A Motown Timeline: 1972
FAREWELL DETROIT, HELLO CALIFORNIA — GOT TO BE THERE?
Aside from Motown’s birth in 1959, this is the other significant year in its history.
During 1972, the company moved its centre of gravity from Detroit to Los Angeles, dismantled the team of extraordinary musicians who helped to create the Motown sound, lost its 11-year sales and promotion supremo, saw Smokey Robinson quit the Miracles and the Four Tops leave for another label.
“It’s just simply a matter of sound business judgement, economics and logistics which dictate this development,” said the Motown lieutenant responsible for overseeing that transition, Amos Wilder.
Brothers, together and apart in 1972
Still, two of the firm’s superstars, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, only grew in creativity, popularity and influence during this same period; Diana Ross became an Oscar-nominated film star via Motown’s first, successful big-screen production; Michael Jackson established a viable solo career even though the Jackson 5 were losing some hit-making clout; and the Temptations delivered one of Motown’s more innovative, enduring hits, “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone.”
Even so, Berry Gordy’s record company was navigating increasingly competitive waters. Its central role during the 1960s in the mainstream acceptance of black artists in popular culture led major labels to invest in this sector in the following decade, whether by signing such acts directly or distributing black-owned labels such as Philadelphia International, Stax and Invictus/Hot Wax. Albums by Isaac Hayes, Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway, Sly & the Family Stone, Al Green and Curtis Mayfield were huge crossover hits during 1971-72, to cite only five. Motown lost acts to the competition, too, including the Spinners and the afore-mentioned Four Tops – both of which prospered elsewhere, just as the Isley Brothers did from the end of the ’60s.
There was also disruption – practical and psychological – from the relocation of Motown to the west coast. At its peak, the firm employed 300 people in Detroit. By July 15, when it substantially completed the transfer, there were thought to be fewer than 100. Barney Ales, who joined in 1961 and whose team was largely responsible for getting the company’s records played and getting it paid, did not want to move to California. Very few members of Motown’s house band, the Funk Brothers, relocated, while a number of other key creatives, such as Hank Cosby and Johnny Bristol, left Motown.
Despite Berry Gordy’s preoccupation with movie making, his redefined music crew in California was energetic and determined. Two important backroom believers were Ewart Abner and Suzanne de Passe, the former overseeing marketing, the latter heading the creative division. Both had been at the firm for some years; de Passe, in particular, had worked closely with many of its premier acts.
When she was promoted, shortly before the west coast move, the 25-year-old de Passe had the gumption to publicly criticize the record industry’s Grammy organisation for “corrupt” and “crooked” practices with its annual awards. She claimed that blocks of votes were placed by individual diskeries and that even trading of votes among companies was commonplace. Her controversial comments came after none of Motown’s eight award nominations in 1972 won anything.
Stepping up: Suzanne de Passe
That didn’t stop Hitsville from continuing to diversify – a new label, Natural Resources, was shaped by the former producer of Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel – and to refuel its Black Forum spoken-word imprint with releases by writer/poet Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones) as well as a Vietnam war project, Guess Who’s Coming Home. Neither of the two labels had a commercial impact, however.
More successful was the development of Michael Jackson’s solo career alongside his Jackson 5 role. “Got To Be There” opened 1972 at the summit of the Cash Box Top 100, and the youngster scored another chart-topper there in April with “Rockin’ Robin.” He also netted two more Top 10 titles in 1972, “I Wanna Be Where You Are” and “Ben,” while “Ain’t No Sunshine” warmed the U.K. Top 10. Brother Jermaine stepped outside of the group with solo sides, too, including a successful remake of “Daddy’s Home,” while all five brothers embarked on an ambitious European tour during the year’s second half.
Meanwhile, Marvin Gaye wrote and recorded his first film score, Trouble Man, and Stevie Wonder – creatively reborn in the studio with the help of synthesizer gurus Malcolm Cecil and Bob Margouleff – delivered no less than two albums in calendar ’72, Music Of My Mind and Talking Book. The latter was a Top 3 smash, spending more than two years on the Billboard pop LP charts.
For Berry Gordy and those around him, 1972 came to a triumphant close with the release of Motown Productions’ first full-length movie, Lady Sings The Blues, and its approval by critics and ticket-buying audiences alike. It also was to net leading lady Diana Ross an Oscar nomination, as well as her first Number One album as a solo star with the film soundtrack the following spring.
At that point, leaving Detroit didn’t look like such a bad idea, after all.
