Can We Recreate The Motown Sound? | Reverb

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More from Rax Trax Recording Studios: bit.ly/2mt4O6q
Download Motown Drum Samples on Reverb: bit.ly/2ot8BRM
What makes Motown sound like Motown? Will Kurk and Joe Shadid take a trip to Rax Trax Recording studios to explore the musical must-haves of the beloved Motown sound...and find out whether we can emulate the feel with a band of incredible session players and a Hitsville dream.
Film Production: John Gagen and Michael Lux
Directed by Michael Lux
Edited by John Gagen
Meet The Band:
Vocalists: Slique Jay Adams, Cherise Thomas, Malone Muzik, Sam Trump
Bass: Mendell Beckford
Guitarists: Neal Alger, Joe Shadid
Piano: William Kurk
Violins: Caitlin Edwards, Edith Yokley
Viola: Dominic Johnson
Trumpet: Corey Wilkes
Saxophone: Marqueal Jordan
Drum Kit: Leonard Maddox, Jr., Chuck Lacy
Tamborine: Mike Logan, Jr.
Bells: Stephen Lynerd
Timestamps:
Intro - 0:00
Opening - 0:45
The Studio - 2:18
Drums & Percussion - 5:13
Piano & Keyboards - 7:51
Bass Guitar - 9:12
Electric Guitar - 10:07
Strings, Horns & Overdubs - 11:00
Vocals - 12:35
Mixing - 15:00
Performance: "My Girl" - 18:00
Performance: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - 21:05

[@krisbooth8441]

This is like porn for audio engineers. Love it

[@prescott231233]

this was absolutely amazing

[@chrisjlee2013]

Kris B YES YES YES. We need more content for us engineers to watchh

[@grey3977]

I appreciate the effort and sound, however I have no idea what anyone is talking about technically.

[@CameronShull]

I love porn

[@robygee]

hahahahahahahaha i know exactly what you mean, i almost came too

[@iwiggs6870]

DAMN that male vocalist for "Aint No Mountain High Enough" absolutely killed it!

[@althejazzman]

I agree. He completely captured Marvin's sound. I wonder how they found these musicians?

[@proverbalizer]

true, I think the female couldn't quite hang (even though she was good too)

[@Millisime]

Sounded more like Michael Jackson to me

[@joannelindsay4977]

@@proverbalizer I agree. There is only one Tammy. She had a very unique tone.

[@ThisIsVersatile]

Chicago's Own @Slique Jay Adams Music on KZbin!

[@billhennigh759]

I recorded some Motown material in LA in the late 70's. Your effort got close. One thing that we did that you guys aren't doing is using a 4 track machine with vso (variable speed to get correct slap time) for tape slap. And using main channel input modules to return the slap tracks so that the delay can be sent to the live chamber. By using main input channels for returns it allows the ability to re enter the delay dry and wet. This was the same method used to create the Phil Spector 'Wall of Sound'

[@TomGallagherSuperboyBeyond]

I don't know what you just said. But love that you said it. If they do a second attempt to recreate the motown sound i hope they read what you wrote.

[@christianvukasovic6159]

which makes sound 'deeper/larger/wider'

[@alexeypolevoybass]

As a person who wasn't even born yet in 70s, I was always fascinated by amount of effort and actual physics/math knowledge audio engineers put into their work back in the day. Most of modern “mixing engineers” who rely on distortions layered on top of 5 more layers of distortion (hi, Nolly!) are just a fucking joke.

[@jerkyturkey007]

Great inside info. I remember many years ago watching a special on music from my era and all the other record labels were going crazy trying to figure out how mo town made that distinctive sound that was key to their success.

[@ChickenMcFuggets]

@Reid James which songs? I'm genuinely curious I haven't looked much into the history of the wall of sound

[@KAIOabstrct]

The vocalists are out of this world, hats off to everyone here damn.

[@EvilDeadFan11]

Yes I was just thinking my god, those vocals. So well done.

[@MankeyGamez]

fr incredible

[@metalox88]

Great job.... found good people!!

[@josephbania4564]

IMHO they over sang it. Too much pitch variation.

[@guyintenn]

@@josephbania4564 Agreed. They sang using the modern vocal acrobatics style, where they were neither needed or added anything.

[@JohnDemkeMarketing]

I'd love to see Reverb recreate Phil Spector's Wall of Sound.

[@Barabyk]

Would love to see that! 12 channels into three-track. And all the players at once.

[@johnwalliss]

Definitely!!!! just keep any firearms under lock and key!!!

[@victorsixtythree]

YES, PLEASE!!

