Marvin Gaye's 'Got to Give It Up' sales up 246 percent following 'Blfollowing 'Blurred Lines' verdict

 

  Spike in sales of song came after Gaye’s family asked to halt all sales of “Blurred Lines” After Marvin Gaye’s family was granted $7.3 million for copyright infringement in the “Blurred Lines”/ “Got to Give It Up” trial, another positive outcome for Gaye has come from the verdict: a 246% increase in sales.
In the week following the court’s decision, “Got to Give It Up (Pt. 1)” sold 10,000 downloads – the song’s largest digital sales week ever, re-entering at No. 18 on the R&B Digital Songs chart.
Gaye’s greatest hits album Number 1’s also debuted on the charts this week at No. 175 on the Billboard 200 with 4,000 units sold. Not surprisingly, more than half of its points were earned from track equivalent albums, stemming from the sales of “Got to Give It Up (Pt. 1).” This marks Gaye’s first new entry onto the Billboard 200 in over a decade, since The Very Best of Marvin Gaye was charted in August of 2001.
 
In addition, two versions of “Got to Give It Up” are on the Top 100 of iTunes’ R&B/Soul chart, as well as four other singles spread among the Top 200.

This sales boost comes around the same time that Gaye’s family asked to halt all sales of “Blurred Lines.” No further action has been reported based on their request.

In the week following the court’s decision, “Got to Give It Up (Pt. 1)” sold 10,000 downloads – the song’s largest digital sales week ever, re-entering at No. 18 on the R&B Digital Songs chart.
Gaye’s greatest hits album Number 1’s also debuted on the charts this week at No. 175 on the Billboard 200 with 4,000 units sold. Not surprisingly, more than half of its points were earned from track equivalent albums, stemming from the sales of “Got to Give It Up (Pt. 1).” This marks Gaye’s first new entry onto the Billboard 200 in over a decade, since The Very Best of Marvin Gaye was charted in August of 2001.

Why Marvin Gaye's Music Is So Different From Beatles ?

Kent State University's annual May 4 commemoration begins with discussion of music and war

The May 4 Visitors Center at Kent State University has scheduled several events for the 45th commemoration of May 4, 1970 when four students were killed and nine wounded by the Ohio National Guard. (Lynn Ischay, The Plain Dealer)

KENT, Ohio - A multimedia presentation on musician Marvin Gaye's reaction to the Vietnam War is the first of several events scheduled to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the May 4 shootings at Kent State University.

"What's Going On: Marvin Gaye, Vietnam and the Rise of Political Soul" is to be presented by Lauren Onkey, vice president of education and public programs for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum at 7 p.m. Monday, March 30 in the Kent Student Center Kiva.
It is part of the May 4 Visitor's Center's month-long series commemorating May 4, 1970, when members of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of demonstrators, killing four and wounding nine.
 
"Marvin Gaye's 1971 'What's Going On' album was written as a response to his brother's experience in the Vietnam War and the declining conditions in U.S. cities," Onkey said in a release. "It was a breakthrough for Motown's response to political and social issues, and inspired other soul artists to write about the impact of the war and its impact at home. He specifically referenced the Kent State shootings as a catalyst to the change in his writing at the time."
 All events are free and open to the public. Other events include:

•    April 6 at 7 p.m. in the Wick Poetry Center: "Overcoming Trauma Through Creative Writing," a discussion led by David Hassler, director of Kent State's Wick Poetry Center, and Mindy Farmer, director of the May 4 Visitors Center.

•    April 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the Schwartz Center, Room 177: "The Legacy of Matthew Shepard: Learn How One Mother Used Her Grief to Make a Difference," a presentation by Judy Shepard. Tickets are required and available at kent.edu/May4. 

•    April 16 at 7 p.m. in Taylor Hall, Room 146: "The Future of May 4," presented by Farmer.

•    April 30 at 7:30 p.m. in Schwartz Center, Room 177: A special showing of the movie Dick Cavett's Vietnam and a discussion with documentary filmmaker John Scheinfeld and Timothy Naftali, the head of Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives at New York University and former director of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum.

Events on May 3 and 4, which are planned by the May 4 Task Force, a student organization, will be announced next month. Information will be at m4tf.org.

Joni Mitchell In Hospital


Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell is in intensive care after being found unconscious at her Los Angeles home.

The 71-year-old was rushed to hospital on Tuesday afternoon. It is not immediately clear what illness she has.


Her "Hissing Of The Summer Lawn" remains one of my best loved non-black LP in my collection.
A statement released on her website said she "regained consciousness on the ambulance ride to an LA area hospital".

The Canadian-born artist is "currently in intensive care undergoing tests and is awake and in good spirits," it added.

Los Angeles fire officials said paramedics had answered a 911 call in Bel Air, where Mitchell lives, and had taken a patient whom they did not identify to hospital.

In December she told Billboard magazine that she had a rare skin condition, Morgellons disease, which prevented her from performing.

"I can't sing any more - don't miss it. I can't play any more - don't miss it. I've got all these instruments laying around and hopefully one day I'll pick them up," she was quoted as saying.

Morgellons is a controversial condition and is not recognised by mainstream medical authorities. Sufferers say it is characterised by crawling and stinging sensations under the skin but many in the medical community believe it is a psychiatric disorder.

Her website urged fans to "Light a candle and sing a song, let's all send good wishes her way"
"No. Not Joni"
 

 Musicians took to social media to send messages of support. Boy George tweeted: "A prayer for Joni Mitchell."

Billy Idol also sent best wishes: "Sorry to hear today's news about Joni Mitchell. I sang on her 'Dancing Clown' single many moons ago, all the best 4 her recovery."

Mitchell has released 19 original albums, with her last in 2007.

Best known for her 1970 hit Big Yellow Taxi, Mitchell was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
Her 1971 album, Blue, is ranked 30th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Marvin Gaye sings about the "Woman of the World" in rare single
     

After his triumph that was What's Going On, Marvin Gaye recorded recorded a fantastic song with brothers Larry and Fonce Mizell. "Woman of the World" was shelved for quite awhile but has been included in packages here and there over the past couple years. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Marvin's fans have not heard it
Now Motown is releasing the song alongside another relatively rare Marvin song, "Where Are We Going," in a new double-sided single. Check out the two songs below and bask in Marvin's greatness again.

