Third Man Books has reissued Ben Edmonds’ Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On and the Last Days Of The Motown Sound. Edmonds’ book is a study of Marvin Gaye’s landmark album, What’s Going On, that came out in 1971. Gaye famously fought with Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. to release theContinue Reading
Leon Ware and Diana Ross’s brother, Arthur Ross, co-wrote “I Want You” for Marvin Gaye’s 13th solo album, also titled I Want You. Gaye’s sensual showpiece was a serious yearning inspired by his relationship with Janis Hunter that was taking place while he was still married to Anna Gordy. LeonContinue Reading
Berry Gordy Jr.’s TAMLA Records is being rebooted under the Capitol Music Group. Gordy founded Tamla in 1959 and it was going to be called Tammy in reference to the song sung by Debbie Reynolds for the 1958 film Tammy. The label would be incorporated as Motown by 1960. TheContinue Reading
On January 12, 1959, Berry Gordy Jr. founded Tamla Records in Detroit, Michigan. Gordy had previously owned a music store that exclusively sold jazz records and was a member of a songwriting team for singer Jackie Wilson and others. A meeting with a 17-year-old Smokey Robinson led to Gordy recordingContinue Reading