[@TheChadPad]

Yes PLEASE

[@victorsixtythree]

Darlene Love used to perform the Phil Spector classic "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)" every year on the David Letterman Show and over the years Paul Schaeffer tried to get as close to the original Phil Spector arrangement as possible. There are several versions available on KZbin. I think my favorite is from 2013: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnmUmZJ3Zdt9epo One thing I like even more than the original is the ending of the song (the original recording just faded out) Just LOOK at all them musicians! And try to imagine them all in one recording studio...

[@kevink1575]

The Funk Brothers might be the most underrated group of musicians of all time.

[@anthonytaylor7928]

We're they chosen to play on number one hits yep! So how were they underrated tell one of the band members they were underrated im sure they would feel insulted I think some times we used that word in the wrong context

[@jsamc]

These "most underrated" comments are getting old.

[@richsackett3423]

Or overrated.

[@amandanicole5665]

not might be,...they are the KINGS of pop/rand b

[@jackstm2738]

I met all the funk brothers 2006 and we were talking for hours sittin in a hotel Lobby in Germany. It will never get. Great guys!

[@dennismoodymusic]

As an engineer, I recorded hundreds of sessions for Motown with Hal Davis, Mark Gordon, and Barry Gordy from 1975 to about 1985. Temptations, Supremes, Smokey Robison, Thelma Houston. Your very close with your comparison! Very dead rooms, very deadened drums, very little compression. Good job!

[@cromptonenator]

That's awesome - thanks for sharing!

[@happylifegrace4674]

Hi! WOuld love to chat and learn more about your experiences as I am working on a project on the sound of those times

[@botimsifmusic3319]

I love how everyone is just vibing on their instruments without overdoing it

[@georgefromgreece4119]

Professionalism

[@antondoty1926]

THIS IS THE CONTENT WE WANT REVERB!

[@thebreakfastmenu]

I'm most impressed with how the drums came out. They're pretty much perfect.

[@inthefade]

They were a little too crisp, and the reverb wasn't accurate, but I still love the sound they got here.

[@davidbaines7330]

That distorted ‘My Girl ‘ snare is so distinctive. Really makes the period sound.

[@matthewjackson8709]

They never mentioned compression but I always wondered about that on Motown... @Reverb, was there no compression on any of the 3 drum mics? Where's all the distortion coming from on them? the tape?

[@CameronForbes]

memespace yep, I think that was a really distinctive part of the sound too. The drums weren’t as in your face with their sounds, you couldn’t hear ever hi hat and ride hit. If you could hear the verb on the drums, like the intro to Ain’t no Mountain it was all because of the composition and everything else being out of the way.

[@Oldmotherhell]

@@inthefade I think he was laying it in too thick with the ghost notes. Original drummers just whacked it straight on on the two...

[@kemiible9108]

The two guys clicking fingers right through the whole song is the most important part of making this remake believable.

[@BigBri550]

14:17 That over-peak tape distortion is part of the Motown sound. Drums and vocals were particularly prone to peak out on those records, and it sounded so hot! It added a live quality to the recordings instead of the sterility of staying within protocol. Bass and guitars were always clear & pure, though. Total opposite of rock & roll.

[@moosic2i]

What a great observation makes so much sense. The 70s classic rock drumsounds of John bonham, Ian Paice, Roger Taylor, Appice Bros, etc etc was huge, big kits, huge bass drums, toms, snares and cymbals hit very hard with advanced mic setups, but very rarely going into distortion. Versus the Motown technique which is the complete opposite ie a small kit, baffled & taped up played relatively softly with limited mics used but hitting the tape machine hard into distortion. But the sound was huge, sounded so good on these recordings. So much talent all round. All produced from a small house/building in Detroit incredible!

[@BigBri550]

@@moosic2i All those in-house ensembles back then were brilliant including The Wrecking Crew and The Swampers. But there was definitely something unique and magical about The Funk Bros and Motown.

[@skaneverdies]

God damn. Hats off to EVERYONE. The presenters, the researchers, the engineers, and of course, those impossibly on-point session players. Incredible effort.

[@kevinurso1944]

Yes, yes, and yes! Wow, all consummate professionals!

[@Zer0Spinn]

That's why I keep coming back to this video.

[@captainkeyboard1007]

"Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for God will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain." See Exodus Chapter 20 and Verse 7 in the Bible. God is not damned. He is your Creator and God.

[@NathanAHogan]

Please don't blaspheme the Lord's name in vain.....

[@izeoftheworld41]

Looks like I'm selling my amp and and buying some sponges

[@SamSarmento]

LOL!

