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Standing in the Shadows of Motown

The soul behind the sound.

Movie - 116mins

DocumentaryMusic

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.

Rating: 6.886

Cast:

name

Rudy

Robinson

name

James

Jamerson

name

Paul

Riser

name

Andre

Braugher

name

Gary

Bosek

name

Richard

'Pistol'

name

Jack

Ashford

name

Bob

Babbitt

name

Benny

'Papa

name

Eddie

'Bongo'

name

Bootsy

Collins

name

Johnny

Griffith

name

Ben

Harper

name

Joe

Hunter

name

James

Jamerson

name

Uriel

Jones

name

Montell

Jordan

name

Chaka

Khan

name

Gerald

Levert

name

Joe

Messina

name

Meshell

Ndegeocello

name

Joan

Osborne

name

Rudy

Robinson

name

James

Jamerson

name

Paul

Riser

name

Andre

Braugher

name

Gary

Bosek

name

Richard

'Pistol'

name

Jack

Ashford

name

Bob

Babbitt

name

Benny

'Papa

name

Eddie

'Bongo'