey Robinson for a recording contract. They sang background
vocals and did handclaps for some of the Motown singers, while recording records for other
smaller local labels. In 1961 Berry Gordy finally relented and signed the group, but only
with a name change. Florence rechristened the group the Supremes.
The Supremes were not initially successful.
Their first eight records failed to make the top twenty local. This was quite a dismal
showing when one considers the rate of success of the other Motown artists. Diana Ross
considered quitting music altogether many times. The Supremes had gone three years under
contract and without a hit.
In 1964 the Supremes recorded a Holland,
Dozier, and Holland tune which was rejected by another Motown Group. That song, Where Did
Our Love Go," went to number one rapidly. "Baby Love," the follow-up
record, also shot to number one. By late 1964, the Supremes became the first U.S. group to
achieve three number one hits from the same album, and they also became the first all-girl
group to reach number one in the U.K. More hits followed and the Supremes quickly went
from nowhere to being the most important and bankable group at Motown. Berry Gordy put the
Supremes through the typical Motown training. They worked with voice coaches and
choreographers. Gordy even sent them to a finishing school so that they could learn social
graces.
The Supremes toured extensively and were on
network TV shows and even had their own television special. They recorded classic songs as
well as the H-D-H songs that they were already famous for. During all this hectic work,
star egos began to develop. Since all three ladies were lead singers, each tried to get as
much of the spotlight as possible. It was inevitable that this posturing would eventually
split the group. Florence Ballard was the first to succumb to the pressures and left the
group in 1967. By 1975, at age 31, she was broke and on ADC. She died of a heart attack in
1976.
The Supremes continued on with Cindy Birdsong
replacing Florence Ballard. Diana Ross eventually won out as the leader of the group.
There was favoritism by Gordy. He was the father of Diana's first child, although he did
not publicly acknowledge this until the publication of his autobiography in 1994. The
billing was changed to Diana Ross and the Supremes. Diana Ross left the group in 1970 and
began a solo career. The Supremes continued without Diana, adding another member. The
Supremes had many more changes through 1977. During these many incarnations, eight women
would eventually call themselves Supremes.
Diana Ross had a very successful solo career
with Motown. Berry Gordy decided that Motown would venture into the movie business. He
began to take a greater interest in the Motown California office in Los Angeles. Diana was
chosen to star in the first movie which was released in 1972. Diana gave a compelling
performance in "Lady Sings the Blues," a film about the life of legendary blues
singer Billie Holiday. This film was critically acclaimed and even brought Diana an
Academy Award nomination. She later starred in another Motown film, "Mahogany,"
in 1975.
Diana Ross was reunited with the Supremes for
"Motown's 25th Anniversary" NBC-TV special in 1983. During the taping of the
show there was an incident between Diana Ross and Mary Wilson. When Mary tried to move in
front of Diana on stage, Diana reacted by shoving her back. This was cut out of the
taping, but marked the beginning of rift between Diana Ross and Mary Wilson that has never
healed.

THE LATER MOTOWN TALENT
I
consider Stevie Wonder a later Motown act simply because his greatest successes occurred
after many years with Motown. As one listens to his recordings from 1962-1976 a great
evolution in his musical talent becomes very apparent.
Stevie Wonder was born in 1950, and after being
given too much oxygen at birth, was afflicted with blindness. Despite this handicap,
Wonder began playing the piano at the age of seven, and learned to play the harmonica by
the age of nine. Stevie joined a church choir after his family moved to Detroit in the
early 1950s. He was discovered by one of the members of the Miracles and introduced to
Berry Gordy. His first recording for Motown in 1962 was an impromptu jam session, which
was recorded quite by accident. Gordy, after witnessing very positive reaction to this
record, released his first recording for Motown, called "Fingertips, Part 2." He
toured with other Motown acts, and was billed as "Little" Stevie Wonder.
Motown was really unsure in how to market Stevie. His voice began to change and he had a long period without suitable material. His
next successes came with "Uptight (Everything's Alright)," "For Once in My
Life," and "I Was Made to Love Her." He began to collaborate on releases by
other Motown artists, most notably co-writing Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' hit
"The Tears of a Clown." Motown exerted artistic control over all of his
material, and also had great influence in his personal life.
