About 6 years ago, this was meant to come out...

http://www.play.com/Music/MusicDVD/4-/705847/-/Product.html

It's basically an official remastered version of Stevie's classic 1972 PBS show. Does anyone know why it didn't come out? Apparently copies were manufactured as I remember seeing one on eBay years ago.

Yes, copies were manufactured as I have one. Ended up paying quite a bit for it but it's worth it. I emailed the company that was releasing it (Revolver) and the release was cancelled owing to legal rights issues with Motown. I haven't seen a copy online for years so it's one to definitely snap up if you find it. Stevie and the band are so on form.

I definitely gotta get my hands on THAT!!

jjam said:

Yes, copies were manufactured as I have one. Ended up paying quite a bit for it but it's worth it. I emailed the company that was releasing it (Revolver) and the release was cancelled owing to legal rights issues with Motown. I haven't seen a copy online for years so it's one to definitely snap up if you find it. Stevie and the band are so on form.

Wow, you were lucky to get hold of one. I keep on searching eBay to see if it turns up on there.

This is a terrible terrible situation.

It can be resolved simply and peacefully by someone uploading the DVD's contents to the internet.

Have you looked at MTV lately? This is the world of good and truth at stake!

nd33 said:

It can be resolved simply and peacefully by someone uploading the DVD's contents to the internet.

If it's from the SOUL! show, it's already on Youtube.

http://prince.org/msg/8/345132

That version on YouTube's not bad but nowhere near the perfect quality of the Revolver DVD. Quite cool that it starts with a clapperboard and the station ID/jingle. There's also this bonus performance of Yester Me, Yester You, Yester Day in perfect quality with some corny intro by the programme's presenter...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFLCGPXS1gs

jjam said:

It'll hurt me to say it. However, it was worth it. It's the quintessential Stevie performance.

I don't understand what issue Motown would have with this, especially since they release hundreds of compilations with the same 10 songs on them (My Girl, I Can't Help Myself, etc.). It's not the actual recordings, it's live. I have the Midnight Special DVD's and there's some Motown acts on there. There's also Motown acts on the Soul Train DVD set. I see maybe Stevie shutting down the release (as he is one of the few Motown acts who has a say in his recordings/publishing, at least the ones after 1971), but what is Motown's reasoning?

MickyDolenz said:

I don't understand what issue Motown would have with this, especially since they release hundreds of compilations with the same 10 songs on them (My Girl, I Can't Help Myself, etc.). It's not the actual recordings, it's live. I have the Midnight Special DVD's and there's some Motown acts on there. There's also Motown acts on the Soul Train DVD set. I see maybe Stevie shutting down the release (as he is one of the few Motown acts who has a say in his recordings/publishing, at least the ones after 1971), but what is Motown's reasoning?

You must remember that Motown/Berry Gordy was majority owner of Stevie's music rights. It wasn't until he renegotiated his deal that he got majority ownership. I'm thinking it probably has more to do with the musical rights (not recording rights).

That would be the only way I could see them "stopping" the release.

There are people here who certainly are into Stevie Wonder's DVDs. I'm a huge fan of Stevie, but have never seen any. Could you recommend one to me, apart from the 1972 one? Documentary or live performance, all would be nice.

Javi said:

There are people here who certainly are into Stevie Wonder's DVDs. I'm a huge fan of Stevie, but have never seen any. Could you recommend one to me, apart from the 1972 one? Documentary or live performance, all would be nice.

this one is cool....an excellent documentary that focuses on 'Songs In The Key Of Life'....

Javi said:

There are people here who certainly are into Stevie Wonder's DVDs. I'm a huge fan of Stevie, but have never seen any. Could you recommend one to me, apart from the 1972 one? Documentary or live performance, all would be nice.

Another good 70s Stevie performance is Musikladen from January 1974:

The Soul! TV performance has been circulating among collectors before the attempted official release. You can still download it somehwere on the internets.

Thanks, SoulAlive and runphilrun!

I have a book about Songs In The Key Of Life (33 1/3 series), but I still haven't read it. I'm interested in everything regarding this LP, so the DVD would be nice too.

Javi said:

Thanks, SoulAlive and runphilrun!

I have a book about Songs In The Key Of Life (33 1/3 series), but I still haven't read it. I'm interested in everything regarding this LP, so the DVD would be nice too.

I have that book,too

I surely hope Stevie Wonder will release another live Dvd.I'm sure everyone here has the "Live At Last "Dvd that came out two years ago.I want more myself,especially concerts that he did in the seventies,his classic period.I would love to see something out of the "Songs In The Key Of Life"era in 1976-1977.Fingers crossed!

The video company prob got the rights from PBS to put it out, printed a batch out, but because a lot of TV shows had limited rights to reproduce broadcast material, it's the same old story of trying to get the rights from the artist/publisher/record company and they want too much for it.

TV shows like Midnight Special and Soul Train prob. had something in their contract where

the show had complete rights to do what they wanted with the performances.

A lot of TV shows have had to remove and replace songs, or edit a complete scene out because the song used on the show was asking for too much, or the publisher just denied it.

The next best thing to do is get a channel to rebroadcast it.

It's a fair question to ask Motown why there's no Jackson 5 or Stevie Wonder video compilations.

dalsh327 said:

The video company prob got the rights from PBS to put it out, printed a batch out, but because a lot of TV shows had limited rights to reproduce broadcast material, it's the same old story of trying to get the rights from the artist/publisher/record company and they want too much for it.

The company must be really poor, because if Dennis Edwards can release a DVD with Motown songs on it and can afford to pay them...