Motown artists fan clubs

[JL2648]

I have this button plus one for the Four Tops, Martha & The Vandellas and Diana Ross and the Supremes. Did Motown itslef operate these "official fan clubs"? -Jeff

[Ngroove]

Pulling out my sleeve to my "Return Of the Magnificent Seven" [[1971) LP, I'd say "yes", otherwise Motown record sleeves would not be advertising them. According to coupon, to join club, send to Motown, Los Angeles, $2 each, join as many of them as you wish, on: Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, David Ruffin, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Jackson Five, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Marvelettes, and the Supremes.

[Kamasu_Jr]

My dad told me he clipped the coupon from an album sleeve and picked several artists and fanclub kits and sent in his money and never got anything. No badges, no pictures, not even a note saying "thank you" sucker for the money.

[kenneth]

My dad told me he clipped the coupon from an album sleeve and picked several artists and fanclub kits and sent in his money and never got anything. No badges, no pictures, not even a note saying "thank you" sucker for the money.

The same thing happened to me! I sent in $10 for five clubs which was a lot of money back then, and got nothing!

[Kamasu_Jr]

The same thing happened to me! I sent in $10 for five clubs which was a lot of money back then, and got nothing!

Thanks for confirming this, Kenneth. Dad says he sent in about the same amount, which indeed was a lot of money to a 15- year- old in 1969-1970. I THINK A LOT OF KIDS got ripped off back then. i don't know if it was Motown itself or some crooks it hired to do these fanclub kits.

[carole cucumber]

Pulling out my sleeve to my "Return Of the Magnificent Seven" [[1971) LP, I'd say "yes", otherwise Motown record sleeves would not be advertising them. According to coupon, to join club, send to Motown, Los Angeles, $2 each, join as many of them as you wish, on: Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, David Ruffin, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Jackson Five, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Marvelettes, and the Supremes.

Kamasu_Jr & Kenneth,

Take a closer look [[not "at me") but at the locale to which requests were being sent- Los Angeles. With Berry Gordy's attention directed in a big way to television and movies, and Hitsville West [[MoWest) only in its infancy/formative stages of transition at that time [[and yes, I remember Frank Wilson & Hal Davis' earlier fine work on the west coast), one might guess that there probably wasn't great organization, along with staff and worker-bees to fill the fan club requests coming their way. It's a shame that so many fans ended up being suckered.

[kenneth]

Of course back then, there really was limited ways in which to complain about something like that. Phone calls were expensive, I was just a kid [[I think about 15 as well at the time), no internet, no email...but as you can tell, I never forgot it, even this many years later. Getting ripped off is a lousy feeling.

I remember I was so excited that I would see Marvelettes material, because even then I knew they were relegated to lower status which really bothered me. So I was surprised and happy that there was a fan club for them. Kamasu_Jr said it saw the offer on the inner sleeve for "Return of the Magnificent 7," so this must have been right around '70 or '71, I guess. Of course I had no idea the "Marvelettes" had recorded their last LP by then.

[Ngroove]

Of course back then, there really was limited ways in which to complain about something like that. Phone calls were expensive, I was just a kid [[I think about 15 as well at the time), no internet, no email...but as you can tell, I never forgot it, even this many years later. Getting ripped off is a lousy feeling.

I remember I was so excited that I would see Marvelettes material, because even then I knew they were relegated to lower status which really bothered me. So I was surprised and happy that there was a fan club for them. Kamasu_Jr said it saw the offer on the inner sleeve for "Return of the Magnificent 7," so this must have been right around '70 or '71, I guess. Of course I had no idea the "Marvelettes" had recorded their last LP by then.

Actually, I assume the fan club page was probably on many Motown Records around 70-71', as I also can see the same exact thing on my backs of sleeves on Diana Ross "Diana Ross" LP and my Supremes "Touch" LP - complete with stuff correlated with artist you choose, as well as other Motown items, such as Motown book covers, Motown stationery, as claimed "similar to those used by Motown executives and stars", Motown bumper stickers, "life-sized portraits of Motown Stars" - pick and choose any members of the 67-69 Supremes, Smokey, and the Temptations, including David and Dennis - in 11X14 charcoal reproductions!