Standing in the Shadows of Motown poster

Standing in the Shadows of Motown

The soul behind the sound.

Description: 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.

Genres: Documentary, Music

Homepage:

Budget: $0 | Revenue : $0

Runtime: 116 minutes

Series Credit

Richard 'Pistol' Allen

Played Himself

Series Credit

Jack Ashford

Played Himself

Series Credit

Bob Babbitt

Played Himself

Series Credit

Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin

Played Himself (archive footage)

Series Credit

Eddie 'Bongo' Brown

Played Himself (archive footage)

Series Credit

Bootsy Collins

Played Himself

Series Credit

Johnny Griffith

Played Himself

Series Credit

Ben Harper

Played Himself

Series Credit

Joe Hunter

Played Himself

Series Credit

James Jamerson

Played Himself (archive footage)

Series Credit

Uriel Jones

Played Himself

Series Credit

Montell Jordan

Played Himself

Series Credit

Chaka Khan

Played Herself

Series Credit

Gerald Levert

Played Himself

Series Credit

Joe Messina

Played Himself

Series Credit

Meshell Ndegeocello

Played Herself

Series Credit

Joan Osborne

Played Herself

Series Credit

Rudy Robinson

Played Himself

Series Credit

James Jamerson Jr.

Played Himself

Series Credit

Paul Riser

Played Himself

Series Credit

Andre Braugher

Played Narrator

Series Credit

Gary Bosek

Played Young Bob Babbitt

Backdrops

Posters

Logos