Motown was a genre of R&B and pop music that originated in Detroit in 1959 when Berry Gordan founded Motown Records. Notable Motown artists included The Supremes, The Miracles, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye. Motown songs typically had electric bass lines, brass instruments, powerful vocals, and call-and-response elements influenced by gospel music. The civil rights movement also influenced Motown lyrics.

1. E L I S E W H I T E
Motown

2. Decade
 Motown is music that is a genre split between RnB
with influences of pop music, the vocals follow
similar soundings of gospel music.
 Motown began when, Berry Gordan, started his own
recording studio and company called “Motown
Records” (also known as Hitsville USA) in 1959 in
Detroit.
 Some of famous artists include The Supremes, The
Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Four
Tops and Diana Ross.

3. Influences
 Motown music was mainly derived from the racial
integration within society at the time and also in
popular music.
 Artists in Motown music were usually if not all
African-Americans.
 The civil rights movement also influenced songs.
 African-American artists received heavy backlash,
when touring and performing they were not aloud in
white dominated hotels.

4. Timbre and Harmony
 Motown uses electric bass lines, brass instruments ,
guitars, piano, powerful vocals, a lot of backing
vocals and condensed drum kits.
 Motown music uses a lot of call and response in their
music , which originated from Gospel music.
 In Motown music there is heavy use of over-dubbing
which means duplicating the instrumentation.
 Motown uses highly syncopated bass lines, conga
drums and unusual sounds like tire chains, plywood
marching, hollow percussive.

5. Technology of Music in 1960
 In 1960 the development of tapes and recorders began, which led to
having wider tapes.
 In the mid 1960s a four-track tape machine would be used for
recording which meant many parts occupied one track and when it
came to stereo mixing the tracks could not be separated, resulting in
multiple parts being panned to the same place.
 The Studer J37 was the first initial 4 track recording system.

6. Structure
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hajBdDM2qdg
 In Marvin Gaye’s famous song “I Heard It Through The
Grapevine” the structure of the song begins with an
introduction that slowly builds till it incorporates all
musical elements of the song, then a verse, then a chorus,
verse, chorus, musical break, verse, chorus and outro.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CFuCYNx-1g
 In Stevie Wonder’s famous song “Superstition” the
structure is practically the same as the structure for Marvin
Gaye’s song.
 In most Motown songs there are usually a lot of brass
incorporated moments.

7. Activity One
 Match up the names of the famous Motown artists.
1. Marvin Ross
2. Stevie Starr
3. Berry Gaye
4. Diana Jackson
5. Lionel Wonder
6. Michael Wells
7. Edwin Gordon
8. Mary Richie

8. Activity Two
 Pop quiz on Motown!
1. Who founded Motown?
2. When did Motown begin?
3. Where did Motown begin?
4. Name 5 known Motown artists?
5. Name one unusual sound used in Motown songs.
6. Name two influences of Motown music.
7. What was the name of Berry Gordon’s studio? (Other than Motown Records)
8. What technique did Motown artists use in their music that derived from
Gospel music?
9. What was the name of the recording system used?