If you had to choose just 1...?

[grapevine]

Now this is a really difficult one: if you had to choose just 1 label of artists and music to keep from Motown’s 7 main labels, to the extent that none of the other labels artists and music have ever existed, which 1 would it be?

Bear in mind, if you choose MOTOWN, you lose Marvin, Stevie and the Temptations; if you choose GORDY, you’ve never had The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Miracles or The Marvelettes; if you choose TAMLA, you would have never heard The Vandellas, The Velvelettes, Jr Walker or Gladys!!

…for the record …I chose to keep TAMLA…! …now your turn…and here’s lists of all 7 labels’ artists …from the classic 1959 to 1976 era …to help you make your choice…!


GORDY

Bob Kayli
Bobby Taylor
Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers
Bunny Paul
Buzzie
Edwin Starr
Edwin Starr & Blinky
Eivets Rednow
Eric & The Vikings
Hattie Littles
Jay & The Techniques
Kim Weston
LaBrenda Ben & The Beljeans
Lee & The Leopards
Leon Ware
Liz Lands
Luther Allison
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
Mike & The Modifiers
Paul Williams
Ralph Sharon
Rev Martin Luther King
Rita Wright
San Remo Golden Strings
Terry Johnson
Tommy Good
The Contours
The Darnells
The Festivals
The Lollipops
The Stylers
The Temptations
The Undisputed Truth


MOTOWN

Amos Milburn
Art & Honey
Barbara McNair
Barrett Strong
Billy Eckstine
Blinky
Bob Horn
Bobby Breen
Bobby Darin
Bobby Womack
Bottom & Company
Captain Zap & Motortown Cut-Ups
Carolyn Crawford
Caston & Majors
Celebration
Charlene Duncan
Chip Hand
Choker Campbell & His 16-Piece Band
Chris Clark
Chuck Jackson
Connie Haines
Connie Van Dyke
CP Spencer
Dan The Banjo Man
David Ruffin
Debbie Dean
Diahann Carroll
Diana Ross
Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye
Diana Ross & The Supremes
Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations
Dickey & The Poseidons
Different Shades Of Brown
Earthquire
Eddie Holland
Edwin Starr
Eric & The Vikings
Eugene Remus
Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli & Four Seasons
Freddie Perren
GC Cameron
Gil Askey
Gloria Jones
Gordon Staples & Motown Strings
Henry Lumpkin
Herman Griffin
Holland & Dozier
Irene Granny Ryan
Jackie Jackson
Jermaine Jackson
Jerry Butler
Jimmy Randolph
Joe Frazier
Joe Harnell
Jonah Jones
Junior Walker
Kathe Green
Kim Weston
Lenny Williams
Leslie Uggams
Libra
Linda Griner
Little Lisa
Marbaya
Martin & Finley
Marvin Gaye & Mary Wells
Mary Wells
Matrix
Michael Edward Campbell
Michael Jackson
Michel Legrand
Paul Petersen
Philip Lambro
Popcorn & The Mohawks
Puzzle
Reuben Howell
Red Jones
Richard Popcorn Wylie & His Band
Riot
Ronnie McNeir
Rose Banks
Sammy Davis Jr
Sammy Turner
Scatman Crothers
Severin Browne
Sherri Taylor & Singin' Sammy Ward
Sisters Love
Soupy Sales
Stacie Johnson
Stephanie Mills
Stephen Cohn
Stoney
Su Shifrin
Suzie Ikeeda
Syreeta
Tammi Terrell
The Allens
The Boones
The Commodores
The Contours
The Devastating Affair
The Ding Dongs
The Dynamic Superiors
The Four Tops
The Golden Harmoneers
The Jackson 5
The Jerry Ross Symposium
The Magic Disco Machine
The Morrocco Muzik Makers
The Naturals
The Ones
The Originals
The Pat Boone Family
The Satintones
The Serenaders
The Spinners
The Supremes
The Supremes & The Four Tops
The Twistin' Kings
The Valadiers
Thelma Houston
Third Creation
Tony Martin
Vin Cardinal
William Goldstein
William Goldstein & Magic Disco Machine
Willie Hutch
Xit
Yvonne Fair
Zell Black


MoWEST

Art & Honey
Blinky
Bobby Darin
Bobby Taylor
Celebration
Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli & Four Seasons
GC Cameron
GC Cameron & Willie Hutch
Gil Askey
Hetherington
Kubie
Leo Bendix
Lesley Gore
Lodi
Martin & Finley
Michael Campbell
Michel Legrand
Michelle Aller
Odyssey
Phil Cordell
Reuben Howell
Riverhead
Sisters Love
Stacie Johnson
Stoney
Suzee Ikeda
Syreeta
The Blackberries
The Commodores
The Crusaders
The Devastating Affair
The Music Makers
The Nu Page
The Repairs
Thelma Houston
Tom Clay


