Hitsville: The Making of Motown (2019)

Hitsville: The Making of Motown: Directed by Ben Turner, Gabe Turner. With Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, William Stevenson. Documentary film that focuses on the period beginning with the birth of Motown in Detroit in 1958 until its relocation to Los Angeles in the early 1970s.

“u0026quot;Hitsville: The Making of Motownu0026quot; (2019 release; 112 min.) is a documentary about the legendary record label and its music and artists. As the movie opens, we are eavesdropping onto a u0026quot;Motown Quality Control Meetingu0026quot;, where Berry Gordy is urging his staff u0026quot;we gotta maintain the highest quality!u0026quot;. We then go back in time, as Gordy talks about his upbringing: u0026quot;I was a hustler, I wanted to make money!u0026quot;. When his u0026quot;Berry Gordyu0026#39;s Record Storeu0026quot; closes, he finds work at the Ford assembly line: u0026quot;I perfected my songwriting skills thereu0026quot;, and where he also got the idea of making music u0026quot;like an assembly lineu0026quot;… At this point we are 10 min. into the documentary.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCouple of comments: this is the latest from documentary makes Benjamin Turner and Gabe Turner, who previously brought us u0026quot;I Am Boltu0026quot;. Here they are bringing the beginnings and rise of the Motown sound. Motown of course is irreversibly linked to its founder Berry Gordy. Gordy, along with singer/songwriter/producer/best friend Smokey Robinson, do a lot of the talking, and what is striking is how much laughter fills the interviews. These guys were enjoying themselves then, and still are now. Along the way we get a tour of the original building that house Motown and where all the magic took place, and the building like amazingly small (note to self: next time Iu0026#39;m in Detroit, I just have to visit the Motown Museum). Songwriters Holland-Dozier-Holland get plenty of screen time, as do the Funk Brothers (a/k/a the Motown house band). Another striking thing is how so very young all of them were when the label rose in the early 60s: typically in their late teens or early 20s! One surprise talking head is none other than Neil Young, who was in a band called Mynah Birds that was signed for a while to Motown.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis documentary, which premiered on Showtime a few weeks ago, flew by in no time. There isnu0026#39;t really anything revelatory in it, but itu0026#39;s great hearing these stories again, and hearing and seeing these wonderful artists (check out the 1968 footage of Michael Jacksonu0026#39;s original audition!). I saw u0026quot;Motown The Musicalu0026quot; some years back in New York, and thought that was well done too. More amazingly, I saw the Funk Brothers in concert in 2003 in Oakland, CA, opening up for… the Dead! Iu0026#39;m not kidding. Bottom line: if you love Motown, or are curious about this slice of American music history, Iu0026#39;d readily suggest you check this out, be it on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.”