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Motown Records

"Hitsville USA"

• 1953 - Berry Gordy, Jr. opened a record store, called 3-D Record Mart
  • Gordy's personal taste ran toward jazz & sophisticated pop
• 1955 - 3-D failed, because patrons wanted Fats Domino & doo-wop
• 1960 - borrowed $700 to start his own record company
  • Tammie Records ... later changed to Tamla
• Gordy was responsible for financing the recording of Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)" recorded on the Anna indie label in Detroit
  • the label was named after Gordy's sister who provided some of the money for his record company, in addition to the sales of his jazz record store
• late 1960--released "Shop Around" on the Tamla label, beginning formulation of the Motown sound

Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

Shop Around

(#2, 1960)

"Ohhh Baby"

in a very short period of time, the independent label Motown became a major power in the music industry

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