Now, to the detail. Below is an effort, selective rather than exhaustive, to convey 1972’s endeavours and progress at Motown. It’s divided into three sections: the first, a chronological run-down of significant dates during those 12 months, followed by examples of notable single and album releases. If a 45 or album topped the Billboard R&B or pop charts during the year, that entry is shown in bold-face italics. Other Motown timelines can be found here, under the “Looking Ahead, and Back” category.
January 1: Diana Ross is the featured singer during the half-time show of the USC/Ohio State football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, performing “Our Love Is Here To Stay.” With her are the 128-piece Trojan Marching Band.
January 12: The Jackson 5 and Gladys Knight & the Pips perform at the first annual Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday commemoration concert at Atlanta’s Metropolitan Auditorium. Knight and her group substituted for Marvin Gaye, who cancelled due to illness.
January 13: Stevie Wonder opens his latest U.K. tour at London’s Hammersmith Odeon; the concert dates run to February 2 in Manchester.
January 20: Motown announces Smokey Robinson’s intention to “retire as a performing artist this year.” He and the Miracles will wrap up Smokey’s performing career with a nationwide tour, according to the company. The farewell begins on January 24 at the Elmwood Casino in Windsor, Ontario.
January 22: Finalists for the 1971 Grammy awards are announced. Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Stevie Wonder and Valerie Simpson are nominated in several categories, as are Jobete songwriters Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, Clay McMurray, Laverne Ware (Gloria Jones), Pam Sawyer and Clifton Davis. A contender for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) is David Van dePitte for his work on What’s Going On. The awards are announced on March 14.
January 22: The music trade press reports an out-of-court settlement for the lawsuits filed against each other by Motown and Holland/Dozier/Holland four years earlier. No terms are disclosed.
March: Jobete Music switches its affiliation to performing right society ASCAP after many years with rival BMI. The royalties for public performance of Motown songwriters’ work will now be collected by ASCAP, which says the move represents the largest single group of new members ever elected at one time.
March 4: Motown plans to expand its New York operations with the recruitment of independent writer/producer Jerry Ross, responsible for hits by acts such as Spanky & Our Gang, Jay & the Techniques and Bobby Hebb.
March 9: The Temptations kick off a two-week stint at New York’s Copacabana. Opening act is Willie Lester. The group’s previous appearance in the city was at Macy’s annual Thanksgiving parade last November.
March 14: The 1971 Grammy awards are held at New York’s Madison Square Garden and broadcast by ABC-TV. None of the Motown nominees take any prizes. Among the winners is Isaac Hayes, who netted three awards; his score for the movie Shaft had the year’s most nominations: eight.
March 18: Suzanne de Passe is appointed as Motown’s vice president, creative operations, according to Cash Box on this date. She has been creative assistant to Berry Gordy for the past four years, and is now permanently based in Los Angeles.
April 7: Motown announces the resignation of its PR director for the past four years, Junius Griffin, who was also involved with the Black Forum label. Later this year, he is elected president of the Beverly Hills/Hollywood chapter of the NAACP.
April 27: Marvin Gaye is featured on the cover of Rolling Stone, and the magazine includes an in-depth interview. “It would be nice if I could lead a million people out of despair,” he tells journalist Ben Fong-Torres.
April 28: Eddie Kendricks is among the acts appearing at the Soul Festival of Stars during its ten-day run at Loew’s Palace Theater in Washington, D.C.
May: Motown launches a new imprint, Natural Resources, with albums by Corliss, Heart and Two Friends, followed in June by releases from Gotham and Road. The label’s creative force is Tom Wilson, previously on staff at Columbia Records, where he produced albums by Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel.
May 1: This is “Marvin Gaye Day” in Washington, D.C., his birthplace, and the star is given keys to the city, a motorcade and a V.I.P. reception. This night, he performs the entire What’s Going On album in concert at the Kennedy Center.
May 12: Edwin Starr plays Manchester’s Princess Theatre Club, with the Elgins as opening act.
May 19: Motown attorney Ralph Seltzer notifies worldwide licensees that its international department will be moving from Detroit to Los Angeles with effect from June 1. Seltzer himself moves to California in July.
May 27: Stevie Wonder and the Supremes perform at a benefit concert at West Point’s Michie Stadium in New York, to raise funds for the U.S. Military Academy’s programme to fight sickle cell disease.
June: Cindy Birdsong leaves the Supremes, to be replaced by Lynda Lawrence.
June 3: Stevie Wonder joins the Rolling Stones’ latest North American tour, opening for the group at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. More than half a million concert goers see him this month and next.
June 8: Motown vice president and general manager Barney Ales announces his exit from the company after 11 years. His so-called retirement announcement “has fanned rumors [that] a major organizational shake-up looms ahead,” reports the Associated Press news service.
