Group member solo departures - Label Assignments

Was there any kind of logic used by Motown when group members departed and that member stayed or later resigned with the company?

Supremes/DRATS/Diana Ross - Supremes/DRATS were on Motown and Diana Ross was on Motown

Commodores/Lionel Richie - Commodores were on Motown and Lionel Richie was on Motown

Miracles/SRATM - Miracles/SRATM were on Tamla and Smokey Robinson was on Tamla

Temptations - Tempations were on Gordy and David Ruffin was on Motown, Dennis Edwards was on Gordy, Eddie Kendrics was on Tamla.

Just curious.

I think we would also need to know what other solo artists were on all those individual labels at the time?

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Originally Posted by lockhartgary

Was there any kind of logic used by Motown when group members departed and that member stayed or later resigned with the company?

Supremes/DRATS/Diana Ross - Supremes/DRATS were on Motown and Diana Ross was on Motown

Commodores/Lionel Richie - Commodores were on Motown and Lionel Richie was on Motown

Miracles/SRATM - Miracles/SRATM were on Tamla and Smokey Robinson was on Tamla

Temptations - Tempations were on Gordy and David Ruffin was on Motown, Dennis Edwards was on Gordy, Eddie Kendrics was on Tamla.

Just curious.

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Until we get an article from someone in the know about the label assignments at Motown, there's no way to know for sure how they went about placing the different artists under the imprints their records appeared on. For instance, all of Stevie Wonder's recordings appears on the Tamla imprint except for The Woman In Red Soundtrack [[and the single "I Just Called To Say I Love You") which was released on the Motown imprint in 1984 [[years before the Tamla & Gordy labels were discontined).

On the subject of Stevie Wonder's discography on the Tamla imprint; I forgot to add that he did have the 1968 Eivets Rednow LP [[and the single, "Alfie") released on Gordy.

Back then the partnering of artists seemed to go with the one who was "biggest". So Marvin's duetted with Mary Wells came out on Motown and wth Kim and Tammi on Tamla etc. I suspect in terms of ex Tempts their label moves were done to balance out label rosters. Did Motown have a big male solo soul artist until David went solo? Gordy had Edwin Starr, Soul had Jimmy Ruffin, Tamla had Gaye and Wonder so I guess the choice of Motown was logical in a way.

Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers' 1968 LP was on Gordy. Bobby Taylor' 1969 solo LP "Taylor-Made Soul" LP was on Gordy, but Bobby's 1970 solo "Blackmail" 45 was on V.I.P., which had to be a slap in the face.

Chuck Jackson suffered the same fate when, after his "Arrives" [[1968) and "Goin' Back To Chuck Jackson" [[1969) LPs, both on Motown, were followed by his 1970 "Teardrops Keep Fallin' On My Heart" LP on V.I.P.

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Originally Posted by Philles/Motown Gary

Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers' 1968 LP was on Gordy. Bobby Taylor' 1969 solo LP "Taylor-Made Soul" LP was on Gordy, but Bobby's 1970 solo "Blackmail" 45 was on V.I.P., which had to be a slap in the face.

Chuck Jackson suffered the same fate when, after his "Arrives" [[1968) and "Goin' Back To Chuck Jackson" [[1969) LPs, both on Motown, were followed by his 1970 "Teardrops Keep Fallin' On My Heart" LP on V.I.P.

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Another artist who had moved from 'label' to 'label' at Motown was Edwin Starr [[who started at Gordy and was moved to Soul and then to Motown).

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