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Motown Records Facts – Motown The Music Machine
Motown was originally founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959 and was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960.
1. Motown was originally founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959 and was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Gordy launched the label with an $800 loan from his family and royalties earned writing for Jackie Wilson, (he co-wrote “Reet Petite” a hit for Wilson).
2. Berry Gordy got his start as a songwriter for local Detroit acts such as Jackie Wilson and the Matadors. Wilson’s single “Lonely Teardrops”, written by Gordy, became a huge success.
3. Its first hit was Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want)” (1959), which made it to number 2 on the Billboard R&B charts. It went on to be covered by many artists, including The Beatles in 1963 and the Flying Lizards in 1979.
4. Marvin Gaye was one of the co-writers of ”Dancing in the Street” (with William “Mickey” Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter). Martha and the Vandellas version reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. A 1985 duet cover by David Bowie and Mick Jagger charted at No. 1 in the UK and reached No. 7 in the US.
5. During the 1960s, Motown achieved spectacular success for a small label: 79 records in the top-ten of the Billboard Hot 100 between 1960 and 1969.
And as always have a chilled day from the Viking
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