Stevie's contract with Motown expired in 1971.
He did not re-sign immediately, as the label expected. Instead he financed his own
recordings. He used this material as leverage to negotiate a more favorable contract,
which would enable him to write, produce, and control the rights to his material.
His greatest achievements occurred from 1972
through 1976, with the recordings of "Superwoman," "Superstition," and
"You Are the Sunshine of My Life." The double album Songs in the Key of Life
(1976) from this period is considered by many to be his best album ever. The album Hotter
Than July was released in 1980 and quickly went platinum. It contained two number 1 hits,
"Master Blaster (Jammin')" and "Happy Birthday." The latter song was a
protest song which helped to bring awareness to Martin Luther King Day and aided in its
establishment as a national holiday.
The Commodores began singing while still
freshmen at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. In 1971 they were signed to the Motown label
and became the opening act for the Jackson Five tour. This group sold almost 40 million
records during their tenure with Motown. In 1982 Lionel Richie left the group and went on
to even bigger success as a Motown solo recording artist, writer, and producer.
The Jackson 5 won their first big talent
contest when Michael Jackson was only eight years old. They lived in Gary, Indiana where
their father, Joe, worked in a steel mill. There were nine Jackson children. Michael, Jermaine, Tito, Jackie, and Marlon made up the Jackson 5. Randy Jackson would join his
musical brothers a few years later. Janet and LaToya also had musical careers, while
another sister, Rebbie, did not begin a musical career until she was twenty. Joe began to
work part-time at the mill while devoting his remaining time to booking his sons at local
clubs and traveling with them. In the winter of 1967 the Jacksons recorded a song for
Steeltown Records, a local label, and it was a minor hit in the Gary area.
In the summer of 1968, they were spotted by a
talent scout from Motown. He arranged for the family to travel to Detroit for an audition.
The Jackson 5 was signed to a Motown contract in early 1969 and the writers and dance
coaches began working with them. The act was highly polished and choreographed by the time
their first single recording "I Want You Back" was released in 1970. It was the
biggest single worldwide release in Motown history. Jackie Jackson was the oldest brother
at eighteen and Michael was the youngest at eleven when this record debuted. Thirteen
Jackson 5 albums followed in the next four years. There were Jackson 5 comic books, toys,
lunch boxes and even a Saturday morning cartoon. Motown benefited not only from the music,
but also from the merchandising tie-ins.
By 1976, the Jackson brothers had become
disgruntled with Motown management. The brothers wanted artistic control of their
material. They wanted to write their own songs, play their own instruments and choose
their own producer. They left Motown and signed a record contract with Epic records. Due
to the clauses that Motown had placed in their original contract, they were forced to
abandon the Jackson 5 name if they left. They changed their name to The Jacksons. Jermaine
Jackson had to choose between business and family. He had married Berry Gordy's daughter,
Hazel, a few years earlier. Jermaine chose to stay with Motown.

THE END OF THE CLASSIC YEARS: THE DECLINE AND SALE OF
MOTOWN
The
Jackson five was the last assembly line act from Motown. In the late 1960's Berry Gordy
slowly began to move the company westward to California. There were no longer talent
scouts scouring the clubs and streets of Detroit for promising singing groups. There no
longer was a "Hitsville U.S.A." where aspiring talent could get an audition.
Motown had left the building. By 1975, the remainder of what was once Motown was gone from
Detroit forever.
The company began to decline in the 1980s.
Sales were in a downward spiral. Motown was involved in litigation with many former
writers and recording stars. The lawsuits were mainly about unfair contracts,
underpayments, and royalty and copyrights. Some of the more prominent lawsuits involved
Holland, Dozier, and Holland, Mary Wells, David Ruffin, and Michael Jackson. In addition
there were stars suing other stars. Groups like the Jacksons and the Temptations did not
even own the rights to their group's name. All of this litigation took time and money away
from running the business.
Motown was no longer using its assembly line music techniques, so there
was very little development of new talent. Motown was like an auto company with no new
models, just the former stars, many who had already left the company or were no longer
readily marketable. Other record companies were doing a better job, developing new artists
for a newer, hipper generation of music buyers.