Marvin Gaye
"Where Are We Going" / "Woman of the World"

- See more at: http://www.soultracks.com/first-listen-marvin-gaye-woman-world#sthash.NMOA2Rf5.dpufAfter his triumph that was What's Going On, Marvin Gaye recorded recorded a fantastic song with brothers Larry and Fonce Mizell. "Woman of the World" was shelved for quite awhile but has been included in packages here and there over the past couple years. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Marvin's fans have not heard it

Now Motown is releasing the song alongside another relatively rare Marvin song, "Where Are We Going," in a new double-sided single. Check out the two songs below and bask in Marvin's greatness again.

Marvin Gaye
"Where Are We Going" / "Woman of the World"
- See more at: http://www.soultracks.com/first-listen-marvin-gaye-woman-world#sthash.NMOA2Rf5.dpuf

After his triumph that was What's Going On, Marvin Gaye recorded recorded a fantastic song with brothers Larry and Fonce Mizell. "Woman of the World" was shelved for quite awhile but has been included in packages here and there over the past couple years. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Marvin's fans have not heard it

Now Motown is releasing the song alongside another relatively rare Marvin song, "Where Are We Going," in a new double-sided single. Check out the two songs below and bask in Marvin's greatness again.

Marvin Gaye
"Where Are We Going" / "Woman of the World"

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Preview YouTube video Marvin Gaye Woman Of The World

Preview YouTube video Where Are We Going (Larry Mizell Remix) by: Marvin Gaye

The tragic life of Tammi Terrell


 

Tammi Terrell



Tammi Terrell was one of Motown’s brightest stars of the 1960s. Her duets with Marvin Gaye became instant soul classics, and her tragic death from brain cancer just shy of her 25th birthday helped to cement her status as a musical icon.

She was born Thomasina Winifred Montgomery on April 29, 1945, in Philadelphia. Her mother was an unsuccessful actress; her father owned a popular barber shop. She experienced severe migraine headaches as a child — an unfortunate harbinger of things to come.

Terrell was discovered at age 15 by singer-songwriter-producer Luther Dixon [1931-2009]. She recorded singles under the name Tammy Montgomery for the Scepter/Want, Checker and Try Me labels, recorded demos for The Shirelles and went on the road as a background singer in James Brown’s touring band. When the singles went nowhere, Terrell decided to go to college, where she majored in pre-med.

While still in school, Terrell went on tour with soul crooner Jerry Butler. It was during one of those dates at Detroit’s storied 20 Grand night club that Motown label founder Berry Gordy saw her sing. Gifted with a husky drawl and easy delivery, Terrell accommodated almost any melody and slid just as comfortably into singing harmony, neither of which was lost on Gordy, who signed her to the Motown label in 1965.

Gordy renamed her Tammi Terrell — he felt the name oozed sex appeal — and watched her career take off. Everyone who heard or met her fell in love. On a Motown revue tour with The Temptations, lead singer David Ruffin fell head over heels, and the pair became quite the item. In 1966, she beautifully interpreted Stevie Wonder’s “All I Do Is Think About You” and The Isley Brothers’ “This Old Heart Of Mine.” Both cemented her reputation nationally as a major league up and comer. But her headaches began to increase in intensity.

In 1967, Terrell teamed up with label mate Marvin Gaye to record Ashford & Simpson’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”The song was a major hit, reaching No. 19 on the pop charts and No. 3 on the soul charts. Their follow-up, “Your Precious Love,” another Ashford & Simpson composition, hit No. 5 pop and No. 2 soul.

More hits followed. Gaye and Terrell supported the release of their debut duet album “United” by going on the road together. And audiences across the country fell in love with the both of them.

On Oct. 14, 1967, Terrell fainted onstage at Virginia’s Hampden-Sydney College when the pain from a migraine became too much to bear. Gaye caught her in his arms and carried her to her dressing room. She was soon diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, but after she underwent the first of several brain surgeries, Terrell recorded the classics “You’re All I Need To Get By” and “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing,” both of which reached No. 1 on the soul charts. By 1969, though, Terrell had to quit the road. “Irresistible,” her only solo album, came out that year, but she was too sick to support it with a tour. Still, two more duet albums with Gaye kept her name in the press and their singles on the charts. Terrell’s last show was in 1969 at the legendary Apollo Theater in New York City.

By 1970, Terrell had lost her eyesight and her hair. She was confined to a wheelchair and weighed just 93 pounds. Following her eighth brain surgery, Terrell slipped into a coma and died on March 16, 1970. She was 24.

Terrell was as boisterous and filled with life offstage as she was on. Her relationship with Marvin Gaye was close, but platonic. It is said that Gaye never got over her death; he soon began a downward spiral courtesy of depression and drug abuse.

Her relationship with James Brown, however, was anything but platonic. It was highly sexual and violently abusive, and she often had to hide a black eye in public. She also reportedly had love affairs with Sam Cooke and David Ruffin. At the time of her death, she was engaged to be married to Dr. Ernest Garrett.

If you’re looking for a Terrell fix, the 2010 release of “Come On And See Me: The Complete Solo Collection” (Hip-O Select) contains almost everything Terrell ever recorded, as well as 13 rare live minutes.

Motown Records' "Unconventional" artists 

BERRY GORDY’S DREAM OF creating a record company that represented “The Sound of Young America” reflected an even bigger ambition in sociological terms, a homegrown enterprise that could bridge the cultural divide between black and white, young and old, pop and R&B, all the while forging a new sound that was uniquely American in its approach and philosophy.

When Gordy first laid Motown’s foundations in September 1959, it made stars out of ordinary kids and groups discovered singing on street corners, those who were armed with innate talent and the tenacity to achieve startling success both here at home and abroad.

Motown’s story has been well documented, although the numbers are still impressive. Between 1961 and 1971, the label achieved an astounding 110 Top 10 hits garnered from an impressive recording roster including Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Temptations, The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Martha and the Vandellas. Even now, these artists weigh in heavily against any of the competition that’s come along since, The Beatles and their British compatriots included. The so-called “Motown Sound,” an energetic, irresistible amalgam of pop and soul, became a standard by which all other artists measured their sound and success.

