hirty-two years ago, "Motown 25" rocked the airwaves, drawing a U.S. audience of 47 million and becoming one of the era's cultural touchstones.

On Feb. 28, the venerable special will finally return to television, airing on more than 300 public television stations as part of TJ Lubinsky's popular "My Music" series.

With Motowners Mary Wilson and Martha Reeves by his side, Lubinsky hit the Wixom studios of Detroit Public Television (Channel 56) on Wednesday to shoot segments that will accompany the national broadcast and pay tribute to the Detroit-bred label.

"I'm happy that public television and TJ have decided to get this out there," said Wilson, whose appearance on the 1983 special was her first and final reunion with the Supremes' Diana Ross and Cindy Birdsong. "It's such a precious memory for so many people."

Wednesday's taping took place with an audience of about 35 Motown fans and figures -- including family of the late Florence Ballard and Levi Stubbs -- as Lubinsky and company shot sequences recounting Motown nostalgia and urging viewers to pledge to their local stations.

Pledges can earn a copy of the "Motown 25" DVD set, released in September after years of licensing efforts and legal wrangling, including negotiations with the estate of Michael Jackson, who famously debuted his moonwalk during the NBC program.

Also available will be a new seven-CD set that includes hits and some potentially tantalizing goodies for Motown diehards, including never-before-heard studio outtakes, song outros and stereo mixes.

"Motown 25" included appearances from a host of Motown greats -- Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Four Tops and on through the list. Lubinsky, who has hosted dozens of vintage-music specials on public television, called it "the ultimate Motown show."

"It's about keeping this stuff alive and exposing it to people," he said.

http://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/brian-mccollum/2015/02/04/motown-pbs/22904049/

It would be nice if PBS could get the footage to Harlem Cultural Festival, California Jam, or Brother To Brother (aka Save The Children). PBS was the first to show the restored Wattstax.

Gotta see this again.

MickyDolenz said:

MickyDolenz said:

LittleBLUECorvette said:

Or the Isley Brothers Its Your Thing special.

Never heard of it. Is it one of those variety show specials like Lynda Carter, Bob Hope, Natalie Cole, Earth Wind & Fire, The Carpenters, etc?

MickyDolenz said:

LittleBLUECorvette said:

Or the Isley Brothers Its Your Thing special.

Never heard of it. Is it one of those variety show specials like Lynda Carter, Bob Hope, Natalie Cole, Earth Wind & Fire, The Carpenters, etc?

It's basically the Isley's 1969 live album, Live at Yankee Stadium with other artist like the Five Stairsteps.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

It's basically the Isley's 1969 live album, Live at Yankee Stadium with other artist like the Five Stairsteps.

I didn't know the Isleys were popular enough in 1969 to get a TV special.

MickyDolenz said:

LittleBLUECorvette said:

On wiki it says it's a documentary. I've never seen it but heard being discussed on other forums and UCLA library has it for view.

Chicago had a documentary around 1970 or 71 that came on TV and later had a couple of the variety show specials, one with Al Green on it called Chicago In The Rockies. The specials had something to do with Dick Clark.

I found a movie poster, so I guess it was supposed to be shown in theaters, not TV