Rob Moss

In the days before computerized information flow, most Detroit performers’ awareness of any interest in their musical output from the 1960s or 1970s, anywhere in the world, was almost non-existent. Most had given up the dream of stardom or notoriety, and had selected alternative forms of employment. To be suddenly informed by a white man with a funny accent decades later, that a song, or songs, they had recorded in their teens or early twenties and completely forgotten about, were now popular with people from a different culture, several thousand miles away, for many, was a totally confusing revelation. The conversation was almost always the same. “You say my record is a hit in the UK?” “No, but it is popular on a certain scene over there.” “Oh, so everyone has bought my record?” “No, because not many people have got it. It’s not available and difficult to find. Lots of people want it though, and will pay large amounts of money to buy it.” “So, if it’s that popular, it must be a hit right?” “No…” and so it continues until a stalemate of confusion dissolves into mutual misunderstanding. Over the years many of these same entertainers have actually visited Britain, or countries in mainland Europe, to perform, without ever really understanding the nether world of rare soul appreciation that they have entered. Many find it almost incomprehensible that people would want them to perform songs that didn’t achieve any significant sales figures or popular appeal at the time of release. By insisting on this practice however, the few truly informed and inspired promoters in UK, who have any sense or understanding, ensure that real devotees get what they want, and that we are all spared the inevitable and inferior versions of ‘Stand by me’, ‘Up on the roof ‘, ‘A change is gonna come’ and ... note from the soul source team - sorry but all Robs non-current articles are now clipped due to a future book release - watch out for news of that!

Visiting Detroit Part 7 Holidaying in Detroit is probably not everyone’s idea of an ideal vacation. Though the weather is scorching in the summer, there are no beaches or swimming facilities to speak of. No English pubs serving Watney’s Red Barrel. No ‘Full English breakfasts with all the trimmings’ and no Sky TV showing football at all hours of the day and night. In fact, you’ll be lucky to even find out the scores. You can visit ancient relics, although I’m sure they wouldn’t take kindly to be referred to in quite those terms, see where many of the recordings were made and have a sporting chance of finding that precious vinyl, if, of course, your interests lie in these areas. Probably not the kind of trip to take the wife and kids on — unless you’ve managed to brainwash them to the extent that they share your passion, and this is extremely unlikely. Travelling to America by air from anywhere in Europe will usually take a minimum of seven hours, owing to the headwinds that typically slow progress on the outbound journey. It will be shorter coming back for exactly the same reason. Flying is one of the most tedious, frustrating and mind numbing activities we are forced to endure in our modern world. And it is not enhanced by the moronic range of films available that are targeted at the four children on the flight who may actually understand and enjoy them. Add to this the constant and continuous high pitch screaming and wailing of the inevitable baby (ies) in the next row (doesn’t anyone use dummies anymore?) and the old man, in close proximity, who periodically insists on moving the phlegm in the back of his throat to the nasal cavity in the centre of his head with that awful sound that resembles a ship leaving port, and you have abject misery. The feeling of elation as you actually leave the aircraft, not forgetting to, hypocritically, thank the flight staff for orchestrating this brief visit to hell, is a unique experience. Like many airports around the world, Detroit Metro is at least 20 miles from the city. A hire car is essential and should be booked, and prepaid, from home.... note from the soul source team - sorry but all Robs non-current articles are now clipped due to a future book release - watch out for news of that!

Rob Moss delivers his view on the recently broadcast BBC4 TV programme Motor Citys Burning - Detroit from Motown to the Stooges I love Detroit — ‘Motor City’s Burning’ The title sounded fantastic. ‘Motor City’s Burning’ — ‘A documentary looking at how, during the 1960s, the blue collar Midwestern city of Detroit became home to a musical revolution that captured the sound of a nation in upheaval’ and ‘Detroit from Motown to the Stooges’ to quote the BBC’s own promotional blurb. Surely this would be a detailed examination of the circumstances that created one of the most influential musical styles in popular music — ‘The Motown Sound’? The title implied that some scrutiny of the causes and effects of the 1967 Detroit riots would feature in the programme too. And wouldn’t the BBC, an institutional universally respected and admired, with a substantial budget provided by the British taxpayer, be able to gain access to unique footage, interviews and other journalistic extras that would create a truly ground breaking, and long overdue, assessment of an essential era in a unique age? Adherents to the genre could almost predict the content. A brief history of Detroit, tracing its initial role as a fur trading settlement in the 18th century to the arrival of Henry Ford at the beginning of the 20th century and the creation of the automobile industry, the important role the city played in the escape of slaves from the South during the 19th century, the strained race relations that dogged life in the city throughout most of the 20th century as huge numbers of black families migrated north, and the affluence of the post war period, culminating in the 1960s, that spawned a generation of superbly talented and creative people in and around Detroit. This would be followed by an assessment of the social and cultural landscape around the city in the 1950s, and how this impacted on Berry Gordy Jnr. A brief description of Gordy’s family background, writing career and musical grounding would provide an insight into how he set up his business operation, and, perhaps more importantly, who was involved in the earliest recording sessions and organizational structures he put in place... note from the soul source team - sorry but all Robs non-current articles are now clipped due to a future book release - watch out for news of that! BBC Blurb Documentary looking at how Detroit became home to a musical revolution that captured the sound of a nation in upheaval. In the early 60s, Motown transcended Detroit's inner city to take black music to a white audience, whilst in the late 60s suburban kids like the MC5 and the Stooges descended into the black inner city to create revolutionary rock expressing the rage of young white America. With contributions from Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, George Clinton, Martha Reeves, John Sinclair and the MC5. Fri 7 Mar 2008 22:00hrs https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b009372j