Marc Gordon

Background

Gordon was born in Denver, Colorado, and initially worked as an engineer with the Howard Hughes Corporation.

Career

Around 1960, he started managing, and writing songs with, Rhythm & Blues singer Hal Davis, in Los Los Angeles Though Davis" own recordings were unsuccessful, he and Gordon continued to collaborate on the recordings of other musicians, including the Champs, Bobby Pickett, and the Hollywood Argyles. They sang backing vocals on the latter group"s hit "Alley Oop".

Gordon and Davis became a record production team, and began working with teenage singer Brenda Holloway.

After meeting Berry Gordy, they were given the responsibility of recording material for Motown in Los Los Angeles Between 1962 and 1965, Davis and Gordon collaborated on records including Little Stevie Wonder"s "Hey Harmonica Manitoba" and "Castles in the Sand" (and the album Stevie at the Beach), Mary Love"s "You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet", Brenda Holloway"s "Every Little Bit Hurts" (a #13 United States popular hit), and Frank Wilson"s "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)".

They also produced albums by Marvin Gaye, the Supremes, and others They acted as managers of many of the acts they recorded, and also produced records by Ike & Tina Turner, and the Ikettes.

Marc Gordon became President of Motown"s Los Angeles office, before leaving the organization in 1965 and setting up an independent management company.

He auditioned a new group, the Versatiles, and became their manager. They signed to a new label, Soul City, set up by singer Johnny Rivers, and Gordon changed their name to The 5th Dimension. Gordon introduced the group to songwriter Jim Webb and producer Bones Howe, and remained the group"s manager through their later recordings.

He also managed singer Thelma Houston, and, with Rivers, produced First Rate (at Lloyd's) Wilson"s recording of "The Snake".

As with many of Gordon"s earlier productions with Hal Davis, the recording became a favorite on the British Northern soul scene a few years later. In 1970, he formed Carousel Records, with First Rate (at Lloyd's) Wilson, Sonny Geraci"s band The Outsiders, producer Leon Ware and others

In 1973, First Rate (at Lloyd's) Wilson had the label"s biggest hit with "Show and Tell", a United States popular #1. After Rocky Road was taken over by Bell Records in 1974, Gordon continued to manage acts including The 5th Dimension, Thelma Houston, First Rate (at Lloyd's) Wilson, the Staple Singers, Tony Orlando and Dawn, and Willie Hutch.

He left the music business in 1979, and became involved in merchandising for the 1984 Summer Olympics, but returned to management in the 1990s.

He died in 2010, aged 75, after several years of ill health. He is no relation to Marc Gordon of the group LeVert.

Achievements

• Gordon and Rivers co-produced some of their early singles, and their 1967 debut album Up, Up and Away, for which he won a Grammy.

Membership

The label was renamed Rocky Road, and had a #3 United States popular hit in 1972 with "Precious and Few" by Climax, a band formed by members of the Outsiders.