Tamla

Tamla on vinyl: where Motown began

In short: It all started with Tamla: Berry Gordy founded this label in Detroit in 1959 – before the Motown label itself. This is where the records of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder came out. Into the eighties Tamla remained one of the company’s main labels. The Vinyl Room currently has 44 Tamla records.

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Tamla first pressings

Soul

Rhythm & blues, funk & disco

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What makes Tamla special?

The name was meant to be “Tammy”, after a Debbie Reynolds hit – because it was already taken, it became Tamla. The first big hits came quickly: “Shop Around” by the Miracles (1960) and “Please Mr. Postman” by the Marvelettes (1961).

We have Marvin Gaye’s Tamla albums from “When I’m Alone I Cry” to “Let’s Get It On”, Stevie Wonder from “The 12 Year Old Genius” to “Fulfillingness’ First Finale”, records by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and the solo albums of Eddie Kendricks, who came from the Temptations. Add Valerie Simpson’s “Exposed” and “Keep It Comin’”.

FAQ

What’s the difference between Tamla and Motown? Both belonged to Berry Gordy’s company in Detroit. Tamla was the first label (1959), Motown followed shortly after; there were further labels such as Gordy and Soul.

What is “Tamla Motown”? The name used from 1965 for releases in the UK and Europe – a separate export label, not the same as Tamla in the US.

Does Tamla still exist? In 1988 Tamla was merged into the Motown label; since 2023 the label has been back.

Which Tamla records do you have? Sixties and seventies soul and rhythm & blues – 44 records in all.