Scott Regen talks MOTOWN

[marybrewster]

Came across this interview with DJ Scott Regen; thought you might enjoy:

KEENER13.COM: How did you make your connection with Motown?

SCOTT REGEN: Irv Beagle was head of promotions at Motown at the time. I called and got an appointment to see him and he arranged for me to meet the Supremes. I hit it off with them and since I had some popularity, they were nice to me. I started going to Motown with regularity and had the chance to meet most of the great Motown artists: Marvin Gaye, Brian and Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, the Temptations, the Four Tops. I got to know them and started going to recording sessions. I sat in on the Temptations Masterpiece sessions and was there when Edwin Starr recorded “War”.

KEENER13.COM: I remember that you actually had a writing credit on a Motown recording.

SCOTT REGEN: One night I was there when Chris Clark was recording. Barry Gordy told me that they needed a third verse for the song and I came up with something that they liked. Chris Clark was a Motown executive for many years and won an academy award nomination for co-writing Lady Sings the Blues. I also got to produce a song the Four Tops recorded called Yesterday and You.

KEENER13.COM: Motown seemed to have an output that was consistently outstanding in the 60s.

SCOTT REGEN: Barry Gordy was always focused on that issue. At one point, he decided that he wanted to set up a quality control group to listen to everything that came out of the Motown studios. The group included Billy Jean Thompson, Holland, Dozier Holland and others. Barry asked me to be a part of it. I would listen to a track and give my feedback on what might make it better. Harry Wenger, Motown’s current archivist says that there is a document at the old Hitsville building in Detroit with my name on it. I’d love to see it.

KEENER13.COM: With so much genius floating around at Motown, did anyone in particular stand out?

SCOTT REGEN: Motown had a stable of fantastic session people. The world knows about Smokey Robinson’s greatness but one guy who stood out for me was Norman Whitfield. He was an extraordinary guy. He knew what he wanted down to the last detail and could see the finished product in his mind. When the acts came in, background tracks were done and he knew exactly what he wanted from the singers. I remember watching him at the piano playing the intro to the Guess Who’s “American Woman”. He had an idea that the bass line might work for a song he was thinking of. That turned out to be the Temps’ “Ball of Confusion.”

KEENER13.COM: In 1966, you hosted an historic series of live broadcasts from the Roostertail. What was the genesis of “Motown Monday”?

SCOTT REGEN: Motown was my second home. I hung out there whenever I could. I really had no self serving motives, I just loved the place. I became friends with Bernie Ales who was Motown’s sales director. He presented the Motown Monday Idea. I remember him telling me that there would be no money involved for me. My feeling was, “Are you kidding? I’ll do this for free.” We did the broadcasts from the Roostertail in downtown Detroit. All the Motown stars were there. It turned out to be a memorable series.

KEENER13.COM: Although it was a relatively brief run, a lot of people remember Motown Mondays’.

SCOTT REGEN: I think the show ran only six weeks, but Motown gave it the full production treatment. One of my most vivid Motown memories was visiting the mastering room at Hitsville. An important aspect of the Motown Sound was the way that they processed and compressed the music to give it that special Motown punch. All of that happened in the mastering room. I knew Lawrence Horn, one of the great Motown sound engineers and he got Barry Gordy’s permission to let me see the place.

[snakepit]

Edwin Starr's 45 "Scott's on Swingers"....was once upon a time a highly valued/ prized 45 here in the UK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysr83_yjyyY

[Roger Polhill]

"Yesterday And You" was the working title for "Magic Mary" which he wrote with Wade Marcus.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Thanks, MaryBrewster. I enjoyed this article a lot. Back in 1967, when I was 16 and growing up in a country setting about 45 miles southeast of Rochester, NY, I accidently stumbled across CKLW AM whose reception I was able to get at night after dark on my small but handy transistor radio. The DJ I enjoyed and looked forward to the most was Scott Regan. He loved Motown -- his enthusiasm sang through his voice. Every time he he spun a Motown record, he would accompany it with a special, tuneful jingle: "The Big CKLW Motown Sound" and then the Motown recording would immediately play. Two brand new Motown releases that I distinctly remember him playing were Diana Ross & The Supremes' "Some Things You Never Get Used To" to which he introduced the record for the very first time as being "Hot Off The Motown Press", and, especially, the night that he introduced "Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone" by "Miss Martha 'Motown' Reeves & Those Ever-Lovin' Vandellas." Scott's enthusiasm matched mine and I looked forward to his evening show every chance I could. Then, something happened and I could no longer receive CKLW on my radio, but I sure enjoyed Scott Regan while it lasted. Broadcast from Detroit or nearby Windsor, it was like having real-time Motown right in my own home. Thanks for bringing back such a fond Motown memory. - Gary