MUSIC MOVIE DOCUMENTARY #10 Hitsville, The Making of Motown [2019]

 

MUSIC MOVIE DOCUMENTARY #10    Hitsville, The Making of Motown [2019]

Hitsville, The Making of Motown [2019] MP4

"Hitsville U.S.A." is the nickname given to Motown's first headquarters and recording studio. The house (formerly a photographers' studio) is located at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan, near the New Center area. The house was purchased by Motown founder Berry Gordy in 1959.  After purchasing the house, Gordy converted it for use as the record label's administrative building and recording studio. Following mainstream success in the late 1960's and early 1970's, Gordy moved the label to Los Angeles and established the Hitsville West studio there, as a part of his focus on television and film production as well as music production. Today, the “Hitsville U.S.A” property operates as the Motown Museum, which is dedicated to the legacy of the record label, its artists, and its music. The museum occupies the original house and an adjacent former residence. (Wikipedia)

This movie looks at the birth of Motown in Detroit in 1958 until its relocation to Los Angeles in the early 1970's. Featuring rare performances, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage offer insight into the history and cultural impact of Motown Records.

The stripping of the very famous song tracks down to bare (fantastic) vocal and then adding instruments one by one complete (in most cases) with fully named unbelievable studio musician who rarely gets credit was brilliant. As was the re-imagining of the meetings they would hold to vote for the next singles for various artists. Imagine voting 'My Girl' The Temptations as a loser single that would not be a hit! Berry Gordy voted right on that one but got it hopelessly wrong on the labels biggest ever hit 'Heard It Through The Grapevine' and other Marvin Gaye hits.  A lot of the content is not new information but it is directed and edited so imaginatively it becomes super fresh again, plus it does have some never seen before backstage bits and personal stories. A fabulous watch for anyone interested in music, untouchable, incomparable talent, entrepreneurialism, the never ending and bizarre racial craziness of America and how blow away talent managed to beat all that crazy into submission to become an international phenomenon... Plus who knew Neil Young was signed to Motown??! (Amazon)

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