[@spoonieAB3]

#spongelyf

[@micro2cool]

And a $400 DI box

[@izeoftheworld41]

@@micro2cool ya feel

[@kenwinston2245]

Shh don't tell

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

Regardless of how close you got or didn't get to recreating the original sound, this was a super fun video to watch, and I don't mind telling you it moved me to tears in a few places. What a magical time it was, and this white, suburban teenage kid was as profoundly moved by Motown, and really, all the music of that era, as anyone could possibly be. It resonates through my soul to this day. This music is timeless, regardless of who is playing it.

[@credenza1]

Also worthy of mention are the brilliant arrangements. The way instruments drop in and out, the peculiar way the strings play unexpected and unorthodox notes, the synchronized runs with piano, bass and percussion, the key modulations and the way the song moves from one section to another. So much going on.

[@alexeypolevoybass]

The thing is, arrangement gives you much more of the overall sound than mixing does. If your song is just one guitar, bass, drums and vocals, and it's a generic verse-chorus type of thing, you aren't gonna make it sound any interesting no matter how hard you try, because there's not much going on in music. You won't believe amounts of “hidden” synth parts in, say, Def Leppard officially released music. If you take these out of the mix, Def Leppard sounds like your sloppy local hard rock band, which it would remain forever if they didn't have money for promotion and producers who made these arrangements for them.

[@pnojazz]

Yes, arrangement of Ain’t no mountain was spot on. But my girl wasn’t as good. IMO.

[@georgefromgreece4119]

Exactly

[@MelanieMaguire]

Totally agree. I'd like to know who did all the arrangements? Because they're brilliant.

[@Breakbeats92.5]

Look at the session musicians. They can't help but smile.

[@scottcupp8129]

I think it is totally priceless. I am a session keyboardist and I do the same.

[@mikethemike232]

It's just because they ENJOY what they' re doing.

[@Welshhomie]

A dream gig for sure, must admit I am envious!

[@Minalover100]

I'm a 70 year old guy who always wondered how Motown got their unique sound. Thanks for this fascinating video...

[@akaye643]

Minalover100 I’m 21 and Motown also always amazes me. Their sound is timeless.

[@Minalover100]

@@akaye643 Yes, they were amazing. But seeing them "live" during the 1960's was worth more than gold, IMHO

[@Schmidthorst69]

Do you know the great documentary "Standing in the shadows of Motown"? If not, please check it out. You'll really like it, mate! :)

[@Minalover100]

@@Schmidthorst69 No, I haven't but thanks for the info...

[@Schmidthorst69]

@@Minalover100 kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y16Ug5WlaKqKnq8

[@TheMarkness]

I'm primarily a metal musician, and I don't have a lot of access to vintage gear (working with digital production), but I think Motown soul is the greatest and most glorious genre of pop music that ever was and as a challenge one day I'm going to try to make a Motown-sounding song using these insights. Thank you, Reverb!

[@jimflys2]

"James, you gotta get youself a 'lectric bass." And history would forever change. Am I right? For the drums, basically a jazz kit tuned like a jazz kit and straight grooves played on it.

[@paulmichael4152]

This is the best episode y'all ever uploaded.

[@kicksnarehats11]

Word! And here's to hoping that we can add a 'yet' to that. Reverb is doing such good work for the musicians' community, I can't wait to see what other great stuff they've got cooking right now.

[@jimyoung9262]

BY FAR

[@shawtchurchjr]

By far

[@terrymiller111]

"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" was nailed.

[@portwill]

All session players were amazing and the singers were out of this world, jaws dropped!!

[@taweller]

agreed, terrific female singer!

[@Sool101]

@Ray Adams Marvin and Tammy definitely had some other audible and inaudible tension going on when they recorded which translated very well. Man I can't get over the brass section in this video, it was just so spot on! Let me listen to it again brb

[@drumdiscussion7776]

The Motown sound was such a historic studio. The music that was created will be immortalized forever. Great tunes with great musicians!

[@pitchorditch]

When I first started working in small studios back in 79 I was taught how to record and mix from a gentleman that used these same techniques and equipment. It worked for him so he stuck with them. After several years of it being dated and not cool I suddenly get called for gigs. It appease the same techniques work for me as well. God bless the people that helped feed so many of our families

[@alanwann9318]

Oh I'm wowing the vocalists here,this is how to sing.

[@LeviBulger]

Seriously, great voice.

[@DMSProduktions]

SING being the operative word!

[@TheBigburcie]

That bit of distortion totally sells it as the real deal.

[@drorlando2416]

WOW....You don’t hear vocals like this everyday.....

[@CoolDudeClem]

Yes and no stinking autotune to ruin it! Unlike everything else you hear today where everybody wants to sound like robots for some reason.

[@ocr3012]

How to recreate Motown strings 1) Get 16 string players 2) 14 strings play the melody in unision 3) 2 strings play octave lower in unison

[@Cestariarts]

Doesn't matter when, where or how "Ain't no mountain high enough" it always gives me goosebumps.

