Standing in the Shadows of Motown
The soul behind the sound.
2002 | 116m | English
Popularity: 0.5 (history)
| Director: | Paul Justman |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Alan Slutsky, Walter Dallas, Ntozake Shange |
| Staring: |
| 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. | |
| Release Date: | Nov 15, 2002 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Paul Justman |
| Writer: | Alan Slutsky, Walter Dallas, Ntozake Shange |
| Genres: | Music, Documentary |
| Keywords | motown, music business, rock music, pop music |
| Production Companies | |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Feb 01, 2025 (Update) Entered: Apr 20, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Richard 'Pistol' Allen | Himself |
| Jack Ashford | Himself |
| Bob Babbitt | Himself |
| Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin | Himself (archive footage) |
| Eddie 'Bongo' Brown | Himself (archive footage) |
| Bootsy Collins | Himself |
| Johnny Griffith | Himself |
| Ben Harper | Himself |
| Joe Hunter | Himself |
| James Jamerson | Himself (archive footage) |
| Uriel Jones | Himself |
| Montell Jordan | Himself |
| Chaka Khan | Herself |
| Gerald Levert | Himself |
| Joe Messina | Himself |
| Meshell Ndegeocello | Herself |
| Joan Osborne | Herself |
| Rudy Robinson | Himself |
| James Jamerson Jr. | Himself |
| Paul Riser | Himself |
| Andre Braugher | Narrator |
| Gary Bosek | Young Bob Babbitt |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Paul Justman | Director |
| Alan Slutsky | Music, Novel |
| Walter Dallas | Writer |
| Ntozake Shange | Writer |
| Michael Q. Martin | Post Production Supervisor |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Michael Q. Martin | Associate Producer |
| David Scott | Executive Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
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| 2024 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
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| 2024 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 1 |
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| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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