Stevie Says Goodbye

[marybrewster]

Just read Stevie released two new songs on his own label, leaving Motown after 60 years.

[marybrewster]

Sorry if this was already posted!

[arr&bee]

That's sad news,motown without stevie wonder?????

[Sotosound]

Motown hasn't really existed as an active force in music and culture for decades.

Instead, it's now just another label owned by a multi-national that happens to have a glorious back catalogue and heritage mainly dating back to the 60s, 70s and early 80s.

It's other defining attribute is its legacy. Its Detroit output helped to define the musical and cultural direction of a whole generation, and those changes have since gone on to influence all subsequent generations.

In many respects, we could talk about Stevie in the same way. In the 70s he was moving mountains, but that's over 40 years ago and he's now more of an elder statesman with a massive musical and cultural legacy that's still with us.

I'm just so glad to have been around when Motown was really Motown and Stevie was moving those mountains. We may never see their like again.

[ralpht]

I have no idea what Motown represents these days. It certainly isn't anywhere close to what it once was.

[jbpintus]

Well, Stevie is releasing new songs [[out now actually) on his own record label, which is still part of Universal.
There’s talk that album[[s) may be released soon, and that some of them may still appear on Motown.
It’s such a surprise to get a new Stevie Wonder project that I don’t really care wether it’s on Motown or now. It’s here and it’s all that counts.
It’s been a long time since I don’t care if Motown tracks appear on Motown, Spectrum, SoulMusic.com, Caroline...
As long as they do appear!

[thanxal]

All the old labels [[RCA Victor, Columbia, Capitol, Motown, Verve, Decca, Mercury, Impulse, etc, etc) are just back catalog symbols for large multinational conglomerates. They have very little meaning anymore. How could they when most music is digital?

[jobeterob]

Not a surprise or a big deal that he's moved on; it's a far different world between his heyday and now; heck, it's a far different world than last year.

[Boogiedown]

Not a surprise or a big deal that he's moved on; it's a far different world between his heyday and now; heck, it's a far different world than last year.
Stevie Wonder leaving Motown would've been a headline twenty-five years ago [[thirty-five ? lol) . Today nary a lifted eyebrow by RS or ....?

Even Stevie himself is nonchalant about the historic occurrence.

[grapevine]

..2020 releases ...on Stevie's new 'What The Fuss' label...enjoy...!

Can't Put It In The Hands Of Fate [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZl20URBzrQ)

Where Is Our Love Song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLMB5o5vtLs)

Grape :)

[Circa 1824]

“What’s Motown and who is Stevie?”

[Sotosound]

Musically, Stevie left Motown when he turned 21 and never went back.

And when the Hitsville studios closed and The Funk Brothers were dropped, Motown left Motown.

[midnightman]

Stevie leaving Motown in 2020 is not a huge headline. It would've been in 1980 lol

[Sotosound]

I thought that he left Motown when he turned 21 and headed off to New York to record the self-funded “Music Of My Mind”.

[midnightman]

I thought that he left Motown when he turned 21 and headed off to New York to record the self-funded “Music Of My Mind”.

He did. I always considered everything he released after 1971 as post-Motown Motown lol

[144man]

I wonder if the "What's the Fuss" label will be any more successful than "Wondirection" was.

[Boogiedown]

regrettably based on this release, I say not.

[SatansBlues]

I wonder how Stevie leaving Motown will impact his unreleased recordings. Will the powers that be open the floodgates to his back material or continue to defer to his wishes? I love and respect Stevie, but I really want to hear his unreleased music, there has to be a few hundred unreleased songs of his in the vault.

[sansradio]

I wonder how Stevie leaving Motown will impact his unreleased recordings. Will the powers that be open the floodgates to his back material or continue to defer to his wishes? I love and respect Stevie, but I really want to hear his unreleased music, there has to be a few hundred unreleased songs of his in the vault.

My instincts lead me to believe that Stevie has full ownership of his masters [[as per his historic 1971 emancipation deal with Motown). However, who knows the story now that Motown has undergone several ownership changes?