Motown
Motown Records is motoring into the metaverse.
The fabled label and its artists will take the leap into the virtual world for the first time, through a partnership with Linden Lab’s Second Life and music integration platform STYNGR, which boasts a pre-cleared catalog of more than 100 million tracks.
Through the arrangement, which Billboard exclusively reveals today (June 20), Second Life will host an immersive Motown venue, where gamers can explore the label’s music and roster, and take a piece for the virtual road.
The digital experience is facilitated by STYNGR, whose licensing, technology, and platform specializes in imports curated music from music companies, and has recently struck deals with Warner Music Group, Merlin, Luminate and ICE Services.
Founded in Detroit in 1959 by Berry Gordy, Jr., Motown is, of course, home to such legendary acts as Diana Ross & The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Martha & The Vandellas, The Four Tops, and The Jackson 5. Its contemporary signings include YoungBoy Never Broke Again, KEM and Ne-Yo.
Alvaro Velilla, senior VP, new business, Universal Music Group, describes the partnership as “unprecedented,” one that provides Motown fans “with an unparalleled immersive experience.”
Visitors to the Motown hub can also nab so-called “Styngs,” which enables Second Life residents to attach music snippets to their avatars, like a digital badge.
Also, the new space is home to a dedicated Motown Records radio station, curated by Motown and STYNGR, with more experiences and music to roll out in the months ahead.
“Motown Records has always been at the forefront of culture and innovation, expanding the perceptions of what is to what could be,” comments Alex Williams, VP gaming strategy and business development, Motown Records, part of UMG. “As the convergence of music, culture, and tech continue to redefine the way fans experience music, partnerships like this enhance that connection building an even greater community among music lovers.”
Opening the doors to its virtual universe in 2003, Second Life was early on the scene. It has since seen nearly two billion user creations, according to San Francisco-based Linden Lab, which formed earlier, in 1999.
Music played a part in its early success, with the likes of Suzanne Vega, Duran Duran and Talib Kweli performing in-game gigs during its formative years.
Through partnerships and collaborations such as this Motown alliance, notes Brad Oberwager, executive chairman of Linden Lab, the tech specialist is keen to “improve, enhance, and enrich the in-world experiences” of the virtual world’s residents. Working with Motown Records and STYNGR on this campaign, adds Oberwager, is an “extraordinary opportunity” for Second Life.
One of the bigger surprises of 2023 so far has been the music of Lil Yachty, the Atlanta-based rapper who released his first project in three years earlier this month. But rather than delving into the hip-hop styles for which he’s known, Yachty branched out with Let’s Start Here, releasing an album that is more psych rock than trap rap — and receiving some of the best reviews of his career in the process.
The album debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums chart last week, and has stuck around in the top 40 of the former and top 10 of the latter in its second week on the chart. And helping guide the stylistic switch up and land Yachty with some of the most intriguing collaborators he’s worked with in his career has been Motown Records vice president of A&R Gelareh Rouzbehani, who earns the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Rouzbehani discusses the switch for Yachty from hip-hop to alt-rock, and the somewhat unexpected success that the album achieved, given how difficult it can be to change the narrative for an artist who is nearly a decade into his career at this point. “It goes to show that great music still reigns supreme,” Rouzbehani tells Billboard. “Working with Yachty on this album was more about adding ideas rather than taking things away. He had a really strong sense of the record he was making and, for me, it was about bringing session ideas to the table, people I felt like could add to his vision.”
This week, Lil Yachty’s Let’s Start Here spent its second week in the top 40 of the Billboard 200 and the top 10 of the Top Rock Albums chart. What key decision did you make to help make that happen?
The beauty of this album’s success thus far is that it has organically resonated with people around the world. It goes to show that great music still reigns supreme. Working with Yachty on this album was more about adding ideas rather than taking things away. He had a really strong sense of the record he was making and, for me, it was about bringing session ideas to the table, people I felt like could add to his vision.
This album represented a stylistic switch for Yachty, from rap to rock. What did that entail from the A&R side?