[@georgelane3564]

I am a life-long Motown nut. When I was a kid in the sixties, I got a transistor radio for my birthday to listen to the Motown sound. I joined the Radio Shack battery club to keep the tunes coming. I now play bass and practice those tunes. This video gave me chills! Thank you.

[@Shfengoli]

Writing a new tune that sticks for 50 years would be a cool trick too.

[@dnciskkk9037]

it's been done, we just have to wait to get it to stick, then revice it. many of those. could give you a top10 forevermore songs from the 1990s and 2000s. It's there, just fake musicstations doing they thing. Pushing crack when we only crave weed.

[@mtweaver1978]

Meet you back here on August 22, 2040 on the 50th anniversary of the release of “Ice Ice Baby” to discuss why people are still singing it.

[@dnciskkk9037]

@@mtweaver1978 True, it is a good tune. Good beat, it will stand the test of time, and I do not like much of that rapstuff. But there are a few of those raptunes that will last forever, the tupac, that I got five on it song, and some of the bone thugs n harmony stuff.

[@Pheicou]

Oh they will stick, but unfortunately for the wrong reasons :/

[@Iofflight78]

The only modern song that got close to that motown sound for me is Jazzanova's I can see. I would have believed it if you'd told me it had been recorded in the 60s.

[@neils891]

Anyone else get a tingly feeling during “Ain’t no mountain high enough”? Like my whole spine went all tingly and I felt it radiating to all my limbs, then a huge emotional moment came over me. So much awe. Man, that sound was solid!

[@northernsouler6179]

Neil, listen to the instrumental... Pure heaven.

[@Youcantleavethisempty01]

That's called ASMR, my dude.

[@paulsvenson7585]

Absolutely agree

[@jed02]

It hit me, too

[@prescott231233]

you could tell how every musician in the room was in perfect unity with it. they all knew that what they were making sounded amazing.

[@tanukibrahma]

This brought tears to my eyes. I grew up with Motown in Detroit, and you captured the feeling and did it justice. Thank you!

[@Goodnewsglobal]

Jameson the best bass player that ever lived really added to the Motown sound..

[@DominicAirola]

I like how all the mics are thousands of dollars and then you got the $60 sm57 on the snare and it still holds its own against the rest.

[@DanielBoa7]

a lot of them seem to have a high price due to age

[@TranquiloTrev]

@@DanielBoa7 Yes, they weren't that price then. You could buy a house for that price in the 60's.

[@louiswhite4909]

TheTrebulator Even adjusted for inflation Neumann’s, Telefunken, an EMT plate, tape machines were still expensive and more money than what any garage musician at the time could or would’ve spent on the average.

[@ishta]

They just happen to be still making them and they made millions of them, so they will not be jacked up in price but money aside they are valuable tools and the right mic for certain things. The human voice, the piano and horns are more nuanced and condenser and ribbon mics were and still hard to make properly.

[@robertallen6710]

low tech best tech...

[@Terryomalleyonline]

That was mighty! No guitar amps.........no bass amp. Who would have guessed

[@wolfwarren6376]

Terry O'Malley it’s correct in some of these instances, but not always true. It is well known that Jamerson had a B15 in many sessions. Sessions like “ain’t no mountain high”, though, were done DI’d. Cool little tidbit.

[@thenewmedic]

"But...but...muh toob amp!" I cried out. Then again, if I gotta do all this and spend that kind of money to sound like that, well, I'll keep muh toob amp. lol

[@mimisounds2843]

Really glad i stumbled on this. That Motown sound is so special. Thank you

[@polgimenezcastillo4510]

U r special

[@polgimenezcastillo4510]

Thank u

[@lordXAVIJAANBJERGNOG]

It's the Detroit sound. Soul with a latin rhythm. See fortune records for the predecessor. The radio doesn't play those other songs. Barry and Smokey know.

[@azzuro195]

21:10 Goose bumps@“Ain’t no mountain high enough". E P I C

[@josantana]

Don't know exactly why, but I got emotional when all pieces glued together. Maybe music is the only thing helping me keep sanity it this distopic world. Terrific video, guys. Thank you for that.

[@SwnkyTiger]

I know the feeling brother. I'm re-experiencing music, songs I've always known but feel so much deeper today.

[@yoyartube]

I think you were feeling what the band was feeling. I felt it too.

[@franspayattention4]

It got me too dude. the chorus was almost identical! And you can really tell everyone was having fun playing this one.

[@dkjay22]

Music: healing medicine for the soul

[@cedarshoals529]

That big boomin' Motown sound just grabs me every time!

