Chapter 17: Soul, Motown, and Stax
Much like the Brill Building’s Aldon Music, Motown operated as a highly organized creative system that brought together songwriters, producers, and performers under one roof. Guided by Berry Gordy’s factory-inspired model for making hits, the label relied on small, reliable teams of writers and producers who worked closely together from start to finish. In many cases, the same individuals handled both songwriting and production duties, ensuring a unified artistic vision throughout the recording process.
One of Motown’s most prolific and influential songwriting and production teams was Holland-Dozier-Holland (HDH), made up of brothers Brian and Eddie Holland and their collaborator Lamont Dozier. From 1964 to early 1968, the trio was responsible for writing and producing all of The Supremes’ chart-topping hits, while also shaping the signature sound of groups like The Four Tops and The Isley Brothers. They contributed major successes to The Miracles and Martha and the Vandellas as well. Each member played a distinct role: Eddie Holland specialized in lyrics and lead vocal phrasing, Lamont Dozier focused on vocal arrangements and instrumental textures, and Brian Holland crafted the song structures and contributed to background vocals. Many of their songs used internal rhyme, alliteration, metaphor, and other poetic devices in the lyrics.
Another key songwriting duo at Motown was Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield. Strong initially gained recognition as a singer, most notably for his 1960 hit “Money (That’s What I Want).” Norman Whitfield to craft a series of major hits for The Temptations and Gladys Knight and the Pips. Their most iconic collaboration was “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” recorded by Marvin Gaye, which became Motown’s biggest hit of the 1960s.
Motown's songwriting style was defined by several distinctive musical features. One common technique was using a portion of the chorus as the song’s introduction, as in The Supremes’ “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965). Another hallmark was harmonic modulation. Songs would typically shift up a half step about two-thirds of the way through, adding a theatrical and dynamic lift for the final choruses. Hooks—memorable melodic or lyrical phrases—were also central to the studio’s songwriting. Unlike many pop songs of the era, Motown often delayed the arrival of the hook for the song’s climactic moments to give that section more weight.
Gordy’s industrial philosophy also extended to quality control, mirroring the rigorous inspection systems used by Detroit’s automobile manufacturers like Ford Motor Company. Every Motown single passed through a quality control board, where it was evaluated in eight categories: title, hook, lyrics, arrangement, lead vocal, background vocal, solo, and accompaniment. If a recording did not receive at least a B-plus average score, it was not released.