Where Did Our Love Go: The Rise and Fall of the Motown Sound

Chronicles the phenomenal rise of Motown Records and profiles its famous personalities, including founder Berry Gordy, jr, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Smokey Robinson

George, an editor at Billboard and author of The Michael Jackson Story, recounts the story of Motown Records, founded by Berry Gordy in Detroit in 1959 and now located in Hollywood. In the end, the author concludes, "Motown became just another record company."
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

George offers a concise history of Berry Gordy's Motown Records, emphasizing Gordy's enterprising and social-climbing bents. He deals with Motown's inception in the late 1950s; the creation of its hit-making machinery that propelled such acts as the Supremes, the Temptations, and Marvin Gaye to stardom; and its decline in the 70s. Though much of this material has been presented in other books, George has conducted interviews which provide insights into the label's history. Best are his sections on Berry Gordy's entrepreneurial background and his discussion of the musicians who backed the Motown stars and helped to create the Motown sound. An interesting book, written in a spritely style, this will give general readers an equitable glimpse of the Motown Empire. David Szatmary, Continuing Education, Univ. of Washington, Seattle
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.