The First Time You Recognized A New Record As Being MOTOWN!!!

[Philles/Motown Gary]

By Autumn 1964, the new "Motown Sound" was on fire as one hit after another simultaneously burned its way up the charts while boasting a HOT new style! Mary Wells' "My Guy", The Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go", "Baby Love", and "Come See About Me," Martha & The Vandellas' "Dancing In The Street", Four Tops' "Baby I Need Your Loving" and "Without The One You Love", and The Marvelettes' "Too Many Fish In The Sea" paved the way for an exciting new phenomenon that would soon set new standards for Pop & Soul music globally!

By March 1965, in addition to the above titles, I had managed to add Martha & The Vandellas' "Wild One" 45 and The Temptations' "Sing Smokey" album to my burgeoning Motown record collection. By now, I had come to recognize the various elements of Motown's style. I was soon put to the test!

I'll never forget that Spring day in May 1965 when I turned on the kitchen radio on top of the fridge just in time to hear a new song which really caught my ear. I turned it up louder and thrilled to every second from start to finish. Whatever it was, I recognized that special magical sound that only Motown could produce so perfectly -- the dotted-eights shuffle beat, the elegant-yet-soulful strings, and those amazing back-up girl-group vocals. I could only hope that the radio DJ would announce the artist and title because I knew I just HAD to get that record. As the record faded, sure enough -- I got my wish as the DJ revealed it was brand new from artist Brenda Holloway titled "When I'm Gone"!

I don't remember how I got there, as I was only 14 and not driving yet, but I somehow managed to wangle a ride from my parents to Cass record store in Geneva, NY, to buy that record. The coolest part of that trip was discovering that I was right! My new must-have record was on the Tamla label -- indeed, the Motown Sound! After that, it became increasingly easy to recognize Motown's releases -- even when the artist was new and vocally unfamiliar.

Okay, so Brenda Holloway's "When I'm Gone" was my first ability to recognize the Motown Sound upon the first hearing without any help.

Do you remember that first proud moment when YOU just KNEW the record you were hearing for the first time was a Motown recording? Tell us the artist and song title, and what you were doing as you first heard it!