The Curious Reader
MOTOWN ON YOUR BOOKSHELF
How long would it take to read all the books about Motown and its magicians?
Assuming that’s what you wanted to do, of course, rather than listen to all the transcendental music spun into existence by those magicians. But for a moment, let’s consider the task, and what’s involved. An immeasurable amount of time, for a start, since there have been more than 140 such books – light and dark, substantial and superficial, memorable and inconsequential – published over the past 50 years.
Predictably, the biographies run into the scores, mostly about Hitsville’s superstars (Diana, Marvin, Stevie, Michael) with a far smaller selection about the tragedies (Florence, Tammi, David). Then, as the music asserted its longevity, the autobiographies began to arrive: Mary Wilson’s in 1986 as the first, soon followed by those of Otis Williams, Michael and Smokey. Diana took a little longer to write hers.
To be read, if you haven’t already
So did the founder. Berry Gordy’s To Be Loved touched down in 1994, cheekily preceded in 1990 by former spouse Raynoma’s Berry, Me, And Motown. Comparing the two was a gossip’s delight; one or two attorneys also read the latter.
Then there were the unexpected entries from the backroom believers at 2648 West Grand: Janie Bradford’s collection of poetry; Ted Hull’s tales of tutoring a teenage Stevie Wonder; the recollections of studio sultans Russ and Ralph Terrana, tape librarian Fran Heard, publicist Al Abrams and roadie Tony Turner. Not to mention background queens, the Andantes. A handful of musicians, too, sought their place on bookshelves, including Joe Hunter, Jack Ashford, Dennis Coffey and Tony Newton, while the written account of titan James Jamerson’s life and influence ultimately yielded a movie, and thus overdue recognition for his soul brothers in the Snakepit.
Over time, family members joined the Hitsville literature club, among them, Marvin Gaye’s siblings and his widow, and the offspring of Jr. Walker, Beans Bowles, Gladys Horton of the Marvelettes and songsmith Al Cleveland. Mickey Stevenson’s daughter, Ashley, helped her father to produce his autobiography – a book which, considering his centrifugal force during Motown’s early years, deserved more attention, better writing and a proper publisher. Fortunately, there was abundant professionalism attached to the autobiographies of Eddie and Brian Holland, and Lamont Dozier.
And the above-cited books are but a fraction of the whole, as the listing which follows – this week and next – makes evident. There is the minimum of editorial judgement involved, because you, dear readers, desire and delight in different takes on this unique legacy. Sober and/or self-serving autobiographies? Check. Thorough, insightful biographies? More than a few. Overviews of Motown’s musical, cultural and political significance? Sure. Pure discographies from home and abroad? Right. Photography collections? Two or three. Exploitations of a star’s notoriety? Unsurprisingly, yes – and some fiction. Oh, and children’s books? Several.
WHAT TO INCLUDE, AND WHAT NOT
A few concluding notes, then. There is some subjectivity in selection: the memoirs of Cholly Atkins, Berry Gordy Sr. and Freda Payne, for example, are listed because of their obvious Motown connections, while one or two others’ are not. Should Jackie Wilson’s biography be included? Perhaps. Fran Heard’s second book, which is more about religious belief and faith than anything else? Your call. And if you feel there are obvious – or not so obvious – omissions, please get in touch. Once the second part of the list is published, extra input and additions will be welcome.
Next week will also reveal the “best” books as voted by WGB subscribers.
A few of these works were made available in audio formats on first publication, such as To Be Loved and Berry, Me, And Motown (and both were narrated by the authors). More titles have followed in digital form and via Kindle, and in spoken-word editions by way of Amazon’s Audible offshoot. There are at least a dozen of the latter, including one which is author-narrated, by Claudette Robinson, and another voiced by the son of its author, Jermaine Jackson. Children’s books are indicated with an asterisk, Audible books with two asterisks (Claudette’s is both, so she gets three).
