Standing in the Shadows of Motown

Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002)

7.0 116 min Movie
DocumentaryMusic

The soul behind the sound.

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.

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Cast

Richard 'Pistol' Allen Richard 'Pistol' Allen Self
Jack Ashford Jack Ashford Self
Bob Babbitt Bob Babbitt Self
Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin Self (archive footage)
Eddie 'Bongo' Brown Eddie 'Bongo' Brown Self (archive footage)
Bootsy Collins Bootsy Collins Self
Johnny Griffith Johnny Griffith Self
Ben Harper Ben Harper Self
Joe Hunter Joe Hunter Self
James Jamerson James Jamerson Self (archive footage)
Uriel Jones Uriel Jones Self
Montell Jordan Montell Jordan Self

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