Label Guide: Tamla
Tamla Records is the original label of Berry Gordy's Motown Record Corporation, founded in January 1959 in Detroit, Michigan. It was launched a few months before Motown itself was established and became the primary subsidiary for mainstream R&B/soul music in Berry Gordy's empire of labels. Notable Tamla artists included Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and The Marvelettes.
Tamla Records' numbering system was combined with those of Motown and Gordy in 1982, and the label was merged with Motown in 1988.
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1. Label Variation (I)
first Tamla label (1961 - 1962)
The first Tamla label has a white background with the first Tamla logo, showing a blue earth globe and an overlapping blue labeled record, at the top center. The earliest variation shows a '2648 W. Grand Boulevard, Detroit' address at the bottom center; not sure when exactly that address was no longer present on the label. The white labels were printed on Tamla's earliest releases, from TM-220 to TM-230/31.
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1. Label Variation (II)
first Tamla label (1961 - 1962)
The first Tamla label has a white background with the first Tamla logo, showing a blue earth globe and an overlapping blue labeled record, at the top center. The earliest variation shows a '2648 W. Grand Boulevard, Detroit' address at the bottom center; not sure when exactly that address was no longer present on the label. The white labels were printed on Tamla's earliest releases, from TM-220 to TM-230/31.
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2. Label Variation
second Tamla label (1962)
For a few 1962 albums, approximately between TM-229 to TM-232, a yellow background version of the first Tamla label was used, this time showing the '2648 W. Grand Boulevard, Detroit' address between the logo and the spindle hole, but also adding a reference to Motown Records that was missing on the white label.
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3. Label Variation (I)
third Tamla label (1963 - 1968)
The third Tamla label introduced a new logo, showing a red vinyl record and the Tamla globe side-by-side. It was used until 1968 or Tamla 291. There are at least three versions of this label: The first one shows only 'TAMLA RECORDS, DETROIT, MICHIGAN' below the Tamla logo and no further text on the label perimeter.
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3. Label Variation (II)
third Tamla label (1963 - 1968)
The second one shows the 'MOTOWN RECORD CORP. 2648 W. GRAND BLVD. DETROIT 8, MICHIGAN' address at the bottom rim and no next below the Tamla logo.
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3. Label Variation (III)
third Tamla label (1963 - 1968)
And the third version of this label has, additionally to the bottom rim address, the text 'A TRADEMARK OF MOTOWN RECORD CORP.' printed right below the logo. We are not sure if there was an exact chronological separation between these three versions, so they are listed here as just one variation.
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4. Label Variation (I)
fourth Tamla label (1968 - )
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4. Label Variation (II)
fourth Tamla label (1968 - )
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4. Label Variation (III)
fourth Tamla label (1968 - )