Paul McCartney helping to restore Motown piano

[bradsupremes]

With all this talk about the Supremes, Temptations, Motown, and the Beatles, I thought this was a nice little article to stumble upon to tie everything together.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-20127478-10391698/paul-mccartney-to-help-restore-motown-piano/

That's really generous of him to do that.

[1382hitsville]

Great news! Are there any pictures of his visit? Did any of our other forum members went to his concert in Detroit?

[Jimi LaLumia]

now who's better, Paul Mc Cartney, or Berry Gordy [[when it comes to re storing the original Motown piano that helped Gordy make all his zillions $$$$$$$)?

[skooldem1]

Did Motown only have ONE piano?

[1382hitsville]

There are stories that Valerie Simpson broke many piano wires.

[Jimi LaLumia]

I hear tell that The Contours used to floss with the piano wires..

[johnjeb]

Another article:

http://www.prlog.org/11710395-paul-mccartney-to-restore-motown-museums-grand-piano.html

...and another with a TV news video:

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/detroit/paul-mccartney-to-pick-up-tab-as-motown-museum-grand-piano-heads-to-new-york-for-restoration-work

[soulster]

There are doubts with some that it is the actual Steinway that was used on zillions of Motown records of the 60s. Some say Berry Gordy has that one in his possession, and that the one in the museum isn't it.

[ralpht]

That may be true, Soulster. I've been kicking this one around. It seems to me the original Steinway was shipped to L.A. when Detroit folded.

[Roberta75]

That may be true, Soulster. I've been kicking this one around. It seems to me the original Steinway was shipped to L.A. when Detroit folded.

I have a feeling Berry has that Steinway in his Bel-Air home.

Best to you Ralph.

Roberta

[1382hitsville]

It proofs Berry is still a clever businessman. He kept the original piano, bought a second hand one, put it in a museum and now is letting someone else restore it.

Clever.

And a new Motown Myth has been born...now about the instruments used on the songs.

Clever.

[ralpht]

Actually, Roberta, I think the piano went to one of the studios.
The present Steinway is worth restoring, but I'm not sure I could vouch for any historical content.

[soulster]

That may be true, Soulster. I've been kicking this one around. It seems to me the original Steinway was shipped to L.A. when Detroit folded.

And, that's what i'm now hearing, and that it was said my a Museum manager. If that's true, McCartney's wasting his money! :)

[Jimi LaLumia]

no he's not...
whatever the true story, it's an embarassment that the Motown piano on display in the Motown Museum is a piece of ****!...
at least someone wants to show respect for the legacy...all I've heard about the Hitsville building is how pathetic it is, in disrepair it is, and this is what the world sees...Graceland, anyone?

[soulster]

no he's not...
whatever the true story, it's an embarassment that the Motown piano on display in the Motown Museum is a piece of ****!...
at least someone wants to show respect for the legacy...all I've heard about the Hitsville building is how pathetic it is, in disrepair it is, and this is what the world sees...Graceland, anyone?

I have not been to the Motown Museum, so I cannot comment on the state of the place, or it's gear. What I am hoping is that maybe this will spark the restoration of all of it.

[funkcity]

There is an email thread going around also questioning the authenticity. A person in the know told me there was a 7 footer and a 9 footer. The 9 was shipped to LA. Reportedly that piano was not up to LA studio quality and seldom used. But there was an upright also used for the Detroit sessions....So actually at least 3 were used in the Motor City. I'm still awaiting more pictures and explanations. That Paul wants to restore it is quite good. It just might not be THE instrument everyone thought it to be! Steinway will make that piano better than new:)

[ralpht]

Funk,
I'm not aware of any 7 foot [[Steinway model B), or an upright piano ever existing. At least not in the seven years I worked there. A thought just occurred to me. It is possible, the present Steinway at Hitsville came out of Golden World. I played that piano often on sessions but can't say for sure that I'm correct on this. Like I said, the thought just hit me.

[funkcity]

Ralph,

I spoke with Mark Koffman chief engineer at MoWest at the time who was sent to Detroit to retrieve whatever studio equipment from Detroit. He will get back to me with more info but this is what he has said so far. Did you tune thee pianos in those days?
As I get more info I'll pass it on.

Jay

[ralpht]

Mark just might have the answers. Say hello for me.
No, I didn't tune those pianos.

[soulster]

Who's gonna break the news to Paul McCartney? :)

[johnjeb]

Let's hope it gets sorted out so that no one is left looking like the "Fool On The Hill".

[ralpht]

I suppose it is all about "Yesterday", Johnjeb.

