What is classed as "Motown" ?

My band has been asked to do a Motown set for an event next year - what counts as "Motown" for you ?

Well in theory anything that was on the Motown label is Motown. 

Sounds like fun, good luck with that!

Tom Jones used to do that for a living. Many of his versions of the era are pretty cool. He has a good album 'Live in Las Vegas" with Chris Slade on drums – a fine Welsh drummer who went on to play with AC/DC in the early 90s.

Despite my Dad having both Motown and Atlantic specific compilation LPs when I was a kid, I was shocked recently to find that to him "Motown" basically.just meant any US soul music from that classic era.

Well, I have many of the most iconic albums from Motown and Atlantic and I am 100% guilty of putting them in the same bag  

Moltisanti said:

My band has been asked to do a Motown set for an event next year - what counts as "Motown" for you ?

Something produced my Motown Records...

Motown = any 60's/70's upbeat Soul music

Northern Soul = a *very* specific list of tracks which if you deviate from will result in the stage being invaded by angry middle aged men in knitted tank tops.

GoFish said:

Saying that, "classic" soul music from that era has been referred to as Motown (like Hoover or Tannoy). 

For our non-UK fretboarders: Hoover is a brand traditionally associated with vacuum cleaners, to the point that we say things like 'I am going to hoover the carpet', etc.

Earlier this year I was trying to sell my Hoover STEAM CLEANER on FB marketplace and 3 out of 4 people who came to see it thought they were buying a vacuum cleaner which, for some reason, had a built-in steamer. Because why not.

Yorkie said:

GoFish said:

Saying that, "classic" soul music from that era has been referred to as Motown (like Hoover or Tannoy). 

For our non-UK fretboarders: Hoover is a brand traditionally associated with vacuum cleaners

Point of order: Hoover is an American brand, sold all over the world for the last 100 years. You can pretty much tell the age of someone by what they call a vacuum cleaner here in Oz: My grandmother's generation would often say "Electrolox the floor" (Electrolux being a gigantic Swedish company that cornered the market up until about 1960. My mother's generation (born around 1940) would mostly say "Hoover the floor". After about 1980, people stopped using either term and just say "vacuum". 

Traditionally everything on Motown Records, but I suppose more broadly, it could be anything with the 'Motown' sound. And there's a lot of that.

There is a dictionary definition: 'an upbeat, often pop-influenced style of rhythm and blues associated with the city of Detroit and with numerous Black vocalists and vocal groups since the 1950s, characterized by compact, danceable arrangements.'

Good article here: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20190109-motown-the-music-that-changed-america

oh_pollo said:

Motown = any 60's/70's upbeat Soul music

Northern Soul = a *very* specific list of tracks which if you deviate from will result in the stage being invaded by angry middle aged men in knitted tank tops.

They're very athletic too...there'll be legs all over the shop!

Mowtown?

Revolutions said:

Mowtown?

Is that their equivalent of when 1000 guitarists turn up to a stadium somewhere and knock-out 'Smoke on the Water'?

GoFish said:

I'll give a more purist perspective and say Motown is what was on the label only, or even just what was done by the House msuicians and singers. This still leaves a huge catalogue of hits to chose from. Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, Diana Ross, Jacksons etc all had hits outside of Motown and these would have to be on a case by case basis. The music, in the 60s at least, was identifiably disctinct from Chess, Altantic / Stax.

Saying that, "classic" sould music from that era has been referred to as Motown (like Hoover or Tannoy). Northern Soul had a large Motown component. Some of the poppier Southern USA acts like Sam & Dave totally work in the idiom. Booker T, Aretha, Otis, Sam Cooke - hell, Ray Charles is close enough for Rock n Soul. I'm pretty sure the Blues Brothers never played any Motown but you'd swear they did! It's all good stuff.

I would be tempted to clarify if the organiser wants "Motown" or "motown", just in case. You wouldn't expect to get  way with playing ELO in a Beatles' set. The Supremes are very different to Etta James for example and there is a clear North / South divide in there. Here in the UK we're a bit of a broad church so it should all be welcomed, but best to make sure.

In the UK as well as the Northern soul stuff some of the Philly sound records were huge here (O'Jays, Three Degrees,etc) although I think think this is a little later than classic Motown. 
If I wanted 90 minutes of soul I'd probably stick on a Mod Soul compilation, very 1960s and RnB as much as soul really. Stuff you can imagine getting sweaty to and I'm not usually a fan of too much orchestration. But absolutely the OP needs to get a bit of clarification from the person booking the gig. 

There’s Atlantic, there’s Motown, and then there’s this

Try the web on a search term like "greatest Motown hits".  Practice up 6 or 8 that you like, and by the time you've done that you'll have a pretty good feel for it and easily find more.

Hint for young players: Do NOT try turning up to the gig in blackface. :)