
Standing in the Shadows of Motown
# The soul behind the sound.
π Overview:
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.
π Languages Available:
English
π Date Released:
2002-09-11
β Running Time:
116 mins
β Vote Average:
6.886
Beloved Cast

Himself
Richard 'Pistol' Allen

Himself
Jack Ashford

Himself
Bob Babbitt

Himself (archive footage)
Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin

Himself (archive footage)
Eddie 'Bongo' Brown

Himself
Bootsy Collins

Himself
Johnny Griffith

Himself
Ben Harper

Himself
Joe Hunter

Himself (archive footage)
James Jamerson

Himself
Uriel Jones

Himself
Montell Jordan

Herself
Chaka Khan

Himself
Gerald Levert

Himself
Joe Messina

Herself
Meshell Ndegeocello

Herself
Joan Osborne

Himself
Rudy Robinson

Himself
James Jamerson Jr.

Himself
Paul Riser

Narrator
Andre Braugher

Young Bob Babbitt
Gary Bosek