O.k.--

Although I felt it beneath me to reply to a Stevie Wonder isn't soul post, but there is a pretty major idea that is not being addressed. And Warren Coolidge let you all know this so that we can end this confusion.

Let's remember that Mowtown had a specific purpose. The wanted to try and present Black soul music to the masses. The masses meaning white folks too. Now, at the time they were doing this, they could not accomplish their goal by having their artists be Raw, sexy, overt, etc. Doing this would have ruined any chances they had for sucess, and put some of their artists in real danger. It was not appropriate to have young white girls swooning over black male artists who were raw and sexual.

So, Mr. Gordy put togethor a brilliant system that would allow his artists to cross over, without alienating the white powers that be. He wanted them on the Ed Sullivan show and the like. So these folks were trained from jump how to do this. "Pop" music may be short for popular, but only looking at it like that makes folks miss the boat in a major way. For Motown artists to gain success and acceptence, there had to be a non-threatening "bubble gummish" element to their music. This element decresed as the artists became more established and gained more creative control, but it is the soil that these people grew from. Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson were born from this and it affected their artistry for ever.

Another point, Staxx records saw what was happening at mowtown, and decided to go in a different direction. They were less concerned with the crossover image of their artists. So, Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Booker T., etc. came out with records that kept the raw blues/gospel based soul right in front.

So, to look at Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder and say that this song was pop, or that song was pop, without looking at the origins of these artists and the philosophy behind how they were initially marketed, is not fair. Marvin Gaye made songs that crossed over because that is what they were trained to do. Even after he had more artistic controll, the theories is artistry was nurtured upon were still their and he knew how to make so-called "pop" records. From Little Stevie Wonder to Songs in the Key of life Stevie, there is a progression, but his initial influences were still there. One thing about folks that started on Mowtown....they knew how to make a pop record. They were some of the most dynamic song writers ever.

Lionel Ritchie
Stevie Wonder
Michael Jackson (not as much a writer, but the king of Pop)
Rick James
Marvin Gaye
Smokey Robinson

All of these guys have written a variety of different style songs. And they all got their start on Mowtown.. These folks know/knew how to make pop records as well as straight soul, funk, whatever....

Deal with the origins more brother AF....



P.s.---This is from the book titled The Complex Brain of Mr. Warren Coolidge at around noon 2/20/02...not availble in hard cover or paper back....just grey matter and experiences...