needing your help Detroiters!! about Motown and Detroit's music

[pttcrab]

Hi there!
a bit of introduction will be necessary here i think:
I'm Calou, a french student of 23y.o .
I'm currently writing a booklet on Detroit,more specifically on the Motown label and Detroit's music.
I have read thousands of books and seen hundreds of documentaries and movies on motown [[so much that I think I can tell about the dirtiest/ugliest secrets of Motown and its city)
what I'd need from you is an internal point of view, I'd like to have your opinion and feeling about detroit's music. what importance it has for you and what do you think it has brought to either you or your community.
I'm seriously hoping to get some answers as it will significantly improve my work.
thanks in advance for all the help you'll bring!!
[[whatever you have to say about your city and its cultural aspect will be interesting enough for me)
again, thanks a lot!
a frenchie member

[izzyindetroit]

I believe that music is one of Detroit's greatest overlooked assets. I was actually just having a conversation about music this past week with someone from Chicago. We started off talking about music in general which then turned into music from Detroit. He seemed surprised when I rattled off a list from the top of my head:

White Stripes, Kid Rock, Eminem, Stevie Wonder, Bob Seager, George Clinton, Temptations, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Mitch Ryder, MC5, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, Dwele, Slum Village, Madonna, John Lee Hooker, various world renown techno artistes, etc.

He had no idea that so many musicians from so many different styles of music were based in Detroit at one point or another. I don't think many people, both native and foreign to Detroit realize how good we have it when it comes to music quality and diversity.

One thing I have noticed about Detroit that comes off different in many other cities is the appreciation of music. I see it all the time, if someone is performing in the public, Detroiters will stop whatever they are doing at the time and listen. They may not stay for the whole set, but they do stop to appreciate whatever it is that the performer is playing.

Also in my personal opinion, the best karaoke in the world is every Saturday morning at Bert's in Eastern Market.

[Doma]

Detroit Hiphop is largely slept on, Slum Village, JDilla, Phat Kat, etc......

Unfortunately those act are bigger in Europe and abroad than they are here, don't understand it.

Dilla was one of the greatest beat makers ever, he had to literally drop dead before he got any serious appreciation.

[rb336]

I think the dominance of Motown has had a deliterious impact on the country's view of Detroit music. luckily, Europeans have it a bit better. I also blame Motown for the fact that hardly any of the great late 70s, early 80s detroit bands got anywhere [[Sonic's Rendevous, Destroy All Monsters, Mutants, Coldcock, Cinecyde, etc)

[rb336]

I think the dominance of Motown has had a deliterious impact on the country's view of Detroit music. luckily, Europeans have it a bit better. I also blame Motown for the fact that hardly any of the great late 70s, early 80s detroit bands got anywhere [[Sonic's Rendevous, Destroy All Monsters, Mutants, Coldcock, Cinecyde, etc)

what an ass -- how can you blame Motown for that?

[Patrick]

^^^Did you just blame yourself?

[rb336]

yep. It didn't come across that i was joking about blaming motown for the lack of beyond-the-d success of those bands. the other part i was serious about.

music from Detroit? yeah, Motown....

[vetalalumni]

^^^Did you just blame yourself?

yep. It didn't come across that i was joking about blaming motown for the lack of beyond-the-d success of those bands. the other part i was serious about.

music from Detroit? yeah, Motown....

I was wondering . Be careful, you can go blind from too much much self gratification. Some of the best conversations are the ones we begin with self. Something about honestly convincing yourself first [[keeping it real), then others. Reasoning etc...

[Kelton]

Hello! You may find more interest in your request by visiting here -

http://www.soulfuldetroit.com/forum/

It's actually a part of this site, as you can see by the link to Soulful Detroit in the left column. There is an extensive archives on the site and many helpful people willing to share their opinions and experiences. I'm sure you could gather some good information there.

[Linda from Detroit]

I grew up in Detroit during the Motown years...but also during the doowop years and all I can say is that even all these years later there is nothing that can brighten my day, put a spring in my step and a smile on my face like the music of Detroit...all of it! Motown, Bob Seager, Mitch Ryder...the list is endless and so are the positive feelings that go with it.

[pttcrab]

i really have no words for how thankful i am! thank you so much!!
i hope you won't mind that i use some of your testimonies as referencial information.
again thank you so much this helped a lot!

[agirlintheD]

All this great music from our city and yet the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in Cleveland.

[d'oh]

Don't forget Jack Scott!!! Like Berry Gordy Jr. said, "Jack really started it all for Detroit".. I know that's hyperbolic, but he did say it, and Jack Scott was great....

