Motown Records Celebrates its 50th Anniversary With A Series of Online Podcasts, Releases, Promotions & Much More!
The legendary Motown Records
celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with a series of promotions
and releases from Berry Gordy’s groundbreaking company and Universal
Music Enterprises.
Motown 50
Universal / EMI Music Group
Website: http://www.motown50.com/
A special series of online podcasts featuring rare and intimate conversations with the label’s legends, producers, songwriters and singers, are now available at www.classic.motown.com. The podcasts are also available on iTunes.
These exclusive podcasts are just part of a year-long celebration of Motown’s 50th and its lasting legacy, which included the Dec. 9 release of Motown: The Complete No. 1’s,
a 10-CD box set in the shape of the label’s famed “Hitsville U.S.A.”
birthplace in Detroit, featuring more than 200 classic songs from 50 Motown artists
that topped charts around the world, plus a 100-page photo booklet with
rare images and an introduction by Smokey Robinson.
In addition, NOW That’s What I Call Motown!,
the latest compilation in the hugely successful NOW That’s What I Call
Music! Series—featuring 25 of the label’s most beloved, timeless
classic pop and R&B tracks—was released on CD and digitally January
13, as a joint venture from EMI Music, the Universal Music Group and
its Motown Records division, and Sony Music Entertainment.
Fresh
podcasts will debut bi-weekly, including those with founder Berry
Gordy; Nick Cannon; the late Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops; The New York
Times columnist Frank Rich; Smokey Robinson detailing the genesis of
“Shop Around,” the label’s first million-seller; the Temptations’ Otis
Williams and the late Melvin Franklin; Stevie Wonder; Levi Stubbs and
Lamont Dozier (of H-D-H fame) discussing “Reach Out I’ll Be There”;
KCRW’s Garth Trinidad; Diana Ross; songwriters Pam Sawyer and Marilyn
McLeod on the creation of Ross’s hit “Love Hangover”; hip-hop pioneer
and Universal Motown artist Q-Tip; Smokey Robinson and more of the Miracles; and songwriter/producer Dozier.
Upcoming
segments will feature Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5, the Commodores, film
director Lawrence Kasdan (The Big Chill), and songwriter Diane Warren,
among others.
Check out the full list of the first 15 Motown 50 podcasts below. Hear these podcasts at www.classic.motown.com!
1) Smokey Robinson: Motown Reflections (1/12):
The legendary artist/songwriter reflects on the label’s early days, his
mentor Berry Gordy and the impact Motown continues to have worldwide.
2) Berry Gordy: A Tour of Hitsville U.S.A., May 1963 (1/27): In
this rare interview, the Motown founder and a Detroit radio host walk
through Hitsville on the cusp of the company’s runaway success.
3) Nick Cannon: Impressions of Motown (2/10): The actor/musician/producer and husband of Mariah Carey shares his earliest impressions of Motown.
4) Levi Stubbs: The Four Tops (2/24): The late lead singer, in a rare interview from the Motown Archives, talks about what made the group tick.
5) Frank Rich: The Nation’s Capitol, The Motortown Review and President Obama (3/10):
The New York Times’ political columnist links Motown to the upheaval of
the ’60s through personal recollections of the Motortown Review in his
native Washington, D.C., while adding perspective on the election of
President Barack Obama.
6) Smokey Robinson, The Anatomy of a Hit: “Shop Around” (3/24): The
singer/songwriter and Motown veteran tells the amazing story about the
label’s—and his group the Miracles’—first million-selling single.
7) The Temptations (4/14):
Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin and fellow Tempts discuss their
beginnings and illustrious musical career in a rare archival interview
from the ’80s.
8) Stevie Wonder (4/28):
In another rare archival interview, the superstar talks of his early
days at Motown and the evolution of his music through the brilliant,
then-new album Talking Book.
9) Levi Stubbs, Lamont Dozier and Paul Riser, The Anatomy of a Hit: “Reach Out I’ll Be There” (5/12): The threesome break down one of Motown’s biggest hits, a world-wide smash for the Four Tops.
10) Listening with Garth Trinidad (5/26): The KCRW tastemaker and renowned DJ gets put to the test listening to a batch of Motown songs, unlike any he has heard.
11) Diana Ross (6/09): In a rare ’70s interview, Motown’s No. 1 diva tells her story in her own words.
12) Pam Sawyer and Marilyn McLeod, The Anatomy of a Hit: “Love Hangover” Part 1 (6/23): The songwriters of Diana Ross’ #1 dance smash discuss the birth of the tune, including rare session elements.
13) Q-Tip, The Anatomy of a Hit: “Love Hangover” Part 2 (7/7):
The hip-hop pioneer and Universal Motown artist breaks down one of his
favorite Motown songs, with more previously unheard elements from the
master tapes.
14) Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (7/21): Smokey, Ronnie White and fellow members of the band discuss their long career and amazing body of work.
15) Lamont Dozier (8/4): The
songwriter and producer, part of the famed Holland-Dozier-Holland team,
reflects on the songs and artists that made Motown one of the greatest
musical forces of the 20th century— and beyond.
ThinkTank