Ben Forrest
Fri 31 January 2025 18:00, UK
An indisputable golden age for music, the 1960s saw countless different artists attempting to revolutionise the industry, from the British Invasion of The Beatles to the mind-expanding landscape of counterculture psychedelia. Throughout it all, though, Motown Records was a constant presence. Founded by Berry Gordy Jr back in 1959, the Detroit record label brought the sweet sounds of soul music to the masses, earning itself a plethora of groundbreaking hit singles in the process.
Contrary to many other independent record labels of the era, Gordy always operated Motown Records as though it was a major label and, eventually, reality caught up with those aims. The label boss knew the ins and outs of the US charts, and he knew exactly what needed to be done to make hit singles and launch now-iconic stars like Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, and Smokey Robinson, among countless others.
Some of Gordy’s methods were indeed exploitative of the artists signed to Motown, and he was often known to take advantage of young musicians for personal gain. However, throughout his time as the head of ‘Hitsville USA’, certain artists remained forever in his favour. Diana Ross was one such artist, having signed to Motown in 1961 with The Supremes. Achieving 12 number-one hits on the label, The Supremes became Motown’s flagship act, and Diana Ross was the clear star.
Many of The Supreme’s hits had been penned by the Midas-touch production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, who were responsible for the majority of Motown’s greatest hits. So, when they left the label in 1968, it had an inevitable impact on the label’s output. Luckily, The Supremes (then operating as Diana Ross and the Supremes), managed to carry on the label’s success, helping Gordy out of a difficult jam.
To call the relationship between Gordy and Diana Ross ‘complicated’ would be a gross understatement. The pair engaged in an intimate relationship together between 1965 and 1970 and even had a child together in 1971. At the same time, however, Gordy’s harsh business practices and the relentless pressure he put on Ross led her to develop anorexia during the late 1960s.
Nevertheless, Ross’ music remains very close to Gordy’s heart. So much so that, when appearing on the BBC’s long-running Desert Island Discs back in 2016, he selected The Supremes’ 1965 number-one single ‘I Hear A Symphony’ as being the one song he could not live without. “When I hear ‘Symphony’, when I think about her, it was kind of our song, together,” the Motown boss shared. “Whenever she would sing it, it was like she would be singing it to me.”
Expanding upon his tumultuous relationship with Ross, the record mogul said, “It’s extremely special to me because Diana Ross and I had this wonderful relationship that turned into a great love relationship, but I was more intense and interested in making her the biggest star in the world.” He added, “Managing her and developing her career was the greatest joy that I had.” It seems unlikely that Ross would view his management style in quite the same way, however.
For Gordy, choosing one Motown track to rule them all must be akin to a parent choosing a favourite child. While the label boss employed some irrefutably horrendous practices to achieve those hits, his success as a music mogul is often defined only by the 110 top-ten hits that Motown achieved during its golden age, from 1961 to 1971. On the whole, though, ‘I Hear A Symphony’ is an incredibly strong choice, encapsulating the exciting power and distinctive sound that Motown pioneered during that revolutionary era.
Original Article Here : https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/motown-hit-berry-gordy-couldnt-live-without/
