Motown

Diana Ross On Screen Part 3

in Artists, Los Angeles & West Coast, Motown

The third feature film starring Diana Ross was released in 1978. It is a reworking of L. Frank Baum’s story “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, with an all-black cast, loosely based on the Broadway musical version of 1974. It was produced by Rob Cohen for Motown Productions and directed by Sidney Lumet, with […]

Diana Ross On Screen Part 2

in Artists, Los Angeles & West Coast, Motown

After the success of her first film “Lady Sings the Blues” in 1972, Diana Ross returned to the day job. Three Diana Ross albums were released in 1973, “Touch Me in the Morning”, “Diana & Marvin” (with Marvin Gaye) and “Last Time I Saw Him”. The second of Ross’ three […]

Diana Ross On Screen Part 1

in Artists, Jazz & Blues, Los Angeles & West Coast, Motown

When Berry Gordy took the decision to relocate Motown to the West Coast, he was clearly planning to take the stars of Motown in a new direction that involved television and cinema. His trump card was Diana Ross, who had the talent and the confidence to develop as an artist […]

Holland, Dozier, Holland

in Arrangers, Motown, Producers, Songwriters

The creative team of Holland-Dozier-Holland became the dominant and most influential songwriting and music production team of the 1960s. They were responsible for making Motown a globally powerful force in the music industry that was able to meet the challenge of the British invasion led by The Beatles and The […]

Berry Gordy Jr. & Motown Records

in Motown, Record Companies & Recording Studios

The genesis of Motown Records dates from January 12, 1959, when Berry Gordy Jr. set up a company called Tamla Records. Gordy’s interest in music had led him to open a record store in Detroit a few years earlier, which he called 3D Record Mart. Unfortunately the business failed to take […]

Gene Page’s Extraordinary Contribution

in Arrangers, Los Angeles & West Coast, Motown, Other USA

The contribution of arrangers to popular music is often ignored, George Martin and Quincy Jones being the exception to the rule. Gene Page, the American orchestrator and producer who died in Los Angeles in 1998, was “session call number one” for any artist needing lush strings to heighten the appeal […]

Gene Page & Barry White

in Arrangers, Artists, Los Angeles & West Coast, Motown

In the late Sixties, Gene Page met the young singer Barry White, who was doing odd jobs to make ends meet between recording dates. To this day, the soul superstar remembers the arranger’s generosity. According to Barry White, during several Motown recording sessions on the West Coast at Motown Recording Studios, […]

Billy Davis

in Arrangers, Chicago, Motown, Producers, Songwriters

The late Billy Davis was born on July 11th 1932 in Detroit. He started his career in the entertainment industry as a songwriter with Berry Gordy in Detroit during the mid 1950s, creating successful songs for his cousin the late Jackie Wilson, under the pseudonym of Tyran Carlo. Billy Davis Their first major international hit was “Reet Petite” released […]

Invictus Records

in Arrangers, Motown, Producers, Record Companies & Recording Studios, Songwriters

The analysis of the Sound of Detroit was made more complicated in 1970 by the first major successes for Invictus Records, which had been founded in Detroit by Motown’s former staff song-writing and production team Holland-Dozier-Holland in 1968. Two key members from the audio and sound team at Motown were […]

E Book 6 Sample Page

in Motown

The next studio album “Touch Me in the Morning”, released on 22nd June 1973, was another significant project because it returned Diana Ross to number one on the Billboard Soul and R&B Albums Chart, week-ending 25th August 1973 (2 weeks) for the first time since the self-titled album “Diana Ross”. It […]