[@simonesa1vatori]

Intro 0:00 Opening 0:45 The Studio 2:18 Drums and Percussion 5:13 Piano & Keyboards 7:51 Bass Guitar 9:12 Electric Guitar 10:07 Strings, Horns & Overdubs 11:00 Vocals 12:35 Mixing 15:00 My Girl 18:00 Ain't No Mountain High Enough 21:05

[@kwamesha3477]

Absolutely a very good recreation of that "Motown Sound". As a live sound engineer I appreciate the details shared in the studio mix process. I'd love to hear that sound recreated live! Good Job folks.

[@yawopokugyamfi6609]

Motown is just great YOG

[@TheseusTitan]

When I was a kid we would drive by the studio sometimes. I always looked to see if anyone recognizable was out front.

[@fviannaval]

I actually cried a little bit watching this. You can feel the love and musicianship in every step of the process. Well done, guys, you are the best music channel I've ever seen and I've seen A LOT.

[@AdamLeeGuitarist]

Me TOO!

[@victorkaoru298]

Biofá por aqui!!

[@fviannaval]

@@victorkaoru298 como não!!! ✌️✌️✌️

[@SUNKINGME]

Wow so did I! Chills then tears!

[@kree8iv]

Someone needs prozac.

[@Alex-di8ti]

wow, its so close the original Someone take this setup, make a brand spanking original album with it 😄

[@BIG_PASTA]

Have you ever heard of Mayer Hawthorne? He's been basically doing that.. his music is a nod to that era and he pays mind to the recording techniques used to attempt a similar recreation of the sound. When I first heard songs off the album (that I'll link) I thought it was some old stuff that somehow slipped under my radar for a minute :) Peace! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZanoGaCj9ilZ80

[@thenewmedic]

@@BIG_PASTA While JD MacPherson doesn't sound quite like this, he really gets some of that old timey sound quality. I'd recommend him too. I'll check out Mayer Hawthorne. Thanks for the recommendation!

[@kicksnarehats11]

...also: try listening to the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio. Sure, it's not Motown (and so far, strictly instrumental) but I think it shares a lot of that vibe ... and adds a little funk here and there.

[@kicksnarehats11]

...and how could I forget 'The True Loves'!? - they're kinda like the big band version of Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio. Definitely worth giving a shot, too!

[@andreyaverkin6715]

@@kicksnarehats11 Hey!! Thanks for the suggestion! I've been digging Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio for a few months and was looking for something similar =)))

[@jpalberthoward9]

I've been listening to those songs since I was a very small child. That's probably about as close as anybody could get to duplicating it. It really sounds amazing. Analog lives and breathes, and just fiils the whole room and the inside of your head.

[@simdrew1993]

They are so good! WOW! This style needs to come back even if just for a while, pure talent!

[@yeahrightbear8883]

This was excellent! This would be an awesome series but I can't imagine the work that went into making this.

[@Reverb]

It's not work when it's that much fun. Thanks for watching!

[@spaziojobim]

and money

[@lordgraga]

@@Reverb The looks of concentration on all the musicians said it all. Wow that looks so fun indeed!!! You'll never forget that.

[@phoenixjim0527]

​@@Reverb I caught this vid 11 hours after upload, and there were already 293 happy, heartfelt comments. I read all of them and clicked "thumbs up" again and again. It's hard to find enough superlatives.

[@matt.fromtheinternet]

@@Reverb In that case, I formally request a video similar to this on Abbey Road Studios during the Beatles' tenure.

[@edwindantes539]

The Motown Sound was pure magic. One of the ingredients is REAL MUSICIANSHIP, No Pro-Tools, No Pitch correct, everything was organic and real.

[@minstrelofMir]

but then the us used 8 tracks from the end of the 50"s the beatles made sgt peppers when they got 4 tracks

[@edwindantes539]

@@minstrelofMir Yes, of course, however, it had a different vibe and feel. I'm from Detroit, 50 year old musician who loves that sound.

[@sinane.y]

@@edwindantes539 They were fake, they overdubbed vocals, also the tape saturation made the voices sound warmer. REAL MUSICIANSHIP doesn't need machines.

[@thenewmedic]

@@sinane.y All of the top albums, no matter how fake/overdubbed/saturated required real musicianship. Studio recording allows you to do things you just can't do live though. Some music is just better heard recorded than live, and I'm perfectly ok with that.

[@sinane.y]

@@thenewmedic and Pro Tools means there is no real musicianship? lol

[@CarlosGarcia-yg9je]

I grew up in Detroit in the late 70's and early 80's and let me tell you, Motown music from the 60's were played all day, every day on the radio as if it were still top 40. Even though, it had been 15-20 years after it was originally released, this music was revered for decades after in Detroit. As a young child in elementary, my teachers put this music on their little transistor radios in class if we behaved. I grew up with Motown in my ear everyday even though I was listening to Prince, Run DMC, Michael Jackson and Duran Duran. Listening to the two recordings at the end of this video made me cry because it reminded me just how special this music remains even to this day, well done....

