Standing in the Shadows of Motown

Standing in the Shadows of Motown

116 mins | Documentary, Music | Nov. 15, 2002

In 1959, Berry Gordy Jr. gathered the best musicians from Detroit's thriving jazz and blues scene to begin cutting songs for his new record company. Over a fourteen year period they were the heartbeat on every hit from Motown's Detroit era. By the end of their phenomenal run, this unheralded group of musicians had played on more number ones hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis and the Beatles combined - which makes them the greatest hit machine in the history of popular music. They called themselves the Funk Brothers. Forty-one years after they played their first note on a Motown record and three decades since they were all together, the Funk Brothers reunited back in Detroit to play their music and tell their unforgettable story, with the help of archival footage, still photos, narration, interviews, re-creation scenes, 20 Motown master tracks, and twelve new live performances of Motown classics with the Brothers backing up contemporary performers.

Standing in the Shadows of Motown

116 mins | Documentary, Music | Nov. 15, 2002

Standing in the Shadows of Motown
In 1959, Berry Gordy Jr. gathered the best musicians from Detroit's thriving jazz and blues scene to begin cutting songs for his new record company. Over a fourteen year period they were the heartbeat on every hit from Motown's Detroit era. By the end of their phenomenal run, this unheralded group of musicians had played on more number ones hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis and the Beatles combined - which makes them the greatest hit machine in the history of popular music. They called themselves the Funk Brothers. Forty-one years after they played their first note on a Motown record and three decades since they were all together, the Funk Brothers reunited back in Detroit to play their music and tell their unforgettable story, with the help of archival footage, still photos, narration, interviews, re-creation scenes, 20 Motown master tracks, and twelve new live performances of Motown classics with the Brothers backing up contemporary performers.
IMDb rating 7.8
Producers
Original title Standing in the Shadows of Motown
Directors Paul Justman
Writers Ntozake Shange, Walter Dallas, Alan Slutsky

Cast

Jack Ashford

as Himself

Bob Babbitt

as Himself

Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin

as Himself (archive footage)

Eddie 'Bongo' Brown

as Himself (archive footage)

Bootsy Collins

as Himself

Johnny Griffith

as Himself

Ben Harper

as Himself

Joe Hunter

as Himself

James Jamerson

as Himself (archive footage)

Uriel Jones

as Himself

Montell Jordan

as Himself

Chaka Khan

as Herself

Gerald Levert

as Himself

Joe Messina

as Himself

Meshell Ndegeocello

as Herself

Joan Osborne

as Herself

Rudy Robinson

as Himself

James Jamerson Jr.

as Himself

Andre Braugher

as Narrator