Sound of Young America

Got another mix coming down the pike -- Motown Gems contains 25 of my fave not-so-famous songs from Motown, Gordy, Tamla, Soul and VIP. I have to give credit to my friend Dan, the walking talking '60s Motown encyclopedia, for introducing a few of them. This stuff is really amazing, especially when slight funk and psych elements started creeping in around '67 or '68. Once Berry Gordy moved his base of operations from Detroit to L.A. in 1971, that distinct sound was fading and an era had ended (sigh). I end the mix with a non-hit single from that year - Martha Reeves & the Vandellas' "Bless You". Written and produced by The Corporation (Jackson 5), the song now sounds like a buoyant but strangely sad last-gasp of the ol' Motown spirit.
Posted by mhinrichs at March 11, 2005 05:10 PM