Where Did Our Love Go?: The Rise and Fall of the Motown Sound (Music in American Life)

Where Did Our Love Go? chronicles the rise and fall of Motown Records while emphasizing the role of its dynamic founder, Berry Gordy Jr. First published in 1986, this classic work includes a new preface by Nelson George that identifies Motown’s influence on young recorders and music mogels of today, including R. Kelly, D’Angelo, Sean Combs, and Russell Simmons.

Gordy’s uncanny instinct for finding extraordinary talent--whether performers, songwriters, musicians, or producers--yielded popular artists who include the Supremes, the Jackson Five, Smokey Robinson, the Miracles, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, the Four Tops, and Stevie Wonder. Not shy about depicting Gordy’s sometimes manipulative and complex relationships with his artists, George reveals the inner workings of the music business and insightful material on the musicians who backed these stars. The large cache of resulting Motown melodies is still alive in commercials, movies, TV programs, and personal ipods today.