Is Motown a "dead" genre?

And, yes, I think of it as its own genre....

Just got a contract back yesterday and the planner had "No Motown Please" written on it..... And my last wedding I was told, "No Motown unless asked".... Now this would make me VERY upset if true. I guess it really is a sub genre, rather than its own genre, but to me, Motown is the greatest sub genre of music in history.

40 years after it was created, to me, at least, it still feels quite fresh.

I'm pretty sad, if this is a developing trend.

Haven't had anyone tell me no "Motown"....yet.:sqwink:

Sit down Papa, because I'm going to have to agree with you here. Motown music was some of the finest sounds that America ever produced and for me it will live forever.

Now, were the people that said no "Motown"....honkies? Can I say that here or will I be chastised?:sqwink:

LOL, yes, "honkies"...

Maybe I brought it on myself in the way my planner is written. For each style I play, I have a place where the client can check...

As much as you want

Some

Very Little

None unless asked

None at all


Or something to that effect. They check off what they want.

Well just take that option out for Motown and tell those racist honkies that they better be ready to groove to some classic tunes....:sqwink::sqwink:

Remember Johnny Rivers practically made his whole career out of covering Motown songs....:sqrolleyes::sqrolleyes:

What Kind of retards would nix Motown :sqerr::sqerr: I would almost pass on that event because of that stupidity, petty maybe. Motown is alive and well and ALL of Barry's Shows. sign sealed and delivered!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay Barry is going on what might seem a self serving rant. This is not about ego but a simple belief on my part, I believe we should not give too many options to the people who hire us period! I understand the concept of Papa's option list but strongly disagree with it.

We are the professionals, music is what we do, reading a crowd is what we do. I care more about the 100 or 200 or so guest having a good time than some Dumb%%% who hired me to perform nixing songs that he or she does'nt like!. As said by Spock, "The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the one". (Spock dies Kirk grieves you know the rest) I am not totally inflexible, if a bride ask for no heavy metal I understand but I bet she will have some guest who want to hear Shook me all night long! People can ruin an event if we let them.

I'd almost place a bet, that what they meant by no Motown, actually means no rap/hip hop...


I haven't seen a lot of new work in what I consider the original Motown genre, in ages.

I think a lot of folks lump the new rap/hip hop junk in with Motown in their brains, because many rappers are black, and Motown is obviously associated with black folks, as they mainly defined the genre.

I think it's sad that they do associate it that way, but that is just the way many people think...

Thoughts...?

The customer is always right.

However, the customer is not always the right customer.



When two people want to make stupid decisions for two hundred, I'm out.
Next please?

i still get tons of requests for motown.

Motown will live forever . . .

Different events with different hosts, regional tastes, age groups, yada, yada, yada, will want different music and as was pointed out, sometimes you will run into hosts that don't know what they're doing that can pick music that isn't best for the majority of the crowd. This is an anomaly and certainly no trend. Good music has staying power and will still be good long into the future. That goes for any genre.

Motown IS Philly, though.... ( yes, I know, Detroit )... Gamble and Huff, are from Philly and wrote so many of those Motown hits. I'd be willing to say that Philly was more Motown, than Motown... :sqwink:

Motown IS Philly, though.... ( yes, I know, Detroit )... Gamble and Huff, are from Philly and wrote so many of those Motown hits. I'd be willing to say that Philly was more Motown, than Motown... :sqwink:

TSOP!!!!!!!!!!

What the hell.. I'm black and I don't even like playing Motown.. If asked then I will rock out a nice Motown set. The people that ask for Motown in my area are the Wealthy Honkeys.
To answer your question I think motown is a dead genre.

Whats pigment have to do with Music:sqerr: I'm white and Don't like rock but I know other people is quite fond of it and just because I don't like it does not mean it's dead. Wealthy Honkeys lets not use racial slurrs here please.

What the hell.. I'm black and I don't even like playing Motown.. If asked then I will rock out a nice Motown set. The people that ask for Motown in my area are the Wealthy Honkeys.
To answer your question I think motown is a dead genre.

Fellas... Kirby and I (or at least I ) were kidding..... maybe we needed an "I'm Kidding"... smilie.

ok BS and I yes Barry Stamper and I were discussing how to alleviate the case of the dumb ass and make them think they chose the change. Merely use the Right quiz. Barry you have my permission to explain LOL.

Motown....??? What's that?

The only Motown I ever play is a My Girl. Then again I may have played it only once all year. I hear motown sung at karaoke every once in a while but don't play it at events.

Motown....??? What's that?

C'mon Cam, seriously...?


You never play any Marvin, Al Green, Otis, Aretha, Smokey, Stevie, et. al...?

If I put Let's Stay Together on right now, I could fill the floor with teens, to old farts like myself ;)


Good music, is good music.

Okay Barry is going on what might seem a self serving rant. This is not about ego but a simple belief on my part, I believe we should not give too many options to the people who hire us period! I understand the concept of Papa's option list but strongly disagree with it.

We are the professionals, music is what we do, reading a crowd is what we do. I care more about the 100 or 200 or so guest having a good time than some Dumb%%% who hired me to perform nixing songs that he or she does'nt like!. As said by Spock, "The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the one". (Spock dies Kirk grieves you know the rest) I am not totally inflexible, if a bride ask for no heavy metal I understand but I bet she will have some guest who want to hear Shook me all night long! People can ruin an event if we let them.

Excellent Post Barry........Thats why they hire us and not the guy down the street who can push "play". I would not take that gig if it were me. I have had clients say they don't like this or that, but they have always left it up to me, in essence, what they are really interested in, is that their guests have a good time.