I remember when I first met Yachty in Atlanta and we shared a love of Tame Impala and music that inspired him as an artist and me as an exec. He has always wanted to make an alternative record and I was itching to A&R an alt-leaning album. We didn’t necessarily sit down and say, “Hey, let’s do this now.” The stars just aligned. He had met Pony, Patrick and Jacob and just started creating. I’m grateful that Yachty trusts me with his art. As much as it’s vulnerable for an artist to put themselves in that position, it’s also something I don’t take lightly. To be able to call him and bounce ideas back and forth is something I enjoy. He was open to meeting and working with Teo Halm, so we invited him to a session at Mac Demarco‘s studio. They started vibing, Teo was playing chords and Mac was on bass. Nami, another extraordinary creative, came to that session. Credit to Yachty for saying yes. That day, “drive ME crazy!” was created, which is now the No. 1 most consumed song [from the album].
How is it different A&R’ing a hip-hop record vs. a rock record like this?
The initial process for me is always the same. The way we go about making the records may be different and, of course, sonically there are differences, but there’s always very similar underlying characteristics. Being aligned with an artist’s vision is the most important part for me. Once that foundation is set, it’s like painting on a blank canvas, whether it be rap, alt, pop, rock. I’m most inspired when I’m giving creative input and it just flows.
What challenges exist in shifting genres like this, and how do you overcome them?
I think the challenge really lies outside of the world you build. There wasn’t necessarily a challenge going into making the record; that came very naturally to Yachty. Since he’s a multi-genre artist, he can literally make any genre of music, he’s just that type of creative. It was about making sure we don’t alienate his core fans but also grow and reach new audiences. It was also really important for the alt/rock community to grasp this type of record coming from Yachty, who has evolved so much musically.
The album debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums chart with a strong critical reception. What did you do to help it succeed out of the gate, and how do you keep the momentum going now?
Having every department aligned on our goals was key for the rollout of this project. Everyone was really excited hearing the record, but the challenge was how to get it out to the world in the most meaningful and genuine way. That energy has to match the music, from marketing to international to creative. The goal was to have people listen to the album top to bottom, no skips, since it’s really a journey from the very beginning to the last track. Now, it’s about getting the live element in place and going into the second phase of marketing and our plans around ex-U.S. markets.
How has the job of an A&R changed over the course of your career?
Every A&R is different. It depends on each individual and what their strengths are and really focusing on those strengths. I’m very hands on and like to be a part of the creative process from inception, then putting a different hat on once we deliver the record.
Previous Executive of the Week: Debra Rathwell of AEG Presents
Staff at Motown Records were hit with news of layoffs Thursday (Feb. 16) as the label gets reintegrated under the Capitol Music Group (CMG) umbrella, multiple sources tell Billboard. The number of people and departments affected are unknown as of press time.
A spokesperson for Motown Records confirmed the layoffs to Billboard. “As Motown returns to the Capitol family, certain positions that had been created when we became a stand-alone label have since become duplicative,” the person said in a statement. “These employees are leaving the company and our People, Inclusion and Culture department is helping them find new opportunities — either within or outside of UMG.”
Layoffs were feared by staffers since chairwoman/CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam’s sudden announcement of her departure on Nov. 29, at which point the future of Motown — which had been spun out of the Capitol Music Group into a standalone label in March 2021, with Habtemariam promoted to the top title — was unclear. In the weeks that followed, it emerged that Motown would be consolidated once again into CMG, at which point the prospect of layoffs loomed.
Motown had been under the CMG umbrella since 2014 when Universal Music Group (UMG) dissolved the Island Def Jam Music Group and moved Motown to Los Angeles to operate out of the Capitol Tower. Habtemariam, who had been president of Motown since that year, oversaw the shift from New York to L.A. and in 2015 led the signing of Motown’s landmark partnership with Atlanta-based Quality Control, which brought Migos, Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, City Girls and others to the label. That led to a surge in interest, signings and market share for Motown, resulting in the establishment of the label as a standalone frontline in 2021, with Habtemariam given the chairman/CEO title.
However, just 20 months after assuming that role, Habtemariam announced she was leaving UMG entirely to “pursue new endeavors,” departing a label that had been energized in recent years without a clear leader. As a standalone label, Motown maintained its own A&R and marketing departments, though it shared services such as radio promotion with Capitol.
