Motown in Vancouver

[theboyfromxtown]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtZFhwPNd5Q

Lots to go through....but go slow at about 7:33

Enjoy

[theboyfromxtown]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37pAlAtkk_k

Great Stevie interview and then what follows is some rare film of the Supremes.

Have to say that Stevie does a great imitation of a British accent. LOL

[theboyfromxtown]

Watch Betty gulp when the the interviewer asks

"What do you feel about the Motown situation where you're paid a salary as opposed to royalties....?"

LOLOL

[jobeterob]

It makes you wonder if Martha got royalties and the Vandellas didn't.

[marv2]

That was great. Thanks for sharing.

[stopinthenameoflove]

Watch Betty gulp when the the interviewer asks

"What do you feel about the Motown situation where you're paid a salary as opposed to royalties....?"

LOLOL

Loved that Vandellas interview! No comment on the Canadian Motown remakes!!

[jobeterob]

None of them were me!

But it makes you realize how good the phrasing of some Motown artists were! The man singing Uptight could not spit out all those words that Stevie had to!

[BayouMotownMan]

A great find

[Kamasu_Jr]

That was interesting and not footage I've seen dozens of times before. Poor Betty Kelly looked like she wanted to go back to bed. And those Canadian artists singing Motown hits was just awful.

[theboyfromxtown]

Kamasu.

In the 60's, we had lots of British artists doing the same. Lulu, Small Faces, Action...even the Beatles. You get used to hearing versions which pale against the original. LOLOL

[R. Mark Desjardins]

If memory serves me right, "Let's Go," was a CBC Television Network teen program aimed at a youthful audience for after school viewing around 4:30 p.m. It rotated around their major production areas, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax.

The Guess Who would be featured during the Winnipeg shows, and a very young Anne Murray was spotlighted on the east coast. I've never seen this episode and what a trip down memory lane! Thanks for posting this "Canadian Salute" which helped got Canadian teens wanting to hear more of the real thing.

The Stevie Wonder interview is a gem indeed, and Isey's was a somewhat hipper venue than the Cave Super Club. Most of the Motown groups that got bookings in Vancouver like Martha & The Vandellas and Stevie would play there, and The Supremes would headline at the Cave. The footage of The Supremes on the boat was taken in The Burrard Inlet and you can just make out the Second Narrows Bridge in the background. Judging from the photo of The Supremes taken in Stanley Park, featured in the expanded version of "I Hear A Symphony," the group was given red carpet tours of many of Vancouver's iconic attractions.

As for looking bored, Diana, Mary & Florence most likely had an early morning "press conference" commitment after a late evening performance and "the suits" who were interviewing them were likely not the kind of guys the glamorous Motown belles would have liked to snuggle up to, during a ride on choppy waters in the brisk air. LOL!

Please remember that the backing band on Let's Go, was a local one, who probably survived playing "sock hops." I'm not exactly sure who the vocalists are, but the Black male singer may be Jason Hoover, who did go on to make several recordings. The Canadian music industry was still in its infancy here and airplay for original music was rare. Sadly, even a poor imitation of the real thing was a surefire way to get a gig or the opportunity to perform on on a television musical variety program. Canadian Content regulations which were passed as law came into effect later in the 1960's.

CanCon as it was termed, ensured that radio stations had to play music which was either sung, performed or written by Canadians.

[jobeterob]

I actually thought the Canadian singers did a reasonable job of singing those hits. You might not want to hear it more than 3 times, but it was fun.

Poor Betty; I never saw Florence, Mary or Cindy look that bored and disengaged.

[westgrandboulevard]

I enjoyed that, theboyfromxtown, and really glad you shared with us.

For me, it was like being back in the 60s, listening to live singers on BBC radio, singing songs that even then I knew were Motown originals - except, this time around, we got moving pictures...LOL

[marv2]

If memory serves me right, "Let's Go," was a CBC Television Network teen program aimed at a youthful audience for after school viewing around 4:30 p.m. It rotated around their major production areas, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax.

The Guess Who would be featured during the Winnipeg shows, and a very young Anne Murray was spotlighted on the east coast. I've never seen this episode and what a trip down memory lane! Thanks for posting this "Canadian Salute" which helped got Canadian teens wanting to hear more of the real thing.

The Stevie Wonder interview is a gem indeed, and Isey's was a somewhat hipper venue than the Cave Super Club. Most of the Motown groups that got bookings in Vancouver like Martha & The Vandellas and Stevie would play there, and The Supremes would headline at the Cave. The footage of The Supremes on the boat was taken in The Burrard Inlet and you can just make out the Second Narrows Bridge in the background. Judging from the photo of The Supremes taken in Stanley Park, featured in the expanded version of "I Hear A Symphony," the group was given red carpet tours of many of Vancouver's iconic attractions.

As for looking bored, Diana, Mary & Florence most likely had an early morning "press conference" commitment after a late evening performance and "the suits" who were interviewing them were likely not the kind of guys the glamorous Motown belles would have liked to snuggle up to, during a ride on choppy waters in the brisk air. LOL!

Please remember that the backing band on Let's Go, was a local one, who probably survived playing "sock hops." I'm not exactly sure who the vocalists are, but the Black male singer may be Jason Hoover, who did go on to make several recordings. The Canadian music industry was still in its infancy here and airplay for original music was rare. Sadly, even a poor imitation of the real thing was a surefire way to get a gig or the opportunity to perform on on a television musical variety program. Canadian Content regulations which were passed as law came into effect later in the 1960's.

CanCon as it was termed, ensured that radio stations had to play music which was either sung, performed or written by Canadians.

Thanks Mark for that background information! I just wished the CBC would release more of this type of footage from their vaults.

[RossHolloway]

Thanks for sharing this footage, it was great. I think that is the very first time I've ever seen an extended interview with Martha & The Vandellas!! Thanks again.

[stephanie]

Martha protecting Motown "Who told you that we get a salary we get royalties....LOL" Nice Supreme find I wish we could have heard them it was fun seeing them dance. Great find I wish there was more of this. Poor Betty she was caught off guard.

[honest man]

Great footage John,loved it, so refreshing to have these kind of finds,a nice change from some of the boring DRATS threads ,keep them coming, i thought the canadian singers-group where groovy, cheers.

[marv2]

Anyone know what years this program ran?