Neutralized the sound

[dvus7]

I don't understand how Mr. Gordy allowed the "Motown sound" to become neutralized. He knew that the rhythm section was apart of his success...songwriters>rhythm section>singers.

[144man]

I think he was concentrating on films and was just happy to delegate the responsibility to other members of staff.

[Motown Eddie]

I don't understand how Mr. Gordy allowed the "Motown sound" to become neutralized. He knew that the rhythm section was apart of his success...songwriters>rhythm section>singers.

As 144man posted, during the early '70s, Berry Gordy was concentrating more on Movies & TV shows since Motown had moved to Los Angeles [or as he justified it in the Motown special on Showtime in 2019, "Innovate or Stagnate"]. Unfortunately since he had left the great house band, The Funk Bros. behind, there wasn't a central "Motown Sound" to their recordings as there was during the '60s. And while the company didn't completely lose the pulse of Black Popular Music in the '70s [thanks to Stevie, Marvin, Smokey, Diana, The Commodores, The Temptations, Rick James & others], Motown was no longer a dominant purveyor in Soul since all the major recoding companies were also recording the music [and creating their own Soul, Funk & Disco stars in the process].

[dvus7]

As 144man posted, during the early '70s, Berry Gordy was concentrating more on Movies & TV shows since Motown had moved to Los Angeles [or as he justified it in the Motown special on Showtime in 2019, "Innovate or Stagnate"]. Unfortunately since he had left the great house band, The Funk Bros. behind, there wasn't a central "Motown Sound" to their recordings as there was during the '60s. And while the company didn't completely lose the pulse of Black Popular Music in the '70s [thanks to Stevie, Marvin, Smokey, Diana, The Commodores, The Temptations, Rick James & others], Motown was no longer a dominant purveyor in Soul since all the major recoding companies were also recording the music [and creating their own Soul, Funk & Disco stars in the process].

I think in the short term Mr. Gordy had bestd HDH, but in the long term the got the best, from a music stand point. Eddie Holland was responsible for Mickey Stevenson, leaving. Mr. Stevenson would have held the section together..

[bob_olhsson]

Motown was never the principal source of income for the musicians. Many had moved on as Detroit's advertising and broadcast work left and the live music scene wound down.

[mysterysinger]

By 1987 Earl Van Dyke was the piano player at Osborn High School in Michigan it seems.

The Motown Sound - whatever that is - didn't matter to me I just enjoyed the great music that came out of Motown for what it brought to me so I loved the work of Frank Wilson, Ashford and Simpson, Pam Sawyer & Gloria Jones, Norman Whitfield etc as much as anything produced by the likes of Holland Dozier Holland, brilliant though it was. The old days had passed by the time I got into Motown around 1970. Perhaps not quite so consistent as before but I certainly loved the more diverse sounds - Jackson 5, Four Seasons, Commodores etc. I think Motown evolved for the better.

[dvus7]

Motown was never the principal source of income for the musicians. Many had moved on as Detroit's advertising and broadcast work left and the live music scene wound down.

It has been stated that jamerson was making over 100,000per year, in the sixties. You don't believe that??

[ralpht]

Earl Van Dyke taught music at the school.

[Roger Polhill]

When they moved to LA I completely lost interest in Motown. I never had any love for the LA sound back in the 60`s. The Funks were the deal especially James Jamerson.

[StuBass1]

Early on, the musicians were working for peanuts and depended on their commercial work and club dates to supplement their income... As the company became successful after the mid 60's, some of the musicians, especially those under exclusive contract began to make good money for the time, although most continued to work the clubs for extra income and the opportunity to play their jazz... Earl, as the session leader was reportedly earning 6 figures, Jamerson was pulling down good money and purchased that home in Sherwood Forest, and Joe Messina says Motown became his principal income source at some point, but also continued club work and opened a car wash with the money he earned playing music and pretty much retired... Earl did teach at Osborn High after Motown left as his carpal tunnel limited his ability to play or tour on a full time basis... Another fallacy was the idea that the musicians showed up one day for work and a note was left that Motown moved to Los Angeles... Made a good scene in the SITSOM film, but in actuality, they had known for months about the impending move as Berry had turned a lot of the day to day Detroit operation to Harry Balk as he was setting up the Los Angeles operation... Most of the musicians went back to what studio work was left in Detroit and their club dates, while others moved west hoping to cash in as Motown expanded, however, Los Angeles had it's own group of select musicians, so those that left Detroit had varying success in L.A. as they were mostly unfamiliar with that scene as Motown was changing their sound to conform what they thought the market of the 70's wanted...

[PeaceNHarmony]

Not sure what 'neutralization' or what era of which you are referring but it's worth remembering that at a point in the early 1970s Gordy stepped away from the music phase of Motown to focus on film and Smokey Robinson was the acting VP of music [[a phase of Motown history that, for whatever reason, no one wishes to speak of or remember).

[ralpht]

But then the Harry Balk era began in the late 60s and things took off.

[dvus7]

Not sure what 'neutralization' or what era of which you are referring but it's worth remembering that at a point in the early 1970s Gordy stepped away from the music phase of Motown to focus on film and Smokey Robinson was the acting VP of music [[a phase of Motown history that, for whatever reason, no one wishes to speak of or remember).

Please enlighten us about the Smokey situation!!