Motown Oddity.....

[DWSheffer]

Can anyone enlighten myself, as well as other forum members about this odd 45 that appeared on Ebay? It was a BIN listing for $250 and it sold for that. I did what research I could and found one other copy in Popsike's history and it sold for around the same price in 2015. I would assume the Ebay seller probably checked there and priced their copy accordingly. The listing states the contents are basically a woman reading phrases for radio station intros. I wish they would have included a sound sampling!

At any rate, this is the first time I've seen this disc offered for sale since I started seriously collecting Motown records in 2012. On the left side of the disc under the 1964 date it reads "A VERY SPECIAL THANKS - JACK GIBSON" who was obviously Motown's PR manager. I personally couldn't see the value in it, other than something a completest collector would "have just to have" to say they've collected it all. I appears to have catalog number MM-1 for Miss Motown 1 I would surmise. ;)

Thanks for any additional information anyone can provide.
Darin

16442

[marv2]

Jack "The Rapper" Gibson was also one of the most popular DJ's in the country. "Miss Motown" refers to Raynoma Liles Gordy aka "Miss Ray" Berry Gordy's second wife. She gave herself that nickname.

[robb_k]

16443

Miss Ray song from as late as 1964! I love to hear THAT! Anyone have a file of it, and can post it here?

[DWSheffer]

Do you actually know for a fact this is Raynoma, or just correlating it to her because of her nickname? Just wanting clarification......

[marv2]

Do you actually know for a fact this is Raynoma, or just correlating it to her because of her nickname? Just wanting clarification......

I would have to hear the record that you have the question about, but Miss Ray also sang. She was one of the Rayber Voices in the beginning.

[robb_k]

I would have to hear the record that you have the question about, but Miss Ray also sang. She was one of the Rayber Voices in the beginning.
16444
She also had a single released on Motown's Miracle Records, which was her own label to manage. On her 1961 single, she used the stage name "Little Iva".

[robb_k]

16445
If I could hear the Miss Motown cuts, I could tell if she was Miss Ray, or not.

[marv2]

16444
She also had a single released on Motown's Miracle Records, which was her own label to manage. On her 1961 single, she used the stage name "Little Iva".

Hey Robb, I remember that. She did call herself "Little Iva" for a short while.

[lockhartgary]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb3d5D_PI-8

[marv2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb3d5D_PI-8

Hey Lockhartgary.....thank you!

[lockhartgary]

Hey Lockhartgary.....thank you!


You are very welcome.

[DWSheffer]

Notice that the "Miss Motown" 45 is in the thumbnail for the video above. Quite possibly it is Raynoma doing these DJ intros.

[robb_k]

16448
I have the her Miracle Record. I was hoping the Motown one would be on the video, too. But, I guess I didn't miss any of her singing, if that cut has only DJ intros. Still, I'd like to hear those if anyone can find a recording of it. Is that side the only recording on the record? Or, does it have 2 sides of recordings?

[DWSheffer]

Robb, it appeared to have the same contents on both sides.
Darin

[Graham Jarvis]

There is only 2 known copies of the Miss Motown 45, the upload on youtube is mine, I own the other copy and watched the Ebay copy with interest as the 2nd one turning up was a surprise, when I mentioned it to Keith [[Hughes) he also mentioned to me he was bidding on it, but lost it as it went for too much.

Raynoma became Miss Motown on leaving Detroit to set up the NYC Motown offices in 1963, she actually references her nickname change from "Miss Ray" to "Miss Motown" in her bio "Berry Me, & Motown" .The change from "Miss Ray" to "Miss Motown" is on page 139 Chapter 9 "New York".

Jack The Rapper Gibson who in 1963 also worked for Berry & Motown also knew Raynoma well, it is likely as Ray was now on her own, Jack had the Miss Motown 45's pressed as a welcome gift. The 45 is dated 1964, with no normal record number other than MM-1 & no pressing plant marks, it also has the same tracks on both sides.
Jack would have access to the pressing plants. His own bio makes interesting reading when he gets to the section of how he fell out with BG! Strange Irony also in that it is also coincidental with one certain Miss Well's 64' classic & multi million seller also being pressed in NY!