CMG is run by Michelle Jubelirer, who was promoted from COO to chair/CEO in December 2021, succeeding Jeff Vaughn, who lasted just a year in the role. Jubelirer oversees a record group that also encompasses Blue Note, Astralwerks and Capitol Christian Music Group, in addition to Motown. While its market share remains under CMG, in September indie distributor Virgin was consolidated alongside Ingrooves and mTheory into the Virgin Music Group, whose co-CEOs report directly to UMG chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge.
However, Capitol will not have Quality Control in its purview moving forward, as the label was sold to HYBE America in a deal that was announced Feb. 8. That means that while Capitol will oversee Motown, it will not have any future releases from some of Motown’s biggest stars of the past decade.
Motown is the latest music company to undergo layoffs in recent months, as the global economy’s outlook remains uncertain. The tech sector was hit particularly hard in that respect, with Amazon, Google/YouTube, Spotify, Twitter, SoundCloud, BMI and others shedding jobs; many cited the dwindling advertising market, which has stubbornly retracted. In October, Grainge himself addressed the advertising market’s downturn when speaking about UMG’s third quarter financials, noting that ad-supported streaming revenue grew slower than expected, up just 5.2% over the third quarter period of 2021, though it was offset by increases in other sectors such as subscription, licensing, tour merchandising and publishing.
In 2022, Motown had raised its overall market share to 0.97%, up from 0.90% in 2021. In terms of current market share — music released over the most recent 18 months — Motown grew its share from 1.18% in 2021 to 1.33% in 2022. It had remained part of Capitol’s market share during that period, despite its ostensible status as a standalone entity. Capitol’s overall market share declined from 6.81% in 2021 to 6.40% in 2022, while its current share dropped from 5.64% in 2021 to 4.97% in 2022.
Additional reporting by Gail Mitchell.
It’s been nearly a decade since Smokey Robinson’s last album, but new music from the King of Motown is on the horizon.
Robinson will release the nine-track album “Gasms” on April 28, the music legend behind hits like “My Girl” and “The Way You Do the Things You Do” announced Friday.
“Gasms” features new songs produced and written by Robinson himself. The former vice president of Motown Records released his last collaborative album nine years ago, “Smokey & Friends,” which featured musicians like Elton John, John Legend, Steven Tyler and Mary J. Blige.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The upcoming album’s first single, “If We Don’t Have Each Other,” is now available on streaming services.
Robinson is a legendary music producer, songwriter, record label executive and solo musician who’s penned over 4,000 songs and been inducted into the the Rock ‘n’ Roll and Songwriters’ halls of fame.
The musician has worked with other historic Motown artists like the Temptations, Mary Wells, Brenda Holloway and Marvin Gaye.
Robinson will soon be honored alongside fellow Motown musician Berry Gordy as the 2023 “Persons Of The Year” at the Recording Academy’s annual MusiCares event on Feb. 3 in Los Angeles.
This article originally appeared in the Associated Press.
