Hitsville: The Making of Motown

by HITSVILLE: MOTOWN / O.S.T.

Overview

Very few record labels created and released a body of work as distinctive as Motown did in its glory days of the '60s and '70s. Fewer still had a style so recognizable that it practically became a genre in itself. Motown's exacting balance of grit and refinement, emotionally vivid vocals wedded to music with superb hooks and adventurous production, made stars of artists like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Smokey Robinson, the Temptations, the Four Tops, and many more. Even though all of those acts had star power to spare, the Motown sound (and brand) was as much a part of their success as their own performances, something that was recognized by casual listeners as much as obsessive record collectors. If there ever was a record label whose story had the potential to be a great movie, it's Motown, and the Showtime television network debuted a documentary in 2019, Hitsville: The Making of Motown, that charted the company's rise to success, created with the participation of label founder Berry Gordy. Never an organization to miss a marketing opportunity, Motown of course released a companion album to the film, and in many respects Hitsville: The Making of Motown is not an especially remarkable collection. The album isn't a particularly deep dive into the Motown catalog; everything on board is a recognizable hit, there are no rarities or unreleased tracks, and these are the versions of the songs you've been hearing for decades. There are no surprises to be found, and given the huge number of compilations that have been drawn from the Motown archives over the years, there's ultimately nothing that truly sets this one apart. That said, this is still truly outstanding music, no less thrilling in 2019 than it was in the years it was released, and songs like "My Girl," "Where Did Our Love Go," "The Tracks of My Tears," "Uptight (Everything's Alright)," and "What's Going On" are timeless for the very best reason. Motown was a label that treated the making of hit singles as both a science and an art form, and the songs collected on Hitsville: The Making of Motown show their skills were on point in every respect. If you already have a large collection of classic Motown sides, this album probably offers you nothing you need, but as a handy sampler of some of the greatest, most enduring pop and soul of the era, this does the job and every tune is a winner. [Hitsville: The Making of Motown was released in two editions: a single-disc version that features 16 songs and an expanded two-disc set that includes those same 16 tracks and adds 19 other hits for a total of 35 selections. The single-disc edition is less expensive, the expanded version has more music, the packing is practically the same, and both are loaded with great, familiar hits. Either way, you get a good sampler that's great listening.] ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	09/27/2019
Label:	Motown
UPC:	0602577491467

Tracks

1. My Girl  -  Temptations
2. Please Mr. Postman  -  Marvelettes
3. Where Did Our Love Go  -  Supremes
4. Ain't No Mountain High Enough  - Marvin Gaye  - Tammi Terrell
5. Ain't Too Proud to Beg  -  Temptations
6. Who's Lovin' You  -  Jackson 5
7. The Tracks of My Tears  -  Miracles  - Smokey Robinson
8. My Guy  - Mary Wells
9. Shop Around  -  Miracles
10. Uptight (Everything's Alright)  - Stevie Wonder
11. Reach Out, I'll Be There  -  Four Tops
12. Dancing in the Street  -  Martha & the Vandellas
13. I Heard It Through the Grapevine  - Marvin Gaye
14. What's Going On  - Marvin Gaye

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Smokey Robinson   Primary Artist
Gladys Knight & the Pips   Primary Artist
Martha & the Vandellas   Primary Artist
Barrett Strong   Primary Artist
The Contours   Primary Artist
The Elgins   Primary Artist
Tammi Terrell   Primary Artist
Eddie Holland   Primary Artist
The Isley Brothers   Primary Artist
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles   Primary Artist
The Four Tops   Primary Artist
The Jackson 5   Primary Artist
Jimmy Ruffin   Primary Artist
Lamont Dozier   Primary Artist
Junior Walker & the All-Stars   Primary Artist
Marvin Gaye   Primary Artist
The Marvelettes   Primary Artist
Mary Wells   Primary Artist
The Supremes   Primary Artist
The Miracles   Primary Artist
Brian Holland   Primary Artist
The Temptations   Primary Artist
The Spinners   Primary Artist
Diana Ross   Primary Artist
Stevie Wonder   Primary Artist
The Originals   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

William Weatherspoon   Composer,Producer
Syreeta Wright   Composer
Deke Richards   Composer
Johnny Bristol   Producer
Smokey Robinson   Composer,Producer
Ron Miller   Composer
Marvin Tarplin   Composer
Nickolas Ashford   Composer
George Gordy   Composer
Norman Whitfield   Composer,Producer
The Corporation   Producer
Larry Stock   Composer
Barrett Strong   Composer
Alphonso Mizell   Composer
James Cavanaugh   Composer
Clifton Davis   Composer
Eddie Holland   Composer,Producer
Janie Bradford   Composer
Russ Morgan   Composer
James Nyx   Composer
Freddie Perren   Composer
Harold Davis   Composer
Ethiopia Habtemariam   Executive Producer
Dennis Lussier   Composer
Steve Cook   A&R
Jill Lamothe   Producer
David Blackman   Executive Producer
Lisa Smith Craig   A&R
Michelle de Vries   Music Supervisor
William Stevenson   Composer
Michelle Jubelirer   Executive Producer
James Dean   Composer
Autry Dewalt   Composer
Ronald Miller   Composer
Carlo Tyran   Composer
Anton Monsted   Producer
Warren Moore   Composer
Addie Tateishi   A&R
Frederick Gorman   Composer
Anna Gaye   Composer
Paul Riser   Composer
Richard Morris   Producer
Steve Barnett   Executive Producer
Sylvia May   Composer
Berry Gordy, Jr.   Composer,Producer,Liner Notes,Executive Producer
Sylvia Moy   Composer
Bob West   Composer
Billy Davis   Composer
Ivy Jo Hunter   Composer
Lamont Dozier   Composer,Producer
Martin Bandier   Executive Producer
Clarence Paul   Composer
Freddie Gorman   Composer
Lee Garrett   Composer
Robert Bateman   Composer,Producer
Ronald White   Composer,Producer
Rodger Penzabene   Composer
Valerie Simpson   Composer
Robert Rogers   Composer
Marvin Gaye   Composer,Producer
Lula Mae Hardaway   Composer
Bobby Taylor   Producer
Orlando Murden   Composer
Renaldo Benson   Composer
Al Cleveland   Composer
Brian Holland   Composer,Producer
Georgia Dobbins   Composer
Hal Davis   Composer,Producer
Anna Gordy Gaye   Composer
Willie Hutch   Composer
William Garrett   Composer
Stevie Wonder   Composer
Harvey Fuqua   Producer
Henry Cosby   Composer,Producer
William "Mickey" Stevenson   Composer,Producer
William Robinson   Composer