From 1959, please feast your ears on the debut single by Marv Johnson, "Come To Me," which was also the first single released by Berry Gordy on his new label Tamla.
The single needed bigger distribution and so, Gordy sold the rights to United Artists where it became a Top 40 hit. And then, as they say, the rest is history.
"Come To Me" is a fine record, though not nearly as fine as what was to follow on Motown. I just get a kick out of hearing it, imagining Berry Gordy and his crew popping open a bottle of bubbly and toasting the new venture. "Fingers crossed!"
Also, I didn't realize, the label was originally called "Tammy" after the Debbie Reynolds hit, but that name was already taken by another label. Some guys have all the luck.
9 comments:
Pretty fine start, and certainly indicative of what is to come. There seem to be mixed opinions regarding Gordy, but he knew music and business for sure.
I hear a little Jackie Wilson in this. Very nice.
And poor, uncultured me thought that was a picture of Don Rickles in Today’s Cover Version.
Haha. Rickles, composer of the classic, "No Regrets, Dummy!"
All these years, I was under the impression that the first Motown label single was Barrett Strong's "Money."
If you look at the top of the label it says vocals by the Rayber singers - a studio group Berry put together. One of the voices ? Brian Holland , later Holland,Dozier,,Holland
That's correct. But this song came out earlier on the Tamla label, which would become a subsidiary of Motown.
If you look at the Complete Motown Singles list, "Money" was actually the 8th single, also on Tamla. The first single on Motown proper was "Bad Girl" by The Miracles.
My older son played bari sax in marching band in high school, so I have a soft spot for any song with that instrument.
I never heard that about Tammy and Tamla. Fun!
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