First Detroit, then the world. In a few short years, Berry Gordy and Motown Records rose from being a shoestring independent operation to a global music empire, gaining a colossal following and influencing countless other musicians and artists, including The Beatles.
By the time that The Quarrymen graduated from teenage skiffle obsessives to become The Beatles in 1960, Motown was already well on its way to world domination.
Barrett Strong’s 1959 R&B masterpiece ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’ became the label’s first nationwide hit, and the Detroit company had already started amassing an unparalleled roster of talent which, over the next few years, would establish a plethora of iconic stars, ranging from the distinctive vocal prowess of Diana Ross to the groundbreaking songwriting mastery of Stevie Wonder. As such, the ‘Mop Tops’ were natural disciples of the label.
After all, so much of the band’s early work was influenced by the world of American pop and R&B music, and Motown was the premier proprietor of those styles even during the early part of the 1960s. Although it took a few more years for the label to break into the musical mainstream on the other side of the Atlantic, Motown and American soul music quickly took root in the hip and happening mod nightclubs of cities like London and Liverpool, so it didn’t take long for The Beatles to become exposed to the charm of Detroit soul.
The influence of the label is evident on the band’s debut album, with the track ‘There’s A Place’ being described by Paul McCartney as “my attempt at a sort of Motown, Black thing”. As the years progressed, the ties between The Beatles and Motown only seemed to intensify.
In fact, The Beatles were so enamoured with the Motown sound that, for their 1963 record With The Beatles, they opted to record a total of three cover versions of Motown hits: Barrett Strong’s ‘Money’, The Miracles’ ‘You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me’, and The Marvelettes’ ‘Please Mr Postman’, which was the first ever US number-one for Motown back in 1961. Reportedly, Berry Gordy even offered the group reduced rates to cover the songs, in the hopes that their recordings would boost the presence of Motown in the UK.
Even though the Fab Four moved away from those pop-centric sounds as the 1960s progressed, their love of Motown only seemed to increase. For their 1966 triumph, Revolver, the album which marked their descent into expansive psychedelic experimentation, the group chose to include one track dedicated to that incredible Motown sound. Penned by Paul McCartney, ‘Got To Get You Into My Life’ is awash with the horn-heavy R&B rhythm that set Motown apart from everything else.
According to the songwriter himself, the content of the song largely revolves around marijuana, which the group were particularly entranced by during the Revolver sessions. Musically, though, the track is clearly an ode to the soulful sounds of Detroit, and the enduring influence of the label on The Beatles’ songwriting.
Although the song isn’t always viewed as the most memorable effort on Revolver, you could certainly argue that it captures the spirit of the 1960s better than most. With its Motown-heavy sound and drug-addled lyricism, the song perfectly bridges the gap between the infectious R&B pop of the early part of the decade and the psychedelic experimentation of the later years.