Old-Time Rock ‘n’ Roll:
How The 1980s Embraced 1950s and 1960s Oldies Music
Motown Records and Its Alumni
Motown Records first started as Tamla Records in January 1959. Notable Motown artists of the 1960’s include The Miracles (led by Smokey Robinson), The Marvelettes, Mary Wells, The Contours, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Martha & the Vandellas, and The Supremes. Dick Clark and Ed Sullivan promoted Motown acts on their shows. The Beatles promoted Motown tunes by covering songs, such as Money (That’s What I Want),
Please Mr. Postman,
and You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me.
The Jackson 5, a young family band featuring future megastar Michael Jackson, signed in 1968. During the 1970’s, many acts, such as the Jacksons, left Motown for record companies that promised them more money and respect. After proving she could rule the 1980 airwaves with hits like I’m Coming Out,
It’s My Turn,
and Upside Down,
Diana Ross, the former lead singer of The Supremes, left Motown for RCA. Stevie Wonder remained.
Songwriter turned Motown record mogul Berry Gordy discovered Stevie Wonder. People were amazed that Wonder had rhythm, due to his blindness, so they gave him instruments, such as a harmonica, drums, a piano, and he mastered them. Born with the name Stevland Morris, he had hoped to retain his name as a musician. Motown felt he needed a stage name. Someone had mentioned Stevie was a wonder
due to his talents, so the name Stevie Wonder stuck. Wonder’s 1963 first single Fingertips (Part 2)
hit number one at the same time the Fingertips LP album hit number one, an accomplishment not many artist up to that time made. Stevie Wonder hit it big in 1965 with hits such as Uptight (Everything’s Alright),
and I Was Made to Love Her.
In 1968, Wonder had a big hit with For Once in My Life.
Wonder, unfortunately, could not touch money earned from his royalties until he turned 21 in 1971.
Photo: "Recording artist Stevie Wonder receives a standing ovation during “The Motown Sound: In Performance at the White House" by U.S. Embassy Jakarta, Indonesia is licensed under CC PDM 1.0
Wonder stayed with Motown during the seventies. During that decade, he had hits such as Superstition,
and You Are the Sunshine of My Life.
He snagged several Grammy Awards during that decade. Wonder had a big 1982 duet hit with Paul McCartney. His biggest hit of the eighties came in 1985 when I Just Called To Say I Love You
reached number one. This song, being on The Woman in Red soundtrack, earned Wonder an Oscar for Best Song.
Marvin
Like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye started out in the sixties with Motown Records. His big hits are I Heard It Through the Grapevine,
and What’s Going On?
After remaining with Motown through the seventies, CBS Records bought out his contract with Motown in 1982, mainly because Gaye had enough of Motown. In 1982, Gaye’s first number one hit since 1971 came with Sexual Healing.
He won a Grammy for Best Male Vocal and Best Instrumental Performance.
Like so many people in the music industry, Gaye had a drug addiction. In 1984, Gaye, living with his parents, had been out of control, abusing women, and threatening people, including his parents. Gaye’s father, himself a closet abusive alcoholic hiding under the camouflage of being a well-respected preacher, had enough of Marvin. After he and Marvin argued and physically fought over a misplaced insurance letter, he shot his son twice in the chest. This senseless 1984 April Fools Day shooting shocked America. Gaye’s father only received a involuntary manslaughter charge with five years probation (no jail time) due to his insistence that he didn’t know the .38 revolver contained ammunition and the fact that he himself had large bruises from the altercation. Upset by Gaye’s passing, The Commodores released The Night Shift,
a tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson.