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Motown turns 50 today, although it no longer exists except in the hearts & minds of so many fans.

http://specials.msn.com/A-List/Motowns- ... ageindex=1

Wow, not much news on this. I guess because the new owners date it's founding to the start of Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, which preceded the incorporation of the name Motown?

Still, 50 is a HUGE anniversary, and for the history alone, there should be more of a big deal made!

Of course, Jimmy probably never forgave Gordy for moving Motown to LA, from Detroit anyway!

Naw, we had other fish to fry:

The Amboy Dukes
The MC5
SRC
The Frost
The Stooges
Bob Seger
Alice Cooper
Cactus
Madonna
Kid Rock
Eminem
The White Stripes
The Black Dahlia Murder
And of course me

Mowtown was huge back there and in the day. I hope some peeps will do some new stuff sometime. It's not that different from 12 bar or maybe Ska perhaps in as much that there is a character to that whole vibe.

Wonderful era.

Fantastic era, Chip! Little Stevie Wonder, The Temps, 4 Tops, The Impressions, Martha & the Vandellas, the Supremes...damn...I san't think of any label that had as many hits "in its time."

When Gordy came from Chess records, he built something purely magical, with the help of Smokey Robinson, the Funk Bros, & nearly every act he signed.

And remember, the largest part of the hits of Motown were recorded in a garage-turned-studio!

Simply amazing!

For more, see the movie "Standing In The Shadows Of Motown." EXCELLENT flick for anyone wanting more info on the players & the artists.

I love the Motown sound! Lots of very talented people went through those doors. Just hearing some of those songs and sounds takes you back to just the purity of harmony. Seems like every singer had backup harmonies.

I may have mentioned this one before, but here goes.

What's the name of the very first all-white band to have material released in the Motown label?

Rare Earth

Yeppers!

I can honestly say without a doubt that when that was around big time the world seemed to be a much more organized place to live in. Wonderful music. I got to see some very big names in some surprisingly small venues back when.

You obviously weren't here, then, Chip. We had riots in the streets! We had the Viet Nam War. We had civil rights issues. We also had some damned good, & damned STRONG, drugs! Not much organized there, really, but the music was top-notch, for sure!

I was going to say the same thing but I didn't want to burst his bubble. I lived through the riots of 1967. In some ways it was the music that helped keep everything from going over the cliff.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

http://www.hitfix.com/articles/2010-4-1 ... ar-absence