New Box Set-- Holland-Dozier-Holland and Motown

[Canard]

Edit: coffee had not kicked in when I first posted this.

The music business ain't pretty; it just looks that way.

War, disastrous sex and a lot of lawsuits: the chaotic aftermath of Motown’s peak years

Disenchanted with Motown, star songwriters Holland-Dozier-Holland set up a pair of bold new labels: Hot Wax and Invictus. As a new box set is released, its artists remember their personal, political songs – and exhausting battles

www.theguardian.com

 

[tonepoet]

Holland-Dozier-Holland was a fantastic songwriting team. Growing up in the Detroit suburbs during the Motown era, we kids got a huge dose of Motown on the radio and it was a great experience.

tonepoet
www.jackshiner.com

 

[davismanLV]

I grew up on Motown. Some of the best music ever.... seriously troubled history though. Great article!!

 

[tonepoet]

Berry Gordy's move to L.A. from Detroit was pretty ugly. According to the members of the Motown house band The Funk Brothers (who you hear on nearly all the Motown recordings done in Detroit) they were not even given notice. They showed up at the Motown studio and there was a sign on the door saying that Motown was closed and had moved to L.A. No notice, no severance pay, no one was asked if they'd like to relocate to L.A. and continue being the house band... nothing!

The 2002 documentary about the Funk Brothers called "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" is highly recommended. Between The Funk Brothers (Detroit), The Wrecking Crew (L.A.) and The Swampers (Muscle Shoals, AL) just about any hit from the 1960s and 1970s had one of those 3 bands recording the music. A fascinating story of how the music/recording business was during those decades.