More than 73 years ago, Barrett Strong, as a singer, declared “Money (That’s What I Want)” — for the first hit single from the Motown empire.What he actually wound up getting was musical immortality. As a songwriter.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Strong — who passed away Sunday, Jan. 29, at the age of 81 in Detroit — co-wrote some of Motown’s most enduring hits, with a variety of collaborators but primarily the late Norman Whitfield. Those included “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” for Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight & the Pips, “War” for Edwin Starr, the Undisputed Truth’s “Smiling Faces Sometimes” and a wealth of material form the Temptations — “I Wish It Would Rain,” “Just My Imagination,” “Cloud Nine,” “Psychedelic Shack” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” for which Strong shared a Grammy Award.The transition from performer to songwriter suited him well. “I never felt comfortable with myself as a recording artist,” Strong told Billboard in 2016. The father of six and grandfather of 13 noted, “I had to work to support my family. I’m not looking for the spotlight and all the glamour and stuff like that. I just like to work in my studio and see what we can come up with.”In a statement issued Sunday, Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. — who described Strong as “shy” in his memoir, To Be Loved, said that, “I am saddened to hear of the passing of Barrett Strong, one of my earliest artists, and the man who sang my first big hit … Barrett was not only a great singer and piano player, but he, along with his writing partner Norman Whitfield, created an incredible body of work, primarily with the Temptations. Their hit songs were revolutionary in sound and captured the spirit of the times … Barrett is an original member of the Motown Family and will be missed by all of us.”In addition to the Grammy, Strong was also honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Songwriters in 1990 and a Songwriters Hall of Fame induction in 2004. BMI celebrated his legacy during a special event in 2016.The son of a Uniroyal plant worker and a housewife, Strong grew up on Detroit’s west side and sang in a gospel group with his four sisters. They toured the local church circuit and befriended stars such as Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke. “When they’d come to town they’d stop by the house and visit with us,” Strong recalled. “We would all sit around the piano and play and sing.”It was Wilson who introduced Gordy to the Strongs in 1957. Gordy hit it off with the ambitious Strong, who often walked to Gordy’s east side home to exchange song ideas. One day Gordy told Strong, “I like what you can do. I’m gonna do something with you.”The first thing was a single called “Let’s Rock”/”Do the Very Best You Can,” which received some local airplay but didn’t make a national impact. “Money,” however, was a Top 50 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the R&B charts, later covered by the Beatles and during the ’80s by the avant-garde group the Flying Lizards. Gordy and Janie Bradford wrote the song, but there are three different stories about how it came to be.
In his memoir To Be Loved, Berry claims the “shy” Strong, who plays piano as well as sings on the track, joined the session “uninvited.” Bradford, meanwhile, recalls Gordy inviting Strong into the room and asking him to “give me something,” which became the opening piano riff for the song. Strong? HE remembers jamming on the piano, riffing off of Ray Charles‘ “What’d I Say?” “I was playing, and then that little thing came up and everybody said, ‘What was that?!’” he says. “They said, ‘Let’s write some lyrics,’ and we had a song.”The rest of Strong’s time at Motown was just as memorable. He recalls that Motown initially didn’t want to release “Grapevine,” which he began writing during a brief tenure working for Vee Jay Records in Chicago. “They didn’t think it was a hit record,” said Strong, adding with a chuckle, “You know how it goes: They say, ‘We don’t like that,’ but when it’s a hit, everybody takes credit.” The Miracles were actually the first to record the song, in 1966, and Gaye recorded it the following year. But it was Knight’s raucous version that came out first, during September of 1967, followed by Gaye’s slowed-down groove 11 months later; Knight’s reached No. 2 on the Hot 100, while Gaye’s topped the chart. Creedence Clearwater Revival turned in an 11-minute version of “Grapevine” on its 1970 album Cosmo’s Factory, while the California Raisins covered it for a TV commercial in 1986, which launched a “career” for the cartoon group.“Just My Imagination,” meanwhile, was something of a desperation project for Strong and Whitfield after a couple of other songs they wrote for the Temptations didn’t do well. “We had to get our band back,” Strong said. “If we didn’t come up with something they’d have someone else writing for ’em.” Stress aside, Strong had little but positive memories of his songwriting heyday. “It was a great time,” he said. “We were just kids, and we did it for the fun, not the money. We enjoyed being at the studio all day, working.”“Nowadays people want the money first, which I can understand,” he said. “But we used to put the product first and figured if we worked hard we would get paid. It was just an era.”Strong left Motown during the early ’70s and resumed his performing career, recording for the Epic and Capitol labels. He also co-wrote singles for the Dells. For a time Strong operated a production company called Boomtown in Detroit, mentoring and partnering with younger artists, and in 2010 he released Stronghold II, his first album in 30 years.“You don’t quit. You just slow down,” Strong said in 2016. “You take your time more. But you have to keep up, too, and relate to the younger people now. I don’t want to be left behind.”No cause of death has been revealed for Strong. Funeral details are pending.
