A Motown Timeline: 1981
A SIGNIFICANT EXIT, A NEW PRESIDENT — AND A PROFIT
“I could understand logically why she did it, but it killed me. After twenty-one years, all of a sudden, she was gone.”
The words are those of Berry Gordy, recalling the spring of 1981 and the moment when Diana Ross’ departure from Motown was officially made public. On May 18 that year, RCA Records gleefully announced the superstar’s new recording contract with the firm, for the U.S. and Canada.
“I want everyone to know that the inferences might look like I had some problem with Motown,” Ross said during a media interview published months later, “but that was not it at all. I love Berry, I love Suzanne. I love Shelly Berger. I love the entire organisation and everyone that has worked for me over the years.”
Berry Gordy and his gone girl
And yet, regardless of its queen’s exit, 1981 was a remarkable year for Motown. In January, Stevie Wonder made national and international headlines with his ongoing drive for a national holiday to mark Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday. Up to 200,000 people defied snow and ice to march in Washington, D.C. at a rally sponsored by Wonder, who performed “Happy Birthday” and led the crowd in singing “We Shall Overcome.” The campaign gained real momentum, while his latest album, Hotter Than July, continued near the top of the charts.
Gordy’s business also delivered one of the biggest singles of ’81 with Diana Ross and Lionel Richie’s “Endless Love,” logging a total of nine weeks at Number One in the U.S., and sales not far short of three million. Meanwhile, one of Hitsville’s newer headliners, Rick James, was responsible for an album, Street Songs, which topped two million in sales, and for a nationwide tour which grossed at least $10 million (equivalent to $34 million today).
All of this occurred under Jay Lasker, the latest president of Motown Records, who was installed by Gordy in November 1980. There was change, too, at Motown Productions, where company veteran Suzanne de Passe was appointed as the division’s president in the first few weeks of the new year, with plans to energise its movie and TV output. A budget of $10 million was earmarked for acquisition and development. (De Passe also resigned her post on the board of directors of Diana Ross Enterprises.)
MORALE-BOOSTING PUNK-FUNK
One of Lasker’s initial tasks was to facilitate Marvin Gaye’s exit from Motown, given Berry Gordy’s assent – but not before a final album was released. A company staffer, Simone Sheffield, managed to secure tapes of the singer’s 1980 sessions in Hawaii, which were combined with material sourced from London and Belgium to produce In Our Lifetime. Gaye was bitter about the outcome, and it hastened his departure to Columbia Records.
By contrast, Lasker picked up the option to extend Rick James’ contract, despite poor sales (circa 180,000) for his 1980 album, Garden Of Love. When the singer/songwriter delivered Street Songs early in ‘81, the resultant smash was a morale booster across Motown, well as a significant contributor to its bottom line.
Yet the new label president’s primary strength was in marketing: he reactivated dozens of Motown catalogue albums as “midlines,” pricing them at $5.98 and grossing more than $5 million ($17 million today) as a consequence. Lasker also initiated the production of a six-hour radio special, The Artists And Music That Started It All, which was distributed free to stations as a three-LP set. The package featured narration by Smokey Robinson, interviews across the range of Motown’s artists past and present, and music selections from its catalogue. It was produced by Jon Badeaux of KDAY-FM Los Angeles, with Terry Barnes as project director, and helped to promote the label’s midlines as well as its corporate image. (Note of self-interest: I was involved with the set’s script and music selection.) “The white pop stations have been buying syndications featuring major stars for some time,” Lasker told Billboard, “but small stations haven’t been able to afford it.”
In terms of its artist roster, Motown’s major hits in 1981 came mostly from a handful of established names: Ross and Richie, Robinson, the Commodores. “Endless Love” was its only Number One on the Billboard Hot 100; Robinson’s “Being With You” reached No. 2. The latter’s Being With You and Rick James’ Street Songs were Motown’s only Top 10 albums on the pop charts. Even so, Jay Lasker was proud to deliver a $6 million profit for the record company, compared to its $3.8 million deficit in 1980.
Such financials should have helped Berry Gordy to come to terms with the loss of Motown’s leading lady. He should also have been cheered by Robinson’s renewed popularity, Rick James’ ascent, and the promise of a successful solo career for Richie, whose multi-format credentials had recently been polished by writing and producing Kenny Rogers’ pop and country chart-topping “Lady.”
And Diana Ross was magnanimous. In an interview at the time of her first post-Motown album’s release, she told Nelson George, “The man I learned most from, not just in terms of music, but movies, everything, was Berry Gordy. I know that every day, if I have some decision to make about something, I think about what Berry Gordy would do. I want him to know this. I want him to know the effect he has on my life and always will have on my life.”
Positive words, then, from a “gone” girl.
