Some things that they might touch on in discussion: Ask the group to discuss how they will help this group to create and promote hit records. Explain to students that they should imagine that it is the mid-1960s, and Motown has just signed a new group, a hypothetical trio of young women who grew up in the Detroit projects. Have students briefly introduce their persona to the rest of their group.Ħ. ( Note: depending on the size of the class, students may alternate observing and playing roles.)ĥ. Next, divide students into groups of five, with each student representing their assigned persona: Berry Gordy, Maxine Powell, Cholly Atkins, Smokey Robinson, or Maurice King. How do you think this person helped Berry Gordy to achieve the company’s mission of “making music for the whole world”?Ĥ.How did this person approach his or her responsibilities at Motown? What attitudes, sayings, or philosophies did he or she have?.What was this individual’s primary role at Motown Records?. (This could be done as homework before class.) They should be able to answer the following questions: As an option, students may also conduct research to learn more about their assigned persona. Distribute the biography handouts and ask students to study them. According to Robinson, what has made the music of Motown so lasting?ģ.What does Robinson say about Gordy’s mission for the record label? To whom was he trying to appeal? What do you think the challenges were for African-American artists who wanted to appeal to white listeners in the late 1950s and early 1960s? ( Remind the class that Motown was founded as the Civil Rights movement was taking hold, and only a few years prior to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.).Watch the video of Smokey Robinson- a Motown singer, songwriter and producer who worked with Gordy - talking about the company’s first day of operations. The company produced many Top 40 hits in the 1960s.Ģ. It would go on to become one of the largest and best known record companies owned and operated by an African American, and it helped many black musicians start successful careers. Explain to students that the Motown Recording Corporation was founded in this house in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 by Berry Gordy Jr. Show students the photo of Motown’s “ Hitsville, U.S.A.” studio. In this lesson, students will learn about behind-the-scenes operations at Motown Records - and a few of the company’s most important contributors - through a “ café conversation.”ġ. Gordy also insisted on a high level of quality control, and was known for assembling focus groups to test every product. #Motown records professionalThe artists who signed with Motown had raw talent, but in many cases, they were inexperienced performers - sometimes they were young people from the city’s housing projects who had previously encountered few opportunities for professional training. Motown’s artists were also polished and choreographed by the label’s “Artist Development” department, a process that included training in singing, dancing, speaking, and even etiquette. As much of the work as possible was done in-house. The Motown staff included songwriters, arrangers, and producers. He cultivated a group of experts who, working together, could take unrefined young singers and turn them into hit-makers ready to perform and promote the Motown product: records. Gordy adopted the idea of making development a team effort, and, as on an assembly line, each member of the team was given a specialized task to perform. (In fact, Gordy himself had worked in a Ford assembly plant during the 1950s.) Instead of assembling cars, though, he put together hit records. He loosely modeled the Motown operation on the most prosperous business model he saw around him - the assembly lines at the many automotive plants in the region. Berry Gordy Jr., who had previously owned a record shop and pursued a career as a songwriter, borrowed $800 from his family in 1959 to set up shop in a house located at 2648 West Grand Blvd. The hits came one after another: By the early 1970s, Motown had over 100 Top 40 hits to its credit.įor all of its success, the company had humble beginnings. During this decade, golden years for the organization, Motown’s roster included Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, the Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and the Jackson Five. The Motown Record Corporation was one of the most successful record labels of the 1960s and one of the most influential black owned and operated companies in the world.
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