The Motown Sound

One of the many important aspects of Motown's early years was the attention to creating a kind of "brand" for the label, not just in their visual marketing but also by making recordings that had a distinctive kind of sound and musical style. Musicologist Rob Bowman gives a good synopsis of it:

Motown's distinctive sound developed from a policy of using the same teams of songwriters and producers, the same musicians and the same studio for virtually every recording. Although there was a fair degree of latitude in the realization of this sound from artist to artist, there were a number of important general characteristics. While the basic pulse was always articulated by a variety of instruments (sometimes aided by handclaps and foot stamping rooted in gospel music) and featured prominently in the mix, the backbeat was often minimized. The lead instrument was commonly a non-rock or rhythm and blues instrument such as a bassoon, english horn or vibraphone. The production tended to emphasize the lead singer in the mix with the instrumental accompaniment, blended in a fashion clearly influenced by the dense ‘wall of sound’ productions of Phil Spector. The high end of the sound register was often favoured as were composite timbres frequently produced by combining up to four sound sources. James Jamerson’s bass lines were more tonally developed (involving a high level of chromaticism and passing notes) than many of the time. Lyrics tended to be rich in internal rhyme, alliteration, metaphor and other poetic devices, and songs tended to have multiple hooks.

• Bowman, Rob. 2001 "Motown."  Grove Music Online .

Motown's first success, The Marvelettes and their 1961 hit "Please Mr. Postman," is very clearly in the mold of The Ronettes and other girl groups.

Note: Be sure to enlarge the video using the upper right icon with an arrow and box so you can see the interactive text.

In a lot of ways, "Please Mr. Postman" is a pretty conventional early 60s girl group song, but it's also undeniably catchy and charming. A group of up-and-coming young men from Liverpool, England certainly thought highly of it.

More sophisticated production is evident on The Temptations "My Girl," written by Smokey Robinson. It draws pretty clearly from the Phil Spector playbook, utilizing strings, horns, and a similar sense of musical layering and songwriting craft. As with Spector's "Be My Baby," the song's simplicity is deceptive; everything about it is designed to grab your attention, build anticipation, and provide a satisfying payoff (but without calling attention to the magic "behind the curtain"). The video below also highlights Motown's attention to choreography and television presentations, even though the performance is clearly lip-synced. Check it out:.

Note: Be sure to enlarge the video using the upper right icon with an arrow and box so you can see the interactive text.

As you look through other early Motown hits by  The Supremes ,  Smokey Robinson ,  Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell ,  Stevie Wonder , and others, this kind of craftsmanship is clearly evident. But you'll also notice that although there is clearly a method at work, it's not an assembly line either, as each hit song has something distinct and unique that sets it apart.