[FlyingJ]

d'oh-absolutely right, Jack Scott was a compatriot to Elvis idol of Led Zeppelin, lives in Sterling Heights. Most people forget that Bill Haley was from Detroit, too

[LouHat]

It's summer, I'm riding my bike home from Plymouth HS pool, stop at the Dairy Queen, order, wait, look at the posters on the window: "Terry Knight and the Pack Just Back From Tour of the UP", I laugh, har-har, how lame. The rest is history.

[eno]

I have read thousands of books and seen hundreds of documentaries and movies on motown [[so much that I think I can tell about the dirtiest/ugliest secrets of Motown and its city)

pttcrab, Pray tell, what are the dirtiest, ugly secrets of Detroit and Motown?

[mauser]

two names: Benny Benjamin and James Jamerson.

nuffsaid.

[cman710]

If you have not already done so, post your question on Soulful Detroit [[http://www.soulfuldetroit.com/forum/) as well.

[ziggyselbin]

All this great music from our city and yet the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in Cleveland.

Great music has come from many cities girlinthed. Aside from motown[[which was unique), Detroit has no more claim than Philadelphia, Cincinnati, LA and even less than Nyc, Chicago, New Orleans, and Nashville to a museum. But then if rock and roll is the music of youth and rebellion why a museum? And I forgot Kansas city.

[Fury13]

Don't forget Jack Scott!!! Like Berry Gordy Jr. said, "Jack really started it all for Detroit".. I know that's hyperbolic, but he did say it, and Jack Scott was great....

Jack Scott is STILL great. He continues to perform and he sounds amazing... he was at the Hamtramck Festival this year.

Don't forget the legendary Fortune artists: Joe Weaver, Nolan Strong & the Diablos, Nathaniel Mayer, Andre Williams, the Five Dollars...

... and Kenny Martin, who recorded for the Federal and Big Top labels, and who just died [[his tribute is tonight at the New Dodge Lounge).

Del Shannon was from Michigan too.

[Fury13]

Great music has come from many cities girlinthed. Aside from motown[[which was unique), Detroit has no more claim than Philadelphia, Cincinnati, LA and even less than Nyc, Chicago, New Orleans, and Nashville to a museum. But then if rock and roll is the music of youth and rebellion why a museum? And I forgot Kansas city.

Ziggy, Detroit is clearly one of the six or seven in the first-tier of great music cities in the U.S.

It has MUCH more claim to greatness than Philly, Cincinnati, and Cleveland... and it has had as much clout as L.A. Longevity of importance as well as overall impact on popular music should be considered.

Other great music cities [[first-tier), IMO, are New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Memphis, and L.A. Nashville might get a mention there because of country music, only.

Philadelphia, San Francisco, St. Louis, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Austin, Seattle are second-tier music cities. Pittsburgh might just make that list as well.

Third-tier music cities would be Houston, D.C., Baltimore, Boston, Milwaukee, San Diego, Portland, Atlanta.

[ziggyselbin]

Ziggy, Detroit is clearly one of the six or seven in the first-tier of great music cities in the U.S.

It has MUCH more claim to greatness than Philly, Cincinnati, and Cleveland... and it has had as much clout as L.A. Longevity of importance as well as overall impact on popular music should be considered.

Other great music cities [[first-tier), IMO, are New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Memphis, and L.A. Nashville might get a mention there because of country music, only.

Philadelphia, San Francisco, St. Louis, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Austin, Seattle are second-tier music cities. Pittsburgh might just make that list as well.

Third-tier music cities would be Houston, D.C., Baltimore, Boston, Milwaukee, San Diego, Portland, Atlanta.

There is way too much historical significance in Kansas city Fury. Jay Mcshann , Bennie Moten, Count Basie, Charlie Parker all had siginficant ties to K.C. The Pendergrast machine and all the shenanigans that went along with it made for a robust nightclub/jazz scene. Using your ctiteria I would put KC ahead of Detroit for historical significance.

[pffft]

KC is an important jazz city, but what notable R&B or rock acts came out of there? Nothing to compare with Detroit's R&B/rock heritage...and we have jazz greats from here too.
Detroit's music heritage is so diverse, it's hard to find another city with talent across so many genres.

[Detroitej72]

Detroit's music heritage is so diverse, it's hard to find another city with talent across so many genres.

Because of this, I would put Detroit in the top tier, as far as influential music, crossing a wide range of genres.

[Detroitej72]

Nothing to compare with Detroit's R&B/rock heritage...and we have jazz greats from here too.

Like Marcus Belgrave, Yusiff, etc.

And don't forget Gospel and Techno as well.