For nearly half a century, the name Motown has been an integral component in the vernacular of popular culture. Ask practically anyone, and the mere mention of the fabricated contraction of 'Motor Town' (aka Detroit, Michigan) immediately conjures specific sonic imagery. For some, the word might evoke a particular artist. It often represents a specific musical style that wasn't quite soul (yet remains eternally soulful), and yet not exactly straightforward pop, either. That said, during its halcyon heydays, Motown racked up more chart-topping singles than The Beatles, Elvis, The Rolling Stones, and Elton John combined!

Motown is a record label formed by Detroit entrepreneur Berry Gordy Jr. in 1959. Prior to music becoming his stock-in-trade, Gordy pursued a variety of career choices, including: training as a professional boxer, working on Ford Motor Company's Lincoln/Mercury assembly line, and owning a small record shop whose main clientele was jazz fans. Those occupations were short-lived, and Gordy's initial bout with recurring success came as the composer of Jackie Wilson's first three Top 40 entries: "To Be Loved," "Lonely Teardrops," and "That's Why (I Love You So)."

Armed with a three-peat of consecutive achievements, he petitioned other members of the Gordy family to loan him an $800 supplement to add to his own sizable capital expenditures. Little did those skeptical relatives, or probably even Gordy himself, realize that their investment would grow into a multimillion dollar dynasty that is still producing top-shelf acts in 2005, including Brian McKnight, Erykah Badu, India Arie, and Remy Shand.

A row developed when Gordy and members of Jackie Wilson's camp could not come to terms over pending royalties. The resulting acrimonious split between the two ultimately left Gordy a free agent.

Regardless of how shrewd his business acumen or prodigious his skill as a songwriter, Gordy certainly couldn't have gotten his ambitious project off the ground without significant help. From the outset, Motown was a team effort. William "Smokey" Robinson, Gordy's sister, Anna, and wife, Raynoma, were all by his side at the beginning, although they are rarely credited for their crucial roles during the conception and birth of Gordy's musical nation.

After purchasing the soon-to-be-legendary house at 2648 West Grand Boulevard, Gordy appointed the upper floors for A&R, publicity, and general day-to-day affairs, and transformed the basement/garage into the recording studio. He then proceeded to hand select a staff from the local jazz clubs and R&B bandstands, taking full advantage of the massive pool of talented and eager instrumentalists, vocalists, and audio technicians that Detroit had to offer in the late 1950s. The personnel that turned up in those formative years became the heart and soul of the Motown house band, better known as The Funk Brothers. Their story was the subject of the award-winning documentary, Standing In The Shadows Of Motown (2002), which is nothing short of required viewing for any fan of Motown. No joke, if you haven't seen the biopic and you care enough to have read thus far, might I humbly suggest book-marking where you left off and making whatever arrangements are required to view the film. Your local public library or any reputable video rental outlet should easily be able to assist in locating a copy on DVD.

Among the earliest contributors that Gordy secured were the rock-solid rhythm section of James Jamerson (bass), Benny "Papa Zita" Benjamin (drums), and Richard "Pistol" Allen (drums). These three were ably supported by the core combo of Joe Hunter (keyboards), Earl Van Dyke (keyboards), Robert White (guitar), Eddie Willis (guitar), Joe Messina (guitar), Jack Ashford (percussion/vibes), Eddie "Bongo" Brown (percussion), Thomas "Beans" Bowles (sax/concertmaster), and Paul Riser (trombone/arranger). Although others floated in and out of "The Snakepit" (so called because of the audio cables that cascaded from the ceiling connecting the producers and engineers in the control room to the musicians' performance area) these were the key participants during the genesis of the unmistakable Motown groove. Likewise, they all remained central figures in what would soon be known as "The Sound Of Young America."

It's a little-known fact that Motown was not the name that first graced the inaugural sides produced under Gordy's care. The word "TAMLA" was emblazoned across the top of the debut disc "Come To Me" (co-written by Gordy), which hit Detroit record shelves and regional airwaves in January of 1959. The name was a derivative of "Tammy" and was inspired by the Debbie Reynolds' song. But "Tammy" had already been copyrighted, so he morphed it into the more familiar Tamla Records imprint. It wasn't until September of '59 that The Miracles' "Bad Girl" b/w (backed with) "I Love Your Baby" became the premiere Motown Records release.

Similarly, it would take the better part of the spring and summer of '59 before The Snakepit was fully outfitted into the legendary Studio A. In the interim, Gordy utilized other local facilities like United Sound, PAC-3, and even the lower floor of local deejay Bristol Bryant's house. Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)" is the first track generally credited to have been created at 2648 West Grand Boulevard. It also became the label's entree into the national scene. Not bad for a company that had only issued a handful of singles so far.

Unbelievably, 2009 will mark Motown's Golden Anniversary. As that is four years away, it might seem a bit premature to begin the celebrations. For some, like yours truly, the party has never stopped when it comes to enjoying the aural alchemy associated with the likes of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Martha & The Vandellas, The Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Supremes, The Spinners, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Stevie Wonder, or The Jackson Five. Mind you, that is the short list of top-shelf talent to have surfaced under the Motown moniker.

The team of archivists behind the Grammy-worthy Complete Motown Singles series obviously feels the same way, as they have accepted the undeniably daunting, yet enviable task of bringing every one of the nearly 800 seven-inch platters into the digital domain. That's around 16,000 tunes, altogether. Each of the twelve projected compendiums is being made available in elaborate limited edition packages. The initial installment is currently available through the Internet-accessible audio boutique Hip-OSelect. Volume One covers the formative years 1959 to the end of 1961, and comprises a total of 155 songs spread over six CDs. (The remaining eleven multi-disc anthologies will be limited to the songs released during only one specific year.) The oversized hardback album not only houses the CDs in a replica of an original Tamla 45 rpm sleeve, it also contains a playable 7" pressing of Barrett Strong's breakthrough "Money (That's What I Want)" b/w "Oh I Apologize" vinyl single. The accompanying 92 pages of text are highlighted with song-by-song annotations, a complete cross-referenced discography of the era, and scores of rarely published photos. The Complete Motown Singles: Vol. 1: 1959 — 1961 begins the process of reaffirming Motown's place in music history. This collection presents an aural snapshot at the point where pop music inextricably intersected with rhythm and blues and rock-and-roll.