![]() ![]() The company specialized in a type of soul music that came to be known as “The Motown Sound” thanks in part to song writing teams like Holland, Dozier and Holland, and a band of studio musicians dubbed The Funk Brothers with their signature backbeat. Martha Reeves and the Vandellas and The Temptations were signed by a third label, which Gordy named after himself. From 1961 to 1971, Motown Record Corporation produced 110 top ten hits, from artists that included Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye, and The Four Tops. “Shop Around” by The Miracles, released in 1960, was Motown’s first record that sold more than one million copies. ![]() The music label enjoyed quick success with its release of “Money (That’s What I Want)” by Barrett Strong, its first hit. In 1960, Gordy officially incorporated Motown Records and Tamla under the Motown Record Corporation name. A photography studio near the back of one of the buildings on the property was converted to a recording studio, while administrative offices were set up in other buildings. Also in 1959, Gordy purchased the property on Detroit’s Grand Boulevard that would eventually become known as “Hitsville U.S.A.” – Motown’s headquarters. Gordy’s first successful act was signed as The Matadors, but their name was quickly changed to The Miracles. With an $800 loan from his family, Berry Gordy, Jr. founded Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, adding the Motown label later that year.
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