Barry your reply is requested. Tell em what we talked about using the RIGHT word to turn the tables and allow them to make the call.

C'mon Cam, seriously...?


You never play any Marvin, Al Green, Otis, Aretha, Smokey, Stevie, et. al...?

If I put Let's Stay Together on right now, I could fill the floor with teens, to old farts like myself ;)


Good music, is good music.


No, not at all.

I do play the Shaggy remake of Let's Get It On once in a while

This list of Motown artists looks pretty complete and shows what a number of outstanding artists (and a few that aren't) there were over the years.


1950s and 1960s
George Clinton (as songwriter)
Mabel John
Marv Johnson
Barrett Strong
The Miracles (later Smokey Robinson & the Miracles)
Mary Wells
Marvin Gaye
Edward Holland, Jr.
The Andantes
The Contours
Shorty Long
The Marvelettes
The Supremes (later Diana Ross & the Supremes)
The Temptations
Stevie Wonder (originally Little Stevie Wonder)
Jimmy Ruffin
David Ruffin
Kim Weston
Martha & the Vandellas (later Martha Reeves & the Vandellas)
Dorsey Burnette
Howard Crockett
The Four Tops
Florence Ballard
Carolyn Crawford
Brenda Holloway
Patrice Holloway
The Velvelettes
Jr. Walker & the All Stars
Chris Clark
Tammi Terrell
The Monitors
The Spinners
The Isley Brothers
The Elgins
The Originals
Gladys Knight & the Pips
Dennis Edwards
Syreeta Wright
Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers
Edwin Starr
Rare Earth
The Jackson 5
R. Dean Taylor
Blinky

1970s
Ashford & Simpson
Diana Ross
Kiki Dee
Undisputed Truth
Stoney & Meatloaf
Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons
Eddie Kendricks
G.C. Cameron
Willie Hutch
Michael Jackson
Jermaine Jackson
Smokey Robinson
Thelma Houston
The Commodores
Rick James
Bonnie Pointer

1980s
DeBarge
Rockwell
Lionel Richie
Teena Marie
Chico DeBarge
Siedah Garrett

1990s
Boyz II Men
Tony! Toni! Toné!
Shanice
Johnny Gill
The Good Girls
Brian McKnight
Queen Latifah
Erykah Badu
702
98 Degrees
Debelah Morgan


2000s
Drake Bell
India.Arie
Her Sanity
Dave Hollister
Remy Shand
JenE
Sparkle (singer)
Black Coffey
Trav and Journalist
Q-Tip
Michael McDonald
Sharissa
Kem
Trina Broussard
Dina Rae
Trick Trick
Yummy Bingham
Damian Marley
Jada
Stephen Marley
Penelope Jones
Mya
Lindsay Lohan
Mycale

So in fact most likely Cam does play Motown... What no Trick Trick?

No, not at all.


Alright Cam, that's it -- you ain't doin' my next wedding... :sqlaugh:

Maybe it's me... but I can't see a dance party hap'nin' without some old school Motown. :)

I've gotta admit that I was a bit shocked to see the middle school pups gittin' down to The Contours' Do You Love Me. :eek: I'd just wrapped up a set of some head-bangin' crap or other that had most of the students in their chairs....

When I started that Contours song, the floor filled. Hot damn... I'm on a roll now. And I thought this stuff only worked at the VFW, lol. Sugar Pie Honey Bunch followed and the floor stayed filled. Slammed 'em with The Twist and dem pups rocked the house.

Came to learn later from chatting with one of the teachers that the pups had been exposed to the old school Motown sound in class as part of their music course. They knew the tunes. :)

Heck, you could call Amy Winehouse' work Motown...in sound. Back To Black starts reeking of Baby Love from the first note, Rehab could have been a great Martha and the Vandellas song, LOL.

Motown will ALWAYS live. The sound is ingrained on our musical psyche.

I've seen similar questions about 50's, doo wop, etc. This music has stood the test of time and anyone who thinks it is dead needs to visit the world wide web and do some research. And you will be surprised how many people from outside this time frame love the music.
One would have to question the knowledge and reason of a person that request motown not be played. There are people out there so ignorant that they think motown is old school hip hop. lol

The customer is always right.

However, the customer is not always the right customer.



When two people want to make stupid decisions for two hundred, I'm out.
Next please?

I would say "....the prospect is not always the right customer.

And I am totally on board with "NO RAP OR HEAVY METAL" clients....these are the people who have built my business from day one.

Nowaday, "NO RAP" means no ghetto hardcore explicit rappers (but BGB, Tone Loc, Will Smith, and even clean 50 cents' song are OK with a lot of these folks).

Likewise, even "NO METAL" clients will let me play Led Zep, or even AC/DC ("No Metal" nowadays means no Slayer, no Megadeth, etc)

but a no Motown client?

That would mean that I could not play "My Girl," nor "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green, nor Rick James "Super Freak", nor Commodores "Brick House". Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Four Tops, Supremes.......the list goes on and on.....probably 100 DNP's overall.

I could not work under those circumstances....my instinct would be to offer them their retainer back in full....and if its a busy date I'd just work one of the "extras" that I already booked.

Another likely scenario, one I've never done before, would be to switch the gigs between myself and my other DJ. (If I had not promised in writing to be the performer at that event).

I play motown at almost every gig.Funny that Kirby mentioned that a mostly white event would not want any Mowtown.Most requests for rap/ hip hop come from white guests,Soulja Boy,Eminem, Kanye West,T-pain,50 Cent,etc.