The string of hits spawned from Hitsville U.S.A., the name given Motown’s original Detroit headquarters, began with Gordy’s original imprint, Tamla Records, and the release of Barrett Strong’s durable “Money (That’s What I Want),” followed in short order by “Shop Around” by The Miracles, and The Marvelette’s No. 1 smash “Please Mr. Postman.” For the next decade or so, Motown songs dominated the AM charts before adapting to the age of FM radio by producing conceptual masterpieces like Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” and “Let’s Get It On” and Stevie Wonder’s immortal trilogy “Music of My Mind,” “Talking Book” and “Innervisions.”

While the super stars that dominated Motown’s marquee were guaranteed a certain immortality, others like Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Billy Preston, The Four Tops, The Isley Brothers, Diana Ross, Bettye LaVette and Queen Latifah parlayed their Motown success into even greater  fame after parting ways with the label. Gordy and his associates certainly knew how to spot talent. But they also knew how to help the artists get established and set up for long-term success, too.

But in the latter days of the Motown story, the company moved beyond the soul and R&B acts that put it on the map to feature fledgling artists whose music fell well outside the company’s signature sound. Motown and its many associated labels — Tamla, Gordy, Hitsville, Rare Earth, Prodigal, Gull, CTI and Manticore among them — were home to acts that were intriguing, obscure and anything but typecast.

Chris Clark

Chris Clark achieved the majority of her success in the U.K., where she was known as the “White Negress” — a name conjured up in an era well before political correctness held sway. She achieved a pair of mid 1960s hits — “Love’s Gone Bad,” written by the team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, and “I Want to Go Back There Again,” penned by Berry Gordy himself (due in part, no doubt, to the fact the pair were romantically involved.

Clark released two albums, “Soul Sounds” and “CC Rides Again,” on the short-lived Motown custom rock label Weed. Although a 2005 compilation collected tracks from both albums as well as unreleased material, Clark gained greater success later on, when she co-wrote the screenplay for Diana Ross’ award-winning film, “Lady Sings the Blues.”

Debbie Dean

Reba Jeanette Smith, who went under the stage name Debbie Dean, is best known as the first white solo singer signed to Motown proper. Indeed, she had little in common with the R&B music with which the label was identified. But her first Motown single, “Don’t Let Him Shop Around,” provided an ironic counterbalance to The Miracles’ far more successful “Shop Around.”

Sadly, Dean’s successive efforts proved ever less fruitful, and she eventually was  dropped from the roster. However, Dean later rejoined the label as a songwriter, creating hits for The Supremes, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Martha & The Vandellas and Edwin Starr prior to recording one last song of her own, “Why Am I Lovin’ You,” for Motown offshoot V.I.P.

Bobby Darin

Bobby Darin had a lot going for him as an artist. He was a successful songwriter, publisher and producer, and spellbinding performer known for his late ’50s/early ’60s hits for Atlantic Records — “Dream Lover,” “Mack the Knife” and “Beyond the Sea.”

But he also recorded an eponymous album for Motown, which was released a little more than a year before Darin’s Dec. 20, 1973, death from heart failure at age 37.

Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons’ seemingly nonstop stream of hits throughout the ’60s and early ‘70s (“Walk Like a Man,” “Let’s Hang On,” “Working My Way Back to You,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” etc.) proved sufficient to eventually turn the group’s story into a hit Broadway musical. Sadly that legacy seemed to hit the skids once the group signed to Motown in the early ’70s. The hits had pretty much dried up. The group had signed to Warner Bros. in the U.K., which yielded the single “Sleeping Man”/“Whatever You Say.” But the songs weren’t deemed worthy of release in the States. Motown stepped in, scooped up The Four Seasons for its new West Coast label, Mo-West, while also releasing some of the group’s material under the Motown banner,  Unfortunately,  after one album (“Chameleon”), a Frankie Valli solo single (“Love Isn’t Here”) and three singles credited to the Four Seasons (“Walk On, Don’t Look Back,” “How Come” and “Hickory”), it became clear that either the group had lost it spark or Motown was unprepared to promote it properly. A second album was scuttled after eight songs were completed, and the band and the label opted to part ways. Valli initially attempted to buy back the group’s master recordings from Motown, but given the prohibitive price, he settled for just one. The song, “My Eyes Adored You,” was then taken to the fledgling Private Stock label where it was released as a Valli solo single, thus marking the start of a stellar and successful solo career.

Billy Preston

Billy Preston was another artist signed to Motown when he was past his prime. Indeed, after a career spent in the company of Ray Charles, San Cooke, Little Richard, The Beatles and the Rolling Stones — as well as in the upper reaches of the charts, thanks to his solo hits “Nothing From Nothing,” “Outta-Space” and the song he and Dennis Wilson wrote and Joe Cocker recorded, “You Are So Beautiful” — Preston’s career was  waning when Motown came calling. Still, he managed one more run up the charts with “With You I’m Born Again,” a duet with Syreeta Wright, which took him back to the Top 10 one last time.

Sadly, illness, legal problems and drug abuse began to taking a toll on Preston, and he eventually left the label to continue his career as a session man. In his later years, Preston contributed to albums by Eric Clapton, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and individual solo albums by members of the Rolling Stones. He returned to the spotlight one last time in 2005, when he was a guest on the fourth season finale of “American Idol.” A special three song set he performed at the Los Angeles press screening for the re-release of the “Concert for Bangla Desh” proved his final public appearance prior to his death on June 6, 2006, the result of complications related to kidney failure.

Duane Eddy

Likewise, Duane Eddy had long since etched his reputation as a master of the surf guitar when Motown issued a series of albums spotlighting Eddy’s reign as the king of rock ’n’ Roll instrumentals —Link Wray notwithstanding. Essentially a series of compilations, “Have Twangy Guitar, Will Travel,” “$1,000,000 Worth of Twang” and “21 Greatest Hits” repackaged Eddy’s earlier recordings (“Because They’re Young,” “Pepe,” “Rebel-Rouser,” “Ramrod,” “Movin’ ‘N Groovin’”) with flashy cover art, presumably to sway all those yet unaware of his skill.

Kiki Dee

Kiki Dee grabbed the brass ring when she signed to Elton John’s Rocket Records label and subsequently sang “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” a playful duet with the man himself.

However her singing career actually dates back to the mid 1960s when she worked to little acclaim as a back-up singer for Dusty Springfield. Her 1965 single, “Why Don’t I Run Away From You” reaped modest success, as did “On a Magic Carpet Ride” in 1968. In 1970, she achieved the unlikely distinction of becoming the first white British artist signed to Motown’s roster.

