thetimefan said:

Brian was first signed to Mercury Records, he joined Motown around 1994. In fact I have two versions of his 2nd album one on Mercury, one on Motown. Yea Berry sold Motown to MCA, which was then absorbed into Universal. I also think say we go back a decade and P came up in say 1968 I don't know even then if Motown would have been the best fit either. Since Berry was more hands on then and he would have put a young P with Norman Whitfield which on paper isn't a bad idea but you'd have Prince as a solely R&B artist. Although he could have been signed to one of Motown's subsidarys like their more obscure groups/artists were like on Rare Earth and did more than just R&B. For me I love the Motown sound, but I think again WB was the ideal home for Prince. IIRC Mo Ostin was very hands on and had a good relationship with the artists too, I know Roger liked him. [Edited 5/30/16 11:42am]

Brian had his biggest selling Album on Motown records...

Chancellor said:

thetimefan said:

Brian was first signed to Mercury Records, he joined Motown around 1994. In fact I have two versions of his 2nd album one on Mercury, one on Motown. Yea Berry sold Motown to MCA, which was then absorbed into Universal. I also think say we go back a decade and P came up in say 1968 I don't know even then if Motown would have been the best fit either. Since Berry was more hands on then and he would have put a young P with Norman Whitfield which on paper isn't a bad idea but you'd have Prince as a solely R&B artist. Although he could have been signed to one of Motown's subsidarys like their more obscure groups/artists were like on Rare Earth and did more than just R&B. For me I love the Motown sound, but I think again WB was the ideal home for Prince. IIRC Mo Ostin was very hands on and had a good relationship with the artists too, I know Roger liked him. [Edited 5/30/16 11:42am]

Brian had his biggest selling Album on Motown records...

I know, "Back at One" sold 3 million copies. I was just pointing out Brian didn't join Motown til later in his career. In fact he signed in 1997, I think I also have 2 CDs of his third album, one on Mercury and the re-release too. I'm actually a big fan of Brian's, seen him in concert with Eric Benet and have all the albums, most on CD and the newer ones digitally. Shame Brian didn't record a studio version of "Mornin" by Al Jarreau.

Also a fan of Brian's bro Claude & Take 6 too. As I've said b4, I'm a massive R&B/Soul music fan from the 50's to present day.

Don't get me wrong, I love Motown and the music, one of my favourite musical sets is a pair of box sets from 1992/93 called Hitsville Volume 1959 - 1971 and Volume 2 1972 - 1992 and between they have nearly 200 songs from Motown in chronological oder containing many of the big hits and some of the lesser known stuff of mixed quality. For the big acts like Temptations, 4 tops, Smokey robinson solo and Miracles, Vandellas, Supremes, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, you have 5 to 10 songs of each and 6 Jackson 5 numbers make the cut too (I want you back, ABC, Love you save, I'll be there, Never can say goodbye and Dancin Machine0 One day in your life by MJ is on it too.

.

On it is some of the best R and B, soul and funk music I have ever heard gems like Love Power by Willie Hutch, Where do we go from here by Johnny Gill and Stacy Lattisaw, Square Biz by Teena Marie, Smiling faces sometimes by the Undisputed truth, Walk away from love by David Ruffin, What becomes of the broken hearted by Jimmy Ruffin (A revelation after hearing all the Paul Young cover versions!) Devil in a blue dress by Shorty Long and There'll never be by switch amongst many others. As much as I love this music, I just can't see any of it being like Prince or Prince fitting into the Motown sound.

Not forgetting the high inergy song I mentioned in an earlier post, we have Syreeta's 1974 hit - Harmour Love with some amazing backing vocals by Stevie and her 1968 hit I can't give back the love you feel for me. Syreeta also duets with Billy Preston on an amazing ballad called With you I'm born again. It's amazing to see how much disco Motown had with Heaven must have sent and Don't leave me this way, being a Motown hit.

.

Of course in 1988 Gordy sold it to Polydor and Jheryl Busby became new CEO, sometime in late 1990s I think Andre Harrell was CEO for a while, not sure who it is now. But the 1990s were Boyz II men and of course Brian McKnight, Shanice had a few hits too and of course Johnny Gill.

[Edited 5/31/16 4:19am]

[Edited 5/31/16 4:20am]

I have both of those box sets and they are fantastic.Pretty much all the Motown music that I'll ever need is on those two box sets.

Adorecream said:

Don't get me wrong, I love Motown and the music, one of my favourite musical sets is a pair of box sets from 1992/93 called Hitsville Volume 1959 - 1971 and Volume 2 1972 - 1992 and between they have nearly 200 songs from Motown in chronological oder containing many of the big hits and some of the lesser known stuff of mixed quality.

MotownSubdivision said:

RJOrion said:

LittleBLUECorvette said:

I like this question, but I imagine it still came down to whatever label let Prince produce himself.

Cinny said:

Cinny said:

I like this question, but I imagine it still came down to whatever label let Prince produce himself.

Agreed.

And only hypothetically speaking, because I don't know if Motown was ever in the picture for
signing Prince, but I wonder if Motown would have had some reservations to do so because of
Prince's androgyny? Just a question - and I'm not even sure if at this time in his career Prince
was presenting with an androgynous look, at least for For You.

MotownSubdivision said:

LittleBLUECorvette said:

U would have went with EWF producing my first record.

Almost everyone but Prince would have. EW&F were a force to be reckoned with at the time and for some Twin City amateur to declare he didn't need the assistance of one of the greatest musical groups at the time time and of all time is incredible. Even if his debut was lackluster and flies under the radar of everyone outside of Prince's hardcore following, the album is remarkable for that reason alone.

Agreed.

duccichucka said:

NorthC said:

duccichucka said:

I wonder if Motown would have had some reservations to do so because of

Prince's androgyny? Just a question - and I'm not even sure if at this time in his career Prince
was presenting with an androgynous look, at least for For You.

Motown had a vocal group in the 1970s called Dynamic Superiors, and the lead singer Tony Washington sometimes performed in drag. Motown also released 2 versions of a song by different singers (Valentino & Carl Bean) called I Was Born This Way. During the mid-1970s, The Undisputed Truth, who is mainly known for Smiling Faces Sometimes, changed to a sort of wild look that was common with funk bands of the time.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

I think it's a mistake to assume that Motown wouldn't have given Prince artistic freedom.I mean,come on....Rick James' first album had a song about marijuana,which Motown released as a single!! There were definitely some risk-takers at that label.

MotownSubdivision said:

MotownSubdivision said: