Motown: The Last Detroit Session ~ September 13, 1974

**Kraig Diesel** · 11-17-2014, 04:42 PM

Final Official Detroit Recording Session for Motown
Date: September 13, 1974 [[Friday)
Studio: Studio B
Track: "You forgot our wedding day"
Artist: ___________________________

When did the Motown Sound end for you?

**milven** · 11-17-2014, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by KRAIG DIESEL

When did the Motown Sound end for you?

For me, it never will

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RossHolloway · 11-17-2014, 06:31 PM

The Motown Sound continues to live on!

Lulu · 11-17-2014, 06:46 PM

In terms of "current" sounds, I'd have to say when The Commodores released "Night Shift".

**robb_k** · 11-18-2014, 01:29 AM

It was almost gone for me near the end of 1970. But there were a few hangers on through 1972 or so. But, I only like perhaps a handful of cuts after 1970.

**Philles/Motown Gary** · 11-18-2014, 01:48 AM

Great question, KRAIG DIESEL! The "Motown Sound" as we knew it ended for me in the 1980's when the instrumentation became so un-Godly sterile and synthesized. Gone was the symphonic soul of the traditional Motown Sound" that I've known and loved.

**Sotosound** · 11-18-2014, 02:25 AM

For me it was disappearing by the early 70s because even the sound coming out of Detroit was less rich, less "heavy" and much cleaner in many cases.

For me, the one producer who managed to keep my attention in terms of sound was Norman Whitfield.

Whitfield even managed to carry a bit of that on with some of his own productions, such as "I Wanna get Next To You" by Rose Royce, where he blatantly steals the rimshot sound from "Just My Imagination".

Otherwise, the sound went west when Motown went west.

**Methuselah2** · 11-18-2014, 05:27 AM

For me, 1970 was, regrettably, a turning point: The Motown Sound wasn't completely gone but it became painfully intermittent at best. What had developed into its own and recognizable genre was now paying frightening amounts of attention to keeping up with trends and what was fashionable in music. Perhaps the exit of HDH in the late 60s signaled what was about to start to take place and become sadly evident by 1970.

**Motown Eddie** · 11-18-2014, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by KRAIG DIESEL

Final Official Detroit Recording Session for Motown
Date: September 13, 1974 [[Friday)
Studio: Studio B
Track: "You forgot our wedding day"
Artist: ___________________________

When did the Motown Sound end for you?

For me, the classic Motown Sound that developed in the early '60s began to wind down by the end of that decade. When Motown Records moved to L.A. in the early '70s [[and The Funk Bros. broke up), it was truly over.

**Motown Eddie** · 11-18-2014, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by Methuselah2

For me, 1970 was, regrettably, a turning point: The Motown Sound wasn't completely gone but it became painfully intermittent at best. What had developed into its own and recognizable genre was now paying frightening amounts of attention to keeping up with trends and what was fashionable in music. Perhaps the exit of HDH in the late 60s signaled what was about to start to take place and become sadly evident by 1970.

It's probably true; when HDH left Motown and set up Invictus/Hot Wax, they did establish a distinctive sound [[that I like to call "Neo-Motown") for most of their records in the early '70s,

**Sotosound** · 11-18-2014, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by Motown Eddie

It's probably true; when HDH left Motown and set up Invictus/Hot Wax, they did establish a distinctive sound [[that I like to call "Neo-Motown") for most of their records in the early '70s,

Around 1972, Philadelphia International burst upon the scene with a very distinctive, smooth and sophisticated sound, and suddenly classic Motown sounded old-fashioned.

More than 40 years on, both the 60s Motown and 70s Philly sounds are classic. The same can be said for 60s Stax and 70s Hi.

As for Invictus / Hot Wax, barring their early classics, the sound probably hasn't survived as well as Motown, Stax, Hi and Philly.

**Kraig Diesel** · 11-18-2014, 10:56 AM

Hey Rob, for me it was done in 1972. I can't really listen to anything outside on 1959-1972. It is ALWAYS the DETROIT SOUND that does it for me.

Originally Posted by robb_k

It was almost gone for me near the end of 1970. But there were a few hangers on through 1972 or so. But, I only like perhaps a handful of cuts after 1970.

**Roger Polhill** · 11-18-2014, 06:23 PM

I lost interest in Motown when they moved to LA. For me the most important part was not the artists but the Funk Brothers but in particular the brilliant bass work of Mr. Sensation James Jamerson.

**Roger Polhill** · 11-18-2014, 08:27 PM

I must admit that I don`t like the band tracks on the LA produced material except on some of Frank Wilson`s own recordings. I would have much preferred Barbara McNair`s Smokey Robinson sides with a Funk Bros. backing. The drummer on Brenda Holloway`s "Who You Gonna Run To" should never have got another session!

**jillfoster** · 11-18-2014, 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by robb_k

It was almost gone for me near the end of 1970. But there were a few hangers on through 1972 or so. But, I only like perhaps a handful of cuts after 1970.

Really? You see, all the best stuff happened between 1970 and 1972.

**kenneth** · 11-18-2014, 09:08 PM

For me, a major turning point as far as years go was 1970. I remember the stores used to get all the new Motown releases in time for the fall and Xmas shopping promotions, and stores in Detroit like Korvette's would have full page ads which pictures lots of the new albums. I remember gonig to Korvette's and being amazed, for example, that the Marvelettes had a new album [["Return") along with new offerings by the Supremes [["New Ways"), Diana Ross [["Surrender?"), Vandellas [["Natural Resources"), Jr. Walker [["A Gasss..."), Undisputed Truth [["Face to Face") and many others.

After that year so many of the old guard dropped out. The Vandellas had one more album but the Marvelettes were done. After 1970, the Motown Sound seemed to have less punch. Although I still had many favorites, and I'm sure I didn't notice it at the time, in looking back it seems the releases after that seemed to be softer and more middle of the road, and seemed to take a lot less chances.

thomas96 · 11-18-2014, 10:30 PM

There was some great material from '72 to '76ish, but after that it's all ehhhh to me. Glory year were '63-'69 in my opinion.

**robb_k** · 11-18-2014, 11:38 PM

The best Motown years for me were 1962 through 1966.

**marv2** · 11-19-2014, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by robb_k

It was almost gone for me near the end of 1970. But there were a few hangers on through 1972 or so. But, I only like perhaps a handful of cuts after 1970.

I agree Rob. The Motown Sound ended right after the Supremes' "Floy Joy" was released in 1972.

**stephanie** · 11-19-2014, 04:00 PM

It ended for me at around that same time Marv.

**marv2** · 11-19-2014, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by stephanie

It ended for me at around that same time Marv.

They all just seem to go in directions in terms of sound following the leads of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder.

**stephanie** · 11-19-2014, 05:53 PM

Lets face it although Supremes 75 [[He's My Man) ..High Energy and Rick James ..Teena Marie, and the Commodores, Today, Boys to Men they were great and the sounds were great but that Jack Ashford tambourine, and the James Jamerson and Babbitt bass and Pistol and all of the other guys it was over. I only say the Floy Joy album because Smokey produced it and you coulsd still here the Motown sound.