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to mark the 50-year anniversary of Motown, a compilation of some of the iconic record label's greatest names filmed live in the BBC studios. Visitors from Hitsville USA over the years have included Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, the Four Tops and the Jackson 5.
bbc iplayer http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...wn_at_the_BBC/
Four Tops, Temptations without Eddie, Syreeta and Billy Preston, Jimmy Ruffin, Martha, Gladys and the Pips, Marvin, Smokey and Miracles, Edwin etc.. may not play outside of UK unless BBC subscriber
Just picked it up, Mike. Who the hell writes all that drivel in the captions? Do you suppose it is the same person who writes all the other lies and half-truths the BBC regularly unleashes on the world? It's remarkably similar. I know the BBC has footage of D Ross, G Knight and others doing actual Motown numbers. Why do they persist in using stuff they did when they left - or the mogadon rendering of Frankie Valli, come to that
Dave, we brits have suffered a lot more than simplistic captions over the years. My pet hate was the camera work; you could almost guarantee that if there was a group with remarkable choreography, the camera shot would be an ultra close up on the lead singer's face, then on audience members and we missed all the twirls, drops and spins! Used to drive me bonkers - still does.
At least this stuff survived the big wipe to be seen today. Good or bad. Think of all that is lost forever. Sigh.
A couple of years back, on a TOTP 2, I think, they showed Gladys doing Help Me Make it Through The Night in a version that reduced the watching dozens to a jelly. They surely haven't wiped that since, Lake.
I know what you're saying about the camerawork, Mike. It's a joke round here when we make a music video. BBC style means when the guitarist plays a solo, you go for a close-up on the bass player; similar technique with the choreography. In fact, if you're ever drunk enough to watch Sadly Come Dancing, you will see that they've honed the technique to the point of genius. Even the Druids knew that if something is moving about, you keep the camera in one place and follow it. On this fiasco, if the jolly celebs prance one way, the camera swoops the other. I guess if they've paid for a camera on a long boom the accounts department insists that you keep waving it around to get their money's worth.
Dave, is this the jelly performance you are referring to? It's BBC show featuring Gladys and The Pips, but this version she does solo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5iuHYOKTjw
That's beautiful Mike, but not the full jelly. The one I saw was black and white. This might be it, although it seemed sadder.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iB3G...layer_embedded
It's interesting with Gladys that she seems to create her perfect interpretation of a song, and do it that way forever. But here, she is looser, despite being alone and with a big arrrangement.