Ben Forrest
Fri 7 February 2025 3:00, UK
Motown Records was the de-facto record label of the 1960s. Launching multiple now-iconic musicians, ranging from Diana Ross to Michael Jackson, achieving hundreds of top ten singles, and bringing soul music to the masses, Motown was more of a cultural revolution than a record label. Behind the bright sheen of Hitsville, USA, however, label boss Berry Gordy Jr ruled over Motown with an iron fist, often attracting allegations of exploitation and unethical business practices, which certainly detracted from the glimmering image of Motown.
Gordy first founded Motown – originally called Tamla Records – back in 1959 with a small loan taken out from his parents. A clear adoration for the newly emerging world of funk and soul music was the heart of Gordy’s plans, but he has always been a businessman at heart. The likelihood is that Gordy would never have started Motown if he didn’t think it would turn a profit. So, when the label achieved its first-ever hit single in the form of Barrett Strong’s ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’, the label boss quickly sought to capitalise on Motown’s break into the musical mainstream.
From that point on, mainstream and commercial success became the ultimate goal of Gordy and every release on Motown. Luckily, Motown found its fair share of mainstream success, witnessing 110 top-ten hits between 1961 and 1971, but those chart positions often came as a result of exploitation. Gordy was known to give young artists incredibly restrictive recording contracts, which often left seemingly successful artists without any monetary compensation for their efforts.
One of Motown’s policies, for instance, meant that all artists signed to Motown were responsible for any and all expenses incurred during their time on the label. These costs could include anything from travelling to live shows to paying for recording sessions. What’s more, the label would often ask multiple artists to record the same song and then pick the best one for widespread release, meaning that many artists paid for recording sessions that never saw the light of day. The Jackson Five, for example, recorded (and paid for) 469 songs during their Motown era, but only 174 were released to the public.
These contracts sounded grandiose and impressive at first glance, but Gordy was adept at hiding restrictive clauses in the small print. Of course, none of this was uncommon in the music industry, particularly back in the 1960s. Virtually every record label in existence was attempting to stiff their artists wherever possible in order to generate as much revenue as possible. Where Motown differed, however, was its apparent independence.
Gordy had founded the label as an alternative to the major labels of the time who refused to release the soulful sounds of cities like Detroit. Before too long, however, he became just as exploitative – if not more so – than those majors. Artists became reliant on Motown to survive, largely because they had no money of their own; many were only given 2.7% royalties on record sales and, when coupled with the record costs, rarely profited from their hit singles.
Even the label’s biggest stars, like Diana Ross, found herself suffering from the authoritarian management style of Gordy. The label boss attempted to control virtually every aspect of the performer’s life from the moment she signed to the label in 1961 with The Supremes. Eventually, the pair began a romantic relationship together, with Ross giving birth to their child in 1971, but she was never free of his demands. At one point during the late 1960s, his overbearing demands and management caused Ross to develop anorexia, exemplifying the extreme pressure placed upon artists on the label.
During a 1995 interview with David Sheff, Gordy defended his management style. “To exploit is not necessarily bad,” he claimed, arguing that his perceived exploitation made stars out of previously unknown performers. “I did try to control almost everything. It was my ball game, my vision, my dream. Many of those artists became superstars, but when they first came to me, they were just kids off the street who needed direction.”
It seems to be the case, however, that the “direction” Gordy spoke of was more akin to taking advantage of these young performers and their talents. Sure, names like Stevie Wonder stuck with Motown throughout much of their careers, but countless different artists came into contact with the Detroit label over the years, and many of them were used for any shred of commercial success they could bring the label and quickly discarded afterwards. Again, these practices were and are still commonplace within the wider music industry, but they do act against Motown’s staunchly independent, music-focused image.
Original Article Here : https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/dark-side-of-motown-records/
