Post by FastNFancy on Sept 6, 2002 19:49:28 GMT -5
DID YOU KNOW . . .
Presented by the MOTOWN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
DID YOU KNOW . . .
that if any of the proposed U.S. laws pertaining to fake groups are passed by law makers, many of the Motown groups could have problems? Groups such as the Supremes, the Temptations, the Monitors, the Spinners, and even the Elgins are known to be a part of the Motown forum for decades, and have been recognized with the company for over 40 years. If any law is passed giving rights to the first group or artist to use a name in commerce, the problem many groups will have is that they were not the first to have used their names! In the 50's there were groups that were already using the names Supremes, the Temptations, the Monitors, the Spinners, and even the Elgins. All of the initial groups had recordings released before the Motown groups, and can prove their existence before the Motown era.
.............................................
DID YOU KNOW . . .
that Nolan Strong and the Diablo's could have been on the Motown label? The Diablo's who had regional success in the mid to late 50's in the Detroit area, had an offer that was hard to refuse by 50's standards. Berry Gordy made an offer to the group of $5,000 for their contract, but Jack & Devora Brown of Fortune Records countered the offer with $15,000. Though the deal with Motown never went through, the Diablos felt that their recordings would have been promoted better through Motown. Though Gordy never got his hands on the popular Detroit group, he was able to release a Diablo's covered tune called "Mind Over Matter" on his Mel-o-dy label for a group called the Pirates ... aka ... the Temptations.
------------------------------------
DID YOU KNOW . . .
that when Dennis Edwards finally came to Motown he was initially on retainer? Yeap, Motown gave him loot [slang for "money"] to sit around and wait for a break! His first break was with the Contours, then he eventually took David Ruffin's place in the Temptations permanently at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania on July 9, 1968.
----------------------------------
DID YOU KNOW . . .
that Mable John was one of the first female solo recording artists to record under the Motown label? While her brother Willie was raking up popularity in the blues scene, Mable was doing her own thing not only with Motown and Tamla records, but she also recorded under the Stax label. She recorded as a Raelette with Ray Charles. She is currently working in the gospel field.
----------------------------------
DID YOU KNOW . . .
that Motown had a group called the Wright Special? The group was part of a project label Motown was experimenting with called Divinity Records. The label focused around gospel music, and the Wright Special singers were amongst the first to get a releases off of the subsidiary label. But the one singer in the group that shined amongst the rest was none other than ... Kim Weston! Kim eventually converted over to R&B and the rest is history.
----------------------------------------
DID YOU KNOW . . .
that Junior Walkers real name is Autry DeWalt? Walker said "I use to walk to school when I was young, and his step father's last name was Walker ... so they started calling me Junior because of my stepfather and Walker because that was his last name too!" Junior also has a son by the name of Autry Dewalt Jr.!
-----------------------------------------
DID YOU KNOW . . .
that Cornelius Grant is the 6th member of the Temptations? Actually, Grant was around during a time when having a guitar player in promotional pictures was fashionable. The Miracles had Marv Tarplin, the Contours ("Do You Love Me") had Hubert Johnson, and the Temptations had Cornelius Grant! You can find pictures of Grant in the Temptations' 4 CD compilation set called the "Emperors Of Soul."
-----------------------------------------------
DID YOU KNOW . . .
that the there's only one original Funk Brother living today? Ureil Jones the drummer for many of the Motown hits was with James Jamerson (bass), Robert White (Guitar), Earl VanDyke (organ), and Dan Turner (sax), Eddie "Bongo" Brown (Bongos) when Martha Jean the Queen a local DJ in the Detroit area at the time coined the term "Funk Brothers." Today the term Funk Brothers refer to all the Motown musicians of the 60's and early 70's. Did you also know . . .that the original Motown band was the Joe Hunter Band, lead by pianist Joe Hunter. Which consisted of 2 of the original Funk Brothers James Jamerson (bass), and Dan Turner (sax). [Though Benny Benjamin (drums) was considered an original Funk Bro' he actually wasn't around when the group got the name, and Uriel was the drummer during that period of time].
