FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 20, 2005
NEW MOTOWN SPECIAL PREMIERES ON PBS IN AUGUST
MOTOWN - The Early Years
(My Music #202)
Program Features New Performances By The Joe Billingslea's Contours, The
Four Tops, Brenda Halloway, Gladys Horton's Marvelettes, The Miracles,
Martha Reeves,
Dennis Edwards Temptation Review, The Velvelettes And Archival
Performances By
Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye And More - Presented In True Stereo For The
First Time
LOS ANGELES, CA -- This August, PBS premieres "MOTOWN - The Early
Years," an all-new musical performance special produced by TJL
Productions which airs as part of the My Music fundraising series.
"MOTOWN - The Early Years" features a spectacular mix of classic
performances and rare footage culled from the Motown archives, and new
performances by '60s-era Motown groups; performing their biggest hits
are The Miracles, The Four Tops, The Temptations and more. In addition,
exclusively available through PBS is the accompanying four-disc MOTOWN -
The Early Years CD boxed-set, featuring more than 30 classic Motown
songs extended and remixed from the original recordings, many in true
stereo for the first time. This high-energy Motown television special
and exclusive CD boxed set will make their nationwide debut August 6th.
Co-hosted by Mary Wilson of The Supremes, Duke Fakirr of The Four Tops,
Claudette Robinson of The Miracles, and Martha Reeves, the "MOTOWN - The
Early Years" special features many up-tempo and uplifting emotional
highlights. The Contours, The Marvelettes, The Velvelettes and Brenda
Holloway make their debut on any televised Motown special with
performances of their best-loved classics. The special also features
rare classic performances, such as Motown super-star "Little" Stevie
Wonder performing "Uptight! Everything Is Alright," The Temptations
performing "My Girl," Marvin Gaye performing "Ain't That Peculiar" and
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" with Tammi Terrell. This music special
also includes multiple rare archival performances by Diana Ross & The
Supremes and Smokey Robinson & The Miracles. Much of this footage has
not been seen since its original air date!
"MOTOWN - The Early Years" marks the first Motown special with vintage
performance footage aligned with a new stereo mix from the original
recordings. While compiling the Motown classics for the boxed set, TJL
Productions and Shout! Factory were granted exclusive access to the
original recording sessions, not only enabling stereo mixes to be
created for the broadcast and CD release, but allowing extended versions
of more than 30 tracks to be mixed for the companion CD boxed set of
four CDs of hits by the original artists.
Producer TJ Lubinsky, creator of the My Music series, explains, "Since
most of these '60s-era Motown recordings were originally mixed for mono
AM car radios, and previous stereo attempts often lack the punch and
drive of the mono 45s. Because of our exclusive access to the actual
parts -- guitars, pianos, percussion, horns and strings - we were able
to produce never-before-heard extended mixes of some of these classics."
The four-disc collection, with songs only available to PBS members,
includes such rarities as the CD-debut of Stevie Wonder's "Purple
Raindrops," the original B-side of his 1966 hit "Uptight." "This song,
along with all the other big hits and rare B-sides created for this PBS
package are some of the most sought after tunes in the Motown vaults,"
Lubinsky explains. "For example, we found an extra two minutes on the
end of 'Tracks Of My Tears' by The Miracles that the public has never
heard. The original song had been edited down to meet the strict 2:45
minute radio regulation. Our true stereo extended mix, which can only
be found on PBS's MOTOWN - The Early Years CD boxed, runs 4:05 - talk
about miracles!"
The program and DVD features the last televised full performance of
original Four Tops member Obie Bensen who passed away weeks after the
taping. In a rare appearance, the original Four Tops lead singer was
present at the recording to reunite with his friends for this special.
# # #
For interviews with Martha Reeves and/or My Music creator/producer TJ
Lubinsky:
Contact Andy Tinker at 412-822-8330
For more information about the MOTOWN - The Early Years CD boxed set:
Contact Stacey Studebaker/Shout! Factory
310-979-5602 or
sstudebaker@shoutfactory.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
MOTOWN - The Early Years (My Music #202)
Song Sequence:
ACT I
"Dancing In The Streets" - Martha Reeves
"Do You Love Me" - Joe Billingslea's Contours
Dennis Edwards Temptations Review Medley:
"Get Ready," "The Way You Do The Things You Do," "Ain't Too Proud To
Beg,"
(Dedication to original members - all passed), My Girl (reprise)
ACT II:
"Uptight! Everything Is Alright" - "Little" Stevie Wonder (archival -
true stereo)
"Ain't That Peculiar" - Marvin Gaye (archival - true stereo)
"Reach Out, I'll Be There" (archival tribute to Levi Stubbs, ailing
former lead of The 4 Tops)
"Baby I Need Your Loving" - Four Tops
"Bernadette" / "It's The Same Old Song" - Four Tops
"Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch (I Can't Help Myself)" - Four Tops
ACT III:
"(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave" - Martha Reeves
"Nowhere To Run" - Martha Reeves
"Ooo Baby Baby" - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (archival full
performance true stereo)
"Tracks Of My Tears" - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (archival full
performance true stereo)
"You Really Got A Hold On Me" - The Miracles
"Going To A Go-Go" - The Miracles
ACT IV
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terell (archival,
true stereo)
Ladies of Motown tribute:
"My Guy" - Mary Wells
"Every Little Bit Hurts" - Brenda Holloway
"Please, Mr. Postman" - Gladys Horton's Marvelettes
"Needle In A Haystack" - The Velvelettes
"Stop! In The Name Of Love" - Diana Ross & The Supremes (archival, true
stereo)
"Back In My Arms Again" - Diana Ross & The Supremes (archival, true
stereo)
Encore credit Segment
Vintage Motown Review Clips, 1964 at The Apollo Theater / end credit
sequence
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