Bruce Willis

Although he’s known primarily as an actor, Bruce Willis launched a singing career under the auspices of Motown in the late ’80s.

Willis’ pipes first found their way into the spotlight on the TV show “Moonlighting,” where his character David Addison would belt out lines from classic R&B hits such as “The Tighten Up,” “My Girl,” “Respect,” “Do Wah Diddy,” “Double Shot,” “Get Up” and “Money.”

Willis recorded two albums — “The Return of Bruno” and “If It Don’t Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger,” saw nine singles achieve varying degrees of chart success, and did his level best to persuade us to drink Seagram’s Golden Wine Cooler (with an assist from two guitarists, a harmonica player, a guy snapping his fingers and a dog).

Willis scored his biggest hit with a cover of The Staples Singers’ “Respect Yourself,” which managed to climb to No. 2 in the U.K. He followed it later with a cover of the classic Drifters tune “Under the Boardwalk.”

Although Willis has occasionally recorded and performed since then, any major label affiliation appears to be a thing of the past.

Sam Harris

With Sam Harris, Motown seemingly had it all: a singer, actor and energetic entertainer who seemed to be a show biz tour de force.

Motown snagged Harris in his formative years, fresh off of his prize-winning turn on the first season of “Star Search” highlighted by a stirring rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

Harris rewarded his new label by landing the initial single “Sugar Don’t Bite” on the charts and shoring up his reputation in concert, on Broadway, in film and on TV. Although he’s been absent from the pop charts of late, Harris’ ongoing show business presence keeps him firmly entrenched in the public eye. Harris’ 2008 single, “Change Is On the Way,” which was written in support of then-candidate (and later president) Barack Obama, and “My Reclamation,” his 2010 ode to marriage equality, have kept him socially relevant.

Michael McDonald

After he brought new life to The Doobie Brothers and achieved success with his solo ventures, Michael McDonald was already a well-established star when he signed with Motown for a series of albums.

His shift to a more soulful style — a natural fit for his rich-as-molasses vocals — began with his Grammy-winning 1985 duet “Yah Mo B There” with James Ingram, and continued with pairings with Patti LaBelle (“On My Own”), the gospel group The Winans (“Love Has No Color”) and Aretha Franklin (“Ever Changing Times”). He ultimately reached full throttle with the aptly titled “Motown,” his tribute to the label’s signature songs. The album garnered two Grammy nominations, inspired a sequel, “Motown Two,” which led to 2008’s “SoulSpeak,” an album that had McDonald covering classics including “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me,” “Walk On By,” “Living For The City,” “For Once In My Life,” along with three of his own original songs.

Rare Earth

Motown expanded its reach the furthest in 1969 when it signed its most successful rock act: Rare Earth. Originally known as The Sunliners, the group had changed its name to Rare Earth in 1968, recording an unsuccessful album for Verve titled “Dream/Answers.” Nonplussed, Motown signed Rare Earth as the label’s first bona fide white band and as an initial contender to compete in the budding rock music market. Motown lacked a name for its new rock subsidiary, so the band suggested that the label borrow its name. While no one thought the company executives would take the offer seriously, the Rare Earth banner stuck. As if to pay the label back for its show of support, Rare Earth gave Motown a number of hits early on, including covers of The Temptations’ “I’m Losing You” and “Get Ready,” which not only got the group to the uppermost reaches of the charts but secured its place on classic rock radio. Ironically, Rare Earth received additional attention when Gil Scott-Heron name-checked the group in the lyrics to his epic poem “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”: “The theme song [to the revolution] will not be written by Jim Webb, Francis Scott Key, nor sung by Glen Campbell, Tom Jones, Johnny Cash, Engelbert Humperdinck, or the Rare Earth.” At least the band found itself in some rarified musical company.

R. Dean Taylor

 R. Dean Taylor gave the Rare Earth label one of its biggest successes with “Indiana Wants Me,” his unlikely hit about a fugitive from justice that made it into Billboard’s Top Five.

Taylor’s success was even greater in England, where he scored hits with “Gotta See Jane” and “There’s a Ghost in My House.” Taylor he shared his songwriting abilities with other Motown acts, including The Four Tops, who recorded his song “I’ll Turn to Stone,” and “The Temptations,” for whom he wrote “All I Need.”

Taylor’s ongoing collaboration with Motown staff songwriter Bryan Holland also resulted in Diana Ross & The Supremes’ No. 1 hit “Love Child,” which was his biggest hit until “Indiana Wants Me” took Taylor to No. 1 in his native Canada.

The Cats
Another signee to Rare Earth, The Cats, were an unlikely candidate for stardom. Indeed, The Cats’ trajectory proved that pronouncement was warranted. The group achieved some measure of fame in its native Netherlands and a few far-flung territories (thanks in large part to the group’s fastidious attempts to emulate an English sound), as well as a modest string of hits that stretched into the 1970s. But The Cats’ successful streak didn’t last long.

Nevertheless, the band’s two mainstays, Cees Veerman and Piet Veerman, attempted to claim the band’s legacy as their own with varying degrees of success. In March 2006, the band regrouped to receive national honors and record a final single for inclusion on a belated best-of LP.

The Easybeats

Rare Earth also claimed The Easybeats, Australia’s answer to The Beatles and the best-known band to emerge from Down Under. The group’s international smash, “Friday on My Mind,” propelled The Easybeats to the upper echelons of stardom and set the stage for a successful writing and producing career for guitarists Harry Vanda and George Young following the band’s demise.

True, The Easybeats were signed to Rare Earth past the band’s prime. The group’s initial effort for the label, a song called “St. Louis,” bore some similarity to “Friday On My Mind.” A subsequent album, titled “Easy Ridin’” (renamed “Friends” outside the U.S.) showed little merit, which prompted Rare Earth to drop the band.

Messengers_ThatsTheWayAWomanIs_RareEArth

The Messengers

Then there were The Messengers, a group signed to the Rare Earth label after a Motown A&R man caught the band opening for The Dave Clark Five.

The Messengers had ample talent, but as one of the first white bands groomed for Motown’s venture into the white rock market, the group fell victim to the label’s inexperience. The Messengers achieved some distinction, at least superficially, thanks to a die-cut rounded album cover that served to visually separate their release from the other contenders crowding the bins. The Messengers managed to score a regional hit with “That’s The Way a Woman Is” in 1971.






