FUN DVDS!!! THEY DON’T MAKE ‘EM LIKE THIS ANYMORE!

The Temptations
The Best Of The Temptations On The Ed Sullivan Show
www.edsullivan.com

The Supremes
The Best Of The Supremes On The Ed Sullivan Show
www.edsullivan.com

Motown
Motown Gold From The Ed Sullivan Show
www.edsullivan.com
By George W. Harris

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the careers of The Temptations and The Supremes, Motown/Hip-oSelect have put out 3 wonderful dvds of Motown stars. Was there actually a time when music CROSSED boundaries instead of creating them?

The Temptations are shown here for 40 minutes in their two early incarnations, one with David Ruffin and the other as Dennis Edwards as the lead tenor. The other 4 gents stayed together from 67-71 and are here doing some timeless music like “My Girl” or “I Can’t Get Next To You.” A medley with The Supremes has the two leaders changing vocal roles, with Diana Ross cooing on “Get Ready,” while Eddie Kendricks hits it just right on ”Stop! In The Name Of Love.” Smooth as silk, the band shows how they changed with as well as defined the times. The bonus tracks of “Hello Young Lovers” and “Autumn Leaves” displays the versatility and timeless quality of their voices.

Originally titled together as The Supremes, this collection of material from 64-70 shows that Diana Ross was ready from the get go to be out in front, and then on her own. With more hair styles and dresses that Imelda Marcos, Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard (who was replaced halfway by Cindy Birdsong) got through a medley of hits from “Baby Love” to “I Hear A Symphony” on one episode, while the excitement is palpable during “Love IS Like An Itching In My Heart.” All the while, Mary is beautiful, and Ross seems a bit too ambitious.

The 2 dvd Motown Gold is just that: molten material from the Motor City. Vintage Stevie Wonder doing “Fingertips,” The Temptations and Supremes doing the same material from the other two collections, and bands like Smokey Robinson and The Miracles getting you to a go-go. The music is uniformly great, and the presentation is uniform as well. One singer with an incredible voice, backed by 3-4 mellower crooners. Levi Stubbs tears up “Bernadette” while Gladys Knight, in front of gaudily dressed Pips presents “If I Were Your Woman.” Bittersweet are the tunes by the Jackson 5, as Michael, so young and innocent, in retrospect looks, along with his brothers, like a trained seal act. Do I read too much into it after we know so much about their family? Hard call, but the music is still wondrous. A time capsule of an exciting time in music and culture.