Hitsville, USA

In the first episode of the new A&E/Lifetime documentary, Janet Jackson, which obviously details the life of the one and only queen, legend, and icon, Janet Jackson, we see a moment when Janet is back in her hometown of Gary, Indiana, where she comes upon a grand scale mural of her brothers, The Jackson 5, the Motown singing quintet that took the world by storm. It was a truly emotional moment in the early part of this absolutely tremendous documentary about one of the planet’s biggest stars from a family full of big stars.

From there it went on to show the Jackson 5, which consisted of brothers, Jermaine, Tito, Jackie, Marlon, and of course, Michael, record several of their life-altering hits in the studio as a little Janet looked on. I watched in awe thinking back on my time in that very same recording studio, Motown Studio A, at Hitsville, USA. It was the very first of what became probably eight times I cried across the four parts of Janet Jackson, but from those tears I was reminded of the beautiful memory I have of my own time at Motown and the immense spiritual feeling being in that sacred space gave me.

I’m a BIG believer in signs and cannot help but think that the universe is most definitely trying to tell me something right now because sharing this story makes two of my past three blogs pull memories from the very same vacation! The time when my world-traveler friend Nicole and I went and visited friends we’d made from our trip to Costa Rica, Len and Brenda, at their home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I detailed a story about how we were there at the very same time they were filming Scream 4 in What’s Your Favorite Scary Movie? and now I’m right back to that very corner of my mind as I revisit Motown! I’m telling you, something is up and I cannot wait to discover what it is!

So, like I was saying, Len and Brenda took Nicole and I to visit the Motown Museum, which was a dream come true for me and an obvious must see as there was no way in the world I was going to Detroit and not seeing one of the single most influential places in all of history. The entire experience was one that I’ll never forget from the very moment we arrived.

I was taken aback at how basic and standard looking the entire complex of houses all were. They looked like any block of homes I could see right here in Cutesville, USA, which now you all know I totally ripped off from Hitsville, USA. So yes, here I am, yet another white man like countless others before me passing an idea off as my own when in reality I lifted it from the black community and for this I am sorry. The same way though that Hitsville made sense for Motown, given their seemingly never-ending run of hit records, Cutesville makes sense for Granite City, given how absolutely cute it is here! The name’s both just work, so really and truly thank you Berry Gordy Jr. (the founder of Motown Records) for coming up with Hitsville, USA and inspiring me to coin Cutesville, USA. I genuinely couldn’t have done it without you.

After taking several photos outside, we were able to go in and begin our tour and I cannot help but sit here and chuckle to myself about the opening moments of that procession. There was this giant map of the world and everyone who was taking the tour could put a pin on the map to represent where they were from, so after we had all done so, the tour guide started asking people where they were from and Brenda, very enthusiastically I should add, responded with,

“RUSSIA!”

The tour guide’s eyes widened and he goes, “y’all really from Russia?”

I just shook my head and replied, “no,” while he looked right at me.

This prompted our terrific tour guide to look at Brenda and ask, “now he’s saying no, so you really not from Russia?”

“No, we’re actually from here, they’re just here visiting us,” she answered him happily as she pointed to me and Nicole. Brenda was one of the single sweetest individuals I have ever known. Never a bad day and always a ray of sunshine.

“But not from Russia,” the tour guide said looking over at me and Nicole.

“From St. Louis,” I responded.

“Now why would you say Russia if y’all from Detroit and they’re from St. Louis?” The tour guide questioned Brenda with a laugh in his voice.

“Well, it’s on the map,” she answered with her spectacular smile.

“Yeah, and so is China and India, but you didn’t say either one of them,” he laughed back.

It was a randomly hilarious moment that really kicked the tour off perfectly for us. The guide kept referring to Brenda as “Russia” the entire time and it really amplified our overall experience giving it an almost personalized feeling despite there being roughly twenty or so other people on this tour.

We were not allowed to take pictures inside Motown and my visit there predated the advent of the iPhone, I was equipped with my Sony Camera, so I wonder if visiting now would be different? Nonetheless, I can picture Studio A vividly in my mind with its wooden floors and the black piano off near the corner, the stands set up across the floor where one would place their sheet music. I’ll never be able to forget being in that room all those years ago and now seeing Janet in her documentary as a little girl watching her brothers recorded what became some of the biggest and most influential songs of all time, it just really took me back.

I stood there on that tour with all those other people and tears welled up in my eyes as we listened to our phenomenal tour guide give a plethora of detailed information about the significance of Studio A. I mean, honestly now, how could I not cry!?! Just thinking about all the legendary musicians who recorded some of the most legendary songs of all time having once stood in that very same room gave me a spiritual experience unlike any other. I mean, my goodness, I’m twelve years removed from that memory and I have tears and goosebumps just thinking about it! It will forever remain one of my favorite moments in life.

I’ve always loved Motown music and honestly love it more now than ever as it only seems to sound better as I get older. Motown just makes me so incredibly happy and for whatever reason reminds me heavily of the summertime, so I find myself listening to it quite often in these wintry months when I wish it was June and not January. So for this post I decided to share with you my Five Favorites Motown Songs:

5. Four Tops, I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) – Good Lord do I love this song. It’s peak happiness for me and just makes me wanna get up and dance! Impossible to listen to this song without nothing but smiles across my face.

4. Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, Please Mr. Postman – At the 2:10 mark when Martha sings, “deliver the letter, the sooner the better” in that alternate way just makes me wanna fist pump the air in triumph! I don’t know why, it just does. I also absolutely love how this song is nearly completely unrelatable now in our digital age. I think that’s really a cute aspect of the song, but also makes me feel kind of super sad because it reminds me of a day and age that I sadly really never knew.

3. Jackson 5, I Want You Back – Again, peak happiness. The introduction has to be one of the most recognizable and iconic intros to any song ever. It just gets me so pumped, but the last minute of the song when Michael starts with the “A-boom boom Boom BOOMS!” puts me in such a good mood. It’s easy to see why Michael became the star he was with such effortless vocals at just age eleven.

2. The Miracles, You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me – Y’all know I love a good ballad and this isn’t just that, it’s an absolutely fucking perfect ballad. The soulful delivery from start to finish by Smokey Robinson is just pure pop perfection and ranks not only as my second favorite Motown songs, but one of my absolute favorite songs of all time.

1. The Supremes, My World Is Empty Without You – Despite The Supremes sending a then record twelve songs to the top of the charts, this was somehow not one of them. The production, Diana Ross’ vocals, JUST EVERYTHING ABOUT IT is hauntingly beautiful and without doubt my absolute favorite in the entire Motown Library. It has to be one of the single most perfect songs ever made and will forever remain a top tier favorite of mine. From beginning to end this is my Motown masterpiece.

Walking through those hallowed halls of what was once the epicenter of all those hit records left a great impression on me and gave me greater appreciation of a sound that I had already loved with every beat of my heart and even though I’ve clearly already been before, I think now after finishing this post, I really, really want to go back and tour it again. So thank you Janet Jackson for reminding me of such a special memory and giving me the opportunity to look forward to creating another memory in the very same studio you sat and watched your brother’s make history. I’m certain one day Motown Studio A and me will be just like one of Janet’s own #1 smash singles, Together Again.

As always, THANK YOU so much for reading! Please feel free to leave a comment below! I’d love to hear what your favorite Motown songs are and if we share any of the same ones! Plus, I just love reading and responding to all your comments anyway, so drop one below! I’ll be back soon with another all new post, but until then, I wish you all, all the best!