Ebooks for the Classroom+Faculty

I Hear a Symphony: Motown and Crossover R&B
ISBN: 9780472122875
Platform/Publisher: JSTOR / University of Michigan Press
Digital rights: Users: unlimited; Printing: chapter; Download: chapter
Subjects: Motown Record Corporation -- History; Rhythm and blues music -- History and criticism;

I Hear a Symphony opens new territory in the study of Motown's legacy, arguing that the music of Motown was indelibly shaped by the ideals of Detroit's postwar black middle class; that Motown's creative personnel participated in an African-American tradition of dialogism in rhythm and blues while developing the famous "Motown Sound." Throughout the book, Flory focuses on the central importance of "crossover" to the Motown story; first as a key concept in the company's efforts to reach across American commercial markets, then as a means to extend influence internationally, and finally as a way to expand the brand beyond strictly musical products. Flory's work reveals the richness of the Motown sound, and equally rich and complex cultural influence Motown still exerts.