Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002)

Documentary about the Funk Brothers, a group of Detroit musicians who backed up dozens of Motown artists.

Director:

Paul Justman

Writers:

Walter Dallas (Narration), Ntozake Shange (Narration)

Stars:

Joe Hunter, Jack Ashford, Uriel Jones

8 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

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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Plot Keywords:

motown | musician | song | reenactment | archive footage | 

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Taglines:

They played on more #1 records than the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley combined... This is their story.

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language and thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

Elliott Scott Productions - trailers, photos, etc.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 November 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Standing in the Shadows of Motown: The Story of the Funk Brothers

Filming Locations:

Baker's Keyboard Lounge - 20510 Livernois Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$114,442, 17 November 2002, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,600,547, 23 February 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Artisan Entertainment, Rimshot, Elliott Scott Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Montell Jordan, Chaka Khan: [singing] Baby, there ain't no mountain high enough / Ain't no valley low enough / Ain't no river wide enough to keep me from getting to you.

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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.

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Connections

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

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Soundtracks

You've Really Got a Hold On Me
by Smokey Robinson (as William Robinson Jr.)
Performed by Meshell Ndegeocello and The Funk Brothers
Me'Shell NdegéOcello appears courtesy of Maverick Recording Company
Used by permission of Jobete Music Co., Inc.
All Rights Reserved

User Reviews

In Defence of "Shadows" Vocalists.

Although this is probably not the best documentary I've ever seen, the musical perfomances more than make up for it. After all these years, The Funk Brothers are tight as hell! It's also overwhelmingly inspiring to see musicians playing their music so well, and just enjoying it. The looks on the faces of the Brothers while playing are priceless. As for the "new" singers on each track, I was extremely happy with these renditions of classic Motown songs. Yes, Joan Osborne is mostly known for her 90s hit, "One of Us," but she also is an amazing soul singer who KNOWS her music. I defy anyone to listen to "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted" and tell me that it was not an inspired performance. Also Ben Harper and Gerald Levert do fine turns on classic Motown. Sure, these aren't "A-List" superstars of today. But would it really be about the music if (shudder) Whitney or Mariah got their hands on these songs? And lets face it, the few Motown artists from that era that are still touring today are shadows of their former selves. The vocalists in "Shadows" are well-picked, respected members of a musical elite, who are in touch with their roots, and show that respect in every note they sing, much like the Funk Brothers themselves.