Reading MOTOWN

"The Soul Of Motown" is a book from 2009 by German musicologist Torsten Groß, who interviewed the label‘s founder Berry Gordy. Though it‘s in German the item is a profound document for the Motown researcher. The author tells why Gordy first didn‘t want to give "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" to Marvin Gaye and you learn that the great innovator of Soul and tough boss created some sub-labels owned by his wife. The book is loaded with insight information from the recording sessions at the West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, better known as Hitsville USA. The great read comes with a CD of 15 classics that the writer uses to tell the label‘s timeline from the start in the Motor City to the later days in L.A. I‘ve chosen 15 other and very varying tunes in order not to spoil the wonderful project.

The illustration is from page 37 (of 158) showing Berry and Stevie (of course) and was created by Alexandra Kardinar & Volker Schlecht. A link will guide you to the book.