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Standing in the Shadows of Motown
The soul behind the sound.
Genres
DocumentaryMusic
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.
Details
Budget
$0
Revenue
$0
Runtime
116 min
Release Date
2002-09-11
Status
Released
Original Language
English
Vote Count
44
Vote Average
6.886
Cast
Meet the talented actors who bring the movie to life.
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
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