June 14: Amos Wilder take the reins as Motown Records’ general manager and vice president, and reveals that the company is moving its worldwide headquarters to Los Angeles. It will, he says, continue to maintain its Detroit studios and a creative staff.
June 17: Diana Ross’ “Doobedood’nDoobe Doobedood’nDoobe” reaches No. 12 on the U.K. charts. It’s not released as a single in the United States.
July 5: The Supremes and the Temptations open a ten-night run at The Grove nightclub at Los Angeles’ Ambassador Hotel. The previous week, local radio broadcaster Wolfman Jack was made an honorary Temptation.
July 8: Marvin Gaye records “Piece Of Clay,” written and produced by Gloria Jones and Pam Sawyer. It remains unreleased until 1996, when the track is used in the soundtrack of John Travolta-starring movie, Phenomenon.
July 14: Smokey Robinson & the Miracles perform together in concert for the last time, July 14-16, at the Carter Barron Amphitheater in Washington, D.C. Claudette Robinson rejoins the group for their swansong.
July 15: Motown is reported to have renewed its international license deal with EMI Records for the U.K. and most of Continental Europe, with effect from September. The two companies have been in business together since 1963.
August 8: The Temptations participate in registering young voters after being appointed registrars for the District of Columbia at the Washington City Council chambers. The group registers several hundred new voters before appearing in concert locally with the Supremes.
September 9: When reissued in the U.K. on this date, Mary Wells’ eight-year-old “My Guy” goes on to reach the country’s Top 20 for a second time.
September 16: The Gordy family hosts its latest Sterling Ball, an annual Detroit fundraiser in honour of the late Loucye Gordy Wakefield. The proceeds fund a scholarship programme for young Detroiters. The event takes place at Berry Gordy’s mansion on Boston Boulevard; the entertainment includes a set by Marvin Gaye.
September 27: Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Supremes and the Jackson 5 are among those performing at Jesse Jackson’s PUSH Expo ’72, held across five days at the International Amphitheater, Chicago. The event yields a documentary film, Save The Children, and Motown releases the soundtrack album.
His first film score, as advertised
October 5: At Ronnie Scott’s club in London, Thelma Houston sings “No One’s Gonna Be A Fool Forever” at a reception for the U.K. launch of the MoWest label. The following night, she opens for the Four Tops at the Rainbow Theatre in the capital.
October 23: With an investment from Berry Gordy, the musical Pippin, starring Ben Vereen and directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, opens on Broadway. Motown releases the cast recording of the Tony-nominated production in December.
October 28: Michael Jackson’s cover of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” becomes his third consecutive Top 10 U.K. solo hit. The track is not released as a single at home.
October 30: The Jackson 5 perform for Britain’s Queen Mother at the 43rd Royal Variety Performance, held at the London Palladium. Also on the bill is Elton John, who is managed by John Reid, former Tamla Motown label manager at EMI Records.
November 1: Trouble Man, starring Robert Hooks, with a soundtrack written and produced by Marvin Gaye, opens in New York. Motown issues the title tune as a single later this month.
November 5: The Jackson 5 star in their second TV special, The Jackson 5 Show, with Laugh-In regulars Johnny Brown and Arte Johnson as guests.
November 11: Cash Box reports that a 2LP set featuring live performances by the Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder is to be issued by Rolling Stones Records this month (it never is.)
December 6: The Miracles with new lead singer Billy Griffin kick off a week’s run at the Apollo, New York.
December 7: Motown promotion executive Weldon McDougal is promoted to director of artist relations and special projects, reporting to VP Ewart Abner. He continues to base in Philadelphia, where he previously worked for Motown distributor Chips.
December 10: Diana Ross is named “newcomer of the year” at the annual Golden Apple awards presented by the Hollywood Women’s Press Club.
A gold disc given, a sellout show
December 11: Rare Earth sell out New York’s Philharmonic Hall. “The group is about as exciting as any group going,” offers the Cash Box review. During the show, Motown’s Weldon McDougal presents them with a gold disc for their album, Rare Earth In Concert.
December 16: Gladys Knight & the Pips and Eddie Kendricks are among the acts performing at WCHB Detroit’s annual Christmas show at the city’s Olympia Stadium. Ex-Motowners Lamont Dozier, the Spinners and the Four Tops also appear.
December 21: Martha & the Vandellas make their last concert appearance as a Motown act, playing Detroit’s Cobo Hall. “It was an upsetting evening,” Reeves later wrote in her autobiography, “knowing that this marked the end of an era for me.”
