Hitsville: The Making of Motown

Very rarely is there a film or documentary that begs for more background and material to be presented, most are in need of serious editing to eliminate needless repetition or boring monologues by so-called subject experts or narrators. (Virtually any Ken Burns doc) However, Motown Records is such an incredible story with has so much material and so many fascinating stories about the talented performers, musicians, writers, arrangers and execs who made Motown Records well deserving of it's "Hitsville USA" slogan. Loved the footage that was shown but 1:52 isn't nearly enough time to the subject give proper credit it deserves.

Of all the Motown documentaries I have seen, this is probably the best, maybe because Berry Gordy Jr., the man who created that legendary record company, was also behind the production. I admit that I was a bit skeptic, considering that a man as controversial as Gordy were the center of the film, but he is definitely the heart of the story, the motor of the enterprise and the visionary business man who followed his principles, convictions, dreams and his whims too. A true "influencer".

Many persons can still deny the importance of Motown, as many rock and roll fans, critics and historians who prefer to see that story from the point of view of white boys playing a guitar... but at this point who cares what they believe? The facts are there and those who have been open enough to listen and appreciate, know what role Motown played in music, sociology, politics and civil rights in the United States.

I guess that what makes it all more interesting is the fact that Berry Gordy is quite a host, a funny story teller who receives great help from his best friend, colleague and artistic accomplice William "Smokey" Robinson.

The film also leaves out all the feuds, gossips and sarcasm (for example, Mary Wilson has more screen time than Diana Ross, who only appears in archive stock). In this way the Motown story becomes a celebration of love, effort, friendship and collaboration, with revealing sides to the story: Gordy's inspiration to develop his business model, his own tender perception of the love he had for Ross always tied to business, his initial refusal to accept the genius of Norman Whitfield and Marvin Gaye, his failed attempt to conquer Hollywood with Ross, which in the long run meant the musical downfall of the company.

However, the legacy is intact, and "Hitsville" is a magnificent homage to all the men and women that rode along with Gordy in this journey of American success.

Documentary of the remarkable story of Berry Gordy.

Berry was the musical genius behind the formative years of Motown, he provides on screen narration with large contributions from Smokey Robinson.

As a child Berry was always interested in making money and started selling newspapers to white-folk, he did well and pulled in help from his brother to increase sales. But this backfired, you see because 1 black youth was cute but 2 started to look like a threat.

Berry briefly worked at Ford and so we see how car assembly techniques influenced his music production. Berry's skill was song writing and taking talented artists and bringing out the best from them to become superstars. We also see how Smokey Robinson was a special part of the Motown story, he had the idea of producing their own records instead of taking a tiny commission from other companies.

The 'Hitsville USA' studio looked like an ordinary house, this was where they started recording. Motown sounded different and there was a reason, the secret was recording in their echoey bathroom. The film includes historic film footage, including photos and audio clips of meetings where the music making machine 'family' would decide which singles to release.

Don't think of this as a film about black music, more about the sound of America. Deserves an Oscar in the documentary category.

This love letter of a doc celebrates the astonishing success of the Detroit-based record label during the '60s, when its artists included The Supremes, The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. British co-directors Benjamin and Gabe Turner conduct interviews with founder Berry Gordy Jr and Smokey Robinson, who explain the assembly-line principles behind the hit factory. If Hitsville feels like a sanitised account, the Motown records featured - which crossed social and racial divides in America - remain gloriously life-affirming.

Co-writers/directors Benjamin Turner and Gabe Turner have delivered the definitive documentary about the musical phenomenon of Motown from its quiet birth by Berry Gordy in 1958 Detroit through its growth in global importance to its relocation to Los Angeles in the 1970s.

But the film is so much more than an overview of some of the most important singers and performers whose careers blossomed under the aegis of Berry Gordy (who narrates the film with Smokey Robinson!): it is a tribute to the impact that 'record company' had on the rise of black performers on the global stage. The script is witty, insightful, sensitive, and eloquent. The film shares films clips of performances by such stars as Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Mary Wilson, Martha Reeves, Little Richard, Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5, the Temptations, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Marvin Gaye - and on and on.

The manner in which Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson open the survey of the history of civil rights is distinguished and is one of the most accessible demonstrations of that deeply needed transition in cultural equality that has been created. Very highly recommended on many levels.