In an in-depth series first broadcast in 1984, Stuart Grundy continues the story of Motown. Motown entered the 70s fit, fresh and ready for the fray. Having grown from nothing to become one of the world’s most recognisable brands, there was no reason to assume that the music it made in the new decade would not be as successful as the previous one. Motown had the vast majority of its stars still in harness. It was no longer entirely associated with the thumping sound that characterised its mid-60s – though, handily, it still had a certain cachet, and songs recorded in the 60s would become hits for the company in the 70s, such as Smokey Robinson And The Miracles’ ʻTears Of A Clown’.
The label’s first generation of stars were growing into skilled writers and producers, though in 1970 their status was not entirely assured.
Look out for the next episode https://www.mixcloud.com/john-grant4/playlists/tamla/