[@waystadtymphyndir7079]

Oh the Girl singing Tammy's part melts me to pieces. God Grac, thank you lord.

[@AdamLeeGuitarist]

This is honestly the best thing I've ever seen. Please continue this series - what a privilege to watch such a talented bunch of musicians so faithfully recreate and capture the magic of such an iconic musical era!

[@kaydenbush]

This would be such a cool series of these amazing musicians/engineers recreating iconic studio sounds.

[@AdamLeeGuitarist]

@@kaydenbush Absolutely would - I'd tune in, non-stop!

[@ngstigator]

@@kaydenbush agreed but not being an audio engineer there might be genres i would pass on :-)

[@dd66tv]

Totally agree. Like the Andertons sounds like guitar feature but for audio heads. This is fabulous

[@RUDOLPHLYRICS]

This should be a 2 hour documentary!!

[@luispadilla2978]

Thank you for this. I'm a bassist and of course, James Jamerson is my favorite. Bob Babbitt was also great. But anyway, I can listen to Motown music all day non-stop. So this is much appreciated.

[@slimyelow]

The string section sounds both vibrant and silky, again absolute bomb studio performances. - wow!

[@chrisclermont456]

Glad to see younger musicians taking such an active interest in learning how great records were made in the past. Keep hope alive!!

[@1TEDSong]

Amen, brother!

[@MrFlatTaxi]

Amen Brother is the name of the track, Drum and Bass music sampled the drum break from.

[@maus3454]

Absolutely

[@mrs.featherbottom5901]

Don’t act surprised, my dude

[@WhateverA]

I wanna be a singer and bring back the sound of soul and Motown, music is trash nowadays

[@CraigPaddockmusic]

22:10, I got chills... that’s the vibe baby. Band got in it deep.

[@kristopherguilbault5428]

Ain't no mountain high enough was the most dead on impressive... The break up distortion they were talking about on the vocals and the drum bleed through the ambient mics. :o wow

[@rayjax6218]

As a recording and mix engineer, this was incredible to watch. I've been to Hitsville USA and this sits right up there with that experience. Thanks for the effort, time and people that made this possible!

[@markdavidofficial4274]

It’s like they took make the Motown sound and made it truly Hifi, truly and utterly impressed

[@dissdad8744]

I think the recreation sounds more "Hifi" for various reasons: 1) vinyl as a final medium adds another element to the sound which is missing here, 2) the original record was released as a mono record, not stereo, 3) this is not a fully analog recording and processing chain. Some of the processing (eg reverbation, eqing) was done in the digital realm with some of the analog fluctuations, noise and quirks missing. The guys over at Daptone Records do actually have a fully analog recording and mixing chain!!

[@Jaburu]

@@dissdad8744 it's mainly the HF rolloff what is not there

[@alexisroberge7263]

It’d be great to see how Quincy Jones recorded Off the Wall and other late 70’s early 80’s albums Great job on this one! Makes me want to buy lots of expensive mics I can’t afford!

[@a.roberge6193]

That would be awesome!

[@mimisounds2843]

I don’t think there’s anything i wouldn’t give to see that

[@jerryodom7358]

I grew up with Motown music, it’s in my blood, my mind, my heart.

[@applecider]

this is wayyyyyyyyyyyyy underrated, it makes me kinda sad. what an effort, amazing job!

[@MrJoeydrms]

When you take the tour of Hitsville in Detroit they show you the attic space where they had a reverb chamber. When you snap your fingers or clap your hands in the reverb chamber ala “Baby Love” or “ My Girl” you realized how much it played a role in the sound.

[@jennifursun3303]

would love to see that building some day

[@rubenzarate2477]

MrJoeydrms I just did that in Feb! So iconic

[@gastonflatulenza1276]

I grew up in Detroit (born in 1960) and then later I toured the Hitsville studio (I think) in 1990 or 91. It wasn't a museum in the sense that it is today (lucky me). Michael Jackson's glove was on a mannequin hand on a table out in the open. Anyway, I got a tour and the guide boosted me up into the attic where the reverb was. The walls, floor, and ceiling of the attic were covered in sheet metal--actual "plate" reverb. There would have been a speaker and a microphone up there in that attic. The sound would come out of the speaker, bounce around off all the sheet metal, then go into the microphone and back down to the tape machine in the control room. It was primitive by today's standards but that's how they go the sound we grew up on and still love.

[@nathanjudd23]

Universal Audio needs to model that chamber, next!

