Standing in the Shadows of Motown

"Standing In The Shadows Of Motown" is a wonderful insight into the sessions musicians who played on practically every track that Motown Records produced between 1959-1972. Known as "The Funk Brothers", these talented men helped craft a sound that became distinctive around the world. They were, the musical backbone of the legendary record label.

Directed by Paul Justman, this documentary highlights the trials and tribulations of "The Funk Brothers". With interviews from the surviving members, and concert footage of classic songs from many of today's artists such as Joan Osbourne, Ben Harper, Me'Shell Ndegeocello and several others, this is an entertaining and thoughtful look at the accomplishments these men have made to contemporary American music and the imprint they have left behind.

Fascinating, touching, amusing and at times tragic, this documentary is well worth checking out. For lovers of music and for those who enjoyed a good solid documentary, "Standing In The Shadows Of Motown" delivers the goods on both counts. See how things were done - Old school style.....

Having purchased, listened to and loved Motown's records in the 60's and 70's, I often wondered who were the masterful (and usually uncredited) musicians responsible for so many top 10 hits. With "Standing In The Shadows of Motown", I was able to finally put some faces with the riffs that I admired.

Although many of the "Funk Brothers" are no longer with us, their legacies live on with those disks by the Supremes, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Martha Reeves and so many other great artists. The Funk Brothers defined soul and R & B music in its golden era. These guys played on records that sold in the millions and were being paid "scale" - sometimes as little as $25.00 per song at the time! Amazingly, most recordings were done in one or two takes; a testament to the talent portrayed in this movie.

If you love soul music, especially Motown's releases, this film is a must see. The recreations of the original songs by the remaining Funk Brothers and their guest performers are awesome!

I am not a hard core Motown fan, but I have to give this film a 10, because it's the best music documentary I have seen. With just the right mix of interview footage, historical photos, and live performance, STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN takes its place alongside THE LAST WALTZ as a cinematic cornerstone of music history.

Musicians will especially like some of the technical discussions, such as details about how legendary bassist James Jamerson produced his famous groove.

The live musical performances are inspired, with modern singers covering Motown classics, accompanied by the Funk Brothers themselves. I have watched the DVD of this film, and more recently, the high-definition version on ShowtimeHD. The 5.1 soundtrack is impeccably mixed. You can hear every instrument clearly, but the vocalist is not drowned out. With this type of mix, you want to listen to your favorite numbers over and over, concentrating on a different part each time. And, you can rest assured that there is no lip syncing or studio overdubbing. This is real music for real people.

All of the vocalists are superb, creatively interpreting each song, while at the same time paying respect to the style of the original recording artists. Viewers will have their own favorite performers, but mine is Joan Osborne, whose powerful rendition of "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" brought tears to my eyes.

I just wanted to say that I think that this is going to be a great docudrama, and it really gives a good look into what really went on during the early days of Motown. I was an extra in the movie so I have to say......Its gonna be good. Hope you enjoy it as much as i did participating in the project. I'm just an extra so dont look for anything more than my pretty little face.

STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN sets the record (or literally records) straight at last, and does what Berry Gordy should've done AGES ago...reveal the true source of the "Motown sound" that served as the soundtrack for my entire childhood, and most of my early adult life. I'm not surprised that they had more hits than the top five rock and R&B acts in history combined. But what's even more amazing about them, is how "river deep, mountain high" their influence has been. So much so, in fact, that I knew who they were without KNOWING who they were.

It is mentioned in the documentary that they only received credit on an LP for the first time in 1970, for their efforts on Marvin Gaye's seminal classic "What's Going On." But that was not my first real encounter with the Funk Brothers. That happened a few years later. More than likely inspired in part by Marvin's groundbreaking work, producer Norman Whitfield created his own song cycle about love, loss, struggle, sorrow and hope in an urban setting. With The Temptations, he crafted one of Motown's (and The Temps) finest albums ever, which shamefully has long been out of print. The name of the album said it all: "MASTERPIECE."

The most amazing thing about it to me, even more than the music locked within the vinyl grooves, is that Whitfield saw fit to thank every musician who worked on the album: Melvin "Wah Wah" Ragin, Bob Babbitt, Richard "Pistol" Allen, Earl Van Dyke, Uriel Jones, Jack Ashford. And about a dozen more. Spellbound, I had no idea even then, that I had just made the acquaintance of the Funk Brothers.

Now nearly thirty years later, with this documentary, it's like meeting them all for the first time. To my knowledge, none of the singers who shot to fame thanks to the Brothers' talents had ever publicly acknowledged their worth, (and maybe Mr. Gordy knows the reason for that.) But the documentarians have my eternal gratitude for righting this terrible wrong...Maybe not in time enough for James Jamerson, Bobby White or Earl Van Dyke, but at least while a lot of the Old Masters are still with us. For a little while longer.

IMHO, the highlights: Joan Osborne, Gerald Levert with Tom Scott, Chaka Khan, both alone and with Montell Jordan, and Bootsy Collins, whose good-timey vibe is still as infectious as ever. But the shining stars of the piece are and now forever will be, The Brothers.

Don't rent this baby...BUY it. You'll be glad you made the investment, because you'll find yourself playing the concert cuts over and over again...just like an old Gordy, Tamla or Motown 45.