Motown pop and southern soul (1960-1970)

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Motown pop and southern soul (1960-1970)
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I. The effect of the British Invasion on Black Pop

• There is a large consensus that the British
  Invasion hindered early 1960s pop music by black
  artists
• Some artists and styles survived
• Phil Spector, Leiber and Stoller, and others had
  hit records in 1964
• Shangri-Las Leader of the Pack went to 1 for
  Leiber and Stollers Red Bird label in 1964
• The Righteous Brothers song Youve Lost That
  Lovin Feeling went to 1 in 1965 (a Phil
  Spector production)
• The Drifters with Under the Boardwalk reached
  4 in 1964

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• Many artists did not remain on the charts after
  the British Invasion
• The Ronettes Walking in the Rain only made it
  to 29
• The Brill Building approach to making records
  died out with the British Invasion
• There is a temptation to compare the British
  Invasion to the 1950s
• British musicians played music inspired or
  derived from black music styles in the 1960s
• White groups and artists covered a great number
  of black pop songs in the 1950s

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• New black pop music arrived during the 1960s from
  new artists and other parts of the country
• Detroit, MI
• Memphis, TN
• Muscle Shoals, AL
• Atlanta, GA

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• Styles from these regions raise the question
  about whether one style could be blacker than
  others
• Motown records was an independent label founded
  in Detroit, MI
• Had enormous commercial success that paralleled
  the Beatles success timeline in the early 1960s
• Built the sound of the records around styles that
  appealed to a white audience
• That generated accusations that Motown had sold
  out for big profits
• Southern soul from the Memphis area remained
  truer to musical roots in black culture

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II. Motown Black music for white audiences

• Founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. in 1959
• Gordy had several jobs before starting a record
  label
• Professional boxer
• Worked for his fathers plastering company
• Owned a record store
• Worked on the Ford assembly line

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• Gordy was interested in jazz but knew it wasnt
  commercially successful
• A boxing friend, Jackie Wilson, was going into
  singing and needed songs
• Gordy collaborated with Billy Davis (a.k.a. Tyran
  Carlo) on songs for Wilson
• Reet Petite
• Lonely Teardrops
• Thats Why (I Love You So)
• Gordy formed Motown Records in 1959 and patterned
  many songs after other successful records
• 1st hit was in 1960, Barrett Strongs Money
  (Thats What I Want)
• The Marvelettes Please Mr. Postman draws from
  Brill Building girl group style
• By the Contours Do You Love Me resembles the
  Isley Brothers style

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• Gordy knew that the best commercial potential was
  in crossover records
• From rhythm and blues to pop
• He used the same approach as Chuck Berry the
  original version would become the crossover
• That eliminated the need (or opportunity) for
  other labels to cover the records
• This concept brought huge financial records
• Records generally charted higher on the rhythm
  and blues charts but pop was always close

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• Gordy studied the successful models and used them
  in his own company
• The Leiber and Stoller idea of songwriters
  producing their songs had worked
• That idea had been adopted by the Brill Building
  successfully so Gordy employed it in Motown
• The original Motown songwriter-producer team from
  1960 to 1964 included
• Gordy
• William Mickey Stevenson
• William Smokey Robinson

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• This team is responsible for several early hits
• The first Miracles hit Shop Around
• Written by Gordy and Robinson, produced by Gordy

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• Robinson wrote and produced several hits for
  Motown singer Mary Wells form 1962-1964
• The One Who Really Loves You
• You Beat Me to the Punch
• Two Lovers
• My Guy

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• The Producers
• From 1964 to 1967 Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier,
  and Eddie Holland (Holland-Dozier-Holland OR
  H-D-H) created many hits for groups recording for
  the label
• Supremes
• Four Tops
• Martha and the Vandellas
• From 1967 to 1970 Norman Whitfield produced hits
  for the Temptations
• Other important late 1960s producers included
• Frank Wilson
• The team of Valerie Ashford and Nick Simpson

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• Quality ControlMotown style
• Recordings were produced in two adjoining Detroit
  houses called Hitsville, USA
• Gifted and experienced studio musicians helped
  producers craft their arrangements
• Similar to Phil Spectors wrecking crew
• Musicians were talented jazz musicians, adept at
  improvising and spontaneous arranging
• Holland-Dozier-Holland sessions frequently began
  with only sparse musical directions
• A core group of musicians were at the center of
  the production process