[@pipepicasso8112]

I was there in the middle of September, and you are 100% right. Such a great experience. I recommend anyone who is a fan of any variation of music to visit.

[@ContemporaryFingerstyleGuitar]

Outstanding sound and truly herculean effort to pull it off.

[@julianowen7377]

The joy on the violinist face……wonderful 22.49

[@passtheparcel2007]

The sounds achieved by the skilled engineers, using various an revolutionary techniques, gave it the motown sound.

[@sinane.y]

They forgot the most important ingredient : genius composers.

[@sieteocho]

I kinda disagree. There have been quite a few songs written in the Motown style, and I'm curious what they'd sound with the Motown treatment. Freedom by Wham, Church of the Poison Mind by Culture Club, A Town Called Malice by the Jam, Lust for Life by Iggy Pop.

[@losangulos]

@@sieteocho any new ones?

[@northernsouler6179]

Correct, Frank Wilson springs to mind, check out his single "Do I Love You"..

[@stephenlennartz3466]

As Stephen Stills says, "...at the end of the day it's all about the song and the story within." Wish we had more of that these days.

[@jeffmorse645]

Holland Dozier Holland

[@wizardmix]

I think more important than how accurate you got is the ethic you've shown. When I saw "standing in the shadow of motown" 13 years ago, it changed the way I thought about how songs were recorded. I started to realize that it's the feel that's important, not how perfect a tone was or how antiseptically clean a take was. Modern recording can be so focused on achieving (and often mechanizing or simulating) perfection that it misses what made songs great: Raw Talent and Humanity. When I limit myself, I find I play better and more seriously, I find the songs sound better too.

[@erldagerl9826]

Evan J yes! Auto tune has no energy.

[@Dericulus]

Humanity is the word! Every instrument and player on those old recordings are so together it's practically a faithful community communicating and expressing the greatest feelings of humanity ever experienced.

[@speedfreakjive88]

Well said buddy! 🙏

[@DS-wn4dx]

Picking up on what you said about tone and feel. Joe Meek's studio just had 2 bog standard shop bought 2 track tape recorders his reverb was his bathroom and he sold bucketloads of records but he was an audio and electronic genius. It's not what you've got but how you use it.

[@Artax-jv8zt]

I stumbled across this video, I thought your recreations were amazing as close as you can get to the original. The musicianship was top notch, those singers and band need to do a motown tour.

[@lb2696]

The singers absolutely crushed it.

[@EdPettersen]

Bob Olhsson, one of the original engineers is still alive and well in Nashville. I strongly urge everyone to get in touch with him. He's amazing.

[@beefknuckles]

I've had those master tapes from Aint No Mountain High Enough for years and I've listened to them to death. You guys got so insanely close to the Motown sound I'm actually shocked. Amazing job to everyone involved!

[@photogenic2010]

My dad bought the original Motown 45 rpm "singles" when they were hits in the 60's. You guys put the 'spirit' of the original stars, well done !

[@macadon041]

That last man singing My Girl nailed it ....

[@TerryManning]

The rendition of "Aint No Mountain High Enough" is just about perfect. Bravos all around.

[@Only1Science]

Greetings from the Historic United Sound Systems Recording Studios here in Detroit, where Berry (Tamla Records) recorded their music before Motown was Motown! Most of the orchestral and string work was done at United due to the size of our A-Room.

[@mistermister8]

Come on! With all that talent in the room... don't tell me you only recorded TWO tracks. No way! Give us more!

[@dodgedforgottenn]

AWESOME video! Great job replicating these songs. For me, what nails these recordings is the rather “lofi” drum tone, strings tone, and vocal distortion.

[@SuitcaseShuffle]

Great to see and hear the old Motown vibe being appreciated and replicated. Kudos to all involved. How about the 'wall of sound' replica next? (wigs and guns optional).

[@noesunyoutuber7680]

The wig and the murderous insanity are crucial elements.

[@roybonilla4354]

"at the end of the day there will never be another sound like Motown"... accurate!

[@PopExpo]

The opening guitar on the supremes "set me free" is outta this world.

[@patrickkowalski8256]

As a person born in Royal Oak MI and who grew up on Motown, this was SPOT ON!

[@danielclifton3319]

Man, this is freakin' gold! The vocals and the drums especially sound like a million. Does the saturation/distortion primarily come from the tape? The strings and the horns also sound great. And the bass! For someone who has grown up in the digital domain, doing everything in the box, but loving the sound of the old 60's records, this is just great insight! Please continue this series!

[@DMSProduktions]

Yes, good ol' tape saturation!

[@mute47]

Check out anything from Daptone Records/Studio if you like this sort of stuff...