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Presented by the MOTOWN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
DID YOU KNOW . . .
that if any of the proposed U.S. laws pertaining to fake groups are passed by law makers, many of the Motown groups could have problems? Groups such as the Supremes, the Temptations, the Monitors, the Spinners, and even the Elgins are known to be a part of the Motown forum for decades, and have been recognized with the company for over 40 years. If any law is passed giving rights to the first group or artist to use a name in commerce, the problem many groups will have is that they were not the first to have used their names! In the 50's there were groups that were already using the names Supremes, the Temptations, the Monitors, the Spinners, and even the Elgins. All of the initial groups had recordings released before the Motown groups, and can prove their existence before the Motown era.
.............................................
DID YOU KNOW . . .
that Nolan Strong and the Diablo's could have been on the Motown label? The Diablo's who had regional success in the mid to late 50's in the Detroit area, had an offer that was hard to refuse by 50's standards. Berry Gordy made an offer to the group of $5,000 for their contract, but Jack & Devora Brown of Fortune Records countered the offer with $15,000. Though the deal with Motown never went through, the Diablos felt that their recordings would have been promoted better through Motown. Though Gordy never got his hands on the popular Detroit group, he was able to release a Diablo's covered tune called "Mind Over Matter" on his Mel-o-dy label for a group called the Pirates ... aka ... the Temptations.
------------------------------------
DID YOU KNOW . . .
that when Dennis Edwards finally came to Motown he was initially on retainer? Yeap, Motown gave him loot [slang for "money"] to sit around and wait for a break! His first break was with the Contours, then he eventually took David Ruffin's place in the Temptations permanently at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania on July 9, 1968.
----------------------------------
DID YOU KNOW . . .
that Mable John was one of the first female solo recording artists to record under the Motown label? While her brother Willie was raking up popularity in the blues scene, Mable was doing her own thing not only with Motown and Tamla records, but she also recorded under the Stax label. She recorded as a Raelette with Ray Charles. She is currently working in the gospel field.
----------------------------------
DID YOU KNOW . . .
that Motown had a group called the Wright Special? The group was part of a project label Motown was experimenting with called Divinity Records. The label focused around gospel music, and the Wright Special singers were amongst the first to get a releases off of the subsidiary label. But the one singer in the group that shined amongst the rest was none other than ... Kim Weston! Kim eventually converted over to R&B and the rest is history.
----------------------------------------
DID YOU KNOW . . .
that Junior Walkers real name is Autry DeWalt? Walker said "I use to walk to school when I was young, and his step father's last name was Walker ... so they started calling me Junior because of my stepfather and Walker because that was his last name too!" Junior also has a son by the name of Autry Dewalt Jr.!
-----------------------------------------
DID YOU KNOW . . .
that Cornelius Grant is the 6th member of the Temptations? Actually, Grant was around during a time when having a guitar player in promotional pictures was fashionable. The Miracles had Marv Tarplin, the Contours ("Do You Love Me") had Hubert Johnson, and the Temptations had Cornelius Grant! You can find pictures of Grant in the Temptations' 4 CD compilation set called the "Emperors Of Soul."
-----------------------------------------------
DID YOU KNOW . . .
that the there's only one original Funk Brother living today? Ureil Jones the drummer for many of the Motown hits was with James Jamerson (bass), Robert White (Guitar), Earl VanDyke (organ), and Dan Turner (sax), Eddie "Bongo" Brown (Bongos) when Martha Jean the Queen a local DJ in the Detroit area at the time coined the term "Funk Brothers." Today the term Funk Brothers refer to all the Motown musicians of the 60's and early 70's. Did you also know . . .that the original Motown band was the Joe Hunter Band, lead by pianist Joe Hunter. Which consisted of 2 of the original Funk Brothers James Jamerson (bass), and Dan Turner (sax). [Though Benny Benjamin (drums) was considered an original Funk Bro' he actually wasn't around when the group got the name, and Uriel was the drummer during that period of time].
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