Customer Reviews

Shindig: Motor City [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

British producer Jack Good had an idea for a music show he wanted to launch in the States: the show would encompass performers from various fields of music and showcase them in the best and most exciting manner. Thus one show had the Hondells, Bobby Sherman the Blossoms, of course AND Clara Ward and her gospel singers! Motown also was a great part of the Shindig! mix. This edition will treat you to a young Mary Wells singing "My Guy" with The Blossoms and The Wellingtons backing her up. The Temptin' Temptations perform a live (not lip-synced) version of "My Girl" that obviously had a lot of girls in the audience revved up as they can be heard screaming joyously! Martha Reeves and the Vandellas perform a sizzling version of "Nowhere to Run" and the Four Tops whirl through a kinetic "It's the Same Old Song." I'm sure you'll dig the Supremes as you'll see 'em standing high while performing a fantastic "Stop! in the Name of Love," which was the Shindig! Pick Hit of the Week! Also, Marvin Gaye delivers princely deliveries of "How Sweet It Is," (one of the most elegant performances I've come across) and the exciting "Can I Get a Witness." If there is any justice, Rhino will put out more of these tapes (and if so, please include the Marvelettes!)

I recommend this video. It is short, but definitely packed full of good footage of the fabulous Four Tops, the show stopping Supremes(you can tell Flo is not happy in the video so I think this footage is close to the split between her and the Supremes), the temptin Temptations, Motor City's Martha and the Vandellas, jivin Junior Walker and his All Stars, and the one and only macdaddy Marvin Gaye himself. Buy it and enjoy.

If you want to know Motown sound, this is it. Of course, the company keeps on thriving after 1960s, but everythimg started here.

The show is full of now unforgettable sound; from the starting act of Junior Walker's "Shotgun," the exciting music does not stop. Super-cool "My Girl" follows and look at how The Temptations sing. There is The Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, the Four Tops, singing with the dancing girls who, using a little gimmick, suddenly disappear from the stage (!); there is Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (singing the song late George Harrsion sang in "With the Beatles") and of course, Marvin Gaye. You know many songs, and even if you don't, the sound is so irresitible that you will find your feet stamping to the sound.

And the greatest merit of watching this show is, I think, you can see the artists really sing (without lip-sync). The inclusion of The Blossoms seems strange, but it is a good thing to watch one of the most underrated group perform "Dancing in the Street" with Darling Love as lead vocal. Love, now remembered by some as a regular in "Lethal Weapon" series (as wife of Danny Glover's character), is actually one of the best singers the music industry neglected, and you will recognize that fact with this video. Don't you ever think that old, black-and-white TV program cannot excite you. It's, to me, much better than 10 hours of MTV! Don't miss it!

I enjoyed the video...however...I was hoping for more of the Temptations...also, I would have preferred seeing the groups (especially my favorite - The Temptations- on the stage without the "stands" that really restricted their being able to do their fancy "moves"...If anyone knows of any VHS's that include the Temptations on stage I'd like to know about them. My other disappointment is the short time (approx 30 min) of the entire program.

THIS IS A MUST IN YOUR COLLECTION YOU SEE JR WALKER FIRST THEN THE TEMPTATIONS THEN MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS THEN SMOKEY MARVIN GAYE TWICE IN THE MOVIE THEN MARY WELLS AND THE FOUR TOPS THEIR PREFORMANCES AND THE CLASSIC 5 TEMPTS AND BEFORE THEY BECAME A BIGG DEAL YOU MUST HAVE THIS VIDEO THEIRS NO STAR FOR THIS MOVIE.

In this film you get to see more then The Temptations and The Supremes, you get to see Junior Walker and The All Stars, The Four Tops, Martha and The Vadellas performing their number 1 hits, I wish they would do more films like this showing rare clips of the Motown artists. The Motown artist back in the 60s, were the hardest working performers in the 60s. Hopefully in the future we'll see more like this.

this video is the best! the surpremes sing stop! in the name of love live. it is wonderful.

Songs Include :
Junior Walker & The All Stars - "Shotgun"
Mary Wells - "My Guy"
Marvin Gaye - "How Sweet It Is"
The Blossoms - "Dancing In The Streets"
The Temptations - "My Girl"
The Supremes - "Stop In The Name Of Love"
The Four Tops - "It's The Same Old Song"
Martha & The Vandellas - "Nowhere To Run"
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - "You've Really Got A Hold On Me"
Marvin Gaye - "Can I Get A Witness"

This video only begins to demonstrate the influence that Detroit artists have had on modern music. How many commercials, tv shows, and movie films used motown songs??

This is a rather short video, but worthwhile if you are old enough to remember the tiny B&W tv screens, and one small, tinny speaker in the cabinet, that we watched and listened to!!