Five Motown songs from 1968 that sound even better today
From its initial formation back in 1959 to the moment when Berry Gordy finally offloaded the label in 1988, Motown Records was always ahead of the curve, redefining the sounds of American soul and establishing a litany of now-iconic stars who would dominate the pop charts of the 1960s and beyond. Today, the Motown sound has lost none of its lustre.
A budding young music mogul in the concrete landscape of Detroit, Gordy wasted no time in establishing his musical empire. With a small loan from his parents and a handful of connections in the local music scene, Tamla Records was born – soon to be renamed Motown. Within its first year, the label achieved its first hit, Barrett Strong’s legendary ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’, and the good times kept on rolling from there.
By the mid-1960s, Motown was the definitive sound of the US pop charts, and its soulful revolution was even spreading across the Atlantic, where the more hip and happening British youths danced all night to the sounds of Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye, and The Four Tops. 1965 gave the label five number-one hits and perhaps the strongest roster of artists in the history of American record labels, but Gordy was well aware that the good times wouldn’t last forever.
Once audience interest in the fresh-faced R&B sounds of the mid-1960s had begun to wane, Motown was in need of a shake-up, and that made 1968 a pivotal year in the history of the label. Outside the Motown offices, the hippie revolution was in full swing – acid trips, political dissent, and street fighting men – and Motown needed a new kind of sound to typify that age.
Perhaps that is why, when looking back upon the label’s output circa-1968, it still sounds so fresh; whether it’s the psychedelic-soul trips of The Temptations or the arrival of northern soul hero Edwin Starr, the year gave Motown some of its most enduring stars and sounds.
In an effort to exemplify just how ahead of its time Motown was back in 1968, we have plucked out five key releases from throughout the year, none of which have lost a modicum of their sheen in the intervening 58 years.
Five Motown songs from 1968 that sound even better today:
The Temptations – ‘Cloud Nine’
Vocal groups were always the bread and butter of Motown’s output, going right back to their inaugural number-one ‘Please Mr Postman’ by The Marvelettes, but The Temptations were always among their greatest. What’s more, the Detroit outfit and specifically their 1968 single ‘Cloud Nine’ were essential in Motown’s transition from the pop-soul of their early years into the expansive sound of the 1970s.
Evoking the acid-tinged psychedelia that was dominating the counterculture era of the time, The Temptations almost single-handedly established the sound of psychedelic-soul with this four-minute masterpiece, taking heavy inspiration from Sly and the Family Stone.
Unlike a lot of the psychedelic deluge which arrived in 1968, though, ‘Cloud Nine’ is backed up by the undeniable songwriting genius of Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, giving it the kind of universal, timeless appeal that Berry Gordy was always striving for. In the light of modernity, the unrelenting, far-out grooves of this Motown anthem haven’t aged a day; if anything, it sounds better today than it ever has done.
Edwin Starr – ‘Way Over There’
Berry Gordy was constantly expanding his empire, and 1968 saw a huge influx of artists into the Motown roster, thanks, in part, to the label boss buying out smaller labels like Ric-Tic, thus bringing the unforgettable stylings of Edwin Starr under the Motown umbrella.
In between his Ric-Tic era northern soul stompers and the chart-topping success of ‘War’ in 1970, ‘Way Over There’ was the Nashville performer’s first single with Motown, and it was evocative of what was still to come. With a triumphant, horn-heavy opening and the unmistakable vocals of Starr carrying it through, the single injected some much-needed funk flavour into Motown’s output.
Even if the single does not mark Starr’s greatest success for the label, either in terms of its commercial appeal or cult status, it was tracks like this which helped to establish a new era for Motown. What’s more, the single is still capable of getting feet stomping and heads bopping to this day – the power of Edwin Starr does not bow to the Earthly conventions of time.
Jr Walker and the All Stars – ‘Home Cookin’’
Junior Walker isn’t often given the credit he deserves within the story of Motown. He might not have inspired as many chart-topping hits as Diana Ross or Stevie Wonder, but his saxophone stylings led to a multitude of solid soul anthems for the label, and ‘Home Cookin’’ is arguably among his best.
Released right at the end of 1968, bookending a transformative year for Gordy’s label, the song’s upbeat, optimistic atmosphere certainly fosters an air of celebration, as well as a James Brown-esque vocal delivery.
Although the track doesn’t mark a huge departure from the traditionally accepted realm of the ‘Motown sound’, its infallible energy and horns have given it a lasting impact, even if some of the lyrics haven’t aged particularly well. After all, no matter how many years have passed, everybody still needs some home cooking every now and then.
The Supremes – ‘Love Child’
In hindsight, 1968 was the beginning of the end for Motown’s flagship outfit, The Supremes. With the songwriting power of Holland-Dozier-Holland leaving the label amid a multitude of royalty battles, Diana Ross and the gang were out on their own, and struggling to capture the same success as their 1965 heyday. That was, of course, until the rather ahead-of-its-time ‘Love Child’ hit the airwaves in 1968.
Knocking The Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’ off its nine-week run at the top of the charts, the single gave The Supremes yet another number-one and, although it is often forgotten in favour of ‘Baby Love’ or ‘Where Did Our Love Go?’, it remains one of their greatest works.
With pretty dark lyrics detailing a child born out of wedlock, the song’s narrative was more daring than you might expect from Motown during that time, but it also means that the song has aged like a fine wine. ‘Love Child’ might have marked the beginning of the end for The Supremes, with Diana Ross leaving a few years later, but the group’s epitaph still reigns supreme in the 21st century.
Marvin Gaye – ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’
Of all the tracks that emerged from Hitsville USA back in 1968, Marvin Gaye’s magnum opus, ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ remains unmatched. Despite Gordy’s reluctance to release the recording, it quickly became one of Motown’s biggest-selling singles of all time, and with good reason. Gaye’s voice is on absolute top form, elevating Whitfield and Strong’s songwriting talents beyond the realm of comprehension; it is about as close to a perfect song as the label ever got.
Inevitably, then, the song’s masterful appeal has not dimmed with the effects of time. Gaye’s career-defining performance still swells the soul, and if anything, the song’s appeal has only grown with age, as we can now look back upon one of the greatest soul stars to ever grace the airwaves operating in his absolute peak.
Not only was it the greatest, most enduring track to emerge from Motown back in 1968, but it might just be the ultimate Motown anthem.