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• They played on most of the recordings
• Pianist Earl Van Dyke
• Drummer Bennie Benjamin
• Electric bassist James Jamerson
• They were the studio band, The Funk Brothers,
  responsible for the min-1960s Motown sound
• In 2003 a documentary was produced about the Funk
  Brothers
• Standing in the Shadows of Motown
• The film featured interviews with surviving
  members of the studio band
• Attention was finally focused on the musicians
  who were so much a part of that style
• Gordy held a weekly meeting with the Motown staff
  to decide which records they thought would be hits

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• Artist development was incorporated into the
  label
• Purpose was to teach low-income-bred artists how
  to behave in all possible social situations
• Former Broadway choreographer Cholly Atkins was
  hired to teach dance and stage movements
• Dance movements had to be refined and graceful
• Motown artists had to project an image of class
  and sophistication
• Gordy hired a charm school teacher, Maxine
  Powell, to teach proper manners and etiquette
• Artists learned how to speak and move with charm
  and grace
• They were groomed to be able to appear at elegant
  performance venues
• They were to be prepared to perform at the White
  House or Buckingham Palace

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III. The Motown Artists

• The Temptations
• The Temptations formed in 1961 and were one of
  Motowns top acts from 1964-1972
• They were made up of members of two Detroit area
  groups the Distants and the Primes. (Otis
  Williams, Melvin Franklin, Al Bryant replaced by
  David Ruffin in 1963, Eddie Kendricks, Paul
  Williams, and Dennis Edwards replaced Ruffin in
  1968)

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• The group had a hit in early 1964 The Way You
  Do the Thing You Do
• Written produced by Smokey Robinson
• Exemplifies Robinsons clever approach to lyrics
• You got a smile so bright, you couldve been a
  candle, works with Robinsons cheerful music
• Features Kendricks high tenor vocals

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• Robinson went on to write and produce more
  Temptations hits
• My Girl featuring Ruffin on lead vocals
• Get Ready
• Norman Whitfield produced several Temptations
  hits in the later part of the 1960s
• Aint Too Proud to Beg
• I Know Im Losing You
• Youre My Everything
• Cloud Nine displays influence of Sly and the
  Family Stone

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• The Supremes
• Best example of the Motown sound from the mid to
  late 1960s
• The extension of the Brill Buildings girl-group
  concept to highest level of commercial success
• Formed in Detroit in 1959 as a sister group to
  the Primes, they were called the Primettes (Diana
  Ross, Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard-replaced by
  Cindy Birdsong in 1967)
• Unsuccessful releases until H-D-H produced 5
  consecutive 1 hits

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• Where Did Our Love Go
• Baby Love
• Come See about Me
• Stop! In the Name of Love
• Back in My Arms Again
• Reflections
• H-D-H left Motown in 1967, but the Supremes had
  another hit in 1968
• Love Child
• Diana Ross left in 1969 to pursue a solo career
• Their last single featuring Ross was Someday
  Well be Together

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• The Supremes and H-D-H
• One of the most successful writing and production
  teams in popular music
• Baby Love is good example of the H-D-H/
  Supremes approach during the mid 1960s
• The introduction uses an arrangement idea similar
  to their previous hit Where Did Our Love Go?
• A sound like handclaps actually wooden 2x4s
  slapping together
• Introduction that features a series of pulsating
  piano chords with drums
• Vibraphone (or vibes) similar to the xylophone
  but with a sustained sound with vibrato

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• Simple verse form
• Seven verses repeated mostly without much change
  in accompaniment
• Accompaniment includes electric guitar and bass
  after the introduction
• Other Supremes provide backup vocals
• Nice twists to the arrangement
• Third verse saxophone takes a solo for the last
  eight measures
• Verse 5 introduces a change of key up a ½ step

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• H-D-H were so successful because they repeated
  ideas that work
• In the first two Supremes songs the word Baby
  is frequently used
• The first three singles use simple verse form
• Contrasting verse-chorus form used in Stop! In
  the Name of Love and Back in My Arms Again

