Marc Gordon facts for kids

Marc Gordon (born October 14, 1935, died June 16, 2010) was an American music expert. He was a talented record producer, songwriter, and music executive. He even won a Grammy! Marc Gordon was famous for his work with Hal Davis at Motown Records. He also played a big part in the success of the music group The 5th Dimension.

Marc Gordon's Music Journey

Early Career in Music

Marc Gordon was born in Denver, Colorado. He first worked as an engineer. Around 1960, he started working in the music world. He began managing and writing songs with R&B singer Hal Davis in Los Angeles.

Even though Hal Davis's own songs weren't big hits, he and Gordon kept working together. They helped other musicians record their music. This included groups like the Champs and the Hollywood Argyles. Gordon and Davis even sang backup on the Hollywood Argyles' hit song "Alley Oop".

Gordon and Davis became a strong team for making records. They worked with young singer Brenda Holloway. They also recorded with Mary Love, whose song "You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet" became very popular in the UK.

Working with Motown Records

Marc Gordon and Hal Davis met Berry Gordy, who was the head of Motown Records. Motown gave them the job of recording music in Los Angeles. From 1962 to 1965, Davis and Gordon worked on many famous songs.

They helped produce songs for Little Stevie Wonder, like "Hey Harmonica Man". They also produced Brenda Holloway's "Every Little Bit Hurts", which was a top 15 hit in the US. They worked with other Motown stars too, like Marvin Gaye and the Supremes. Gordon and Davis also managed many of the artists they recorded.

The 5th Dimension and Beyond

In 1965, Marc Gordon left Motown. He started his own company to manage music artists. He found a new group called the Versatiles and became their manager. They signed with a new record label called Soul City, started by singer Johnny Rivers. Gordon changed the group's name to The 5th Dimension.

Gordon and Rivers helped produce some of The 5th Dimension's first songs. They also worked on their 1967 album, Up, Up and Away. This album was a huge success, and Marc Gordon won a Grammy for it! He introduced the group to famous songwriter Jimmy Webb. Gordon stayed as the group's manager for many years.

He also managed singer Thelma Houston. With Johnny Rivers, he produced Al Wilson's song "The Snake". This song, like many of Gordon's earlier works, became a favorite in the British music scene years later.

In 1970, Marc Gordon started his own record label called Carousel Records. It was later renamed Rocky Road. This label had a big hit in 1972 with "Precious and Few" by the band Climax. In 1973, Al Wilson had the label's biggest hit, "Show and Tell", which was a number one song in the US.

After Rocky Road was sold in 1974, Gordon continued to manage many famous artists. These included The 5th Dimension, Thelma Houston, and the Staple Singers. He left the music business in 1979 for a while. He returned to managing artists in the 1990s.

Marc Gordon passed away in 2010 at the age of 75. He was not related to Marc Gordon from the group LeVert.