RARE EARTH

Allan Nicholls
Blue Scepter
Brass Monkey
Chris Holland & T-Bone
Dan The Banjo Man
Danny Hernandez & The Ones
Dave Prince
David Alexander
Dennis Stoner
Friendly Persuasion
Howl The Good
Keef James
Ken Christie & The Sunday People
Lost Nation
Love Culture
Magic
Michael Denton
Michael Edward Campbell
My Friends
Puzzle
R Dean Taylor
Rare Earth
The Rough Riders
Slowbone
Slowbone & The Wonder Boys
Sonny & The Sovereigns
Sounds Nice
Stoney & Meatloaf
The Cats
The Crystal Mansion
The Easybeats
The God Squad Featuring Leonard Caston
The Impact Of Brass
The John Wagner Coalition
The Messengers
The Poor Boys
The Power Of Zeus
The Pretty Things
The Repairs
The Rustix
The Sunday Funnies
The Virgil Brothers
Toe Fat
UFO
Vincent Dimarco
Wes Henderson
Wolfe
Xit


SOUL

Abdullah
Barbara Randolph
Billy Proctor
Blinky
Bob Babbitt
David & Jimmy Ruffin
Earl Van Dyke
Earl Van Dyke & The Motown Brass
Earl Van Dyke & The Soul Brothers
Frances Nero
Frank Wilson
Gladys Knight & The Pips
Jack Hammer
Jamal Trice
Jimmy Ruffin
Joe Hinton
Jr Walker & The All Stars
Junior Walker
Richard Popcorn Wylie
Shorty Long
The Fantastic Four
The Freeman Brothers
The Hit Pack
The Merced Blue Notes
The Monitors
The Originals
The Velvelettes
Yvonne Fair


TAMLA

Barrett Strong
Bob & Marcia
Bob Kayli
Brenda Holloway
Chico Leverett
Different Shades of Brown
Eddie Kendricks
Gino Parks
Kiki Dee
Kim Weston
Little Otis
Mable John
Marv Johnson
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Mickey McCullers
Mickey Woods
Nick & The Jaguars
Rev Columbus Mann
Ron & Bill
Sammy Ward
Saundra Mallet & The Vandellas
Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Stevie Wonder
Táta Vega
The Courtship
The Downbeats
The Gospel Stars
The Isley Brothers
The Marvelettes
The Miracles
The Satintones
Valerie Simpson
Virgil Henry
Willie Tyler & Lester



VIP

Chris Clark
Chuck Jackson
Danny Day
Debbie Dean
Dorsey Burnette
Hearts of Stone
Ivy Jo
King Floyd
Little Lisa
Mickey McCullers
Oma Heard
Patrice Holloway
Posse
PJ
R Dean Taylor
Ray Oddis
Richard Anthony
Rick, Robin & Him
The Abbey Tavern Singers
The Andantes
The Dalton Boys
The Elgins
The Headliners
The Honest Men
The Hornets
The LaSalles
The Lewis Sisters
The Majestics
The Monitors
The Mynah Birds
The Serenaders
The Stylists
The Underdogs
The Velvelettes
The Vows
Tony & Carolyn

Grape :)

[Ngroove]

Not difficult at all: Motown, for Supremes / Diana Ross, Four Tops, and Jackson Five / Michael Jackson.

[daviddesper]

Hmmm not sure why this reply didn't register the first time.......

First of all, interesting question.



Secondly, what a horrible choice for any Motown fan to have to make!

But to answer your question, I would choose Tamla for the combination of The Marvelettes, Marvin and Tammi, Smokey and Stevie.

[gman]

I cant....I just cant. but DRATS are my fav Motown group...so I guess Motown...and since its a fantasy I'll just make believe my other favs recorded for RCA or Capitol

[jboy88]

Tamla, because Marvin, Stevie and Smokey! It would suck having to give up the Temptations [[ though I would have Eddie’s solo recordings), Four Tops and many others.

[daviddesper]

Another thought that got lost in my first "disappearing" post............Who ARE all these people??????? I have probably never heard of nor seen any records by 30-40% of them!

[daviddesper]

Two final questions and then I will shut up for the night.......

A) Why is Edwin Starr listed twice? Didn't he record only on Gordy?

B) The "Odyssey" that is mentioned is not the "Native New Yorker" disco group, right?

[144man]

^^ Edwin Starr switched to Motown in 1973.
Odyssey isn't the disco group.

[rovereab]

As I live in the UK I would chose the Tamla-Motown label to ensure that I would have most of the golden years, including What's Going On! I'd miss out on the early releases on Stateside etc. but I could live with that.

[westgrandboulevard]

Me too, rovereab!

We would have the best of everything.

Except....ahem...aren't we talking Tamla Motown, with no hyphen? :)

[rovereab]

Me too, rovereab!

We would have the best of everything.

Except....ahem...aren't we talking Tamla Motown, with no hyphen? :)

Ah yes, good spot - I was confused with the UK Tamla-Motown Appreciation Society!

