MOTOWN in 71

[jsmith]

Seems thinks were still going great back in early 71 ...
13508

[jsmith]

Wasn't it around this time that BG took his eye off the ball and started getting obsessed with making movies.

[Motown Eddie]

Yes; things were still going well for Motown in the spring of 1971. However, the changes were beginning. The major labels were beginning to open their doors to Black music, the Philly Soul was starting to take off [[as well as the Invictus/Hot Wax sound). And as JSmith points out, BG was beginning his focus on movies & TV [[while taking his 'eye off the ball' when it came to music).

[copley]

'Stoned Love' never reached #1 in the UK [[no such thing as 'England's Charts)! Reached #3. As for high chart positions, the only big hits were 'Maybe Tomorrow' & Sky's The Limit' in the US. Both flopped in the UK. With few exceptions Motown's regular studio album sales in the UK were abysmal!

[mysterysinger]

In 1971 [[British) Motown Chartbusters Volume 5 was released and did well. There followed another 7 volumes after this - hardly proof of things going wrong or a lack of success even if some of the included "chartbusters" were questionable. There could have been more volumes too had the series continued. Things changed yes but Motown seemed to hold up well for some years after 1971. New Ways but Love Stays [[accompanied by a lawsuit or two).

[marv2]

Yes 1971 was a good year for Motown after the huge momentum they got in 1970.

[kenneth]

It's funny. I had been thinking about starting a thread on "Motown's Greatest Year" and my choice was the 1970-71 batch of releases. [[I'm thinking of it like a school year because many of Motown's biggest releases usually came out in the fall, I guess in order to cash in on the holiday season sales.)

I love the 70-71 Motown Sound for lots of reasons, not the least of which is that's the first year I really was buying records. Up until then everything I heard was an oldie, but the tail end of Motown's Golden Age was to me a great year. Lots of great new sounds and beautiful albums. I think it was during this time we had the Supremes New Ways and Magnificent 7, Ross' Everything is Everything and Surrender [[I think they came out close together), 4 Tops Still Water, Return of the Marvelettes, Vandellas Natural Resources, Jr. Walker's A Gasss..., Stevie Wonder Signed, Sealed and Delivered, Edwin Starr's War, Temptations Puzzle People, Undisputed Truth [[1st album), Gladys Knight & the Pips If I Were Your Woman, Jimmy Ruffin Groove Governor, and lots of titles which to me [[at least looking back) showed the Motown Sound maturing and becoming more album oriented than earlier.

I might be a little off on my release dates but that group of albums was to be the first time I truly understood there was a "Motown Sound" and not just a lot of great records.

[marv2]

It's funny. I had been thinking about starting a thread on "Motown's Greatest Year" and my choice was the 1970-71 batch of releases. [[I'm thinking of it like a school year because many of Motown's biggest releases usually came out in the fall, I guess in order to cash in on the holiday season sales.)

I love the 70-71 Motown Sound for lots of reasons, not the least of which is that's the first year I really was buying records. Up until then everything I heard was an oldie, but the tail end of Motown's Golden Age was to me a great year. Lots of great new sounds and beautiful albums. I think it was during this time we had the Supremes New Ways and Magnificent 7, Ross' Everything is Everything and Surrender [[I think they came out close together), 4 Tops Still Water, Return of the Marvelettes, Vandellas Natural Resources, Jr. Walker's A Gasss..., Stevie Wonder Signed, Sealed and Delivered, Edwin Starr's War, Temptations Puzzle People, Undisputed Truth [[1st album), Gladys Knight & the Pips If I Were Your Woman, Jimmy Ruffin Groove Governor, and lots of titles which to me [[at least looking back) showed the Motown Sound maturing and becoming more album oriented than earlier.

I might be a little off on my release dates but that group of albums was to be the first time I truly understood there was a "Motown Sound" and not just a lot of great records.

Kenneth, that particular Christmas Motown had so many albums out on the market. I cannot list them all just from memory.

[RanRan79]

It's funny. I had been thinking about starting a thread on "Motown's Greatest Year" and my choice was the 1970-71 batch of releases. [[I'm thinking of it like a school year because many of Motown's biggest releases usually came out in the fall, I guess in order to cash in on the holiday season sales.)

I love the 70-71 Motown Sound for lots of reasons, not the least of which is that's the first year I really was buying records. Up until then everything I heard was an oldie, but the tail end of Motown's Golden Age was to me a great year. Lots of great new sounds and beautiful albums. I think it was during this time we had the Supremes New Ways and Magnificent 7, Ross' Everything is Everything and Surrender [[I think they came out close together), 4 Tops Still Water, Return of the Marvelettes, Vandellas Natural Resources, Jr. Walker's A Gasss..., Stevie Wonder Signed, Sealed and Delivered, Edwin Starr's War, Temptations Puzzle People, Undisputed Truth [[1st album), Gladys Knight & the Pips If I Were Your Woman, Jimmy Ruffin Groove Governor, and lots of titles which to me [[at least looking back) showed the Motown Sound maturing and becoming more album oriented than earlier.

I might be a little off on my release dates but that group of albums was to be the first time I truly understood there was a "Motown Sound" and not just a lot of great records.

Kenneth please create that thread! I'm sure we'd have a great music discussion resulting from it.

[kenneth]

Kenneth, that particular Christmas Motown had so many albums out on the market. I cannot list them all just from memory.

Me either...I looked back at the track listings for The Complete Motown Singles to help jog the old memory!

[kenneth]

Kenneth please create that thread! I'm sure we'd have a great music discussion resulting from it.

You got it!