Longtime record label marketing and branding executive Brian Nolan is joining Artist Partner Group as president of global marketing and synchronization, the company announced Tuesday (Jan. 10). Nolan, who begins his new role this month, will oversee all domestic and international marketing, artist development, sales and streaming and synchronization initiatives at the Mike Caren-helmed company, including international expansion, artist development and brand partnerships, in addition to serving on the APG executive committee.
Nolan has spent the past six years at Universal Music Group, most recently as executive vp at Motown, where he oversaw the label’s marketing efforts. Prior to that, he was senior vp of brand partnerships at Capitol Music Group, where he ran the Seventeenfifty division. At UMG, Nolan brokered deals for artists like Lil Baby, Halsey and Migos; for the latter group, Nolan created a partnership with Mountain Dew for a year-long TV campaign with their song “Position To Win” and landed their song “Stir Fry” in the NBA All-Star Weekend promo slots on TNT. Upon joining CMG in 2017, Nolan created a program called Bonus Tracks alongside the Compton Unified School District, aimed at helping students learn about the music industry through seminars, internships and scholarships. The program has since expanded to Detroit and Atlanta.
“I am so fired up to join APG and grateful to Mike Caren for this opportunity,” Nolan said in a statement. “APG’s model and vision redefine what it means to be a partner with the artist. Coming on board with this team, I will be relentless in our pursuit of this goal so that our artists can achieve their dreams.”
Prior to UMG, Nolan spent a dozen years at Sony Music and Columbia Records, where he worked at Sony’s creative agency and served as vp of international marketing for Columbia, working on projects for artists such as David Bowie, Rachel Platten and Leon Bridges.
Universal Music Group (UMG) will expand its early career development program, Bonus Tracks, to Atlanta’s Frederick Douglass High School and through Motown Museum’s Hitsville NEXT in Detroit in the coming spring semester, the company tells Billboard. Last spring, UMG completed its first year in New York at Brooklyn’s Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH).
Bonus Tracks is dedicated to discovering and developing a diverse set of future executive talent by giving students in grades 11 and 12 the opportunity to learn about the music industry through immersive programming while being provided with transferrable skills. During the multi-week program, participants attend weekly meetings at a UMG label with executives from all areas of the company, including creative, marketing, commercial partnerships and promotion.
UMG has also created the Bonus Tracks Scholarship Award, a college scholarship that will be given to one Bonus Tracks student in each city who are recognized for their community leadership, commitment to academic excellence and completion of the program, including the presentation of their capstone project.
The Bonus Tracks program was launched in 2019 in partnership with Capitol Music Group (CMG) and the Compton Unified School District at Dominguez High School in Los Angeles. It later expanded to Nashville through Capitol Christian Music Group and Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School. It was founded by Brian Nolan, executive vp and executive vp of marketing at Motown; Patrick Stephens, manager of brand partnerships at CMG; and Micah Ali, president emeritus of the Compton School District.
“We’re excited to see Bonus Tracks continue to expand and look forward to bringing the program to students in Detroit and Atlanta,” said Nolan. “We knew Bonus Tracks could thrive and scale in the most meaningful ways in order to reach the next generation of music industry leaders. I am grateful to Micah Ali for his partnership in this incredible journey and to UMG for fully embracing and supporting the vision of the program: inspiration, education, and pathway.”
“Bonus Tracks has always been about giving students the opportunity to learn about career pathways in a way that meets their passion for music and curiosity about the industry,” added Ali. “As this program moves into its fifth year, I’m incredibly honored to continue to expand this program to reach students across the country.”
“Motown Museum’s Hitsville NEXT is devoted to supporting creativity in today’s young artists, entrepreneurs and changemakers,” said Robin Terry, chairwoman and CEO of the Motown Museum. “Partnering with Bonus Tracks is a perfect reflection of our mission. We can’t wait to work with the entire Detroit Public School system and grow this great program in our community.”
“With Atlanta being the music capital of the south, Frederick Douglass High School has produced some of the most famous music industry icons such as T.I., Lil Jon, and Killer Mike, to name a few, said Erika Y. Mitchell, a school board member of Atlanta Public Schools. “Bonus Tracks will create pathways for our students to learn about the music industry’s business, provide mentorships with music executives, and allow our students post-graduation to have access to internships at Universal Music Group or receive a scholarship toward college.”