[westgrandboulevard]

Even the TMAS sometimes used the hyphen, and sometimes not.

So, all very easy to become confused.

But what a fabulous way for it to happen.:)

[robb_k]

16178
What????? You didn't even consider Miracle Records, with The Temptations, The Equadors, The Valadiers, Miss Ray [[Little Iva), Jimmy Ruffin, Pete Hartfield, Don MacKenzie, Joel Sebastian, and the rest???? Nor Melody, with The Pirates [[Temptations), Creations, Lamont Dozier [[my favourite song by him), Bruce Channel, The Vells [[Martha and The Vandellas with a different lead), The Charters, and all those great C&W songs???? And not Workshop Jazz, with all that great Jazz??? And not Ray-Ber Records, with that great 2-sided Wade Jones record???? :cool::cool::cool:

[Motown Eddie]

^^ Edwin Starr switched to Motown in 1973.
Odyssey isn't the disco group.

Edwin Starr also had singles on the Soul imprint [["Take Me Clear From Here", "There You Go" & "Who Is The Leader Of The People") before they put him on Motown. And about the main topic of this thread, I can't choose just one of Motown labels so I won't try.

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[Ngroove]

Another thought that got lost in my first "disappearing" post............Who ARE all these people??????? I have probably never heard of nor seen any records by 30-40% of them!

Only one / two acts was focused into stars at a time.

As once told by a Supreme's own words in the "Dreamgirls" book, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas were also highly major in 1963 - 1964, but as time went on focusing more on the Supremes, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas gradually became less and less visible.

But let's see....of lesser [[rarer, non-top ten, thus lower, harder to find) Motown acts I've actually managed to find records of: Billy Eckstine [[Motown years, as otherwise, he was a hitmaker), Barbara McNair [[Motown years, otherwise she was a major songstress), Monitors, Fantastic Four, and once found a pre-Motown Carlton Bob Kayli.

Otherwise, yes, Supremes, Four Tops, Temptations, and Jackson Five 45s, they are still easy to find, due to the fact they were top priority, thus top high volume of pressings.

Oh yeah, also once found a Mary Wilson....not trying to "troll" or anything, but am aware that Motown allowed them to quickly slip into the back of the bargain bins...how did I manage the luck to stumble onto one...was it pure luck?

[Boogiedown]

interesting breakdown of acts and so many!!

Tamla

that would provide me my favorite Motown disco song , DONT LEAVE ME THIS WAY , [[as Thelma was on Tamla ,not Motown as listed) , and Marvin , Stevie and of course:

....'boogie down baybee' ..............:cool:

[grapevine]

16178
What????? You didn't even consider Miracle Records :cool::cool::cool:

...no Robb ...just stuck with the main 7 ...but if Miracle Records is your fave...the same rules apply ...!!!! :cool:

[NativeNuYorker]

Why would you torture me like this. I will always need The Temptations in my life, but I also need Marvin Gaye🤔 I can’t!

[Ngroove]

Why would you torture me like this. I will always need The Temptations in my life, but I also need Marvin Gaye樂 I can’t!

Just choose the first label, act associated with label, that springs to your mind.

If a Temptations' "Gordy" record pops first, then say "Gordy". If a Marvin Gaye "Tamla" pops first, then say "Tamla".

But mine, Motown. Motown, the instant, natural name that definitely is "Motown" in big rainbow-colored print, don't have to read the smaller print "Trademark of Motown Record Corp" to know it is Motown.

Motown, still had a legendary line-up, such as started with Mary Wells. Then she left, so the stardom went to the Supremes. Also home of the fun of the Four Tops. And Jackson Five. And Commodores. Before long afterwards, by a point in the middle of the eighties, everyone ended up Motown anyways, including Temptations, Stevie Wonder, and Smokey Robinson.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Motown for Diana / Supremes. [[Sorry Martha, Wanda, Cal, Brenda, and Kim. We were tortured and coerced!)

[luke]

Motown for Supremes, Mary Wells, 4 Tops, Spinners. Gordy not far behind.

[arr&bee]

While physically the[gordy]lable has always been my fav,but without the [tamla]lable with smokey-it won't work -the classic temps-marvin-mary wells they all needed smokey's writing.

[lucky2012]

Motown, definitely. For The Supremes, Diana Ross, The Four Tops, Mary Wells, Diana & Marvin.

[splanky]

Thankfully I'd never have to make this decision in real life but for the sake of the thread
I'll pick Gordy. Temptations forever and all that. I've got a dozen girl groups on other
labels I'd keep before the Supremes. Brenda I'd simply kidnap [[:)...

[marv2]

Thankfully I'd never have to make this decision in real life but for the sake of the thread
I'll pick Gordy. Temptations forever and all that. I've got a dozen girl groups on other
labels I'd keep before the Supremes. Brenda I'd simply kidnap [[:)...

Kidnap Brenda? LOL!!!!!

[TomatoTom123]

I'd pick Motown just for the lovely rainbow classic Motown logo... ;)