Berry Gordy finally sold Motown Records to MCA,
stating that he did it to save the company and preserve the legacy. In a press release
issued on June 29, 1988, Berry stated, "It is the nature of institutions to take on
their own life and to outgrow the individuals who create them." And he also said,
"From eight hundred dollars to sixty-one million. I had done it. I had won the poker
hand."
The artists of Motown were talented people,
with hopes and dreams of becoming stars and making music. Some of them made it and some
did not. Some did battle with alcohol and drugs, and a few of them ended their lives in
tragedy, but their hard work and dedication to their craft has given us a unique sound
that will endure for many more generations to listen to and enjoy.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE MAJOR ARTISTS
GROUP |
NAME |
STATUS NOW |
BORN |
DIED |
Commodores |
Lionel Ritchie
|
still performing
|
1949
|
|
Four Tops
|
Renaldo
Benson |
deceased, lung cancer |
1947
|
2005 |
Four Tops
|
Abdul Fakir
|
still performing
|
1935
|
|
Four Tops
|
Lawrence Payton
|
deceased, liver cancer |
1938 |
1997 |
Four Tops
|
Levi Stubbs
|
still performing
|
1936 |
2008 |
Jackson 5
|
Jackie Jackson
|
still performing
|
1951 |
|
Jackson 5
|
Jermaine Jackson
|
still performing
|
1954 |
|
Jackson 5
|
Michael Jackson
|
deceased |
1958 |
2008 |
Jackson 5
|
Marlon Jackson
|
still performing
|
1957 |
|
Jackson 5
|
Tito Jackson
|
still performing
|
1953 |
|
Miracles
|
Smokey Robinson
|
still perfoming
|
1940 |
|
Pips |
Gladys Knight
|
still perfoming
|
1944 |
|
Supremes
|
Florence Ballard
|
deceased, heart attack |
1943 |
1976 |
Supremes
|
Mary Wilson
|
still performing
|
1944 |
|
Supremes
|
Diana Ross
|
still performing
|
1944 |
|
Temptations
|
Dennis Edwards
|
still performing
|
1943 |
|
Temptations
|
Melvin Franklin
|
deceased, seizure
|
1942 |
1995 |
Temptations
|
Eddie Kendricks
|
deceased, cancer |
1939 |
1992 |
Temptations
|
David Ruffin
|
deceased, drug overdose |
1941 |
1991 |
Temptations
|
Otis Williams
|
still performing
|
1939 |
|
Temptations
|
Paul Williams
|
deceased, suicide |
1939 |
1973 |
Vandellas
|
Rosalind Ashford
|
retired |
1943 |
|
Vandellas
|
Betty Kelley
|
unknown
|
1944 |
|
Vandellas
|
Lois Reeves
|
still performing
|
1948 |
|
Vandellas
|
Martha Reeves
|
still performing
|
1941 |
|
Vandellas
|
Annette Sterling
|
unknown |
1943 |
|
|
Marvin Gaye
|
deceased, murdered |
1939 |
1984 |
|
Mary Wells
|
deceased, cancer |
1943 |
1992 |
The above list encompasses the
whereabouts of all the major Motown artists included in this article. Most are still
performing and keeping that soulful Motown music alive. Many still have family in or
reside in the Detroit area.