[@sundownsigns]

I remember hearing years ago that part of the "secret" of the Motown sound was to sound good out of the 3 inch speakers on AM radios in vehicles.

[@guyservice6646]

Grew up in Windsor across from Detroit... this is the Motown sound... great work

[@bpastoria]

I was great friends and Mentored by Music Director Maurice King who was in all the recording sessions! He told me Bennie & Uriel didn’t have crash cymbals and you won’t hear a crash cymbals on the records made at Hitsville!! Incredible

[@jaecenwhite2590]

That sound is alive and deep. Way nicer than the sterile, over-processed isolation that’s become normal.

[@BiggieTrismegistus]

I hate how modern records sound. Every instrument is so isolated and distinct but the mixing makes the record as a whole sound muddy somehow. I'm not an audio engineer or a musician so I don't know if I'm explaining it in a way that makes sense. Listening to modern production feels like having white noise blasted into my face at 120 decibels. Everything is just TOO LOUD.

[@overbeb]

@@BiggieTrismegistus Search for loudness war. There are a lot of articles/videos about this phenomenon in music.

[@BiggieTrismegistus]

@@overbeb Thanks for the tip. Things make so much more sense now.

[@flirtwithdanger_les]

Yeah, modern records are technically far superior but the Motown sound had a 'magic' to it

[@ecoRfan]

Biggie Trismegistus yeah we call it the Loudness War. It’s destroyed all music. Everything sounds artificial regardless of instrumentation.

[@jgmusicman2281]

One of the best KZbin videos I've ever seen.

[@nicholasvastakis9376]

despite a lot of these comments, I think the drums and vocals(especially on my girl) sounded so fantastic and very similar to the motown recordings. I love this video.

[@xerxespowers2557]

Reverb is what gives that sound.

[@Gruuvin1]

Answer? One word: Jamerson

[@northernsouler6179]

I share his birthday.

[@amandanicole5665]

best bassist ever hands down

[@Gruuvin1]

He IS the Motown sound!

[@altheagray103]

I know right? THE Coolest Bass player of all time that had his own technique way of playing. I love that scene in the movie, STANDING IN THE SHADOW OF MOTOWN where Jamerson's Son recalled his Father his the only person he knew who played Bass the way he did. Everyone else played "normal" 😁😁

[@Gruuvin1]

@@altheagray103 how did he make all that music with one finger?

[@KingfisherTalkingPictures]

I’ve always wondered what the crunchy old Reggae studios must have been like, with probably old hand me down equipment. So much genius in those island recording booths.

[@steadyrev5336]

I played in them all. Lee Perry's Ark, Channel One, Federal, Dynamic Sound, Joe Gibbs and more. You rehearse the song. Get a feel for it. Some days so much herb Yiu couldn't see three feet from where you are. Y(u had to listen and lock on. Keyboard and organ player here... The goods old days

[@jamesleonarddesign]

These vocalist were all incredible. big respect

[@bandbyoneMIDI]

I teared up like a child watching this and the passion you show for these magical times.

[@NYC1]

The lady vocalist should issue an album

[@dnciskkk9037]

Yes, weird shit, I get hits telling me she is a medium, guess she sings to angels instead. Oh well, where is that darn fruitknife when you need it.

[@slimkickens]

Brian Wilson in the Today! - SMiLE sessions era, pleeeeease

[@briank1027]

Hit the nail on the head....SMiLE sessions would be a dream come true

[@nathanbirch3558]

1967

[@jjjd12346]

this and frank zappa would be incredible

[@jjjd12346]

metallicramen around 1967, during the “no commercial potential” era

[@dbo514]

Same, Brian Wilson in 65, 66 would be amazing.

[@eddiejones856]

Nail the drums. I got into Motown in the early 70’s when my parents would play their music. I could always identify a Motown by the unique drum’s sound.

[@RhymesWithCarbon]

I was raised on Motown and this was so faithful to the originals. Outstanding, and fascinating. Loved it.

[@ganormand]

Thank you for doing this. As a musician playing cover tunes for the past 58+ years, I always strived to reproduce these songs. I see why that was so difficult.

[@sweou]

This is the most detailed historical insight into the technicalities of the legendary Motown music ever! Such great dedication from the people involved in this!

[@Mauricemukiri]

There Ain't No sound close to old-school Motown ,it is in it's own special category plus the major historical events that took place in that era...it just evokes that good feel of the golden era of music of which is timeless. You nailed it Reverb!

[@straightjacketspaceman9223]

OMG YOU TOTALLY NAILED IT!!! I can't believe just how good everyone's performances were; literally breathtaking talent all round. Production wise also you hit it out the park; so much professional know how and rare recording equipment just gave this that 100% authentic sound! WELL DONE ALL OF YOU!!!