Now, about the format here. The listing is chronological by year, with each book’s title, author(s) and primary publisher. In parentheses is the geographic HQ of that original publisher, but, of course, many of these books came out on both sides of the Atlantic – and elsewhere – simultaneously, or close. Those firstly made available in hardback often followed in paperback. (For the most part, foreign-language editions are not shown here.) Part one of the listing runs to 2004; part two will bring it up to date.
Finally, to spice up the tabulation, a number of authors have graciously contributed anecdotes about how his/her particular book came to be, or how it was written. And so…
1971
Motown & The Arrival Of Black Music, David Morse, Studio Vista (U.K.)
1976
The Story Of Stevie Wonder, James Haskins, William Morrow (U.S.)
1977
Stevie Wonder, Constanze Elsner, Popular Library (U.S.)
1978
The Stevie Wonder Scrapbook, James Haskins with Kathleen Benson, Cassell (U.K.)
Diana Ross – Supreme Lady, Connie Berman, Popular Library (U.S.)
1979
**The Story of Motown, Peter Benjaminson, Grove Press (U.S.); second edition, 2018, Barnacle/Red Bird Books (U.S.)
Peter Benjaminson: “I’m very proud to have written the first book ever published in the U.S. about the Motown record company. I’m particularly pleased that it was published by Barney Rosset’s famous Grove Press, which had previously published controversial books by such great authors as Samuel Beckett and Jack Kerouac. I was so inspired by the story told in The Story Of Motown that I went on to write three more books about that company’s artists. I’m also pleased by the numerous excellent books about the Motown company that The Story Of Motown inspired others to write, that keep adding to the Motown story year after year.”
Movin’ Up: Pop Gordy Tells His Story, Berry Gordy Sr., Harper & Row (U.S.)
1981
Diana Ross, Geoff Brown, Sidgwick & Jackson (U.K.)
1982
Recollections: The Detroit Years, Jack Ryan, Glendower Media (U.S.)
1984
The Michael Jackson Story, Nelson George, Dell Publishing (U.S.)
Marvin Gaye, Sharon Davis, Proteus Books (U.K.)
1985
Stevie Wonder, Jeffrey Peisch, Ballantine Books (U.S.)
**Where Did Our Love Go? The Rise And Fall Of The Motown Sound, Nelson George, St. Martin’s Press (U.S.)
Nelson George: “I was so intrigued by how a black company in segregated America was able to have such across-the-board success. The answers were supplied by writers, producers and particularly the musicians who created those incredible records in the ’60s. To this day, I still reflect back on meeting Earl Van Dyke, Beans Bowles and the other men and women who made the Motown Sound. They not only taught me musical lessons, but life lessons I still call upon.”
**Divided Soul: The Life Of Marvin Gaye, David Ritz, McGraw-Hill (U.S.)
The Motown Story, Don Waller, Charles Scribner’s Sons (U.S.)
Diana, J. Randy Taraborrelli, Dolphin/Doubleday (U.S.)
Lionel Richie, Roberta Plutzik, Dell Publishing (U.S.)
The Motown Story, Various, Orbis Publishing (U.K.)
1986
Dreamgirl: My Life As A Supreme, Mary Wilson with Patricia Romanowski and Ahrgus Juilliard, St. Martin’s Press (U.S.); updated edition, 1999, Cooper Square Press (U.S.)
Motown: Hot Wax, City Cool & Solid Gold, J. Randy Taraborrelli, Dolphin/Doubleday (U.S.)
Stevie Wonder, John Swenson, HarperCollins (U.S.)
Trapped: Michael Jackson And The Crossover Dream, Dave Marsh, Bantam (U.S.)
1988
Motown: The History, Sharon Davis, Guinness Publishing (U.K.)
Sharon Davis: “Writing the book took a huge chunk out of my life, but it was worth every frustrating second and sleepless night when Guinness Publishing presented me with the first copy. What a feeling that was! But even more wonderful was the positive reaction and outpouring of love from Motown fans across the world. That was particularly humbling for this country girl. In actual fact, I discovered that many used Motown: The History as an illustrated autograph book. Martha Reeves laughingly told me that she had signed more copies of my book than her own autobiography!”
