This past Tuesday night I attended the TJ Martell Benefit for Cancer and AIDS Research in NYC. Being honored were three GIANTS in the Music Biz... Mel Karmazin, Joel Katz and Berry Gordy. Talk about industry giants...

Anyway, paying tribute to Berry were Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Boyz 2 Men and Rhonda Ross (also performing were Michael McDonald and Natasha Bedingfield).

It is clear to me after that night that Smokey and Berry are like blood brothers... no question, but I got the impression that Stevie and Berry butted heads alot on the subject of Musician Ownership & Royalties vs The Businessman collecting a lifetime of Royalties... please correct me if I am wrong, but was there something that went on behind the sceenes like Prince vs WB with Stevie & Berry ?

Just a feeling I got...

Also, I felt embarrassed for Rhonda Ross...she wrote and preformed a song for her father and IT WAS PAINFUL !!!

Any one else there for this??

DownTheNeedleDownTheSpoon said:

Do you mean it was really bad?

And I too heard Stevie and Berry locked heads a lot back in the days about Stevie producing and doing his own stuff. He had the same problem with Marvin Gaye and quite a few of the artists at Motown and some of them even ended up leaving.

edit.
[Edited 10/26/07 12:22pm]

Didn't Prince once think about joining Motown?

pass the dutchie.

2freaky4church1 said:

If I'm not mistaken, Motown was interested in them, but wanted someone else to produce him.

Berry Gordy is a great man in founding a great label but he was bad with keeping artists from producing their own records. Stevie and Marvin doing their own things were rare victories for artists against Berry Gordy.

didnt he go head to head prior to songs in the key of life, he re signed prior to the recording of songs in the key of life. and got a big paycheck for those days

motownlover said:

$13 million.

Berry was livid about the deal until he saw how well "Songs" did in the opening week (debuting at number one on the pop albums chart and later selling ten million records), then he shut up.

Stevie went 2 Berry Gordy at the end of the "Little Stevie Wonder" era, just before the great album "Music Of My Mind", and DEMANDED that he be allowed 2 record and release what he wanted 2.

Stevie was tired of being "Little Stevie Wonder", and the music, and said he had a new style and sound he wanted 2 express.

Stevie even threatened 2 do it on his own, if Gordy refused him. He already had time booked at Electric Lady Studios in NYC 4 the project that would become the "Music Of My Mind" album.

Gordy backed down, and the rest is history...

Music Of My Mind
Fulfillingness' First Finale
Innervisions
Talking Book

...and so on...

Peace.

G

The 'Songs in the Key of Life' deal and story happened after the first battle.

Berry knew a good thing when he saw it; Marvin, Stevie, Diana Ross, J5, Lional and the list goes on but he sure was a control freak and stingy as hell with royalties .

whatsgoingon said:

He's STILL is: members of the Vandellas, Marvelettes, Kim Weston, the family of Mary Wells, David Ruffin and 'em are still looking for royalties for respective group members and late singers.

They won't get it while BG is still here on earth.

I remember when Barry Gordy escorted Stevie to the mike during a 94 glam slam aftershow during Maybe Your Baby, what a night..

Timmy84 said:

I know. The J5 royalty was 2 and half cents per record and that was divided between the brothers and their father And then they were sued after they decided to leave Motown. Berry drove a hard bargain and woe to those that tried to break away from Motown.

whatsgoingon said:

He also did it to keep his artists in Motown and most of those who left after the glory years fell out of favor. Whether you call that intentional on Berry's part or intentional on the artists' part of intentional that labels didn't know what to do with an artist once they left Motown, either or, it was all a messy situation that Berry did intentionally play in.