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• The Four Tops
• Formed in 1954 and remained together for four
  decades (Levi Stubbs, Obie Benson, Lawrence
  Payton, Duke Fakir)
• The male counterparts to the Supremes from
  1964-1967
• A string of H-D-H hits that included
• Baby I Need Your Loving
• I Cant Help Myself
• Its the Same Old Song
• Reach Out Ill Be There
• Standing in the Shadows of Love

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• H-D-H arrangement characteristics frequently
  included classical references
• Orchestral strings
• Classical harmonic progressions
• I Cant Help Myself by the Four Tops

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• Martha (Reeves) and the Vandellas formed in
  Detroit in 1962
• Recorded for Chess Records as members of the
  Del-Phis, they became the Vandellas in 1963
• Rosalyn Ashford
• Annette Beard (replaced by Betty Kelly Beard in
  1964)
• Reeves and friends sang backup on Marvin Gayes
  Stubborn Kind of Fellow
• H-D-H produced most of the Martha and the
  Vandellas hits
• Heat Wave
• Quicksand
• Dancing in the Street produced by Mickey
  Stevenson
• Nowhere to Run

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• Jimmy Mack
• Martha and the Vandellas vocal style was drawn
  from gospel music
• Powerful full-throated vocal style from Reeves
• Stark contrast to the Supremes much more
  reserved pop style
• Foreshadowed more soulful singers who would
  arrive mid-decade
• Acceptance of the Martha and the Vandellas sound
  opened the door for Aretha Franklin

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• Marvin Gaye
• One of three artist-producers on the Motown label
• Smokey Robinson was one
• Stevie Wonder was the other
• His first hit was in 1962 Stubborn Kind of
  Fellow
• Sixteen more Top 40 singles
• Ten Top 40 hits in duets with Mary Wells, Tammi
  Terrel, and Kim Weston
• Gaye collaborated with Motown producers on many
  hit songs
• Pride and Joy for Mickey Stevenson
• How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) for H-D-H
• Aint That Peculiar for Smokey Robinson
• Aint Nothing Like the Real Thing sung with
  Tammi Terrell and produced by Ashford Simpson

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• Gaye produced hits for the Originals in the late
  1960s
• Baby Im for Real
• The Bells
• Gayes most important production was his 1971
  concept album Whats Going On
• How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)

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• Stevie Wonder
• His first hit was Fingertips, part 2 at age 13
• Live recording of an impromptu performance from a
  Motown revue concert
• Spontaneity made this one of Motowns biggest
  hits
• Wonder had several hits through the late 1960s
  (after his voice changed) on songs he co-wrote
• Uptight (Everythings Alright)
• I Was Made to Love Her
• For Once In My Live
• My Cherie Amour
• He began producing his own records in 1970-
  Signed, Sealed, Delivered, Im Yours

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• He produced his own album Where Im Coming From
  in 1971
• That album contained two hit singles
• If You Really Loved Me
• We Can Work It Out a cover of the Beatles
  1965 hit
• Stevie Wonders writing and production skills
  helped Motown evolve into the 1970s
• Signed, Sealed, Delivered, Im Yours

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IV. Motowns impact on the Civil Rights movement

• Gordy truly believed Motown artists should appeal
  to white middle class
• The carefully controlled choreography and
  charm-school training guaranteed that this would
  happen
• The Brill Building approach to the sound of the
  music also figured in
• Black Americans embraced the sound
• They knew it sounded white but the artists were
  from their culture, so they supported it
• Motown artists demonstrated that all blacks could
  assimilate into white culture

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• Those who considered Motown to be a sell-out of
  black identity and culture looked to the South
• Southern soul music countered the Motown move
  away from black cultural roots
• Motown songs maintained a strong sense of
  heritage while also promoting change
• The Motown model serves as a forerunner to other
  labels in the 1970s
• George Clinton took black music in new directions
  that appealed to all racial groups
• Gamble and Huff launched the disco era using
  black pop as a foundation

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• They further extended the Motown/Brill Building
  approach to orchestrating songs
• Their songs were also driven by up-tempo dance
  rhythms

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V. Atlantic, Stax, and Southern Soul

