Big Town & Bob Geddins’ Other Labels
Big Town Records was set up by Bob Geddins in Oakland, California, in 1945. He established a base on the...
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Motown: A Family Business!
Several members of the Gordy family followed Berry Gordy’s example, taking up songwriting. Berry had three brothers (Fuller, George, and...
Motown Sound Engineers: The Middle Years
During the middle years of Motown in Detroit, Mike McLean added a significant element to Motown’s studio equipment. Berry Gordy...
Race Records (Part 6): The Business of Race Records
As we saw in Race Records Part 1, the earliest recordings of Black performing artists were made to satisfy a...
Marvin Gaye: Finding the Way (at last!)
Marvin Gaye didn’t issue a studio album in 1967. Instead, Tamla released a compilation, “Greatest Hits Vol. 2”, which contains...
Race Records (Part 5): Bluebird and Decca lead the way
Below is a list of the record companies who issued Race Records between 1927 and 1942. Not all companies used...
The Velvelettes
The Velvelettes were formed in Detroit in 1961 by two students at Western Michigan University, Mildred Gill and Bertha Barbee....
The Detroit Riots in 1967
Berry Gordy was always wary of adding another, more political, agenda to the music of Motown. He had allowed references...
Philo, Aladdin and the Mesner Brothers
Philo Records was founded by two brothers, Eddie and Leo Mesner, in 1945 on America’s West Coast in the city...
Race Records (Part 4): Vocalion Records Robert Johnson
Below is a list of the record companies who issued Race Records between 1924 and 1927. Not all companies used...
We bring you valuable history lessons about Black Musicians, Artists and Music Industry Professionals who have made an impact on music throughout the decades.