Meat Loaf and Stoney

One of the more auspicious debut discs Rare Earth released featured the duo Meat Loaf and Stoney. Yep, that Meat Loaf.

Although the duo was short-lived — Motown ditched Meat right after the debut but retained Stoney, AKA Shaun Murphy — both artists went on to greater glories.

Meat Loaf made “Bat Out of Hell” one of the biggest-selling albums of all time, and Murphy left her mark on a slew of sessions for high-profile artists including The Moody Blues, Bob Seger, Herbie Hancock, Phil Collins, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, Maria Muldaur, Bruce Hornsby, Michael Bolton, J.J. Cale, Coco Montoya, Alice Cooper and Little Feat. Good gigs if you can get them.

UFO

Cast in murky realms between hard rock and heavy metal — a moot divide, to be sure — British quartet UFO became the prototypical insurgents: part sci-fi posers, part brash revisionists, tempered with a hint of grit and glory.

Rare Earth scooped up UFO in the band’s formative years via the chronologically dubbed twosome “UFO 1” and “UFO 2.” (The band’s name was actually inspired by the well-known London haunt where they were discovered.)

The band was hugely popular in Japan, but that band’s efforts mostly ignored in the U.S., the U.K. and the rest of the civilized world, which brought Rare Earth next to no return on the label’s investment.

An adrenalized take on the Eddie Cochran chestnut “C’mon Everybody” and a penchant for extended cosmic excursions notwithstanding, the finally found its footing when it inked a deal with Chrysalis.

The Pretty Things

On the other hand, Motown’s Rare Earth imprint caught The Pretty Things at an opportune time, when the band’s ambitions were in full flush. The Pretty Things were a potent part of the mid-’60s British rock renaissance, with early hits “Rosalyn,” “Don’t Bring Me Down” and “Honey I Need” in the U.K. (The band also boasted a reputation for having the longest hair of their contemporaries.)

But it was the explosion of psychedlia that helped to launch The Pretty Things’ career, thanks to often under-appreciated rock opera “S.F. Sorrow.” Although that album preceded The Who’s “Tommy” by several months, it remained a bit of a sleeper; its release was delayed in the States.

Nevertheless, “S.F. Sorrow” paved The Pretty Things’ way to attain the distinction of becoming the first British band that Motown signed. The band’s follow-up, “Parachute” proved to be another masterpiece for the label. Artistic ambition aside, neither album  sold well. The group’s next label, Led Zepellin’s Swan Song, brought the group the greater notoriety.

Love Sculpture

Rare Earth also caught Love Sculpture at an opportune time, releasing the first of two albums the group recorded during its brief tenure. Formed in 1966 from the remnants of Cardiff, U.K., band, The Human Beans, Love Sculpture group helped launch Dave Edmunds’ career; his later solo success as a producer, solo performer and erstwhile member of the short-lived combo Rockpile with Nick Lowe established him as one of the kingpins of the pub rock scene.

Etched with a razor-sharp instrumental prowess, Love Sculpture’s debut, “Blues Helping,” was an ideal showcase for the band’s futuristic blues sound. In fact, the band’s best-known track, a revved-up version of the classical composition “Sabre Dance,” became something of a phenomenon, reaching No. 5 on the U.K. singles chart in December 1968.

Toe Fat, Howl The Good and Sunday Funnies

While some acts gave a certain prestige to the Rare Earth roster, there were others that seemed doomed to obscurity from the start. Aside from its awful name, Toe Fat’s main claim to fame lay in the fact that it birthed two future members of Uriah Heep:  keyboardist Ken Hensley and drummer Lee Kerslake.

Howl the Good shared its label mate’s penchant for an unfortunate choice of name, but had a star connection in the form of Spooky Tooth’s Gary Wright, who helped oversee production of the band’s sole album.

Speaking of high-powered producers: Rare Earth’s Sunday Funnies might have otherwise languished in obscurity were not for the fact that Rolling Stones Svengali Andrew Loog Oldham sat behind the boards.

Premiata Forneria Marconi

Ultimately, Motown’s most unlikely venture came through its distribution of the quintessential prog label Manticore, which had been launched by Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

When ELP formed Manticore, it shared ownership with Island Records. Once that partnership fell apart, Atlantic Records picked up Manticore’s distribution. Eventually, Manticore was put in Motown’s care, although there was precious little of significance on the label, save for an album called “Cook” by Italian rockers Premiata Forneria Marconi (or, PFM, as they were known stateside), which was released with the shared Motown banner.

Although Manticore went defunct in 1977, Motown was able to one release through the Manticore label the seemingly was in sync with the Motown sound: a one-off single by Little Richard titled “Steal Miss Liza (Steal Liza Jane).” GM

伟大祖国首次如何被西方文化帝国主义腐败败坏了

 

英国威猛乐队三十年前曾在中国引起轰动 英国《泰晤士报》周五（10日）发表该报记者路易 斯发回的报道，讲述三十年前曾在中国引起轰动的英国威猛乐队故地重游引起的反响。
报道指出，1985年4月10日，作为首支“登陆”的西方流行乐队，威猛乐队在北京工人体育场演出时，一些中国人要长途 跋涉数天到北京观看他们的音乐会，另外一些人更要花费高达半个月的工资才买到一张票，但所有人都知道，中国从那一刻起已经永远改 变了。
文章认为，对于现在仍对西方价值感到不安的中国来说，威猛在1985年的音乐会仍是中国的一个决定性时刻，尤其是中国现 任领导人习近平最近还公开表示，要清除学校和大学里的西方价值。
报 道还引述中国著名歌星成方圆表示，威猛乐队当年的在华音乐会是一个历史时刻，而在此之前，中国人对西方文化一无所知，而音乐会让 大家对西方文化有初步了 解。成方圆还说，即使现在在商场里听到威猛乐队的名曲《无心的耳语 Careless Whisper》，心中仍会像触电一样。
另一位中国歌手小南也对记者表示，威猛音乐会只是一个开始，因为越来越多的中国人因此对西方文化感兴趣，因此总体来说， 这一音乐会创造了一个非常重要的变化。
When China woke up to Wham!