MAJOR HITS OF THE MOTOWN ARTISTS
COMMODORES
Fancy Dancer
Just to Be Close to
Lady (You Bring Me Up)
Machine Gun
Sweet Love
Still
Three Times a Lady
You
DIANA ROSS
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Endless Love - with Lionel Richie
I'm Coming Out
Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)
Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know)
Touch Me in the Morning
Upside Down
FOUR TOPS
Baby I Need Your Loving
Bernadette
I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)
It's the Same Old Song
Reach Out (I'll Be There)
Standing in the Shadows of Love
Without the One You Love
GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS
Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me, The
Every Beat Of My Heart
Friendship Train
Giving Up
I Heard It Through the Grapevine
If I Were Your Woman
Letter Full Of Tears
Midnight Train To Georgia
Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First)
The Way We Were / Try To Remember
JACKSON 5
ABC
Dancing Machine
Got to Be There
I Want You Back
I'll Be There
It's Your Thing
Love You Save
Mama's Pearl
Maybe Tomorrow
Never Can Say Goodbye
Rockin' Robin
LIONEL RICHIE
All Night Long
Dancing On The Ceiling
Endless Love
Hello
Just to Be Close to You
Penny Lover
Say You, Say Me
Truly
MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS
(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave
Come And Get These Memories
Dancing In The Street
Honey Chile
In My Lonely Room
Jimmy Mack
Nowhere To Run
Wild One
MARVIN GAYE
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing
Ain't That Peculiar
Can I Get a Witness
I Heard It Through The Grapevine
If I Could Build My Whole World Around You
I'll Be Doggone
I'm Your Puppet
It Takes Two
Let's Get It On
Mercy, Mercy Me
Pride And Joy
Sexual Healing
Stubborn Kind Of Fellow
What's Going On
Your Precious Love
You're a Wonderful One
You're All I Need To Get By
MARY WELLS
Bye Bye Baby
Don't Want To Take A Chance
My Guy
Strange Love
The One Who Really Loves You
Two Lovers
You Beat Me To The Punch
SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES
Going To A Go-Go
I Second That Emotion
Mickey's Monkey
Ooo Baby Baby
Shop Around Listen
The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage
The Tears Of A Clown
The Tracks Of My Tears
You've Really Got A Hold On Me
STEVIE WONDER
Fingertips (Part 2)
For Once In My Life
Higher Ground
I Was Made To Love Her
Living For The City
My Cherie Amour
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours
Sir Duke
Superstition
Uptight
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
Master Blaster (Jammin')
SUPREMES
Baby Love
Back In My Arms Again
Come See About Me
I Hear A Symphony
Love Child
My Whole World Is Empty Without You
Reflections
Someday We'll Be Together
Stop! In The Name Of Love
Where Did Our Love Go
You Can't Hurry Love
You Keep Me Hangin On
TEMPTATIONS
Ain't Too Proud to Beg
All I Need
Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)
Cloud Nine
Don't Look Back
Get Ready
I Can't Get Next to You
(I Know) I'm Losing You
I Wish It Would Rain
It's Growing
Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
My Girl
Papa Was a Rolling Stone
Since I Lost My Baby
Treat Her Like a Lady
Way You Do the Things You Do
You're My Everything

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Dahl, Bill. Motown: The Golden Years. Iola, NY: Krause Publications, 2001.
Gordy, Berry. To Be Loved. New York: Warner Books, 1994.
Hildebrand, Lee. Stars of Soul and Rhythm & Blues. New York: Billboard Books, 1994.
Holmes, Marian Smith. "Who Could Resist the Kind of Music They Made at
Hitsville?"
Smithsonian, 25 no.7 (Oct. 1994): 83-95.
Jet News Archives. "Dennis Edwards loses Court Battle." Jet Magazine Online.
1999.
<http://www.jetmag.com/2.html> (14 March 2003).
Lanier, Kristina. "The Making of a Holiday: How Martin Luther King Jr. Got His
Day." The
Christian
Science Monitor. 1999. <http://csmweb2.emcweb.com/durable/
1999/01/12/p14s3.htm> (10 April 2003).
Miller, Jim, ed. Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll. New York: Random
House, 1980.
Posner, Gerald. Motown. New York: Random House, 2002.
Reeves, Martha, and Mark Bego. Dancing in the Street: Confessions of a Motown Diva. New
York: Hyperion,
1994.
Ross Diana. Secrets of a Sparrow: Memoirs. New York: Villard Books, 1993.
Turner, Tony and Barbara Aria. Deliver Us From Temptation. New York: Thunder's Mouth
Press, 1992.
Whitall, Susan. Women of Motown, An Oral History. Ed. by Dave Marsh. For the Record.
New York: Avon,
1998.
Williams, Otis with Patricia Romanowski. Temptations. New York: G.P Putnam's Sons,
1988.
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