Posted in: Music Making by tryone on April 11th, 2009 | 6 Comments
Master of the Ship.
He has created one of the most popular brand label. Which is known as Motown. But is consider in some circle a master dictator during his reign. He deny things just to be caught in mistruthlater in another interview. Like with the Jackson Five who wanted to produce their own material before leaving for Epic of Columbia Records. He proudly states nobody came to him to speak about it. But everyone knows don’t matter who the puppet President after he became chairman. He fully didn’t give up control of decisions. Just take the Supremes and the Florence Ballard dismissal. It’s always Berry Gordy you heard fired her from the group. Nobody else just him. Was the Supremes purely employees or sign acts tothe label. We must remember Gordy was the manager for the Supremes(Check out one of the Supremes album). So is he fired Florence Ballard. It stands to under stand. He also fired David Ruffin, from the Temptations. Again before Shelly Berger became their managers.
Most of Gordy family was involved in the company as acts managers. The best way to control people on the company label. You would know what they was thinking. And could report it from a confidant perspective to Berry Gordy. Who main complaint connected to his reputation is royality problems. And letting the label suffer, while concentrating so much on Prime Atitude Diana Ross. She must have been hot to have half of Motown chasing her. But being boss . Big G reeled her in. But back to his dictator reign. And this not to argue his success. But it was a new company and most owners going to be king supreme. But when he sold the label and pointed out why. He stated it was costing him more to produced than earlier. And(HE) had to make that call. Al Bell, Jay Lasker, Barney Ales(had some control)others was puppet master calling themselves President of Motown Record. He never went Records until later.
This is the end until part two comes your way.
Tryone April 16th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Barney Ales is a lost name in the history of Motown. But it stand to say, without his connection in the field of marketing and promotion(and his white skin tone). Gordy might not have been as big as they became. And Berry Gordy, mention his undying respect for this gentleman. And the many other whites, who contrubuted to the success of Motown.
tryone April 20th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Berry Gordy, main problems with his artist seems to lie mainly in royalities or those they didn’t get. His respect is tarnished mainly by this. It’s easy to be a billionaire, if you didn’t pay people. Or use politician kin within, judges who was friend. Connections in high places comes in handy.
Why so many employees/family marriages? Fugua to Gwen, later linked To G.C Cameron. Bristol to Iris Gordy. Gaye to Anna. And of course Jermaine Jackson, to Hazel Gordy. Somewhere these Gordy planted their live way ahead of the landscape.
tryone May 3rd, 2009 at 3:26 pm
I think Berry Gordy owe alot to the youth producers. Who was very created in many ways from enginers to producing with the small studio they had. Assembly line work. It had to be with all the material acts recorded at all times of the day.
tryone May 21st, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Berry Gordy have stated maybe he should have kept Motown in Detroit. But what would it has accomplished. If his artist on salary policy(like the Tempations) was still in existence. While at their expense he was under paying them or any artist their fair share. Smokey might have gotten cheated a dollar or two. But was so blinded by friendship to probably see it.
Mr. Gordy just owe alot of builders of Motown, their money and respect. No book from his viewpoint can do him justice. Just like all the movies seems to paint a pretty picture of his image.
And if Depasse is invovled. You can bet his image really going to look saintly.
tryone June 12th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Except for those. Who’s afraid. I’m sure their’s a book truly detailing the truth about Gordy. I’m surprise Barney Ales hadn’t spin a detailed novel.
C June 30th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
The article and the posts have bad verbage. Before you post an article it is best to proofread it first. It does not read right.
For instance, the last paragraph of the article states in the beginning ” Most of Gordy family was involved in the company as acts managers”
It should have read; Most of Gordy’s family were involved in the company as Managers of the artists or acts.
The way the comments are posted it seems as if the same person posted those as all of them have the same BAD verbiage.
Thank You