Mitchell added that she’s “looking forward to expanding” the Bonus Tracks program to Atlanta’s Benjamin E. Mays High School “in the near future.”
“It is critically important for UMG to provide early career opportunities as an investment in the future of this industry, both from a business and fan perspective,” said Natoya Brown, senior vp of people inclusion and culture at UMG. “Bonus Tracks is a way to begin discovering and cultivating the next generation of music industry leaders.”
When Motown Records chairwoman and CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam announced on Tuesday she would be stepping down to “pursue new endeavors,” the news was met with surprise, concern and the one inevitable question: What’s next for the storied label founded by Berry Gordy?
“Nobody saw this coming,” says one veteran label executive of the stunning announcement, stemming from the fact that Habtemariam was promoted to the chairwoman/CEO post in March 2021, only 20 months ago. Her groundbreaking appointment as the third woman — and only the second one of color — ever to hold that title at a major label was concurrent with other major news: Motown was being re-established as a standalone label after first being under the Island Def Jam umbrella and most recently under the Capitol Music Group banner.
During Habtemariam’s tenure — which also includes six years as president — she has rebuilt Motown into the strongest position it’s held in years. After overseeing the label’s relocation from New York to Los Angeles in 2014, Habtemariam announced her first major signing in 2015: a joint venture with Atlanta-based Quality Control. The alliance yielded such now-marquee names as Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, Migos and City Girls for the label’s roster. Other entrepreneurial ventures ensued, including Blacksmith Recordings (Vince Staples) and Since the 1980s (Asiahn, Njomza), alongside roster mates Erykah Badu, Kem, Tiana Major9 and Nigerian star Tiwa Savage. This fall, Motown signed Youngboy Never Broke Again after inking a global joint venture with his Never Broke Again collective last year. Also new to the roster are Brandy and Sean “Diddy” Combs with a one-album deal for the first release from his R&B-focused label Love Records.
At the time of Habtemariam’s promotion to chairman in 2021, Motown’s overall U.S. market share was 0.85%, having grown from 0.4% in 2017 to 0.59% in 2020, and she’s since grown it further, to 0.95% to date in 2022. While catalog had primarily driven Motown’s performance in the past, its market share growth in 2020 and 2021 was largely due to its frontline commercial releases, thanks primarily to the QC roster, Staples and veteran R&B chart-topper Kem. In April 2021, its current market share — essentially the performance of music released in the 18 months prior to the measurement period — was just shy of 1%. That’s after averaging 0.14% from 2015 to 2019 and more than doubling that number to 0.32%, according to Luminate data. In 2022 so far, Motown’s current market share has risen to 1.30%.
Habtemariam has also wielded influence at the corporate level, too, having co-founded and served as co-chair of Universal’s Task Force for Meaningful Change, dedicated to supporting initiatives designed to support marginalized communities battling injustice, inequality and inclusion issues. Having spent 20 years at UMG in various roles, Habtemariam was well-respected internally, several sources note.
Habtemariam’s pending departure will leave only two people of color running major labels as chairmen/CEOs: Epic Records’ Sylvia Rhone, now in her eighth year at the label and third as chairman/CEO, and Def Jam Recordings’ Tunji Balogun, who will celebrate his first anniversary at the label in January. As to who will succeed Habtemariam, inside sources say nothing has been decided yet. And in talking to several other industry executives, no one had any contenders they wanted to suggest. Given past precedent, however, UMG could opt to have a senior executive oversee the label for an interim period, as happened in 2020 when Paul Rosenberg exited as Def Jam CEO and Universal tapped Jeffrey Harleston, its general counsel and executive vp of business & legal affairs, to temporarily oversee label operations while it conducted a search, which lasted almost two years and ultimately resulted in the appointment of Balogun. Universal Music Group had no comment when contacted.
Just as important as diversity and inclusion in the search for Motown’s next chief is what happens now with the label itself. Will it remain a standalone or be folded back into the Capitol Music Group or another sister label?
