Pocket change ?

[arr&bee]

This may have been discussed before,but i'll ask this..other than the motown family of singers,who from the[outside]had success with the company..i know that berry signed a lot of folks down through the years[sammy davis-mable john-chuck jackson-major lance..ect.]did any of the outsiders make a dent as a motown artist?

[reese]

Gladys Knight and the Pips were probably the most successful act who came to the company from elsewhere.

Tammi Terrell was a successful outsider as well.

The Isleys were successful, particularly in the UK.

[arr&bee]

I think of them as family,i'm talking about artist who had a whole career someplace else and were maybe near the end of popularity when they signed.

[mysterysinger]

Presumably you're referring to already established acts prior to their Motown tenure? Otherwise, the list would include The Supremes and Temptations, for example, who had recorded for other labels previous to Motown albeit under different names.

Edwin Starr springs to mind plus Billy Preston, Thelma Houston, Teena Marie and Jose Feliciano.

++ Footnote - I see you just nipped in with your second post as I was completing mine. I suspect Billy Preston and Jose Feliciano most fit the bill in that case ++

[Motown Eddie]

Here's an 'outsider' who made a dent at Motown, Rare Earth. The group had been recording since 1965 without much success until joining Motown in 1969 [[and sharing the band's name with Motown's then new rock imprint).

[luke]

The Emotions

[robb_k]

Here's an 'outsider' who made a dent at Motown, Rare Earth. The group had been recording since 1965 without much success until joining Motown in 1969 [[and sharing the band's name with Motown's then new rock imprint).

Rare Earth had been singing together since 1960, as The Sunliners until 1967, after that as Rare Earth.

[Motown Eddie]

Rare Earth had been singing together since 1960, as The Sunliners until 1967, after that as Rare Earth.

That's right Robb; They had three singles as The Sunliners [[2 on Golden World & 1 on MGM) before changing their name to Rare Earth in 1968. And the one album they did for MGM [[Dreams/Answers) didn't sell. They did have a successful live act in Detroit but they became stars when they joined Motown.