• Atlantic began the 1960s as a highly successful
  rhythm and blues oriented label
• They had incorporated the Leiber and
  Stoller/Brill Building approach into their song
  production
• Their sweet soul artists records were successful
  (Drifters, Coasters, Ben E. King)
• Producer Jerry Wexler wasnt getting to produce
  as much as he wanted to (Leiber and Stoller had
  taken over much of the production of the labels
  songs)
• Wexler and Bert Berns signed Solomon Burke to the
  label and co-produced several hits

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• Just Out of My Reach (Of My Two Open Arms)
• If You Need Me
• Goodbye, Baby (Baby Goodbye)
• Got to Get You off My Mind
• Tonights the Night
• Wexlers renewed enthusiasm for production led
  him to explore southern black music styles
• Southern black music was more emotional
• It had an exuberance more commonly found in black
  gospel music
• This quality was not evident in sweet soul songs
  by the Drifters or Ben E. King
• Jerry Wexler held an important role in developing
  southern soul music during the 1960s

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• Just Out of My Reach (of My Two Open Arms)
• Performed by Solomon Burke

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• The Memphis southern soul connection with New
  York
• Atlantic records formed a licensing agreement
  with Memphis-based Stax records
• Licensing agreements were common between large
  labels and small labels
• The large label pressed copies using either their
  own label or the smaller label
• These records were distributed by the larger
  label that had the larger distribution network
• The larger label took a percentage of the sales
  (everybody wins)
• The small labels songs were usually regional
  hits
• These songs were often in a unique style that the
  large label couldnt reproduce on its own

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• Stax records formed in 1960 in Memphis by Jim
  Stewart and sister Estelle Axton (StAxStax)
• Original name was Satellite Records
• Wexler liked one of their records by Rufus Thomas
  called Cause I Love You-sung by Thomas and his
  daughter Carla
• Atlantic leased the record and another, Gee
  Whiz, in 1961
• Gee Whiz was a Top 10 hit in pop and rhythm and
  blues charts

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• Atlantic and Stax set up leasing agreements for
  many songs during the early 1960s
• Last Night by the Mar-Keysan instrumental
• Green Onions by Booker T. and the MGsalso an
  instrumental
• Walkin the Dog!, a dance hit by Rufus Thomas
• The records were recorded in Memphis under
  conditions similar to Motowns
• In-house band Booker T. and the MGs
• Booker T. Jones on organ, Steve Cropper on
  guitar, Donald Duck Dunn on bass, and Al
  Jackson Jr. on drums
• Songwriters involved in Stax songs were David
  Porter, Isaac Hayes, Steve Cropperworked with
  Otis Redding as co-writer and producer

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• The Stax operation was more casual than the
  Motown and certainly more so than at Atlantic
• Musicians took on whatever role was necessary
• There was more experimentation and spontaneity in
  the performances
• Whatever the tracks lacked in polish was made up
  in sincerity and urgency
• The music just sounded like everyone was trying
  harder and enjoying the effort

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• Otis Redding
• One of the most important Stax artists who helped
  bring attention to the Stax sound
• These Arms of Mine
• While only a rhythm and blues chart Top 40 hit,
  it brought Redding into the picture
• Reddings vocal style is drawn heavily from
  gospel singing style
• In 1965 Redding began getting crossover hits
• Reddings gospel-influenced vocals and the
  hard-driving music accompaniment defined the Stax
  sound
• Mr. Pitiful, Ive Been Loving You Too Long,
  Respect, Try a Little Tenderness

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• Sittin on the Dock of the Bay went to 1 on
  pop and rhythm and blues charts in 1968
• Redding appeared at the Monterey Pop Festival in
  the summer of 1967 (his appearance helped
  acquaint the hippie audience to southern soul
  music)
• Redding was killed in a plane crash in December
  1967 he didnt live to see his influence on pop
  music

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VI. Atlantic Records and the connection to Fame
Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama

• Atlantic also recorded artists at Rick Halls
  Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
• Wilson Pickett
• Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler discovered Pickett
  through a demo recording he sang
• Wexler and Bert Berns produced the song If You
  Need Me with singer Solomon Burke in 1961
• The Double L label also released the demo version
  with Picketts vocalcompeting with Atlantic