Everyone who went to see Wham! perform in China in 1985 seems to remember the same details: the dazzling lights, the overwhelming wave of noise when the music began, and the outfits worn by the duo, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley.

In 1985, China was just opening up to the outside world following the tumultuous Cultural Revolution.

At the same time, Wham! were eager to prove that they were the world's biggest pop band. A concert in China was just the ticket.

The duo's manager, Simon Napier-Bell, tried to convince various Chinese officials over lunch that the concert tour was a good idea.

His successful sales pitch hinged on how China would appear to the outside world if George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley were allowed to play. Wham!'s presence would be proof, Mr Napier-Bell reasoned, of the Communist Party's desire to welcome foreigners, and much-needed foreign investment.

The pitch worked. Two weeks after the Chinese government gave the green light, Wham! were due to perform in Beijing and the southern city of Guangzhou in April 1985.

The duo were set to become the first Western band to play inside China, beating other hopefuls Queen and the Rolling Stones.

"One day, I saw the concert announcement posted on a wall," remembers Li Shizhong from Beijing. He was just a teenager at the time.

"The band members had long curly hair. They dressed differently. I thought their music would sound different and new because they looked so different from anything else I had seen before."

"But I couldn't go to see them," he sighs, "because I couldn't ask my parents for 5 yuan ($0.80, £0.54) to pay for the ticket. My parents wouldn't support anything like that."

"We didn't have a nightlife. I was a 15-year-old boy but I had to stay at home after 8.30pm."

"The rigid social atmosphere back then was the real reason I couldn't go to the concert. At that time, if you played a guitar on the street, you would be considered a hooligan."

"I only had blue, green and grey Cultural Revolution style clothes. If someone dressed in a different colour, everyone would notice. Now we think that's fashionable, but back then, something like that signalled trouble."

Many of the tickets were passed to Chinese government officials.

"I went to see it because my classmate's father worked for the Ministry of Culture and I was given a free ticket," Lin Wenjun from Guangzhou remembers. "Not many people knew about them at the time but I listened to their music on Hong Kong radio, which wasn't blocked back then."

"It seemed that most of the audience received free tickets because they seemed old. They didn't dress like music lovers," he mused.

"Before that day, I had only seen a ballet performance. So the concert was a shocking experience because of all the lights and the stereo sound."

"I wanted to sing along with the lyrics but I didn't dare because no-one else in the audience was singing."



Singer Cheng Fangyuan remembers the day that British band Wham! became the first western pop act to play a concert in China
Even those involved in the concert were astonished by the newness of it all. Now a famous Chinese television presenter, Kan Lijun served as the on-stage host at Wham!'s concert in Beijing 30 years ago.

She introduced George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley to their slightly befuddled audience. She then stood backstage, watching the concert.

"No-one had ever seen anything like that before," she said. "The singers were all moving a lot and it was very loud. We were used to people who stood still when they performed."

"All the young people were amazed and everybody was tapping their feet. Of course the police weren't happy and they were scared there would be riots. One time, people were excited after a sports event and they flipped a car."

Before Wham! appeared, many kinds of music were forbidden.

"Back then, if we wanted to listen to pop music with lyrics like that, we had to do that in secret," Ms Kan remembers. "If you were caught, you would be taken to the police station and they would keep you there all night. It was a time of many taboos."

Amazing, then, that Wham! was allowed to sing lyrics like this to audiences of thousands:

Wake me up before you go go,

'Cause I'm not planning on going solo

Wake me up before you go go

Take me dancing tonight

I wanna hit that high (yeah yeah)

The Chinese version, performed in the opening act, by singer Cheng Fangyuan added some Communist flair:

Wake me up before you go go.

Compete with the sky to go high, high.

Wake me up before you go go

Men fight to be first to reach the peak

Wake me up before you go go

Women are on the same journey and will not fall behind.

A cassette tape featuring Wham!'s songs on one side, and Cheng Fangyuan's Chinese covers on the other, was handed to each concertgoer.
The cassette tape had both Wham's and Ms Cheng's songs

Lin Wenjun received a cassette when he attended the concert in Guangzhou, but he sold it to his classmate afterward for 20 yuan, a small fortune at the time.

For others, that cassette remains a prized possession.

"Some of my classmates went and gave the tape to me as a gift," remembers Li Shizhong, the Beijinger who was not able to attend the concert. "I still have it."

"I'm really grateful they came to China and I want to salute them," he continues. "That concert was so meaningful to us."

 

Happy Birthday, Marvin Gaye!

Marvin Gaye‘s influence on music is profound, which is why a common argument against the “Blurred Lines” verdict is that a majority of R&B songs created by artists are liable to be sued just like Pharrell and Robin Thicke because his sound is everywhere. While it’s debatable if that’s a proper legal argument, the statement itself is no hyperbole. Gaye should be one of your first thoughts if you’re talking about the most influential singer-songwriters of all time. He would’ve been 76 years old today (April 2).

Before he became the legend that he is, Gaye was known as one of Motown’s (then known as Tamla) talented artists. He had a string of hits in the late ’60s and formed a hitmaking duo with Tammi Terrell, with whom he made ”Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” ”You’re All I Need to Get By” and ”Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing.” His hits were sweet and his voice was powerful, but that surefire dynamic was upended by the end of the decade.

Gaye was depressed when Terrell, his close friend, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1967. He eventually went into a downward spiral of seclusion and drug abuse because of her death in 1970. The singer even felt that Tamla was unsympathetic to her passing and treated her as a commodity.

But Gaye emerged out of that darkness and chaos with 1971′s What’s Going On, one of the greatest, pathos-reaching achievements in modern music. At its core a cry for human empathy, the greatness of the What’s Going On album still resonates (and, in some ways, haunts) because of how its underlying turmoil and bluesy look at urban decay (“Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)”) are still relevant today.

What’s Going On is Gaye’s greatest work, but not his lone essential. Within that ethereal voice lied a proclivity for potently covering multiple aspects of human life. Let’s Get It On is a mellifluous exploration of human sexuality, while Here, My Dear is a vivid look at domestic pains. Trouble Man is just the epitome of cool. The legal drama surrounding “Blurred Lines” and his name will blow over soon. Gaye’s greatness is here to stay.

