‘Motown 25’ Makes DVD Debut in Sept.
THIS FALL, STARVISTA ENTERTAINMENT/TIME LIFE WILL RELEASE THE HISTORIC CONCERT AND TV SPECIAL THAT CELEBRATED 25 ICONIC YEARS OF MOTOWN RECORDS – NEVER BEFORE AVAILABLE ON DVD!
MOTOWN 25: YESTERDAY· TODAY · FOREVER
Providing the Backstory for the Hit Broadway Play, Motown The Musical the Emmy® Award-Winning NBC Special – A Landmark Event in Pop Culture History — Introduced the World to Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk and Featured Reunions of The Jackson 5, the Miracles and The Supremes
Configurations Include a Deluxe 6-DVD Set ($79.95) Featuring the Extended Version of the Original Broadcast with New 5.1 Surround Sound and Hours of Bonuses Including Nine Specially-Produced Featurettes, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder’s Rehearsal Footage, a Motown 25Performers Roundtable, Interviews with Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves, Otis Williams and Many More, an Exclusive Collector’s Book and a Copy of the Motown 25 Program; Also Available at Retail Will Be a 3-DVD Set ($39.95) and a Single ($19.95) THE 6-DVD SET WILL BE AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE AT MOTOWN25DVDS.COM – PRE-ORDERS BEGIN AUGUST 19; RETAIL RELEASES WILL BE AVAILABLE ON SEPTEMBER 30
When Motown 25: Yesterday · Today · Forever aired on NBC on May 16, 1983, it was an immediate sensation and became one of the most talked about concerts and TV specials ever. In an era before social media, MOTOWN 25 was a true water-cooler event, marking the first time that music fans saw Michael Jackson do the moonwalk (aka: the six seconds that changed the world), in addition to many other iconic performances. Six months after the broadcast, the show deservedly won a George Foster Peabody Award and an Emmy® Award for best Variety Program, but has been unseen for over 20 years…until now. This fall, StarVista Entertainment/Time Life, in conjunction with de Passe Jones Entertainment and Berry Gordy’s West Grand Media, is making this historic show available on DVD for the very first time.
Motown 25 was taped before a live audience and showcased virtually every Motown artist from the company’s inception, including Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, The Supremes, The Jackson 5, The Miracles, The Temptations, Four Tops and many others. The show also featured many guests outside the Motown Records sphere who had been influenced by Motown artists, including Linda Ronstadt, who performed a memorable duet with Smokey Robinson, Billy Dee Williams, Jose Feliciano and British new wave star Adam Ant, who was riding a wave of popularity from MTV exposure. As an added highlight, the historic evening was hosted by Richard Pryor, who was arguably the hottest comedian in the world at the time. A seminal event in pop culture history, this concert event would establish the gold standard for all future televised concert events and go on to provide the backstory for the Tony®-nominated Broadway play, Motown The Musical. Now, StarVista Entertainment/Time Life will make this once-in-a-lifetime concert available to music lovers in several different configurations including a deluxe 6-DVD collector’s set, which will be available exclusively online at MOTOWN25DVDS.COM. The release features an extended version of the show, with over 20 additional minutes not seen on the original broadcast, as well as brand-new 5.1 surround sound revealing the music at its fullest potential. The 6-DVD set also includes nine newly-produced featurettes and additional bonus programming including:
Also included in the deluxe collector’s box are an exclusive 48-page collector’s booklet packed with information about the show and artists, production materials and never-before-scene photos from the production, essays on Motown performers, a copy of the original Motown 25 program and more!
The retail releases, set to drop on September 30, include a 3-disc set, which features the concert and over six hours of extras, including four featurettes, the Gaye Rehearsal footage, the Performer and Production Roundtables and more; and the single DVD, which features the newly-remastered concert featuring 5.1 surround sound and over an hour of bonus features.
“Motown 25 was a labor of love for all of us involved in the production” said Suzanne de Passe, the Executive Producer of the TV show, who has overseen the creation of the DVD release. “I am so pleased that the show is now being released on DVD for the first time. It was such a magical night of music and memories. The fans of Motown old or new will have a great time.”
MOTOWN 25 (6 DISCS) Pre-order Begins: August 19, 2014 Price: $79.95 Run time: Approx. 16 hours
Online Exclusive Collection includes:
MOTOWN 25 (3 DISCS) Street Date: September 30 Price: $39.95srp Run time: 7 hrs, 38mins.
MOTOWN 25 (SINGLE) Street Date: September 30 Price: $19.95srp
Marvin Gaye
Diana Ross
The Commodores
The Temptations & Four Tops
Smokey Robinson & Linda Ronstadt
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