David Cantwell wrote:
>I can see, I guess, how we might argue that Chess paved the way for Motown
>in that it proved there was a crossover market for black artists (Chuck
>Berry, Bo Diddley), but if that's what you mean, why not also include King
>or Imperial and whoever else?
Excellent point. The oh-by-the-way indie's and the major label offshoots
did provide a stylistic vehicle by which major labels honed their artists.
>More to the point, though, how is it that, without Stax, "there probably
>wouldn't have been a Motown"? In truth, the two labels followed almost
>eerily simultaneous paths to success. However, if we have to choose a
>chicken or egg here, it's clearly Motown that came first, not Stax.
Well, as names go that is true, but wasn't Satellite just renamed Stax after
there was a name conflict with another record company? I do believe
Satellite was in operation in 1957.
>
>If our standard is which label released the first single, then Motown wins:
>Smokey and the Miracles' "Way Over There" came out on Tamla the summer of
>1959. Stax's first release (actually called Satelite at the time) was The
>Veltones' "Fool In Love" from September, '59.
Wasn't "Blue Roses" the first Satellite release in '57?
>
>This seems off. Presley fused country and r&b to create rockabilly, not r&b
>and rockabilly to create...what? (In fact, without r&b in the first place,
>how do you even get rockabilly, let alone transfer r&b back to it?)
Whoa, wait a minute. I said image concept. Now, I will give you that in
trying to keep the post short I did not explain my "phrase" as it were, but
I was definitely talking "image". Presley took some raw energy from r&b
performers (vocal phrasing, timing and inflection) and added that to his
overall "sound". Sooo, I was trying to equate his fusion of style
"concepts" to the current wave of "hot country" acts, in particular Shania
Twain whose image much like Presley's preceeded her in terms of gossip and
anticipation. Well, no one took a bite on this so I'll not go any further
noting similarities in career ascension..
I've deferred on my response to this as I've been trying to find an old
article clipping in which Berry talks about his beginnings and how he
credits Chess, Stax (and others) as the impetous for his success.
>
>Do I like Motown? Hell yes! Indeed, catalogue to catalogue, and with a gun
>to my head, I'd prefer its output to Stax's, though barring the gun I don't
>really see any need to choose.
Stax was gritty and Motown was pretty. I love both, except I think Stewart
allowed more artistic freedom, whereas I've heard that Gordy flaunted the
whip with his artists. Much good music came out of Motown, but still I have
to wonder how much of it was "manufactured" for top 40 sake?
Tera