Watch Marvin Gaye Perform “What’s Going On” & “What’s Happening Brother”

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Preview YouTube video Marvin Gaye "What's Going On - What's Happening Brother"

B.B. King Hospitalized Near Las Vegas Home

King was rushed to the hospital over the weekend

Legendary blues musician B.B. King, 89, has been hospitalized at a medical center near his Las Vegas home, PEOPLE has confirmed.

King was rushed to the hospital over the weekend due to dehydration from his Type II diabetes, TMZ reports.

News of King’s hospitalization comes less than a year after the singer cancelled the remainder of his tour because of health problems.

“Mr. King did not feel well enough to continue his performance last night, Oct. 3, 2014, at the House of Blues in Chicago,” read a statement on King’s website posted Oct. 4. “He was immediately evaluated by a doctor and diagnosed with dehydration and suffering from exhaustion whereby causing the eight remaining shows of his current tour to be cancelled.”

But it didn’t take long for King – who was also hospitalized in 2007 – to address his fans directly after his tour was cancelled.

“I’m back at home now listening to music, watching movies and enjoying some down time,” he wrote in a statement posted Oct. 7. “I think I’m busier at home now than on the road talking to friends calling to check up on me. I do appreciate everyone’s calls and concern. I want to tell you, I’m doing alright.”

The man who helped to bring Motown to the world

• Colin Hadley
  

Fifty years ago Motown music was topping the charts and all these years later, it is still popular. Colin Hadley was instrumental in the success of the genre. Dawn Ellis reports.
Hit songs by the likes of legends Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, The Temptations, The Jackson 5 and The Four Tops are still popular today and part of the success is down to a Westcountry man.

Just over 50 years ago the Tamla Motown record label was formed by Exeter man Colin Hadley and his two colleagues at EMI Records Rex Oldfield and Derek Everett.

Colin with DJs Simon Dee and Tony Blackburn


By starting the label it opened the doors for hit after hit for the Motown market.
Colin, now 80, was part of the team who selected, promoted the artists that flowed from Hitsville US, the musical production line created by Berry Gordy.
Tamla was formed by Gordy with an $800 family loan and by 1986 he made it into Forbes Investors Magazine annual rich list of Americans with a personal fortune of $180m.
In the 60s Motown was booming and Colin was there every step of the way.
After launching Tamla Motown label, Colin became one of the youngest board members of an EMI group company and in 1968 was appointed a director and general manger of the group’s Richmond-based World Record Club.

Derek Everett, American singer Lou Christie, John Nathon (MGM Europe) and Colin Hadley.

“I joined the music business, for the best of all reasons, money,” he said.
“I was working for Unilever soap subsidiary on five guineas a week and I moved to EMI as a statistics clerk for more money and less travel.
“I started in a back office as a statistician and after four years I moved over and became the PA to the HMV sales manager for a couple of years. I went out on the road for four years and worked my way up. By 1964 I had come back into the office as deputy marketing manager.

“At the time we were too busy to think about what you were doing and who you were working with to really understand how well it was doing.”

He puts the success of the label purely down to the catchy music.

“That’s what makes it pay, it doesn’t matter how much hype goes on, if it hasn’t got it in the grooves it’s a waste of time,” said Colin.

Along the way he worked with some of music’s greats including Stevie Wonder.
“He was a 17 year old when I met him to do some promotion. I saw him perform in a nightclub at The Scotch of St James,” said Colin.

“That was where is all started for him. Who would have known he’d still be going strong.”

He also remembers The Jackson family and recalls a day where he met them at a hotel.
“They were children when I knew them,” he said.

“I remember well that they were staying at The Portman Hotel and they had to escape because of the crowds. They came out via a back door as it was absolute mania. It was at the same time that The Beatles came and everything music wise erupted both here and America. It was an exciting time.”

Despite many of the acts becoming music legends, Motown as a genre wasn’t an overnight success and it took time to build in popularity.
“If truth be told as EMI weren’t consulted at all about the first Tamla Motown tour,” said Colin.
“It went ahead on the advice of the founder of Tamla Motown Appreciation Society who was over enthusiastic. Large concert halls were booked, but were only half full.
“In fact, I think they had to parachute Georgie Fame in to give the shows a bit of umph and helped rescue the shows. Dusty Springfield was also involved and she gave them a boost at the end.”
Soon hits flowed and for a 20 year span, more than 300 Motown singles went into the British top 10 hits, with many making the top spot.
Three tracks made it to the charts before the launch of the Tamla Motown label was even launched and are still well known today.
My Guy, Mary Wells; Where Did Our Love Go, The Supremes and Baby Love were all released on Stateside before the known TM label was launched.
“At the weekends you had to switch off from it all, else it was too much,” said Colin.
The pensioner said that it wasn’t just Motown that was big business, EMI had their work cut out as they were also working with the likes of The Animals, Eddie Cochran, The Beach Boys and many more.
“We launched Mary Poppins and I saw it so many times at trade shows. The song Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious still flows off the tongue today,” he joked.
He said looking back,
artists had an incredible
ride, but it wasn’t all glamour.
“The set up in Detroit wasn’t in a massive recording studio,” said Colin.
“The echo chamber was in the lavatory and the string section was on trestles as space was so tight.
“There’s also a sad side to Motown, as Marvin Gaye was killed by his own father and Florence Ballard, one of The Supremes, finished up destitute. It’s heartbreaking.”
In his later working years he quit the music business and went into publishing, working for the Copyright Protection Agency before retiring in Exeter, 16 years ago, where he lives with wife Jean.
“ I still love London, as there is a buzz, but I think the Westcountry is nice. I’ve got a lovely view and only a few minutes out of the city.”
Being out of the business, he said he isn’t up to date with today’s music charts.
“I think I’m out of touch these days,” he said.
“The music isn’t as melodic as it used to be. The first essential thing when it came to any track was you had to be able to dance to it and that has gone.”

‘Before Motown, There Was John Dolphin:’ Family Of LA Music Legend Keeps Legacy Alive With New Play

John Dolphin, left, and Billie Holiday, center, talking at Dolphin’s of Hollywood. (credit: Dolphin’s Of Hollywood Entertainment)

Jennifer Madison, CBS Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Jamelle Dolphin learned at an early age his surname held weight.

“That was the first thing people would ask me when they heard my last name was Dolphin,” he said.
“You related to John Dolphin?” is a question he’s fielded on a regular basis.
More than 60 years ago, his grandfather, a music promoter earning a living as a used-car salesman, had just moved to L.A. from Detroit. But Dolphin was quick to establish himself, opening the first 24-hour record store in Los Angeles, off Central Avenue, in 1948.