**Temptations, Otis Williams with Patricia Romanowski, G.P. Putnam’s Sons (U.S.)
Moonwalk, Michael Jackson, Doubleday (U.S.)
Heat Wave: The Motown Fact Book, David Bianco, Pierian Press (U.S.)
1989
Standing In The Shadows Of Motown: The Life and Music of Legendary Bassist James Jamerson, Dr. Licks, Dr. Licks Publishing (U.S.)
Allan Slutsky (Dr. Licks): “My father and I had a huge fight over my wasting time on a musician no one ever heard of. My distributor thought it was a stupid idea. And when I sent them the advance versions of what I was working on, I was told, ‘Al, with all due respect, call us when you have something worthwhile.’ And with all the money I sunk into producing the book in the pre-cellphone era when interviewing the hundreds of Jamerson’s friends, family members, industry folks and fellow musicians (with $1,000 monthly phone bills), it’s a miracle I’m still married.”
Call Her Miss Ross: The Unauthorized Biography Of Diana Ross, J. Randy Taraborrelli, Birch Lane Press (U.S.)
Inside My Life, Smokey Robinson with David Ritz, McGraw-Hill (U.S.)
1990
Berry, Me, And Motown, Raynoma Gordy with Bryan Brown and Mim Eichler, Contemporary Books (U.S.)
The Motown Album, Ben Fong-Torres and Dave Marsh, St. Martin’s Press (U.S.)
Supreme Faith: Someday We’ll Be Together, Mary Wilson with Patricia Romanowski, Harper Collins, New York, NY (U.S.); updated edition, 1999, Cooper Square Press (U.S.)
1991
I Heard It Through The Grapevine: Marvin Gaye – The Biography, Sharon Davis, Mainstream Publishing (U.K.)
All That Glittered: My Life With The Supremes, Tony Turner with Barbara Aria, Onyx/Penguin (U.S.)
Michael Jackson: The Magic & The Madness, J. Randy Taraborrelli, Birch Lane Press (U.S.)
Off The Record: Motown By Master Number 1959-1989, Reginald J. Bartlette, Popular Culture (U.S.)
1992
Deliver Us From Temptation: The Tragic And Shocking Story Of The Temptations And Motown, Tony Turner with Barbara Aria, Thunder’s Mouth Press (U.S.)
Suzanne de Passe: Motown’s Boss Lady, Mark Mussari, Garrett Educational Corp. (U.S.)
1993
Secrets Of A Sparrow, Diana Ross, Random House (U.S.)
1994
To Be Loved: The Music, The Magic, The Memories Of Motown, Berry Gordy, Warner Books (U.S.)
Dancing In The Street: Confessions Of A Motown Diva, Martha Reeves with Mark Bego, Hyperion (U.S.)
1995
Dancing In The Street: Motown – Sound Of The Sixties (German), Horst-Peter Meyer, Sonnentanz-Verlag (Germany)
One Nation Under A Groove: Motown & American Culture, Gerald Early, Ecco Press (U.S.)
1996
Rolling! Take One! Lyric, Rhyme & Prose, Janie Bradford, Mountain Goat Press (U.S.)
Musicians, Motown, And Myself, Joseph E. Hunter, Global Sound Publication (U.S.)
1997
Between Each Line Of Pain And Glory, Gladys Knight, Hyperion Books (U.S.)
The Temptations, Ted Cox, Chelsea House (U.S.)
1998
Women of Motown: An Oral History, Susan Whitall, Avon Books (U.S.); second edition, 2017, DeVault-Graves (U.S.)
Susan Whitall: “Writing Women Of Motown was at Dave Marsh’s request. ‘Can you write it as an oral history?’ he asked, of my idea to use all the interviews I’d done with many of Motown’s female performers. I told him I’d write it standing on my head if necessary. The more I worked on it, the more I realised these stories had been long-buried, with the traditional press emphasis on the very top layer of superstars. The longer I report on Motown, the more I understand that the most interesting and revealing histories are with the Funk Brothers, the backing singers, early hitmakers such as the Marvelettes, and venerable B-plus acts like the Velvelettes.”