SELECTED SINGLES (by release date)
January 4: The Four Tops, “Simple Game,” Motown 1196
February 17: Michael Jackson, “Rockin’ Robin,” Motown 1197
February 29: Jr. Walker & the All Stars, “Walk In The Night,” Soul 35095
March 6: Gladys Knight & the Pips, “Help Me Make It Through The Night,” Soul 35094
March 16: The Commodores, “The Zoo (The Human Zoo),” MoWest 5009
April 4: The Jackson 5, “Little Bitty Pretty One,” Motown 1199
April 11: The Supremes, “Automatically Sunshine,” Motown 1200
April 25: Stevie Wonder, “Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You),” Tamla 54216
April 26: Marvin Gaye, “You’re The Man (Part 1),” Tamla 54221
May 2: Michael Jackson, “I Wanna Be Where You Are,” Motown 1202
May 4: Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, “We’ve Come Too Far To End It Now,” Tamla 54220
May 9: The Undisputed Truth, “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone,” Gordy 7117
May 23: Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, “Tear It On Down,” Gordy 7118
June 8: Suzee Ikeda, “I Can’t Give Back The Love I Feel For You,” MoWest 5017
June 22: Blinky, “Money (That’s What I Want),” MoWest 5019
June 23: The Jackson 5, “Lookin’ Through The Windows,” Motown 1205
July 5: Syreeta, “To Know You Is To Love You,” MoWest 5021
July 12: Michael Jackson, “Ben,” Motown 1207 (#5 R&B, #1 pop)
July 14: Jermaine Jackson, “That’s How Love Goes,” Motown 1201
August 1: The Four Tops, “(It’s The Way) Nature Planned It,” Motown 1210
August 7: Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, “The Night,” MoWest 5025
August 31: Eddie Kendricks, “If You Let Me,” Tamla 54222
September 15: The Supremes, “I Guess I’ll Miss The Man,” Motown 1213
September 28: The Temptations, “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone,” Gordy 7121 (#5 R&B, #1 pop)
October 24: Stevie Wonder, “Superstition,” Tamla 54226 (#1 R&B, #1 pop)
November 15: Jermaine Jackson, “Daddy’s Home,” Motown 1216
November 20: Bobby Darin, “Happy (Love Theme From Lady Sings The Blues),” Motown 1217
November 21: Marvin Gaye, “Trouble Man,” Tamla 54228
December 18: Diana Ross, “Good Morning Heartache,” Motown 1211
December 26: Gladys Knight & the Pips, “Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye),” Soul 35098 (#1 R&B, #2 pop)
SELECTED ALBUMS (by release date)
January: Syreeta, Syreeta, MoWest 113
From ‘JC Superstar’ to ‘Oh Happy Day’
January: God Squad featuring Leonard Caston, Jesus Christ Greatest Hits, Rare Earth 531
January 7: The Temptations, Solid Rock, Gordy 961
January 24: Michael Jackson, Got To Be There, Motown 747
February: XIT, Plight Of The Redman, Rare Earth 536
February: Black Fighting Men Recorded Live in Vietnam, Guess Who’s Coming Home, Black Forum 454
March 3: Stevie Wonder, Music Of My Mind, Tamla 314
March 3: Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, Black Magic, Gordy 958
April: The Four Tops, Nature Planned It, Motown 748
May: Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, Chameleon, MoWest 108
May 8: The Supremes, Floy Joy, Motown 751
May 21: Eddie Kendricks, People…Hold On, Tamla 315
May 23: The Jackson 5, Lookin’ Through The Windows, Motown 750
July: Thelma Houston, Thelma Houston, MoWest 102
July: Lesley Gore, Someplace Else Now, MoWest 117
Pity about the typo
July 14: Jermaine Jackson, Jermaine, Motown 752
July 14: Valerie Simpson, Valerie Simpson, Motown 317
July 27: The Temptations, All Directions, Gordy 962
July 27: Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Flying High Together, Tamla 318
July 28: Bobby Darin, Bobby Darin, Motown 753
August 4: Michael Jackson, Ben, Motown 755
October: Rare Earth, Willie Remembers, Rare Earth 543
October 27: Stevie Wonder, Talking Book, Tamla 319
October 27: The Supremes, The Supremes Produced & Arranged By Jimmy Webb, Motown 756
December 5: Original Cast, Pippin, Motown 760
December 8: Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, 1957-1972, Tamla 320
December 8: Marvin Gaye, Trouble Man, Tamla 322
December 8: Luther Allison, Bad News Is Coming, Gordy 964