“He was just a businessman with a love for music,” Jamelle said.
To L.A. residents, however, John Dolphin was iconic — the founder of Dolphin’s of Hollywood, a name that emerged in defiance during an era of racial segregation and during the infancy of rock ‘n’ roll.

Now, decades later, with the last of what would become six Dolphin’s of Hollywood locations closing its doors in the 1990s, Jamelle is keeping his grandfather’s legacy alive with a musical opening this weekend in, where else, Hollywood.

John Dolphin (credit: Dolphin’s Of Hollywood Entertainment)

“Recorded in Hollywood: The John Dolphin Story” gives long-overdue credit to the man Jamelle says influenced the likes of Sam Cooke, The Penguins and The Hollywood Flames.

He passed on a photo of his grandfather smiling in the shop alongside Billie Holiday, one of the many recording artists drawn to the storied business that opened its doors in with a name foretelling of its owner’s resilience.

“They wouldn’t allow a black person to operate a black business in Hollywood, so he opened the shop on Central and called it Dolphin’s of Hollywood,” Jamelle explained. “He said he was going to bring Hollywood to Central.”

The ruling on Brown v. Board of Education wouldn’t come for six years. But during that time, Dolphin built on his influence and established Recorded In Hollywood, his first record label, in 1950.

Dolphin’s of Hollywood was bustling even while the entrepreneur’s radio show, “Harlem Hit Parade,” was on air. (credit: Dolphin’s Of Hollywood Entertainment)

A radio show would follow. “Harlem Hit Parade,” taking its name from the Billboard chart, broadcast on KRKD, with Dolphin using it as an outlet to promote the work of up-and-coming artists.

DJs like Huggy Boy, Hunter Hancock and Charles Trammel would spin through the night, drawing crowds of young black, white and Latino Americans, and unwanted attention from the LAPD.
“It became a real interracial scene,” Jamelle said. “It caused a lot of controversy. LAPD started to shut down the scene, the record store. … It was way before its time.”
Dolphin eventually prevailed, leading a march in protest of a police blockade of his business in 1954.
His influence grew, and Dolphin’s of Hollywood became a local chain and a destination for wide-eyed singers.

John and wife Ruth Dolphin, who took over the business upon his death in 1958. (credit: Dolphin’s Of Hollywood Entertainment)

“Everybody wanted to be a singer back then. John Dolphin was the outlet for them,” Jamelle said.

That influence became his undoing, when a misguided singer, Percy Ivy, shot and killed Dolphin in 1958.

The two had recorded music together but the songs were never released. And after a disagreement over money and ownership of the recordings, Ivy came armed to Dolphin’s office in Hollywood, where his once-shunned business had eventually expanded. He was fatally shot in the chest and died at his desk.

Dolphin’s wife, now a single mother to five children — one of them Jamelle’s father — took over her husband’s empire. But eventually Dolphin’s of Hollywood closed its doors, the first location in South L.A. being the last to shutter in 1989.

John Dolphin and jazz bandleader and actor Lionel Hampton (credit: Dolphin’s Of Hollywood Entertainment)

“I wish it was still around. We could’ve kept the name going,” Jamelle said.
And that’s exactly what he’s doing.

NAACP award winner Denise Dowse is directing the play at the Lillian Theater, with former “RENT” actor Stu James leading the cast.

Jamelle, credited with developing the story, has been working alongside writer Matt Donnelly, known for his work on “Brothers & Sisters” and “Mixology,” to bring it to life
Andy Cooper penned more than a dozen original songs to which the musical is set, with music director Stephan Terry amping up the nostalgia with hits like Cooke’s “You Send Me,” The Penguins’ “Earth Angel,” and “Wheel of Fortune” by the Hollywood Flames, all songs Jamelle says first broke on the Dolphins of Hollywood radio show, also featuring.

“Before Motown existed, there was the John Dolphin story,” reads a promo. Jamelle stands firm in the sentiment.

“I think it was a brilliant thing he did,” he said of his grandfather. “And his legacy should go on.”

“Dolphin’s of Hollywood” opens Saturday with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. through May 17.

For more information, visit the Recorded In Hollywood website.

America's Mecca - Motown Museum celebrates 30 years

The museum now.

Many of Motown's greatest hits were written at a little house on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, the house known as Hitsville USA.

Hitsville USA was Motown's first headquarters until Berry Gordy moved the label to Los Angeles 30 years ago this week. Later, 2648 West Grand Boulevard became The Motown Museum, drawing visitors from around the world.
Hour Detroit Magazine’s Jim McFarlin, who recently wrote about the museum's anniversary, says, "It is a monument. To many people it is like Mecca.”
The museum has stayed in the family over the years. Current CEO Robin Terry is the granddaughter of museum founder Esther Gordy Edwards.
Robin says her grandmother was inspired to create the museum after many visitors came to the building simply wanting a peek inside Studio A.
Studio A is still a part of the museum and tours allow visitors to stand in the exact spots of the legends who recorded there.
"There's nothing traditional about it. We sing, we dance, we clap. It's an experience," Terry says of visits to the museum.
McFarlin endorses this, saying, "They really put you in the footsteps of the artist as you go through the tour and you must be prepared to sing."
The museum has drawn many famous faces and music legends throughout the years, including Michael Jackson. He became one of the museum's first big contributors and the fedora and glove he gave the museum are still on display.
But Motown was more than just a place to see famous faces, it was a place to come together as a community.
"Most of the Motown artists came from within a five-mile radius of the Hitsville house," Terry says.
Now, according to McFarlin, the museum attendance is made up of 75% tourists.
Terry is looking to bring back the community feel, saying "It had a magnetic effect in the community for those who are creative and wanted to make music, and I think it's important in terms of our programming that we continue to foster creativity in the Detroit community."
This month the museum is hosting a spoken-word series every Friday from 8 to 10 p.m. The series is in honor of Motown's Black Forum label, the spoken-word label that included recordings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Langston Hughes, Stokely Carmichael, and Elaine Brown.
"Creating more programming like that, to give Detroiters a reason to come back to Hitsville and to continue to create and build on that phenomenal legacy that exists there, that's really what the future of the museum has to be about," Terry says.