[skooldem1]

Maybe he knows it may not be THE one, but maybe he is thinking there should be a working piano in the studio. Nothing more than a nice gesture.

[funkcity]

But Uncle Russ Gibb said Paul is dead.....

[Leo the B]

I offer as evidence the "smoking music stand":

An associated press photo of the 1877 Steinway McCartney is restoring. Note the intricate "transparent" scrollwork on the music stand.
http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/img/photos/2011/10/31/MotownPiano.jpg

A video of a Temptations session from 1967 - At 1:45 Earl Van Dyke is playing a Steinway with a SOLID music stand.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcA2-tpIpJw

And the kicker - Holland / Dozier seated at a Grand Piano in what is unmistakably Studio A on West Grand. SOLID music stand !
http://www.popmatters.com/images/features_art/m/motown50-hollandanddozier-s.jpg

[Leo the B]

Oceanway Studios in L.A. apparently re-opened in 2008 with this press release coupled with photos.
http://digitalproducer.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=529884

"Studio A features the original Motown 9' Steinway grand piano to accompany Ocean Way's historic Steinway B."

Is this the original snakepit Steinway transported to Mowest and sold to Oceanway?
Apparently the was a period when Oceanway's owners bought out dozens of failed studios and absorbed their equipment.


The funny thing is that McCartney has recorded at Oceanway! :)

[ralpht]

Leo just hit the ball out of the park. I also remember the Studio A Steinway NOT having the art case scroll work on the music desk. What I can't remember is, did the Golden World piano have it.

[funkcity]

Allen Sides Ocean Way as I had mentioned in the email thread.
Leo just may have something here.
Allen usually moves in on the significant studio closings or auctions....and cherry picks the best instruments, consoles, microphones and outboard gear. I sold him a huge SSL scoring console from Fox.
He also got the old Frank De Medio Engineering/API console that was at Fox 10 years earlier. That was a great console!
The brand new new scoring/recording studio in LA "The Bridge Recording" was largely equipped from ToddAO/Radford scoring stage equipment purchased from Allen.

[arrr&bee]

What does[steinway]himself have to say about all this?

[Leo the B]

3826

3827

Art case music stand vs. solid music stand.

[Leo the B]

Ralph - has anyone communicated with Ed Wolfrum, Mike McClean, or your brother Russ re: these pianos ?

3844

[ralpht]

Leo,
Ed Wolfrum also thinks that two different pianos are being discussed and also seems to remember the Studio A Steinway going west.

[bankhousedave]

Wait till you get the call from Sir Paul, Ralph. What will you telll him then?

[ralpht]

It was a good Steinway, Dave. And a lot of funk and Rock&Roll got played on it at Golden World. It is still a worthy deal from Sir Paul that would be much appreciated, I'm sure.

[bankhousedave]

He lives down the road from me, Ralph. I've told him to get in touch with you. Leastwise, I pushed a note through the electric gate to one of the dogs.

[ralpht]

Please give him my best, if you are able. Tell him I didn't have anything to do with that Stamp Out The Beatles thing a few years back.

[bankhousedave]

Ha ha. I'll do what I can, Ralph.

[robbert]

Hahahahahahaha... I see this in cartoon form...

[Leo the B]

Ralph,

Here is the blog post I put together summarizing a lot of the evidence and testimony.

http://detroithistoryrevealed.blogspot.com/2011/11/mccartney-and-motown-museum-misstep.html

[ralpht]

Nice job, Leo. I think it can well be said that the present Steinway is not the original piano used at Studio A.

[bankhousedave]

Still, it'll be good to have a playable piano there. When I first met Top Gear presenter, James May, in Prague a dozen years ago, he was wearing a Motown tee-shirt. I asked him about it, and he said, while covering the Detroit motorshow, he had to take the opportunity of visiting the Motown Museum, where he had been able to play Earl Van Dyke's piano, Not so, it seems, though whatever piano it was must have been playable back then. I know that Earl's B3 was discovered in a shop in Detroit and reportedly returned to Studio A a few years back.

[Leo the B]

Thanks All,

i do agree the project piano would be a lovely addition to Studio A.
I had heard the same story of Earl's rescued B3 as well.
It would be great to see some of the Funks other instruments on display in glass cases worthy of their significance. Does anyone know the status of Benny, Pistol and Uriel's period or working drum kits ?

Leo

[bankhousedave]

I guess Benny will have pawned most of what there was, Leo. I don't think there was ever what could have been called a kit. It was bits of this and that with a bass drum nailed or screwed down to keep it in place.

[Leo the B]

Glad the museum has clarified the lineage of the Piano!
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012120830023