Monday 12 January 2009

Motown...Hitsville U.S.A.


Motown records is 50 today, that makes us (the artistandthetartist) about the same age. Perhaps more significant for me is the fact that so much of that wonderful music was a backdrop to our youth, a time of life when melodies and hooks can get a firm hold on the psyche. I have memories of being driven to school some mornings in my dad's Ford Cortina mk2 with radio one playing and every few records the glam rock and novelty records that were still in vogue would give way to something altogether different. Motownbrought to us the likes of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas to name just a few of their acts. I still have real trouble keeping still when I hear the intro to this...
this 'soul' music was to my younger ears a totally new type of sound, bubbly bass lines and singing that weaved around the melody in contrast to a lot of the rather bland 'white' pop music of the time...I've been hooked for years, in fact I'm listening to the late Marvin Gaye as I blog this, happy birthday Motown.

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