A few months ago, a documentary premiered on Showtime chronicling the business and creative model behind an icon label in music: Motown. The 113-minute documentary entitled “Hitsville: The Making of Motown" featured interviews and insight from key players who constructed the success of Motown: Smokey Robinson, the producing team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, Stevie Wonder, Mary Wilson of the Supremes, Martha Reeves, Valerie Simpson, Otis Williams from the Temptations, The Jacksons, and, most of all, the founder of Motown, Berry Gordy.
From a small house located at 2648 W. Grand Blvd in Detroit, Motown and its sister labels produced 110 top ten hits on Billboards Top 100 in the U.S. from 1961 to 1971, a feat unmatched by any label during that period. The documentary is well-produced and meticulously goes through the step-by-step process in creating a hit record from finding acts to producing to marketing. What’s critical for the success of this documentary was the key players who were involved were interviewed and provided intimate details and stories about Motown’s process and hit-making machine. This includes the effect of social and political changes that swept the country in the late ‘60s on producers, artists, and the music of Motown.
Without question, Motown was the foundation for which R&B and its offspring (Disco, Hip-Hop, NeoSoul, etc.) were built. This documentary is long overdue!
If you’re an R&B aficionado or just plain music enthusiast, you’ll love this documentary. It’s still airing on Showtime, so check to see when it’s on, view it on-demand or check YouTube as it’s featured there. Click here for the trailer to Hitsville: The Making of Motown.
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Also, we don’t believe in offering you a one-style-fits-all or “unisex” t-shirt (whatever that is). We give the fellas and ladies a t-shirt that’s specifically made for them and their unique features. If a particular style of t-shirt isn’t available for a gender then we’ll let you know and recommend a size in that shirt that may accommodate you.
In the future, we’ll rollout different styles of tees like a scoop neck (for that off-the-shoulder Flashdance look), long sleeve, hoody and ¾ sleeve raglan so you’ll have a variety of options to choose from year round.
We recommend turning your t-shirt inside out when washing. Please machine wash in cold water with like colors. It’s best to hang dry but it’s cool if you tumble dry on low setting. Please do not iron on the decoration.
