Motown

Motown on vinyl: the sound of Detroit

In short: Motown was founded in Detroit by Berry Gordy in 1959 and shaped sixties soul like no other label: The Supremes, The Temptations, Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5. The sound from the small “Hitsville U.S.A.” studio became famous worldwide. The Vinyl Room currently has 78 Motown records, above all soul from the sixties and seventies.

From our stock

Motown first pressings

Soul

Funk & disco

New in

→ Soul & funk on vinyl · Soul · Stax · How to spot a first pressing

What makes Motown special?

Berry Gordy had worked on a car assembly line – and built his record company in a similar way: in-house songwriters such as Holland–Dozier– Holland, a fixed studio band, the Funk Brothers, and a house in Detroit where recording went on day and night. The result was a sound that reached Black and white listeners alike.

The Supremes are especially well represented in our stock – with Diana Ross and after she left –, plus their duets with The Temptations and the Four Tops. From the seventies and eighties come Willie Hutch, the Dazz Band, Diana Ross’ “The Boss” and Stevie Wonder’s “Characters”.

How to tell your Motown edition

Motown had several sister labels: Tamla, Gordy and Soul. In the US, Stevie Wonder for example mostly came out on Tamla, while in Europe many of these records were released with a Motown label. Country, catalogue number and label show which edition you have – check them in the description, and if anything’s missing, just ask us.

FAQ

Who founded Motown? Berry Gordy, in Detroit in 1959.

What does “Hitsville U.S.A.” mean? That was the name of the house in Detroit where Motown recorded its hits – today the Motown Museum.

Why do some Stevie Wonder records say “Tamla”? Tamla was a Motown sister label. In the US many records came out there, in Europe often with a Motown label.

What music do you have on Motown? Mostly soul, plus funk, disco and rhythm & blues – 78 records in all.