Raynoma very rarely got the credits she deserves, most if not all of the greatest [[Jobete) Northern Soul records every recorded out of NYC [[ & the most expensive 45's to find) not on Motown labels or on Motown artists were down to Raynoma.

This is not just a quirky 45, it's an incredible piece of the Motown story and her role in making it all happen, other than her intro to the "Little Iva Miracle 45" there is no other known recordings of her none singing voice.

G.J.

[fatmaninthethirdrow]

There is only 2 known copies of the Miss Motown 45, the upload on youtube is mine, I own the other copy and watched the Ebay copy with interest as the 2nd one turning up was a surprise, when I mentioned it to Keith [[Hughes) he also mentioned to me he was bidding on it, but lost it as it went for too much.

Raynoma became Miss Motown on leaving Detroit to set up the NYC Motown offices in 1963, she actually references her nickname change from "Miss Ray" to "Miss Motown" in her bio "Berry Me, & Motown" .The change from "Miss Ray" to "Miss Motown" is on page 139 Chapter 9 "New York".

Jack The Rapper Gibson who in 1963 also worked for Berry & Motown also knew Raynoma well, it is likely as Ray was now on her own, Jack had the Miss Motown 45's pressed as a welcome gift. The 45 is dated 1964, with no normal record number other than MM-1 & no pressing plant marks, it also has the same tracks on both sides.
Jack would have access to the pressing plants. His own bio makes interesting reading when he gets to the section of how he fell out with BG! Strange Irony also in that it is also coincidental with one certain Miss Well's 64' classic & multi million seller also being pressed in NY!

Raynoma very rarely got the credits she deserves, most if not all of the greatest [[Jobete) Northern Soul records every recorded out of NYC [[ & the most expensive 45's to find) not on Motown labels or on Motown artists were down to Raynoma.

This is not just a quirky 45, it's an incredible piece of the Motown story and her role in making it all happen, other than her intro to the "Little Iva Miracle 45" there is no other known recordings of her none singing voice.

G.J.

Actually there is Graham.

Somewhere I have Miss Ray doing an audio book cassette of her book.

Always my favourite Motown book and in the first impression a lot more candid than BG apparently cared for. It was that book that put me on the trail of the Aladdin singles by her group renamed the Cute Teens [[ because The Teen Queens was already used elsewhere) and the Fidelitones which I still have never heard. And for that I am eternally grateful.

[woodward]

Graham in thread #15 refers to Jack Gibson and the reference to HIS OWN BOOK.

Can anyone provide any information on this book? Is it worthwhile for little known facts about early Motown? I never heard of it. Thanks.

[nsoule]

Graham in thread #15 refers to Jack Gibson and the reference to HIS OWN BOOK.

Can anyone provide any information on this book? Is it worthwhile for little known facts about early Motown? I never heard of it. Thanks.

https://www.amazon.com/Mello-Yello-Incredible-Story-Rapper/dp/0990499642

[woodward]

https://www.amazon.com/Mello-Yello-Incredible-Story-Rapper/dp/0990499642

Thanks, I will have to order it. I note that the FW in the book was by the esteemed Nelson George so it has to be great.

I guess if I order it this week, I might hit the jackpot and get it by July 4th at the rate the USPS has slowed down and screwed up the mail these days. It gets worse and worse every day.

[booty]

https://www.amazon.com/Mello-Yello-Incredible-Story-Rapper/dp/0990499642

Also on Amazon.co.uk Kindle book £3.98

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mello-Yello-Incredible-Story-Rapper/dp/0990499642/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Mello+Yello%3A+The+Incredible+Life+Story+ of+Jack+the+Rapper+Paperback&qid=1610970427&quartzVehicle=45-608&replacementKeywords=mello+yello%3A+the+incredible+ story+of+jack+the+rapper+paperback&sr=8-2

[Graham Jarvis]

Thanks Nick