24 hours a day, seven days a week from 1959 to 1973, the mighty Tamla Motown Studio A in downtown Detroit, Michigan took a small business up to the largest independent record company in the world.

Needless to say this too is very firmly on the heritage trail of US musical history now and visitors stand where The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson And The Miracles, Edwin Starr, Diana Ross And The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves And The Vandellas, Mary Wells, the Jackson 5 stood and clap and sing into the innovative echo chamber - a hole in the ceiling!

Credit for the global phenomenal success of the Motown machine goes to the direction of Berry Gordy crossing black street music and soul with R&B, jazz, gospel, country, mainstream pop and driving rhythms.

It also goes to the outfits and dance routines they perfected into a polished style that was distinctive and spoke for a generation, moving smoothly from pure love and pop into more socially meaningful commentary music as the '60s gave way to later decades.

So equally, must credit go to the musicians who backed the singers - The Funk Brothers, unique and talented musicians who just breathed magic into virtually every number they played.

Criticised by many as a factory style production line, Motown certainly delivered the goods - 70% of their released singles hit the charts.