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westgrandboulevard
07-24-2016, 12:36 PM
Can anyone here say how the '60s Motown contracts were set out?

For an act to fulfil the terms of their contract, were there ever specifications of a minimum number of recordings to be made, if not actual releases?

Did similar contractual obligations ever apply to the musicians, songwriters and producers?
Jimi LaLumia
07-24-2016, 12:45 PM
a word comes to mind.........
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/draconian
theboyfromxtown
07-24-2016, 01:55 PM
Can anyone here say how the '60s Motown contracts were set out?

For an act to fulfil the terms of their contract, were there ever specifications of a minimum number of recordings to be made, if not actual releases?

Did similar contractual obligations ever apply to the musicians, songwriters and producers?

One of the Velvelettes [[and also a Vandella) still has their original contract. They were typed in those days - can you imagine typing out 5 of them.
woodward
07-24-2016, 03:01 PM
One of the Velvelettes [[and also a Vandella) still has their original contract. They were typed in those days - can you imagine typing out 5 of them.

It would be very interesting if you could ask her to copy the contract she has and send it to you for publication on the MF. That would be great.
theboyfromxtown
07-24-2016, 03:20 PM
Even though it's over 50 years ago, the Velvelette is not happy to share it publicly. I'm not sure about the Vandella though.
robb_k
07-25-2016, 02:55 AM
11515
They used carbon paper in those days.
theboyfromxtown
07-25-2016, 04:21 AM
11515
They used carbon paper in those days.

In the UK, carbon paper was only to make a copy of an original. It was never used for the original.
jobeterob
07-25-2016, 05:24 PM
Generally speaking, I've seen contracts from the late 1970's that were 1 page long - dealing with the sale of a business.

These days, those same contracts would be at least 40 pages long without schedules and attachments.

So, I suspect the contracts from the 1960's were very modest documents.

In a sense, they might cause some embarrassment because of their simplicity - but the world was a different place. And perhaps it was better.