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| Motown Revue | |
|---|---|
| Name | Motown Revue |
| Origin | Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Genre | R&B, soul, pop |
| Years active | 1960s–1970s |
| Label | Tamla, Motown, Tamla Motown |
| Associated acts | Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes |
Motown Revue The Motown Revue was a touring package show presented by Motown Records during the 1960s and early 1970s that showcased roster artists on multi-act bills and helped popularize Detroit, Michigan soul music across the United States and internationally. The revue model brought together acts who recorded for Tamla Records, Gordy Records, Tamla Motown, and related imprints, featuring headline performers who also appeared on nationally syndicated television programs and at major venues such as Madison Square Garden, Hollywood Bowl, Wembley Stadium, and Royal Albert Hall. The touring shows intersected with chart success on the Billboard Hot 100, the UK Singles Chart, and awards from institutions like the Grammy Awards.
The concept originated from the entrepreneurial strategy of Berry Gordy Jr. as he expanded Motown Records from a Detroit studio operation into a national entertainment enterprise, drawing on experiences with early R&B package tours, vaudeville circuits, and traveling shows that included influences from the Chitlin' Circuit, the Apollo Theater, and the touring practices of acts like Sam Cooke and Ray Charles. Early revues were engineered alongside production teams who worked with songwriters and producers such as Smokey Robinson (songwriter), Holland–Dozier–Holland, Norman Whitfield, William "Mickey" Stevenson, and arrangers like Paul Riser and David Van De Pitte, with choreography informed by performance directors who collaborated with the company and with contemporaries including Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. studio session musicians known as The Funk Brothers. The revue format consolidated promotion for singles released on labels like Vee-Jay Records competitors and addressed touring logistics in an era dominated by package shows such as those led by Alan Freed and promoters aligned with Bill Graham and Irving Azoff.
Major revue tours included bills that played at cultural landmarks such as The Ed Sullivan Show appearances’ venues, residencies in entertainment centers like Las Vegas Strip clubs, and festivals alongside artists associated with Stax Records and the Atlantic Records roster. Notable engagements placed Motown acts at the Newport Jazz Festival, on bills with crossover exposure on programs like Soul Train, The Johnny Cash Show, and guest slots on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, elevating acts to crossover audiences reached by TV Guide listings and entertainment press like Rolling Stone and Billboard. International tours extended into the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Australia, and Canada, with shows in cities including London, Paris, Hamburg, Tokyo, and Sydney. Tours at venues such as Royal Albert Hall and appearances at events like the Isle of Wight Festival broadened exposure alongside contemporaries from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Supremes.
The revue showcased headline and supporting acts from the Motown roster including key figures and ensembles: Diana Ross and The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Marvelettes, Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Jackson 5, Junior Walker, Tammi Terrell, Mary Wells, Barrett Strong, Eddie Kendricks, David Ruffin, Otis Williams, Norman Whitfield, Marv Tarplin, Bobby Taylor, Chris Clark, Kim Weston, Brenda Holloway, Frankie Beverly, The Spinners, The Contours, The Velvelettes, Jimmy Ruffin, Edwin Starr, Jean Terrell, Nicolette Larson, Rick James, Thelma Houston, Gwen Gordy Fuqua, Mable John, Raynoma Liles Gordy, Clarence Paul, Harvey Fuqua, Roquel "Billy" Davis.
The revue model accelerated the diffusion of soul music into mainstream pop markets, aiding chart breakthroughs on platforms like Billboard 200 and influencing contemporaneous labels including Stax Records, Motown subsidiaries, and European imprints. Stagecraft perfected on the revues contributed to performance aesthetics embraced by later acts such as Prince, Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Beyoncé, while songwriting and production techniques developed by staff writers influenced recordings on Atlantic Records and sessions engineered at studios like Hitsville U.S.A. and United Sound Systems. The collective exposure helped secure entries in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for many participants and inspired tribute projects, museum exhibits at institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and scholarly treatments in works by authors like Nelson George, Peter Guralnick, and Derek Walcott-era commentators.
Production of the revues involved executives and managers from Motown Records including Berry Gordy Jr., touring directors, stage managers, and booking agents who coordinated with unions like the American Federation of Musicians and promoters such as William Morris Endeavor predecessors. A stable of arrangers, choreographers, costume designers, and backing bands—often drawn from studio personnel like The Funk Brothers and vocal coaches connected to Hitsville U.S.A.—ensured consistent presentation across markets. Business strategies entailed tie-ins with radio programmers at stations like WABC (AM), WDIA, and CKLW, promotional partnerships with print outlets such as Jet (magazine) and Ebony (magazine), and licensing arrangements with international distributors including EMI and Philips Records affiliates.
Several live sets and filmed performances derived from revue dates were released as albums, televised specials, and concert films distributed by labels and broadcast networks including NBC, CBS, ABC (American Broadcasting Company), and syndication outlets; these releases captured performances by artists who charted on Billboard Hot R&B Singles and the UK Albums Chart. Notable recordings documented in various formats feature live tracks by performers whose studio hits appeared on compilations curated by Motown Records and issue series marketed through Universal Music Group reissues and box sets. Archive materials and televised appearances circulate in collections maintained by institutions such as the Library of Congress and private archives connected to former Motown staff, and have been repackaged in retrospective releases and documentary films screened at festivals like SXSW and Tribeca Film Festival.
Category:Motown Records Category:Music tours Category:Rhythm and blues