Motown Returners

[TomatoTom123]

I have always loved the thought of Motown artists and songwriters/producers leaving the label entirely, only to come back years later and work there again! So, here's a list of "Motown returners" I have come up with:

Eddie Holland
Marv Johnson
Barrett Strong
Brian & Eddie Holland
Norman Whitfield
Willie Hutch
Junior Walker
William Weatherspoon
The Temptations
David Ruffin & Eddie Kendricks
The Four Tops

Any others? :)

[reese]

Diana Ross
Smokey Robinson

[TomatoTom123]

Oh yes, thank you Reese! I forgot about Motown post-'88 :)

[robb_k]

12158
Popcorn Wylie - left 1962 to Wilbur Golden's Correc-Tone Records. Returned 1971 as producer/recording artist to produce "Funky Rubber Band" on Soul Recods.

Freddie Gorman - 1961-62 Miracle artist, left 1964, for Ed Wingate's Golden World/Ric Tic Records. Returned 1966 to join Originals on Soul Records.

There were a lot of Motown songwriters and recording artists who worked at Motown in the early days of 1959-62, who left in late1961 or early 1962 to join Billy Davis' CheckMate Records, while he was still operating out of Detroit, who returned into the Motown fold when Davis folded Check-Mate into the Chess operations in Chicago, and he moved there to take over their Soul Music production, or returned when Gwen Gordy's and Harvey Fuqua's Tri-Phi/Harvey Records were folded in, or when Motown bought out part of Ed Wingate's Golden World/Ric Tic Records in 1966, or in the 2nd and final buyout of Wingate's Ric Tic Records in 1968, and a few others who had gone off to join other labels who returned in those Wingate purchases:

Alan Story, David Ruffin, Johnny Bristol, William Garrett, Tony Hester, etc.

[TomatoTom123]

Wow, thank you Robb! I missed loads, hehe, especially Freddie Gorman. :)

[Ngroove]

From James Johnson to Rick James

[robb_k]

12163
I'd bet that a lot of you didn't know that Don Davis, Tony Hester, Rob Reeco[[Bob Hamilton), Don Juan Mancha, Steve Mancha[[Clyde Wilson), Emanuel Laskey, and George McGregor all worked at Motown at one time. And, even Mike Hanks got producer credit on a Motown record. It's questionable whether or not a couple of them technically "returned" to Motown because of Berry Gordy's two purchases of Golden World and Ric Tic Records from Ed Wingate. But, IF they did, it was only technically, for an instant on paper, because IF Motown offered them contracts, they declined to sign them, and went elsewhere.

[imakicola]

Didn't the andantes return in the late nineties?

[TomatoTom123]

Today I discovered that Dorsey Burnette, who was on Me-lo-dy records in the early 1960s, returned to Motown in the mid 1970s and joined the new Melodyland [[later Hitsville) imprint! Whaddya know?! Lol

[144man]

Don't forget Debbie Dean.

[TomatoTom123]

Don't forget Debbie Dean.

Ah yes! Thank you 144man. Can't believe I forgot about Debbie Dean and her STOMPING returning Motown début single "Why Am I Lovin' You?" :)