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Motown 25: Yesterday - Today - Forever

DVD 1: NTSC DVD5 | English | 69 mins | 720x480 | MPEG-2 @9586Kpbs | AC-3 @256Kpbs | 4.13 GB

Genre: Pop | Release date: July 1, 1991 (VHS)

Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever was a 1983 television special produced by Suzanne de Passe for Motown Records, to commemorate Motown's twenty-fifth year of existence. (Motown was founded in January 1959, meaning that a twenty-fifth anniversary special should have aired in 1984, not 1983. One could argue that Gordy's vision of what would become "Hitsville U.S.A." was conceived in 1958, considering the month of Motown's founding.) The show was also co-written by de Passe along with Ruth Adkins Robinson who would go on to write shows with de Passe for the next 25 years, including the follow up label tributes—through "Motown 40," Buz Kohan was the head writer of the threesome. The program was taped before a live studio audience at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California on March 25, 1983, and broadcast on NBC on May 16. Among its highlights were Michael Jackson's iconic performance of "Billie Jean", a Temptations/Four Tops "battle of the bands", Marvin Gaye's inspired speech about black music history and his memorable performance of "What's Going On", a Jackson 5 reunion, and an abbreviated reunion of Diana Ross & the Supremes, who performed their final 1 hit, "Someday We'll Be Together" from 1969.

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Performances:

Jr. Walker

Junior Walker performed his signature hit "Shotgun". It was performed as a solo; his long-time group, The All-Stars, did not participate.

Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye, who ironically had left the label a year before to sign with Columbia Records and had a current hit with "Sexual Healing," agreed at the last minute to join the roster of other Motown legends to perform. When he came on, he played the piano and gave the audience a narrative of black music history before he stepped off the piano and sung his classic 1971 hit, "What's Going On", to thunderous applause. Marvin's performance on the show, following his appearances in February 1983 on the Grammys and the NBA All-Star Game, was his final national television appearance before his murder a year later in 1984.

Michael Jackson and The Jackson Five

Michael reunited with his brothers Jackie, Marlon, Jermaine, and Tito on stage for the first time in eight years for a medley of their greatest hits, "I Want You Back," "The Love You Save," "Never Can Say Goodbye," and "I'll Be There." Brother Randy, who was not a part of the original Jackson 5, but was a part of the later group The Jacksons (minus Jermaine), also joined the group for the medley.

As the other members of the Jackson 5 left the stage, Michael transitioned dramatically into his own solo spot. Widely hailed as Michael's breakthrough performance as a solo artist, he performed "Billie Jean", which at the time was in the middle of a seven-week run atop the Billboard Hot 100 music charts. This was also the first time he performed the famous moonwalk.

Michael Jackson's concert performances of "Billie Jean" in the years since Motown 25 were always formatted on his performance on this special, from the opening pose with the fedora, black sequin jacket and glove, to the moonwalk routine in the song's bridge.

The Miracles

This special marked the long- awaited reunion of Motown V.P. Smokey Robinson with his original group The Miracles: Bobby Rogers, Pete Moore, Claudette Robinson (then wife of Smokey) and Marv Tarplin, (who was on stage with them, slightly off-camera to the left, but can been seen in certain shots), for the first time since he left the group 11 years before (in 1972.)

Original Miracles member Ronnie White did not participate in the reunion for personal reasons (his wife, Earlyn, died that year). As Motown's first group, (also the label's first million-selling act), they were first on the show, singing a medley of four of their greatest hits, "Shop Around", "You've Really Got A Hold On Me", "Tears Of A Clown" and "Going To A Go-Go".

Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder, accompanied by his band and his girl group Wonderlove sang several of his greatest hits, including "I Wish", "Uptight (Everything's Alright)", "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours", "You Are the Sunshine of My Life", "My Cherie Amour", "Sir Duke", and also preceded by a vintage clip of Wonder singing his first hit, "Fingertips" .

The Supremes

Motown 25 was a showcase for the highly anticipated reunion of the Supremes: Diana Ross, Mary Wilson (original member Florence Ballard had died in 1976), and Supremes replacement Cindy Birdsong. Four of their greatest hits were to be sung that night, including Someday We'll Be Together, Baby Love and Stop! In the Name of Love, however this reunion was cut short. Richard Pryor opened the segment with a fairy-tale story of 'three maidens from the Projects of Brewster' which was then followed with a montage of various Supremes' video clips. Diana then started down the left aisle of the auditorium with her hit Ain't No Mountain High Enough.

When Ross finished, she made a brief speech about 'the night that everyone came back' (although, as stated above, some artists were not invited, and some had died). After the beginning chords of "Someday We'll Be Together", the svelte Wilson strutted on stage in a dazzling fire engine red sequin gown and was greeted by a thunderous applause which quickly upstaged Miss Ross. Ross became frustrated when Wilson and Birdsong did not drop back but moved with her as she walked closer to the edge of the stage. By this time Ross was so confused and bewildered that Wilson took over the lead vocals which prompted Ross to push her. A few moments later, Motown labelmates such as Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, and others quickly filled the stage for an impromptu finale. Although producer Suzanne de Passe had instructed Diana to introduce Berry Gordy after leading the finale, (a fact unknown to Mary) Wilson decided to do the honors, by calling Berry down herself. This led to Diana yelling at Mary "it's been taken care of". Wilson also made a brief tribute to Ballard, who Gordy had removed from the group years before. By the time the reunion aired on May 16, the Ross altercations had been excised from the special, but they were widely reported (including an article and pictures in US Weekly), and the performance resulted in bad publicity for Ross.