Trouble Man: The Life And Death Of Marvin Gaye, Steve Turner, Penguin (U.K.)
1999
Dancing In The Street: Motown And The Cultural Politics Of Detroit, Suzanne E. Smith, Harvard University Press (U.S.)
Florence Ballard: Forever Faithful! Randall Wilson, Renaissance Sound Publications (U.S.)
2000
The Wonder Years: My Life And Times With Stevie Wonder, Ted Hull with Paula L. Stahel, self-published (U.S.)
Diana Ross: The Legend In Focus, Sharon Davis, Mainstream Publishing (U.K.)
2001
Calling Out Around The World: A Motown Reader, edited by Kingsley Abbott, Helter Skelter Publishing (U.K.)
Born To Wander, Peter Rivera with Larry Stephens, self-published (U.S.)
Motown: The Golden Years, Bill Dahl and Weldon A. McDougal III, Krause Publications (U.S.)
Bill Dahl: “This was the first book I ever wrote, and continues to be a highlight of my career. It was a collaboration with ex-Motown promo guru Weldon A. McDougal III – truly a bigger-than-life character who I flew to Philly to meet. I had to win his confidence, which took a little while – he had envisioned the project more as a book based solely around his wonderful candid photos from his Motown days – but once I did, it was a delight to work with him. Weldon would unexpectedly set me up with his longtime Motown friends, so I always had to be ready to improvise and do an interview. Doing all those interviews was the best part of all.”
What’s Going On: Marvin Gaye And The Last Days Of The Motown Sound, Ben Edmonds, Mojo/Canongate (U.K.)
*The History Of Motown, Virginia Aronson, Chelsea House (U.S.)
Class Act: The Jazz Life Of Choreographer Cholly Atkins, Cholly Atkins and Jacqui Malone, Columbia University Press (U.S.)
2002
**Blind Faith: The Miraculous Journey Of Lula Hardaway And Her Son Stevie Wonder, Dennis Love and Stacy Brown, Simon & Schuster (U.S.)
Motown: Music, Money, Sex, And Power, Gerald Posner, Random House (U.S.)
Gerald Posner: “Music was a key part of growing up in San Francisco in the 1960s – and the songs that blasted on 45s from my small record player at home were the hits from Motown Records. That was the music that made me happy. I could never have dreamed then that one day I would be an author and that I would find a publisher who allowed me to write a history of the business of Motown. The quasi-Greek tragedy, the rise and fall of one of the most iconic record labels, turned out to be filled with human foibles and personal shortcomings. All of which, for me at least, made the incredible music that came out of Hitsville during its prime even a more brilliant achievement.”
Diana Ross: Going Back, Diana Ross, Rizzoli International (U.S.)
2003
Motown: The View From The Bottom, Jack Ashford with Charlene Ashford, Bank House Books (U.K.)
Fingertips: The Untold Story – Dr. Beans Bowles, Dennis Bowles, Sho-Nuff Productions (U.S.)
Rhythms Of Wonder, Sharon Davis, Robson Books (U.K.)
Marvin Gaye, My Brother, Frankie Gaye with Fred E. Basten, Backbeat Books (U.S.)
The Motown Music Machine, Harold Keith Taylor, Jadmeg Music (U.S.)
2004
Guitars, Bars, And Motown Superstars, Dennis Coffey, University of Michigan Press (U.S.)
The Original Marvelettes: Motown’s Mystery Girl Group, Marc Taylor, Aloiv Publishing (U.S.)
Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves And Demons Of Marvin Gaye, Michael Eric Dyson, Basic Civitas Books (U.S.)
Memories Of The 1962 Motown Revue: A Photographic Journal, Curtis E. Woodson, Fresh Communications (U.S.)
Part 2, 2005-2022 is scheduled for September 23.