Motown!

Who founded Motown Records?

• Stevie Wonder

• Diana Ross

• Malcolm X

• Berry Gordy, JR

In which city was Motown Records located?

• Detroit, Michigan

• Chicago, Illinois

• New York, New York

• Miami, Florida

Which description best describes the formula for the majority of early Motown music?

• an instrumental group with one lead singer

• an a cappella vocal group

• a vocal group with a lead singer and background singers

• a duet between a lead instrument and lead vocal singer

Is this statement true or false?

The key to Motown’s success was that its songs by African American artists appealed to audiences with many different ethnic backgrounds.

• True

• False

How was Berry Gordy Jr.’s approach to Motown unique?

• He promoted an ethnically diverse group of artists.

• He deliberately promoted African American artists with special attention to their image.

• He promoted artists that looked polished rather than focusing on musical sound.

• He promoted jazz musicians and became the first record label to specialize in contemporary jazz music.

Which phrase best describes the role of the Motown studio musicians?

• produce different styles of music depending on the artist performing

• produce all parts of a Motown track, including background and lead instrumentals and vocals

• act as a focus group to evaluate the quality of a Motown arrangement

• produce a consistent, distinctive sound for different Motown artists

Which Motown house band played with hundreds of artists but never had its own hit record?

• The Supremes

• The Wailers

• Funk Brothers

• The Temptations

Which production concept did the founder of Motown borrow to mass produce hit record after hit record?

• taking elements from the assembly-line concept used in the automobile industry

• recording white artists and marketing the music to African American audiences

• recording only live concerts by Motown artists

• making the company an employee-owned business

What was the Motown charm school designed to do?

• teach the artists how to act when attending church or dinner parties

• create a polished image of its African American artists

• teach the artists how to speak with an English accent

• refine the singing skills of the Motown vocalists

Which strategy did Berry Gordy Jr. use to help market the Motown sound?

• requiring his artists to perform in concerts that raised money for charity

• having his artists sing or play backup to songs on other record labels

• sending press releases about Motown artists to personality magazines

• requiring the Motown artists to hand out autographed playbills for their concerts