The Temptations/The Four Tops

The Temptations and The Four Tops competed in a "Battle of the Bands" style event. The only original or "Classic Five" Temptations performing were Melvin Franklin and Otis Williams, as Eddie Kendricks (who left the group in 1971) and David Ruffin (who left the group in 1968, and was replaced by Dennis Edwards) had a falling out with the group. Paul Williams (who also left the group in 1971) had died in 1973, and Al Bryant (who left the group and was replaced by Ruffin in 1964) had died in 1975.

Joining Williams and Franklin were then-Temptations Dennis Edwards, Richard Street, and Ron Tyson. All of the original members of the Four Tops performed: Renaldo "Obie" Benson, Duke Fakir, and Lawrence Payton, with Levi Stubbs providing the lead vocals. The two groups performed "Reach Out I'll Be There", "Get Ready", "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)", "My Girl" "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" and "I Can't Get Next to You", among other numbers. The joint performance was a success, and the Temptations and Four Tops toured together for two years following the special.

This "battle" later returned in a special at the Apollo theater and created a long running tour for the two groups to compete in.

And others

While Motown 25 was billed as "Yesterday, Today, Forever", artists from the golden era of Motown, such as The Marvelettes, The Vandellas, The Contours, Marv Johnson, Jimmy Ruffin, Edwin Starr, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and The Velvelettes were not included in the special, while newer artists such as Debarge and José Feliciano were. Non-Motown artists, such as Adam Ant (who paid homage to the Supremes singing "Where Did Our Love Go" with Diana Ross bumping and grinding) and Linda Ronstadt were featured as well. Ronstadt performed "Ooh Baby Baby" and "Tracks of My Tears" with Smokey Robinson. She had hits with both songs and in 1976 her version of "Tracks of My Tears" even went to 12 on the Billboard Country Singles Chart, a first for a Motown song.

According to the documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown, James Jamerson, a key component of the Motown sound, and member of The Funk Brothers who recorded many of the backing tracks to the Motown hits, had to buy a Motown 25 ticket from a scalper and sat at the back of the hall with the general public.

Additional appearances were made by Dick Clark, The Commodores, Howard Hesseman and Tim Reid (reprising their WKRP in Cincinnati roles as disc jockeys), High Inergy, John Moschitta, Jr., T.G. Sheppard, Billy Dee Williams, and The Lester Wilson Dancers. Additionally, Rick James was featured in a short video clip.

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Tracklist

DVD 1:

01 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Shop Around

02 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - You Really Got a Hold on Me

03 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Tears of a Clown

04 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Going to a Go-Go

05 Stevie Wonder - Uptight (Everything's Alright)

06 Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours Stevie Wonder

07 Stevie Wonder - My Cherie Amor

08 Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke

09 Stevie Wonder - You Are the Sunshine of My Life

10 Four Tops / Temptations - Reach Out (I'll Be There)

11 Four Tops / Temptations - Get Ready

12 Four Tops / Temptations - It's the Same Old Song

13 Four Tops / Temptations - Ain't Too Proud to Beg

14 Four Tops / Temptations - Baby I Need Your Loving

15 Four Tops / Temptations - My Girl Four Tops, Temptations

16 Four Tops / Temptations - I Can't Get Next to You

17 Four Tops / Temptations - I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)

18 Four Tops / Temptations - (I Know) I'm Losing You

19 Marvin Gaye - Yesterday, Today, Forever

20 Marvin Gaye - What's Going On

21 Martha & The Vandellas - (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave

22 Mary Wells - My Guy

DVD 2:

01 Walker, Junior & the All-Stars - Shotgun

02 TG Sheppard - Devil in the Bottle

03 Jose Feliciano - Lonely Teardrops

04 Commodores - Brick House

05 Adam Ant - Where Did Our Love Go

06 Lionel Richie - You

07 Jacksons - I Want You Back

08 Jacksons - The Love You Save

09 Jacksons - Never Can Say Goodbye

10 Jacksons - I'll Be There

11 Michael Jackson - Billie Jean

12 DeBarge - The Way of Love

13 High Energy - Pretender

14 Smokey Robinson & Linda Ronstadt - Ooh Baby Baby

15 Smokey Robinson & Linda Ronstadt - The Tracks of My Tears

16 Smokey Robinson - Being With You

17 Smokey Robinson - Cruisin 'Together

18 Diana Ross & the Supremes - Ain't No Mountain High Enough

19 Diana Ross & the Supremes - Someday We'll Be Together [With Full Cast]

20 Diana Ross & the Supremes - Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)

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