Posted By Carlo on June 19, 2012

Last Friday, I sent off a chapter about Motown and its relationship to Cleveland soul music. It went to an editor at an academic press in the South who said he’d get back to me about it first week in July. Here’s hoping.

Motown’s Fateful Shadow is the longest chapter I’ve written yet, and it’s largely about near misses. That’s too often the story when it comes to Cleveland music, no matter the genre. But in Invisible Soul, the book I’m writing, race underlines that pattern of failure. Black music simply didn’t cross over much in this city despite Motown’s calculated, successful and memorable product.

Leo’s Casino was the main intersection of the races, and local acts did well there too, opening for Motown stars like the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, the Four Tops, Stevie Wonder. It ran from 1963 to 1972, roughly the heyday of Motown. By all accounts, it was a fantastic place. I plan a separate chapter on Leo’s.

The great Gray and Company publicist Jane Lassar just blogged about writing blogs and/or developing Facebook pages. She still does great by my Grayco book, Cleveland Rock & Roll Memories. Now she cited my Invisible Soul Facebook page as a vehicle for developing a market. I’m happy to say it’s growing steadily, with Friends and Likes from all the world.

Mentions like Jane’s really help. Nice when social media actually work.

Categories: Books, Culture, Music, Northern Ohio, Personal, Reviews
Tags: Cleveland, Cleveland Rock & Roll Memories, criticism, Detroit, Facebook, literature, Media, Music, Rock 'n' roll, soul music