Documentaries, Tapes, and Interviews [Video Resources]

Documentaries and Live Footage:

Motown, the DVD - produced by Universal Music Enterprises and Historic Music Inc. This DVD includes 18 television performances by many of Motown's biggest acts between 1965-1972, including Martha & The Vandellas, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Four Tops, and Marvin Gaye. This DVD also includes interviews with Berry Gordy Jr, Four Tops, Gladys Knight, and Smokey Robinson. (Michigan Electronic Library)

The Motown Effect - Short Documentary, Motown and Civil Rights - produced by Joe Warwick. This short documentary covers the relationship between Motown Records and the Civil Rights movement, and the popularization of Motown music among both black and white audiences in the 1960s. This documentary touches on the perspectives of Motown artists like Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye, and their decisions as to whether to address the topic of racism in their own music.

Interviews:

Berry Gordy & The Funk Brothers. How Motown Started with Joe Hunter - produced by the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum. An interview with Joe Hunter, a founding member of The Funk Brothers (the Motown Records house band) and one of the first instrumentalists to perform for Motown Records. Joe Hunter reflects on meeting Berry Gordy Jr. for the first time, the early "founding days" of Motown Records, and performing for the label's first single release (Marv Johnson's "Come To Me", released in 1959).

Motown: A Game-Changer for Black Americans - produced by NPR. An interview with Martha Reeves (of Martha & The Vandellas) and Bob Santelli (Executive Director of the Grammy Museum). Martha touches on her introduction to Motown Records, the development of the Motown Sound, transitioning from performing for segregated to desegregated concert audiences, and the role of Motown Records in platforming black performing artists throughout the 1960s and 1970s. (Interview text transcript provided).

Time Magazine Interviews: Smokey Robinson - produced by Time Inc. A brief interview with Smokey Robinson on his involvement with Motown Records. Robinson discusses both his time as an artist signed to Motown Records, the growth of label as a whole, and his professional relationship with Berry Gordy (the founder of Motown Records). He also reflects on the racial climate of America during the heyday of Motown Records, and navigating his role as a Black pop music star during the segregation era of the United States.