Now, to the detail. Below is an account of 1981, subjective rather than exhaustive, to convey its flavour at the hands of Motown’s music makers and backroom believers. It’s divided into three sections: the first, a chronological run-down of significant dates during those 12 months, followed by examples of the year’s notable singles and album releases. If a 45 or album topped the Billboard R&B or pop charts – or both – that entry is shown in bold-face italics.
MOTOWN 1981
January 15: Some 200,000 people join Stevie Wonder in a march and rally in Washington, D.C. to support his campaign to have Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday made a national holiday.
February 3: The appointment of Suzanne de Passe as president of Motown Productions Inc. is announced. She was vice president of Motown Records’ creative division, and VP of Motown Industries.
February 4: A three-hour TV drama based on Stevie Wonder’s song, “All In Love Is Fair,” is reported to be in development at Motown Productions. Another project is Satchmo, based on the life of Louis Armstrong.
February 11: Onetime Motown Records’ chief Michael Roshkind files a $20 million lawsuit in Los Angeles against his former employer, countering its earlier legal action against him for breach of contract and fraud.
February 25: The Grammy awards are presented at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. Motown’s nominees in various categories include Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Jermaine Jackson, the Commodores and Diana Ross, but none is a winner this time.
March 2: Diana Ross’ latest TV special, diana, is broadcast nationwide on CBS-TV, with guests including Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones. Concert scenes were taped during her concert at The Forum in Inglewood, California, on February 5.
April 11: Jr. Walker & the All Stars appear on TV’s Saturday Night Live, with “Shotgun” and “What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)” in the setlist. Five months later, Walker returns to the upper reaches of the U.S. charts.
May 15: “I just got tired of it,” Martha Reeves tells the Philadelphia Enquirer, asked whether she would ever re-form the Vandellas. “What people don’t realise is that there was a total of seven Vandellas over the years. They all got married. It was frustrating. You find a new girl, break her in, teach her about showbusiness, and then she gets married and quits.”
May 18: RCA Records announces its signing of Diana Ross to a long-term recording contract for the U.S. and Canada. For international markets, including the U.K., the superstar has affiliated with EMI Records. Her new album, Why Do Fools Fall In Love, follows in October.
May 23: Smokey Robinson’s “Being With You” tops the Cash Box Top 100, one slot higher than its peak on the Billboard Hot 100 during the same week.
June 7: In the United Kingdom, “Being With You” spends the first of two weeks at Number One. Smokey Robinson’s hit is then replaced at the summit by Michael Jackson’s “One Day In Your Life.”
Soul mates at the Greek
June 26: Smokey Robinson opens his so-called silver anniversary tour at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, backed by his band, A Quiet Storm. Berry Gordy joins him on stage to sing (briefly) in celebration.
July 1: “Mr. Gordy depends and relies on women,” Motown’s vice president of production, Fay Hale, tells Black Enterprise for a feature about Suzanne de Passe. “He’s not afraid to have strong women around. Women in this company have been more readily accepted and recognised.”
July 7: Rick James’ Street Songs is simultaneously certified gold and platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Smokey Robinson’s “Being With You” single and album are certified gold on the same date.
July 10: The Temptations perform at New York’s Savoy nightspot, following the 950-seat venue’s opening in April. Others booked into the Broadway club include a former Motown signing, Soupy Sales.
July 17: Franco Zeffirelli’s Endless Love, starring Brooke Shields, opens in U.S. theatres. Motown released the title song by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie as a single on June 24.
July 30-31: Rick James, Teena Marie and the Stone City Band play California’s Long Beach Arena as part of James’ 58-city tour, which takes in New York’s Madison Square Garden and Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena, among other venues. The Long Beach show is recorded and released by Motown in 2001.
August 8: Stevie Wonder peaks at No. 2 on the British charts with “Happy Birthday,” an album track unreleased as a single in the U.S. at the time.
September 5: Foreigner’s “Urgent,” featuring Jr. Walker on sax, reaches the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100. The Motown musician later tours with the British/American rock band.
September 5: Onetime senior Motown executive Michael Roshkind is named president of three start-ups, including M&M Records, according to Billboard. Lamont Dozier’s album, Lamont, is released by M&M later in the year.
September 12: Three Motown acts are present in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100: Diana Ross and Lionel Richie with “Endless Love” at the top, Jr. Walker at No. 4 on Foreigner’s “Urgent,” and the Commodores at No. 8 with “Lady (You Bring Me Up).”
September 17: In Los Angeles, Motown Records sues songwriter/producer Jeffrey Bowen and singer Bonnie Pointer for threatening the life of Berry Gordy, Jr. and libelling the label. The company wants out of its contracts with the pair, and seeks $6 million in damages.
September 24: Just prior to the release of his first Motown album, José Feliciano tells the Memphis Press-Scimitar, “I prayed to St. Jude and, lo and behold, a month later I was playing a concert sponsored by Motown Records in Los Angeles, and Berry Gordy was there and he liked what he heard and I got signed.”
