Motown Sound

The Motown sound is the signature Pop Soul style developed by the Detroit label Motown Records, founded by Berry Gordy, that found huge success during the 1960s. The most major contributions to the distinctive Motown sound were the songwriting and production team Holland-Dozier-Holland and the tight-knit group of studio musicians The Funk Brothers. The general template is succinct, catchy songs and structures; complex arrangements, often with multiple drummers and guitarists; Gospel-influenced vocals (lead and backing harmonies); highly melodic and rhythmic bass lines (with embellished 'passing notes' inbetween chord progressions); tambourine-heavy 4-4 drum patterns; pounding, often syncopated piano parts; regular use of horn and string sections; and historically a distinctive reverb and treble-heavy production which was effective for AM radio broadcasts. During the mid-1960s, Four Tops, The Temptations and Girl Group The Supremes exemplified the Motown sound, with Billboard Top 100 No. 1 hits such as "I Can't Help Myself", "My Girl" and "Where Did Our Love Go" respectively. Plenty of music released on Motown does not use the Motown sound, especially from the 1970s onwards, as well as considering several subsidiary labels specialising in other genres such as Jazz, Country and Rock. Some artists and producers not on Motown made music emulating the Motown sound, for example The Foundations and Fontella Bass. Motown acts and music made by small labels in the same style also made up the basis of the Northern Soul scene which gained a noteworthy following in the UK.