One senior-level executive notes that Motown “has never been set up to run on its own.” The label shares some services through Universal and still uses Capitol’s radio promotions team, while its market share still goes through Capitol Music Group, a setup similar to those at other UMG labels like Island, whose market share goes through Republic. Another label executive who agreed to talk on background said that while it’s too soon to predict what happens with Motown, bringing the label back under CMG isn’t an unrealistic scenario. In an uncertain economic climate that’s already sparked layoffs at CNN, Twitter and other companies, such a move would reduce overhead while strengthening Capitol’s R&B/hip-hop presence.
However, given the strides made under Habtemariam’s watch, one major label executive says Motown shouldn’t be viewed as “disposable.” They continue, “I would hope that Motown stays standalone. Its legacy remains an important part of Black culture and pop music, thanks to its generational talent then — and now.”
Additional reporting by Dan Rys.
Robert Louis Gordy, Sr., younger brother of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and chief executive for many years of the company’s successful music publishing division, died Oct. 21 at age 91. He passed away from natural causes, according to his family, at his home in Marina del Rey, Calif.
The youngest of eight siblings, Gordy enjoyed a little-noticed music career as a recording engineer and songwriter before taking command of Motown’s Jobete Music in 1965.
“His ability to succeed at whatever he attempted or that I threw his way amazed me over the years,” said Berry Gordy in a statement, noting that he was “deeply saddened” by his brother’s death. “He was absolutely the best lil’ brother anyone could ever hope for.” Gordy added, “I will miss his love, his support, and his loyalty.”
Born July 15, 1931 in Detroit, Robert Gordy followed his elder brother into boxing, then moved into music circles such as the city’s Flame Show Bar. Sister Gwen held the popular club’s photo concession, where he operated the darkroom. In his autobiography, Berry Gordy recalled visiting the Flame with Robert to see Billie Holiday perform; 20 years later, the younger Gordy played a character in Lady Sings The Blues, Motown’s production of the Holiday biopic.
In 1958, Gordy co-wrote and recorded “Everyone Was There” under the name of Bob Kayli. Leased to Carlton Records, the lightweight pop song referencing recent hits such as “Peggy Sue” and “Yakety Yak” became a minor chart success.
After his brother started Motown Records, Gordy left a post office job to join the venture, initially working for in-house engineer Mike McLean. “At that time, he was building the first eight-track machine in the east,” Gordy later explained. “I put together the electronics, learned how to read the schematics, helped with the writing and so on.”
He went on to become the company’s first stereo engineer, before working for the Quality Control department.
Reflecting its founder’s songwriting roots, Motown operated its own music publishing arm from the start. When Jobete manager, Loucye Wakefield, died prematurely in 1965, Robert Gordy sought the job. “When Loucye died, in fact, Berry first rejected my offer to go into Jobete,” he recalled in 1980. “‘What do you know?’ was his reaction, but I said, ‘Believe me, I’ll learn.’ ”
Motown’s explosive success from 1964 onwards with the Supremes and other acts made Jobete a substantial revenue source, capitalizing on the talents of writers Smokey Robinson, Holland/Dozier/Holland, Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, among others. Jobete opened its own professional department in 1966, securing covers and expanding the catalogue’s reach. Among its most popular titles to this day: “My Girl,” “Dancing In The Street,” “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” “The Tears Of A Clown,” “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life,” “What’s Going On” and “For Once In My Life.” Earnings continued to grow as stars such as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye evolved into self-sufficient, influential songwriters.
By 1971, with Robert Gordy promoted to vice president/general manager, the division had 5,000 copyrights under its roof and 100 writers under contract. He joined the board of the National Music Publishers’ Association, and actively participated in industry seminars and conferences. He retired from the post in 1985.
“One of the main values of our catalog,” Gordy once said, “is that it has stood the test of time.” When Britain’s EMI Group acquired half of Jobete in 1997, the sale price of $132 million proved that to be true (EMI bought the balance seven years later for $187 million).
In his 1994 memoir, To Be Loved, Berry Gordy wrote, “So Robert, I’d like to thank you for moving Jobete from a holding company for our copyrights into a highly profitable, competitive international publishing company, keeping us No. 1 for many years. And also for being my little brother.”
-
Pages