MOTOWN: The Sound of Young America | The ultimate visual history marking 60 years
To coincide with the 60th anniversary of the legendary record label, MOTOWN: THE SOUND OF YOUNG AMERICA, the ultimate visual history of the home to some of the greatest recording artists of all time, to be published for the first time in paperback February 5, 2019
Years in the making and now to be published for the first time in paperback to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the legendary record label, the acclaimed book is the definitive visual history of the Detroit-based independent record company that became a style unto itself, a prolific and hugely successful production line of suave, sassy, and sophisticated music through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Featuring extensive specially commissioned photography of treasures gathered from the archives, this landmark publication also captures the graphic and design iconography that underpinned Motown’s extraordinary creativity.
Packed with fresh insights gleaned from scores of interviews with key players, this exceptional and revealing volume delves into the workings of the Motown machine and details how a dedicated team of backroom believers, white and black, turned a small family business into a popular music powerhouse as America underwent momentous social and cultural changes. This was the home of such groundbreaking artists as Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, The Temptations, and many more.
“[A] dazzling visual record of the music that revolutionized a generation.” – O, The Oprah Magazine
“A tantalizing peek into the company’s ‘backroom.’” – The Detroit News
“Thoroughly researched and beautifully crafted.” – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“A photographic feast of a book.” – Variety
About the Authors
Adam White has written about music and the industry for more than forty years, and his work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Music Week, Radio & Records, The Times, NME, and elsewhere. He was editor-in-chief of Billboard, co-authored The Billboard Book of No. 1 R&B Hits and was Grammy-nominated for The Motown Story (1983) and Heaven Must Have Sent You: The Holland/Dozier/Holland Story (2005). White was vice-president of communications at Universal Music Group International from 2002 to 2012.
Barney Ales was Berry Gordy’s indispensable right-hand man and Motown’s ultimate insider, whose job was to get the records played and the company paid. He rose to become executive VP and general manager, but stayed in Detroit in 1972 when Gordy moved Motown to California. Ales became its president in Los Angeles during his return to the firm from 1975 to 1978.
Andrew Loog Oldham (foreword) discovered, then managed and produced the Rolling Stones from 1963 to 1967. He worked as a producer for Motown’s Rare Earth label during the early 1970s.