Free to radio stations nationwide
September 30: EMI Records hosts a “farewell to Motown” lunch in London for its U.K. team. This follows the American company’s decision to switch licensing arrangements to RCA in the territory, after 18 years with EMI.
November 14: “The Chic experience was difficult,” Diana tells Record World. “I put my career in the hands of some young producers who were hot on their own. I was taking a chance, but I wanted to stay with what was happening. But they are young guys and I feel I’m mature in the industry. We were always compromising, always pushing and pulling.” She adds, “The end justified the means.”
November 14: Three months after MTV’s debut, the channel is publicly lambasted at a music industry conference for its failure to feature black artists. Rick James’ exclusion is highlighted as Street Songs maintains its Top 20 pop chart presence.
December 13: WCBS-FM New York is the latest outlet to broadcast Motown’s radio special, The Artists And Music That Started It All, which features Smokey Robinson as narrator. Dozens of stations across the country have already aired the six-hour retrospective, including four in Chicago alone.
December 16: The Commodores’ In The Pocket is certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of one million copies.
SELECTED SINGLES (by release date)
January 23: Smokey Robinson, “Being With You,” Tamla 54321 (#1 R&B, #2 pop)
February 6: Marvin Gaye, “Praise,” Tamla 54322
March 6: Rick James, “Give It To Me Baby,” Gordy 7197 (#1 R&B, #40 pop)
March 13: Stevie Wonder, “Lately,” Tamla 54323
March 30: Michael Jackson, “One Day In Your Life,” Motown 1512
April 13: Smokey Robinson, “Aqua Con Tigo (Being With You),” Tamla 54325
April 20: Marvin Gaye, “Heavy Love Affair,” Tamla 54326
May 29: Teena Marie, “Square Biz,” Gordy 7202
May 29: The DeBarges, “What’s Your Name,” Gordy 7203
June 5: The Commodores, “Lady (You Bring Me Up),” Motown 1514
June 24: Diana Ross & Lionel Richie, “Endless Love,” Motown 1519 (#1 R&B, #1 pop)
July 10: Rick James: “Super Freak (Part 1),” Gordy 7205
July 17: The Temptations, “Aiming At Your Heart,” Gordy 7208
September 4: The Commodores, “Oh No,” Motown 1527
September 11: The Dazz Band, “Let The Music Play,” Motown 1528
September 25: Syreeta, “Quick Slick,” Tamla 54333
October 23: Teena Marie, “Portuguese Love,” Gordy 7216
December 4: Diana Ross, “My Old Piano,” Motown 1531
December 28: Bettye LaVette, “Right In The Middle (Of Falling In Love),” Motown 1532
December 28: Smokey Robinson, “Tell Me Tomorrow,” Tamla 1601
December 28: Stevie Wonder, “That Girl,” Tamla 1602 (#1 R&B, #4 pop)
SELECTED ALBUMS (by release date)
January 15: Marvin Gaye, In Our Lifetime, Tamla 374
January 15: The Stone City Band, The Boys Are Back, Gordy 1001
February 17: Smokey Robinson, Being With You, Tamla 375 (#1 R&B, #10 pop)
February 17: Diana Ross, To Love Again, Motown 951
March 25: Michael Jackson, One Day In Your Life, Motown 956
April 7: Rick James, Street Songs, Gordy 1002 (#1 R&B, #3 pop)
April 22: The DeBarges, The DeBarges, Gordy 1003
May 13: High Inergy, High Inergy, Gordy 1005
May 13: The Dazz Band, Let The Music Play, Motown 957
May 22: Teena Marie, It Must Be Magic, Gordy 1004
June 22: The Commodores, In The Pocket, Motown 955
July 10: Billy Preston & Syreeta, Billy Preston & Syreeta, Motown 958
August 7: The Temptations, The Temptations, Gordy 1006
August 28: Jermaine Jackson, I Like Your Style, Motown 952
August 28: Lovesmith, Lovesmith, Motown 959
September 23: Grover Washington, Jr., Anthology, Motown 961
October 1: Diana Ross, All The Great Hits, Motown 960
October 3: José Feliciano, Jose Feliciano, Motown 953
October 15: Switch, Switch V, Gordy 1007
October 21: Syreeta, Set My Love In Motion, Tamla 376
Discographical notes: at the end of 1981, Motown under Jay Lasker made changes to the numerical sequence of singles issued on the Tamla label, switching from its five-digit identity (introduced in 1959) to a four-number ID. Syreeta’s “Quick Slick” (Tamla 54333) was the last of the old series, and Smokey Robinson’s “Tell Me Tomorrow” (Tamla 1601) was the first of the new. For albums, several of the individual labels’ distinct number identities were turned into a uniform four-number ID, beginning with Robinson’s Yes It’s You Lady (Tamla 1601) in early 1982.