Boy/Girl Bands and the Billion Songs Michigan, in the 1960s. We need to step into the studios of Motown Records, the small label founded by Berry Gordy in 1959 in a house known as Hitsville U.S.A., and listen to what was happening inside those walls. It was a talent factory, a charm school, and a laboratory where Black American music was preparing to conquer the world. The Temptations Ground Zero In 1960, ve guys from Detroit joined forces under the Motown umbrella and became The Temptations: David Ru n, Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin, and Otis Williams. Each possessed a distinct voice; each occupied a precise role within the group's ecosystem. This is where something fundamental was born: the idea that a vocal group is not just a collection of soloists, but an architectural structure. Every voice occupied a speci c space Kendricks falsetto, Franklin s bass baritone, Ru n s raw power. The harmonies weren't ornamental; they were the backbone of the sound. 12