On August 24th, Showtime documentary films will release Hitsville: The Making of Motown. Benjamin and Gabe Turner (Class of 92, I Am Bolt, One Direction: This Is Us) are the directors.
The incredible story of the legendary Motown Records is told through new and exclusive interviews with the label’s visionary founder, Berry Gordy, and many of its superstar artists and creative figures, as well as rare performances and behind-the-scenes footage unearthed from Motown’s vaults and Gordy’s personal archives. Hitsville: The Making of Motown is the first documentary about the iconic label with Gordy’s participation.
According to Showtime’s description, Hitsville: The Making of Motown focuses on the period beginning with the birth of the company in Detroit in 1958 until its relocation to Los Angeles in the early 1970s. The film tracks the unique system that Gordy assembled that enabled Motown to become the most successful record label of all time. The creation and initial success of Motown were achieved during a period of significant racial tensions in America and amid the burgeoning civil rights movement. The company’s music and post-racial vision were significant factors in helping the country – and the world – evolve through this transformative period in history.
The film will also be premiered in Los Angeles on Aug. 8 with a red-carpet event, a Showtime representative said. Gordy and Smokey Robinson are expected to attend that screening.
In the works since 2017, “Hitsville” features new scenes shot in Detroit, including segments with Gordy and Robinson inside Studio A, now part of the Motown Museum.
The documentary will be accompanied by a soundtrack album that features the music of the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas and the Jackson 5, among others. The 16-track and double-35 track original motion picture soundtrack from the Showtime documentary film is available for pre-order HERE.
