Comments on: Hitsville, USA

By: jim

jim — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:51:53 +0000

the music had crossover appeal – they spoke of things that everybody could identify with and the music was addictive. Motown does not have that kind of juice today, largely because (I think) they have lost the desire to appeal to the large audience; they would rather target just the young black culture and have long ago left the “wholesome” image and delved into sexually suggestive and graphic material. That would explain why most of the fondness people speak of concerning Motown is in the past tense.

By: John Gheringhelli

John Gheringhelli — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:25:37 +0000

It was nothing but pure soul…and white kids dug it…

By: steve banicki

steve banicki — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 15:00:12 +0000

I grew up in Flint Michigan and Motown was king for me when it came to music.

Looking back 45-years later I am sure that it had a positive affect on how I preceived Blacks.

Here is to Motown! The best music there was.

By: Larry Buford

Larry Buford — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:13:34 +0000

A good chef never reveals recipe secrets. Not only did Motown have great artists, writers, and musicians, but founder Berry Gordy created a marketing plan of mystique, that made the artists and music bigger than life. From a simple plan and a lot of hard work, God used Motown to confound the world in many ways and on many fronts. And it was all done decently and in order. One could say Motown was the Disneyland of the music world!

By: Jim Lawrence

Jim Lawrence — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:49:57 +0000

To quote Smokey Robinson, the Motown sound was James Jamerson. The electric bass was a new invention at the inception of Motown and James redefined the role of the bass. Combined with the innovations in stereos and radio fidelity (now you could hear the bass) James was able to use the Fender bass to create bass lines that made you have to get up and dance. His importance can not be underestimated.

By: Kevin Peck

Kevin Peck — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:55:25 +0000

I just noticed that there is no current visual presence of Diana Ross in Vanity Fairs’ annual music issue celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Motown. This fascinates me as she is the most recognizable, most prolific in terms of continued and varied impact on every generation of singers and performers since and even during the 60’s. Diana Ross’ impact and reach is much farther than here i the US, her’s is a brand immediately recognizable across the globe. Her image and likeness is certainly the most photographed, most honored and most imitated, and yet she is one of a kind. Even today, young artists are not only emulating her style, her sound, and career, but also the trying to emulate her reach across color, culture and language barriers. Considered one of the most beautiful and most iconic images in American and music pop culture, her portrait is a glaring omission from the current vanity fair issue highliting the 50th Anniversary of the Motown movement. Glaring omission.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:53:58 +0000

Just a point of correction. While there were cross inspirations going on, Amy Winehouse’s record and sound is more of a direct inspiration from Phil Spector out of New York rather than Motown. He had the “wall of sound” and that’s what’s in her record.

By: Margaret

Margaret — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:29:04 +0000

I grew up in Dearborn in the ’50s, next to Detroit, and just down the way from Inkster, and Joltin’ Joe Howard DJ’ed on my radio every day, despite the pure whiteness of my home town (”thanks” to Henry Ford). Thank goodness for Inkster (then pure black) and Motown!