Chapter 5 talks about Berry Gordy's rise as not only a business man, but in music with all of the various acts that came out of Motown. It also spoke to how independent Motown was in music and how it changed the landscape to the way artists of color are viewed today and what a huge risk it was for him, along with the acts he brought along, to go down this road.
Here are the questions: Seeing how Berry Gordy changed the musical landscape and create a label of such timeless homegrown artists, do you think it would possible to do the same thing in today?
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Motown was the first label that had no initial major backing from anyone. How impactful was this to the independent movement that is taking place today?
Gerrard, these are two great questions, and as much as I would love to answer both, I think I'll stick to just one.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be incredibly difficult for Berry Gordy to impact the musical landscape today like he did in the 1960s. Essentially for two decades, a majority of music's great artists and songs came from Detroit. As music became more and more accessible for people's personal music collections and the growth of the radio and TV industries, the music from the Motown studio had national exposure and appeal.
If you look at music today, a lot of it's growth and impact happens digitally, whether in digital format or exposure through the internet. Gordy was able to make sure an impact because he was able to establish his music brand as a national powerhouse. Today, music corporations are competing on a global scale. The choices are greater than ever, and with the access to internet, it's an international competition to find the next big name.
Mike, I agree with you that it would be difficult to create a homegrown musical empire like Motown, today. There are only a few major corporations who control most of the record labels and have the leverage to make sure their artists are heard via a number of distribution outlets and platforms.
DeleteI just don't believe a label could put together a stable of artists and performers the way Motown did. We have seen labels pop up and have good runs, but mostly in the rap genre. I think it would be too difficult to put together a roster of R&B acts that could have the staying power of the Motown sound.
DeleteI think what struck me about this chapter was not so much "Berry rise," but how he was able to tell the story as if he single-handedly was responsible for Motown's success. However, the author shows using much detail how family members, businesspersons and artists came to Motown at the "right" time to create this uniquely American success story. The "real story" shows Berry to have unjustifiably placed the impetus of its triumph on himself, instead of sharing the accolades with other difference-makers. "Great men/women" should not be afraid to share the limelight.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Berry took too much credit for Motown's success. I think his ego is what eventually led to the degradation of the brand. In the end there were too many disgruntled stars and artists to maintain the success. That all stemmed from Berry taking care of Berry.
DeleteI think that Berry Gordy's accomplishment can never really be matched. I believe some have come close, but no one has been able to match his success. Rap music has allowed for many Black men to make fortunes and have their own business. I would say Sean Carter and Sean Combs are the closest anyone has come to matching Berry.
ReplyDeleteI would also say you see the same thing with Dr. Dre and also Kendrick Lamar's label. Dre is responsible for two of the biggest acts in hip hop, and each artist on Kendrick's label has released an album that has gone platinum.
DeleteI think it is possible to have a label that is independent and like Motown, the only variable is that the talent has to be good for all artists. Labels like Motown only succeeded because of the homegrown talent it created.
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