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• When Pickett came to Atlantic, Wexler immediately
  signed him to the label
• Wexler took Pickett to Memphis to record with
  Stax musicians in the Stax style
• They recorded In the Midnight Hour
• The song featured a delayed backbeat that Wexler
  showed the band
• Became a characteristic signature sound of the
  Stax records

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• When studio time was difficult to get at Stax,
  Wexler moved to Fame studios in Muscle Shoals,
  Alabama
• Some of Picketts best-known songs were recorded
  there
• Land of 1000 Dances
• Mustang Sally
• Funky Broadway
• Atlantic had distributed songs from Dial Records
  in Nashville that were recorded at Fame Studios
• Joe Texs hit Hold What Youve Got
• Wexler had licensed Percy Sledges When A Man
  Loves A Woman
• Sledges hit was recorded at Quinvy Studios near
  Muscle Shoals, but Fame Studios would do others

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• Sam and Dave with Porter and Hayes
• Sam and Dave were Atlantic artists who recorded
  at Stax records
• Stax owner Jim Stewart put them together with
  songwriters David Porter and Isaac Hayes
• This team functioned similarly to Motowns
  pairing of writer-producers with artists
• Holland-Dozier-Holland with the Supremes
• Norman Whitfield with the Temptations
• Sam and Dave had several hits as a result of this
  teamwork
• You Dont Know Like I Know
• Hold On, Im Comin
• The classic Sam and Dave number Soul Man is
  also a result of their efforts

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• Soul Man
• Performed by Sam and Dave
• Produced by Porter and Hayes

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VII. The Stax Sound

• Wilson Picketts In the Midnight Hour
• Simple verse form with instrumental interlude
• Introduction
• 4 measure introduction featuring horns
• 2 measures of a simple two-chord pattern
• The two-chord pattern is basis for the tune
• Guitar and snare drum play together on beats 2
  and 4
• They are so late that they are almost out of time
• Stax recordings dont have backup vocals
• Picketts vocal is the primary focus of the song
• Instrumental interlude uses a slightly varied
  chord pattern
• This interlude creates a sense of formal variety

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VIII. Southern Soul in the Big Apple

• Aretha Franklin
• Gospel-influenced singing style
• Born in Memphis
• Raised in Detroit
• Recorded most of her hits in New York
• Daughter of Reverend C.L. Franklin
• Well-known Baptist preacher in Detroit
• Regularly broadcast his sermons
• Originally signed with Columbia in New York
• Didnt do well there
• Singing in a soft-pop mainstream style
• Signed with Atlantic in 1966

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• Jerry Wexler produced her first track in Fame
  Studios in Muscle Shoals
• I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)
• Dispute in the studio between Arethas husband
  and someone from the Fame organization
• They went back to New York
• All subsequent tracks were recorded in New York
• Wexler flew in the rhythm section from Muscle
  Shoals, but Rick Hall didnt know about it
• Baby I Love You
• You Make Me Feel (Like A Natural Woman)
• Chain of Fools
• Think

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• Respect by Aretha Franklin

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IX. Motown, Atlantic, Stax, and issues of
blackness

• Consensus is that Motown records were less true
  to black culture than Stax records
• Motowns musical style is aimed at a pop market
• Both labels had sales as the main goal, so Stax
  would have aimed at a pop market as well
• Motown arrangements were more inspired by
  successful pop arrangements
• Stax arrangements appealed to a pop market
  because of their contrast to Motown
• Stax balanced out the polish of Motown with their
  sincerity and spontaneity

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• Discrepancies do confuse the issue
• Some Motown records sound more like Stax records
• Motown was a black-owned company (producers and
  songwriters were black Motown band was black)
• Atlantic and Stax were white-owned (Atlantic and
  Stax producers were white Stax songwriters and
  musicians were black and white Everyone at
  Muscle Shoals except the actual singers were
  white
• The obvious question Does race actually matter
  in the note-to-note performance process?
• Musicians involved in all of the records played
  as required by the producers
• Producers were ultimately responsible for the
  soundthey made all the creative decisions

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X. 1968 was the year of change for black music in
America

• Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King was killed on
  April 4, 1968
• King was a highly respected advocate of racial
  equality
• His methods of achieving that were non-violent
• Racial tensions had been escalating for
  yearsthis brought on waves of violent reactions

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• Atlantic was sold to Warner Brothers Seven Arts
• That affected the distribution deal with Stax
• Stax ended up being sold to Gulf Western
• The Stax team of writers, musicians, and
  producers drifted apart
• Changes were occurring at Motown
• H-D-H left Motown in 1967
• Berry Gordy wanted to move Motown to Hollywood to
  pursue movie possibilities
• Motown writers began writing more socially
  significant songs (as a reaction to Kings
  assassination)
• By the early 1970s, Motowns top artist-writers
  began focusing on black urban life situations

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XI. James Brown

• Unquestionably the most important black performer
  of the 1960s
• Brown was a member of the southern Georgia based
  Fabulous Flames in the 1950s
• Brown was substituted for Little Richard when his
  hit Tutti Frutti led him away from Georgia
• Brown actually performed as Little Richard
• Moving from doo-wop to soul
• Think featured new approaches to rhythm
• Brown gained a reputation for his active stage
  performance

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• His performance emphasized athletic showmanship
• A combination of singing and extremely energetic
  dancing
• He developed a trademark closing routine
• Would collapse on stage in exhaustion
• Would be helped offstage, but before he reached
  the side he would suddenly get energized and run
  back out and continue
• Brown and his manager, Ben Bart, released a live
  album in 1963
• Live at the Apollo reached 2 on the pop charts
• Good example of his energetic performance style
• Demonstrated his stylistic range

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• Beginning in 1964, Brown began focusing his songs
  on hard driving rhythmic accompaniment
• Out of Sight
• Papas Got a Brand New Bag, Pt. 1
• I Got You (I Feel Good)
• Its a Mans Mans Mans World
• Cold Sweat

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• Brown took control of all aspects of his music
  and career
• He wrote and produced his songs
• King Records owner Sid Nathan and manager Ben
  Bart died in 1968
• After that Brown handled his own business
  affairs
• The musicians in his band were extremely talented
  
• Brown rehearsed his band relentlessly
• The band was one of the tightest performance
  ensembles in the 1960s
• Heavy emphasis on tightly interwoven rhythmic
  grooves between horns and rhythm section

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• The hit Papas Got a Brand New Bag exemplifies
  the James Brown sound
• The track opens with a sustained chord
• Verses employ the 12-bar blues structure
• The rhythmic groove is created by the full
  ensemble
• The arrangement differs from Stax arrangements
  because of the stops at the ends of the verses
• No backup vocalsseparating him from Motown and
  his earlier 1950s doo-wop style

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• Brown was a positive force behind the Black
  Pride movement of the late 60s/ early 70s
• He did not compromise his black culture in his
  music
• Browns turn to strong rhythmic focus in his
  music foreshadowed 1970s funk
• Browns contributions to funk make him one of the
  most important figures in 1970s black pop

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XII. Brown in Boston

• Institutionalized racism in America had reached a
  dangerous level by the 1960s
• Black musicians formed a strong voice in response
  to the civil rights movement
• During the 1950s black performers spoke out in
  the fight for equal rights for black Americans
• (Harry Belafonte, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong)
• Early 1960s black artists included clear
  political ideas in their music (i.e. Sam Cookes
  A Change is Gonna Come, Joe Texs The Love You
  Save, Curtis Mayfields group the Impressions
  People Get Ready and Keep on Pushing)

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• These and other black artists propelled the Black
  Pride movement forward during the late 1960s
• James Brown single-handedly calmed rioting in
  several cities the night following MLKs
  assassination on April 4, 1968
• Black Americans reacted violently to MLKs
  assassination
• The next night Brown gave a concert in Boston
  that was televised across the country
• He started the show by asking the viewers to be
  calm and stay into not destroy their community
• He reminded black viewers about Kings dedication
  to peaceful change
• Boston and several other cities were relatively
  quiet that night

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• He went to Washington, D.C., the next night and
  gave a speech on television that ended riots
  there
• James Brown proved that a black musician had the
  power to bring peace to violent eruption
• He had always maintained,
• The music wasnt a part of the revolution. The
  music was the revolution.