I know im not the only one who feels this way. And this has nothing to do with who is on the label, its just how its run. They truly have the worst marketing and Promo team, its unbelievable that they are part of Universal, the biggest company in the USA in Music. They just seem to not be able to concentrate on more than one thing at a time. I just got an email saying that they had once agin (for the 6th time) pushed the MYA cd "Liberation" back, now its scheduled for 8/14/07. The label states that is planning a second single/video and wants to have more time on it. Can they get anything right? They have sent MYA out 3 times on Promo tours and given her release dates, and now it just makes her sound like an idiot. This record was first scheduled for mid 2006, then late 2006, then early 2007, then Mid 2007, then June 26th 2007, and now 8/14/07. This is the same shit they pulled with Stevie Wonders last album, when i talked to a friend of mine who is a buyer for the Musicland chain and writes RB music articles, she told me that Universal keep bumping Stevie because they wanted to create this mystery and buzz surrounding it, the label wanted nothing less than Top 5 debut and at least 200,000 first week sales, anything less would be a failure they said. Its scary that this is what dictates releases, not about the quality of your record, but the quantity of people in stores. All i can say is that when i was working in Music Retail at the time of Stevies record, the buzz really pissed people off, and more than 75% of the people that pre-ordered the record, said fuck it and got their money back and didnt buy him, so Buzz and Hype is not a good marketing tool.

I have to agree with you. Especially when it comes to promoting their new releases. I think Kem was the last artist on that label they actually promoted decently.

daPrettyman said:

yeah but where is he now?

I'm not in the music industry myself, but it seems to me that this lack of promotion and jerking around of release dates isn't just limited to Motown or even Universal. If you are not one of the so-called hot artists out right now, don't expect to get any first class treatment from the major record labels. If I'm correct, Universal basically laid off 40% of its workforce in the last three years and dumped hundreds of artists from their labels due to lackluster sales. It appears to me that the promotion for Mya and Stevie Wonder sucked so bad because they have no one left in their promotions department who have a clue what they are doing. Plus you have a bunch of anxious shareholders who are only concerned about the stock price of the company and could care less about artist development, so if the albums they are releasing don't look like they are going to sell 100,000 copies in the first week, then there's no sense committing any time or money to promote those albums.

Yes, and it's a shame because I remember the old Motown. Damn I miss that!

And now it's been named UniveralMotown. I just don't understand why they just don't fold this label and leave what's left of the legacy.

Motown has been bought and sold so many times over the past 16 + years. Just let it go already.

A friend of mine knew this guy that worked at Motown- he said it was worst label to work for, and the budget is so limited that it wasn't even funny.

musicman said:

I couldnt agree with U more. Sad but True : (

nowikno1 said:

I remeber when motown was really puttin it down. I remeber when "Songs in the Key of Life was released. Thast was really a happy and good times for artists.

And Ill never 4 get When "You and I" was released by Rick James. That relly set the bar back then. Yeah.....I remember when

I think they should just retire the name "Motown." Their should be no new artist signed too Motown and it should only bw used when releasing rematstered classic LP's ftom the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Supremes, Four Tops ect.


Stevie Wonder, El DeBarge and Jermaine Jackson are rolling over in their grave looking at thie so called "Motown."

Mya posted a new song on her myspace called "Escape"

www.myspace.com/therealmya

Her Blog (excuse the caps, i just copy'd and paste from her site):FOR THOSE WHO REALLY WANT A PIECE OF THE REAL MYA, YOU CAN CHECK OUT ONE OF MY MORE PERSONAL SONGS CALLED "ESCAPE". I WROTE IT OVER 2 YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS LIVING IN CALI, GOING CRAZY, FEELING LONELY, FRUSTRATED WITH THE MUSIC BUSINESS, RUMORS, EX-BOYFRIENDS, FAMILY & JUST THE WORLD IN GENERAL... JUST ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS THAT WE ALL HAVE -U KNOW- WHEN PEOPLE PISS YOU THE F*CK OFF, AND U FEEL LIKE YOU JUST MIGHT REALLY HURT SOMEBODY THIS TIME...HEY, IT GETS LIKE THAT SOMETIMES... BUT COUNT TO 10 FIRST & THINK ABOUT THE BIGGER PICTURE.

nowikno1 said:

I'm only 31, but even I remember when Motown was still kinda thriving in the early 80's. It was on it's last leg in the late 80's before Berry sold it to MCA and got out while he could.

And BlueCorvette is right. It should just be a reissue label. But hell, they don't even wanna reissue the clasic albums. IT'S MIND NUMBING AND CRAZY!

I feel bad for any executive who goes to work for Motown these days. Slyvia Rhone-love her- but I knew she couldn't turn it around either.
[Edited 5/5/07 19:10pm]

Ever since Berry Gordy Jr. retired,motown has never been the same since.