Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Standing in the Shadows of Motown

  • 20022002
  • PGPG
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
3.7K
YOUR RATING
Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002)
Home Video Trailer from Artisan
Play trailer2:07
2 Videos
23 Photos
DocumentaryMusic
Documentary about the Funk Brothers, a group of Detroit musicians who backed up dozens of Motown artists.Documentary about the Funk Brothers, a group of Detroit musicians who backed up dozens of Motown artists.Documentary about the Funk Brothers, a group of Detroit musicians who backed up dozens of Motown artists.
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
3.7K
YOUR RATING
    • Paul Justman
    • Walter Dallas(Narration)
    • Ntozake Shange(Narration)
    • Alan Slutsky(book "Standing in the Shadows of Motown")
  • Stars
    • Joe Hunter
    • Jack Ashford
    • Uriel Jones
    • Paul Justman
    • Walter Dallas(Narration)
    • Ntozake Shange(Narration)
    • Alan Slutsky(book "Standing in the Shadows of Motown")
  • Stars
    • Joe Hunter
    • Jack Ashford
    • Uriel Jones
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 79User reviews
    • 58Critic reviews
    • 76Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos2

    Standing in the Shadows of Motown
    Trailer 2:07
    Watch Standing in the Shadows of Motown
    Standing in the Shadows of Motown
    Trailer 0:31
    Watch Standing in the Shadows of Motown

    Photos23

    Joe Hunter, Eddie Willis, and Joe Messina in the original "Snakepit" studio recording "You've Really Got A Hold On Me"
    Robert White and Joe Messina in Studio A at Hitsville USA.
    James Jamerson and drummer Uriel Jones in 1964 at the Detroit club "Blues Unlimited."
    Funk Brothers Jack Ashford, Pistol Allen, Joe Hunter and Eddie Willis with Joan Osborne.
    Funk Brothers Joe Messina, Johnny Griffith, Joe Hunter, Bob Babbitt and Richard "Pistol" Allen perform at Baker's Keyboard Lounge.
    Bob Babbitt (left) and Eddie Willis (right) with an impassioned Ben Harper  (center) performing "Ain't Too Proud To Beg".
    Director Paul Justman on the stage of the Royal Oak Music Theater giving instructions to the film crew.
    Jonathan Dana, Paul Justman, Alan Slutsky, Paul Elliot, Bob Babbitt, Jack Ashford, Joe Hunter, and David Scott at an event for Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002)
    Bob Babbitt at an event for Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002)
    Jack Ashford at an event for Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002)
    Bob Babbitt, Jack Ashford, and Joe Hunter at an event for Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002)
    Joe Hunter at an event for Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Joe Hunter
    Joe Hunter
    • Self - 'Funk Brothers' Keyboardist
    Jack Ashford
    Jack Ashford
    • Self
    Uriel Jones
    • Self
    Richard 'Pistol' Allen
    • Self
    Bob Babbitt
    Bob Babbitt
    • Self
    Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Eddie 'Bongo' Brown
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Bootsy Collins
    Bootsy Collins
    • Self
    Johnny Griffith
    • Self
    Ben Harper
    Ben Harper
    • Self
    James Jamerson
    James Jamerson
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Montell Jordan
    Montell Jordan
    • Self
    Chaka Khan
    Chaka Khan
    • Self
    Gerald Levert
    • Self
    Joe Messina
    • Self
    Meshell Ndegeocello
    Meshell Ndegeocello
    • Self
    Joan Osborne
    Joan Osborne
    • Self
    Rudy Robinson
    • Self
      • Paul Justman
      • Walter Dallas(Narration)
      • Ntozake Shange(Narration)
      • Alan Slutsky(book "Standing in the Shadows of Motown")
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Wrecking Crew!
    7.6
    The Wrecking Crew!
    Hitsville: The Making of Motown
    7.9
    Hitsville: The Making of Motown
    Muscle Shoals
    7.8
    Muscle Shoals
    It Might Get Loud
    7.6
    It Might Get Loud
    Monterey Pop
    8.0
    Monterey Pop
    20 Feet from Stardom
    7.4
    20 Feet from Stardom
    Gimme Shelter
    7.8
    Gimme Shelter
    Neil Young: Heart of Gold
    7.7
    Neil Young: Heart of Gold
    Sound City
    7.8
    Sound City
    Echo in the Canyon
    7.0
    Echo in the Canyon
    Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage
    8.3
    Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage
    Hired Gun
    7.2
    Hired Gun

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The Detroit Symphony Orchestra got the last credit in the film. The orchestra provided strings and other instrumentation for Motown recording sessions. According to The Funk Brothers member Dennis Coffey in his book, "Guitars, Bars and Motown Superstars", this included sessions recorded with a Stradivarius violin played by the orchestra's violin concertmaster, Gordon Staples.
    • Quotes

      Uriel Jones: People would always say everything but the musicians. They would say it was the artists, the producers, the way the building was constructed, the wood in the floor, or maybe even food. But I'd like to see them take some barbecue ribs or hamburgers, anything, and throw down in that studio, shut the door and count off '1,2,3,4' and get a hit out of there. The formula was the musicians!

    • Crazy credits
      After all of the credits roll, we see a few of the Funk Brothers leaving the Snake Pit and turning off the lights.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Film Geek (2005)
    • Soundtracks
      Reach Out, I'll Be There
      by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland (as Edward Holland Jr.)

      Performed by Gerald Levert and The Funk Brothers

      Gerald Levert appears courtesy of Elektra Records

      Used by permission of Jobete Music Co., Inc.

      All Rights Reserved

    User reviews79

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    I enjoyed it
    One thing that I always noticed in the traditional "Motown" music from the 60's is either the sound of the Tamborine or the Vibes. Little did I know it was the same guy on every album.

    Unlike many "true story" documentaries this was a good story with a happy ending. Most times when we watch documentaries about celebrities we tend to see much of the bad and ugly moments from their past. Certianly nobody is perfect with a squeeky clean background, however, I appriciate the fact that the producer of this movie put more emphasis on the good things and the funny stories and less on the conflicts and the shortcommings.

    All of the extra features give you a sense of who these people are with the extra unedited footage of the band interacting with one and other. The part about the guys that died before, during, and after production was especially touching because it brought closure to a situation with many loose ends. I feel that this story has a happy ending because those who are still living and those who passed on are satisfied that they were recognized for their contributions.

    Personally I would have liked to see the concert in its entirety instead of a few clips in between the candid interviews but overall it was a very well balanced and well written story about a band that most people didnt even know existed. Even though most people didnt know about the band, we can all relate because we know the songs. As each musican shares his involvement with Motown I know and "feel" where they are comming from because I probably have listened to their music a hundered times over.
    helpful•6
    0
    • joeregularman
    • Aug 31, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 29, 2002 (United States)
      • United States
      • Elliott Scott Productions - trailers, photos, etc.
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Baker's Keyboard Lounge - 20510 Livernois Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, USA
    • Production companies
      • Artisan Entertainment
      • Rimshot
      • Elliott Scott Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 48 minutes
      • Black and White
      • Color
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.