The Fabulous Motown Revue......Thoughts?

[marv2]

Following up on thread with recent news of the Motown Label basically becoming defunct and the one announcing Berry's intentions to produce a Broadway Play about Motown, I came upon this clip for an act billing itself as "The Motown Revue". This is nothing new or Earth shattering. It just made me think after viewing it that if things continue to go the way they are going, the authentic "Motown" sound and songs may get lost in the shuffle.

Based on this clip, this "Motown Revue" performs about 85% songs that have nothing at all to do with Motown. It always bugs me when people lump in every Black Musical act from the 60's and 70'd into "Motown". Check this out . I'd love to get your thoughts!

[paladin]

This is nothing new or Earth shattering. It just made me think after viewing it that if things continue to go the way they are going, the authentic "Motown" sound and songs may get lost in the shuffle.

Right and wrong. This is no more than a cabaret act. I doubt they could ever effect the legacy of Motown. Funny The musicians are probably better than the singers........

[kenneth]

I see this as more or less of a Tribute act, which in my opinion is actually more honest that the touring "Marvelettes" or other acts which have no original members, except for the fact that out of all the clips I only heard 4 Motown songs! I heard pieces of "I Want You Back," "My Girl," "You Keep Me Hanging On," and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," and that's it. Still, at least this act is just emulating a sound and an era, not trying to pass themselves off as having been part of Motown at the time. But odd that the promo would start off with a couple Earth Wind and Fire songs! I guarantee whoever directed this promo wasn't born when "Boogie Wonderland" or "September" came out or they would have known better not to have done that!

[jobeterob]

I see it as a tribute act and at least it is billed as one.

It made me think that maybe I could still be a Top or a Temptation if these people can.

It is somewhat annoying to me as well that every R & B song is "Motown" but then it bugs me that Diana Ross sings Stoned Love.

[marv2]

Oh I clearly recognize that this is a tribute act. I have no problem with that whatsoever. The problem I have is that they present themselves as a "Motown Revue" ,yet they perform mostly songs that are not Motown. I think they would have been more accurate in calling themselves something like "Soul Revue" or "Old School Revue". They should add much more Motown material if they are going to bill themselves that way. Just my opinion.

[smark21]

They should call it the Fabulous Cheesy Revue.

[marv2]

They should call it the Fabulous Cheesy Revue.

at the very least! LOL!!!!

[luke]

Isnt the word Motown copyrighted?

[marv2]

Isnt the word Motown copyrighted?

I would be very surprised if it were not!

[144man]

Even as long ago as the late 60s, the casual record buyer would call things like Percy Sledge's When A Man Loves A Woman Motown. It was really annoying.

[marv2]

Exactly! Motown itself or should I say Suzanne DePasse didn't help things when they produced those television specials in the 80's where 50-80% of the performers had nothing whatsoever to do with Motown!

[jobeterob]

Books get copyrighted.

Terms like Motown Record Corporation are protected because they are registered companies.

Patents and Trademarks are much more powerful that those corporate registrations and I'm sure Berry had all that covered and all that was sold to Universal. And you see the distress caused when the FLO'S obtained the trademark to the name "Supremes" in the UK.

The trouble is that the word "Motown" is either synonymous with Motor Town and Cars or Soul Music or Detroit. While Motown Record Corporation is trademarked, the word "Motown" with no further description is unpatentable and can't be trademarked.

But it's amusing and also drives me nuts to have it all lumped together so Aretha Franklin and Percy Sledge and Luther Vandross are "Motown" and every R & B Song is "Motown".

[8supremes]

The FLOS never obtained the trademark for the Supremes' name in the UK. This untrue statement has been floating around the internet for years. The trademark is owned by Universal/Motown. You can search this, it's all public information

Books get copyrighted.

Terms like Motown Record Corporation are protected because they are registered companies.

Patents and Trademarks are much more powerful that those corporate registrations and I'm sure Berry had all that covered and all that was sold to Universal. And you see the distress caused when the FLO'S obtained the trademark to the name "Supremes" in the UK.

The trouble is that the word "Motown" is either synonymous with Motor Town and Cars or Soul Music or Detroit. While Motown Record Corporation is trademarked, the word "Motown" with no further description is unpatentable and can't be trademarked.

But it's amusing and also drives me nuts to have it all lumped together so Aretha Franklin and Percy Sledge and Luther Vandross are "Motown" and every R & B Song is "Motown".