i can't choose. which do u prefer? hey everybody im new

Motown

I'll take Philly any day. Not 2 diss Motown, but there is something that is slick and classy about Philly compared 2 Motwon. Especially after Motown went to LA.

1960s Motown and 1970s Philly

Both were never the same after they dominated their decades anyway so technically they're tied up.

Timmy84 said:

I'll even take the 60s Philly sound. The work Gamble and Huff did with Jerry Butler, Joe Simon, the Intruders, etc. is impeckable. Motown was great at that time, but a lot of Motown was so manufactured at times. How many versions of "Heard It Through the Grapevine" do you have to record and release?

nobody saying hi im new... (motown)

alexothetimes said:

Hey! Sorry for not saying hi earlier.

daPrettyman said:

Nah, I still prefer Motown, I like the "manufacturing". Philly in the '60s was up there tho. But I think Chicago soul was more powerful than Philly Soul in those days. Just saying.

Timmy84 said:

I agree with u there. I might even say Southern soul was even better on a few levels. I guess it just depends on the person and personality. I find myself listening to a lot more Philly soul than any other soul.

If I pull a Motown album out, it's to hear a particular artist and/or album. I hate that they have turned Motown into a "brand" more than in institution and/or record label. I recently downloaded the Number Ones boxed set from Motown and realized that corporate entities ruined a great record label.

I noticed when I got to tracks from the mid-80s, the Motown sound was gone and it was all about trying to compete on the charts and keep up with trends instead of creating them. They had the talent to create and build the trends, but they seemed to be more interested in paying bills instead of being creative.

Timmy84 said:

hellooo. well i prefer motown motown. supremes are my fave motown act. stylistics my fave philly act nice to meet u tim

alexothetimes said:

Nice 2 meet u 2.

daPrettyman said:

You just realized it?
It's kinda like that in Philly, Memphis and Chicago too now. Not just Motown.
Back in the '60s at least Motown was a "sound", a "movement", now it's just a label...and memories.

Timmy84 said:

I knew it, but it didn't really hit me until I started listening to the 200 plus trax in a row. By the time El Debarge went solo, Motown was GONE!

I guess it's just that everything has it's season.

daPrettyman said:

I realized it when I got the "Motown 40 Forever" disc set. It was like "man this shit was great compared to what we have now!" I was like 14. And I wasn't even a child of Motown, I'm a child of hip-hop. It was the first time I realized I was born in the wrong damn decade.

Timmy84 said:

Timmy84 said:

AlexdeParis said:

Co-sign.

ButterscotchPimp said:

Triple co-sign.




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[Edited 12/17/09 9:16am]

motown, just for the sounds of it

If you're talking about music, it's Philly. Motown could sometimes borderline boredom, especially with HDH and Smokey's songs. But I'm with Tim, I would take Chicago Soul overall. There was something dramatic and thrilling about the Chicago sound. When Motown could get poppy, Chicago was unmistakably R&B.

But Motown wins hands down when it comes to the artists/musicians and the history. But Motown was like a factory/university. Meaning some artist came to Motown, learn a lot and became polished, then they left Motown or got their own identity outside Motown and became better and even more famous. Some examples...

Stevie Wonder (an institution within himself)
Marvin Gaye (was a tour de force that could shine anywhere he went)
Norman Whitfield (they needed him more than he needed them)
Four Tops & Gladys Knight and the Pips (became more soulful and funkier)
Rick James (a student from the early Motown days that came back and became a professor)
Michael Jackson (do I really have to explain?)
Ashford and Simpson (same deal as with Whitfield)
Isleys, Grover Washington, Stephanie Mills and George Clinton (some folks didn't know they were with Motown)
[Edited 12/17/09 15:10pm]

I agree with you on thatruth. It was like the people you mentioned had identities outside of Motown and that's why they succeeded the way they did. That said, I think it was remarkable that all of these got the taste of the Motown sound before going on their own.

And yeah Chicago Soul all the way.

MOTOWN all the way. MOTOWN created and nurtured the biggest and most cherished artists popular music has ever known. Bottom line. Period. End. Stop.

philly soul because there was versatility from different genres

Philly Soul.