KVR Audio

fantasyvn · Post by **fantasyvn** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 7:59 pm

Could you advise on this historical issue?

Is Motown's Berry Gordy a bad person? I have read some books, which accused Mr. Gordy of ripping off many of his singers and songwriters.

But then on YouTube, you can also find a recent video, where he was honoured by First Lady Obama at the White House in a programme about Motown music.

So I don't know how he is seen by people in and outside the music industry. As time goes by, is he appreciated more and more?

Thank you

robogone · Post by **robogone** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 8:14 pm

Who knows? People generally get honored for their contributions to music, regardless of their personal or business affairs.

SODDI · Post by **SODDI** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 8:30 pm

Try the movie "Standing in the Shadows of Motown". Not a lot of scandal, some GREAT music and backstory. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314725/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Also note that most of the Motown house band, The Funk Bros., had to sneak out of Detroit to record this hit. This includes bass god James Jamerson. If Gordy found out about it, they never would have worked for Motown again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIDeK7bV ... IDeK7bVfUk

knowix · Post by **knowix** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 9:03 pm

Plus he begat LMFAO.

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 9:27 pm

Berry Gordy is an angel sent from heaven.
My God, all the great music we'd have missed.

RunBeerRun · Post by **RunBeerRun** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 9:41 pm

mellotronaut · Post by **mellotronaut** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 9:47 pm

osiris wrote:Berry Gordy is an angel sent from heaven.
My God, all the great music we'd have missed.

+1

RunBeerRun · Post by **RunBeerRun** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 9:54 pm

I don't think because Michelle Obama gave him recognition means anything specific. Definitely not what the original post asks, whether he was rough to artists, but rather what he DID do.

I don't think any presidential family is going to be all opinionated. Still not sure who he is.

SODDI · Post by **SODDI** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 11:12 pm

osiris wrote:Berry Gordy is an angel sent from heaven.
My God, all the great music we'd have missed.

Holland-Dozier-Holland is the real musical holy trinity

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland-Dozier-Holland

But, on the other hand, Barry Gordy did purchase this one-of-a-kind synth that musical genius Raymond Scott invented.

I believe Mark Mothersbaugh owns this monstrosity now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDIIfAM ... DIIfAMGLhM

BertKoor · Post by **BertKoor** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 1:23 pm

fantasyvn wrote:Is Motown's Berry Gordy a bad person? I have read some books, which accused Mr. Gordy of ripping off many of his singers and songwriters.

He was a business man and tried to make money. Can you blame him? Moved the whole lot to LA without telling his personnel! Not nice indeed...

I don't know about "ripping off". When there's a contract, then two parties supposedly have agreed on the terms. If one party later thinks the distribution of money is unfair, then they could try to negotiate a new contract. That's what Stevie Wonder did around 1969/70 or thereabout. He wanted full control over his own music, asked Berry Gordy and got it (after some years of struggle!) In the documentary "Soul Genius" (2013, Arte, by Simon Willer & Hannes Rosacher) I think it was Martha Reeves that said she'd envied him and regretted she hadn't done the same thing.

If you've watched the movie Dreamgirls, the character Curly Taylor is roughly based on, but not the same person as Berry Gordy. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berry_Gord ... ar_culture . Granted, he did have a mistress and illegit son.

In my opinion James Brown was much worse as a character.

Oh well...

"Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone."

budweiser · Post by **budweiser** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 1:32 pm

SODDI wrote: Holland-Dozier-Holland is the real musical holy trinity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland-Dozier-Holland

+1. They wrote so much fantastic hits !

BERFAB · Post by **BERFAB** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 1:52 pm

Artists can always be better compensated. However, unless someone with a business head can popularize their art, they will continue to toil in obscurity, or not at all.

Berry Gordy was a business man. He took risks. He also took the lion's share of the profits, which is the reward for assuming risk.

Read a few books on him and draw your own conclusions.

-B

robogone · Post by **robogone** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 3:05 pm

Like anyone that runs a major record company (or at least in the time when they were run by individuals) the man has to juggle artistic integrity with business sense. He might have made some decisions that weren't in the best interests of the artists from time to time, but there's no doubt that he provided a platform for some of the greatest recording artists of all time to share their music with the world.

I can certainly think of people who were much more uncaring about the artists that they had influence over - Tom Parker, Don Arden, Allen Klein, etc. I'm not sure if any Motown artists ever sued for withheld earnings (Although I think Michael Jackson may have done unsuccessfully), but in general I think most of the artists were happy enough with what they got.

Numanoid · Post by **Numanoid** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 3:17 pm

RunBeerRun wrote:I don't think because Michelle Obama gave him recognition means anything specific.

+1 Henry Kissinger got awarded the Nobel Peace Prize didn't he

Numanoid · Post by **Numanoid** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 3:22 pm

SODDI wrote:I believe Mark Mothersbaugh owns this monstrosity now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDIIfAM ... DIIfAMGLhM

Some more info here:
http://www.laweekly.com/2007-12-06/musi ... re-mutato/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronium

Somebody should make a Kontakt instrument of that