| | | The best kept secret in the history of pop music.
Features: DVD, Dolby Digital (5.1), Dolby
Detroit, Michigan, 1959. Berry Gordy gathers the best musicians from the city's thriving jazz and blues scene for his new record company: Motown. For the next 14 years these players are the heartbeat on "My Girl," "Baby Love," "Ooo Baby Baby," "Bernadette," "I Was Made To Love Her," "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," "Dancing In The Street," and every other hit from Motown's Detroit era. By the end of their phenomenal run, this unheralded group of musicians plays on more Number One hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley and The Beatles combined, making them the greatest hit machine in the history of popular music. They call themselves the Funk Brothers. But no one knows their names...this is their story.
"It's a blast!" Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
"Truly inspiring and mesmerizing." Elvis Mitchell, The New York Times
"It's a glorious groove that leaves you wanting more. Ain't too proud to beg." Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Editor's Note
Paul Justman's inspiring documentary pays tribute to one of the most influential, yet unrecognized, collection of musicians that has ever been assembled. The Funk Brothers played the background music on the seemingly endless string of Motown classics in the 1960s and 1970s, resulting in a resume that boasts more number one hits than The Beatles, the Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, and Elvis Presley combined. Shot on location in Detroit, STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN reunites the surviving members as they reflect on the groups' storied past. Most celebrated is departed bassist James Jamerson, whose fiery presence and technical prowess was largely responsible for shaping the Funk Brothers' supremely distinct sound. In addition to interviews, as well as reenactments and archival footage, Justman gathers together the musicians for an unforgettable reunion concert. Featuring the vocal support of several contemporary artists, including Joan Osborne, Ben Harper, Chaka Kahn, Gerald Levert, and Bootsy Collins, the Funk Brothers prove that they haven't lost a beat. Based on the book by Allan "Dr. Licks" Slutsky, STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN gives overdue credit to a group of unassuming musicians who quietly created one of popular music's most enduring and spectacular musical legacies.
| Features | Deleted Scenes | | Trivia Track | | Widescreen 16:9 | | Audio: 6.1 DTS-ES / 5.1 Dolby EX / 2.0 Dolby Stereo | | Subtitles: English, Spanish | | Interactive - Virtual Recording Studio | | Director/Producer Audio Commentary | | Funk Video Biographies | | Hit Song Sing-Along Lyrics | | Featurette: At Long Last Glory | | Featurette: The Ones That Didn't Make It | | Multi-Angle Jam Session | | Music Video Montage | | Dinner with The Funk Brothers |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Artisan |
| Release Date: 10/21/2003 |
| Running Time: 110 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2002 | | Catalog ID: 13780 | | UPC: 00012236137801 | | Number of Discs: 2 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Available Subtitles: English, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew | Alan Slutsky - Based On Novel By | | Douglas Milsome - Cinematographer | | Lon Stratton - Cinematographer | | Paul Justman - Director | | Anne Erikson - Editor | | Richard 'Pistol' Allen - Featuring | | Meshell Ndegeocello - Featuring | | Montell Jordan - Featuring | | Gerald Levert - Featuring | | Jack Ashford - Featuring | | Joan Osborne - Featuring | | Ben Harper - Featuring | | Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin - Featuring | | Bootsy Collins - Featuring | | Chaka Khan - Featuring | | Ntozake Shange - Narrated By | | Walter Dallas - Narrated By | | Alan Slutsky - Original Music | | Sandford Passman - Producer | | Paul Justman - Producer | | Alan Slutsky - Producer |
| Awards |
Grammy (2003) |  | Winner, Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media |
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| | Professional Reviews | Rolling Stone
"...This beauty of a documentary pays long-overdue tribute to the Funk Brothers....It's a glorious groove that leaves you wanting more..." 11/28/2002 p.97Film Comment
"...[A] long overdue secret history of American music....Crucial viewing for those in search of the origins of funk..." 11/01/2002 p.77 USA Today
"...The film makes you feel like a winner as you bounce happily out of the theater..." 11/15/2002 p.6E Entertainment Weekly
"...STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN opens your ears in a way that few musical documentaries have attempted..." 11/22/2002 p.53 Los Angeles Times
"...STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN gives the Funk Brothers their due and more, mostly through wonderfully juicy anecdotes..." 11/15/2002 p.C6 Sight and Sound
"...[An] affectionate portrait..." 08/01/2003 p.58-9 Total Film
"[T]he final reunion concert is a blast..." 02/01/2004 p.108 San Francisco Examiner 8 of 10
Chief among the highlights are concert sequences that reunite surviving members of the Funk ensemble at Detroit's Royal Oaks Music Theatre. The Funksters most assuredly still have what it takes, and they give it all they've got in performances of Motown classics with such contemporary artists as Joan Osborne (whose version of "Heat Wave" truly is scorching) and Meshell Ndegeocello. Also on hand: Bootsy Collins, Mr. Parliament-Funkadelic himself, customarily resplendent in shrieking-loud purple attire, offering sassy, high-stepping versions of "Cool Jerk" and "Do You Love Me?" - Joe Leydon
San Francisco Chronicle 9 of 10
The songs are all so familiar and the instrumental performances such a huge part of their appeal that the playing quickly moves to the foreground, which is the point anyway. But when the old guys sit around and tell their stories, Standing in the Shadows of Motown catches magic on the screen--a behind-the-curtain peek at some of the world's best-loved music, straight from the cats who made it happen. - Joel Selvin
Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
What's interesting about these performances is that the singers make no attempt to imitate the original artists, and yet the Funks turn the songs into soundalikes anyway. Is it possible those great Motown stars were more or less created by these unsung musicians? The Funks think that is a distinct possibility. Of course, the backup singers had a lot to do with it, too, and this movie never gets around to them. They're in the shadows of the shadows. - Roger Ebert
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| Customer Reviews | ![]() | | Cinematography |  5 | | Plot | 5 | | Acting | 5 | | Overall Satisfaction | 5 |
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5 of 5 Gotta Have That Funk!! Wednesday, March 28, 2007
A Viewer from waldport, oregon
Love it! So many good songs, so many good memories. Was this review helpful?  
5 of 5 Must-see for musicians Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Andy Remedios from La Mirada, CA
This is a great documentary about the Motown musicians (the Funk Brothers) who were behind all the vocal Motown groups. These are the guys that created a sound that inspired the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. There was some serious music-making happening here, and these are the geniuses who created it. Was this review helpful?
5 of 5 Wonderful! Thursday, June 22, 2006
Andy from La Mirada, CA
This movie is a must-see for any musician. Largely unknown musical geniuses telling their story after decades of anonymity. It's all about the music. Was this review helpful?
5 of 5 WOW! - A "MUST HAVE" Wednesday, December 08, 2004
MCB from Roanoke, VA
This is a sensational musical treat for those of us who love Motown. It features an exquisite blend of vintage performers and new talent performing the classics of the era. For Christmas 2003, I gave 12 copies to various friends and relatives – to unanimous acclaim.
Also note that after watching this I bought four other CD’s from the new talent. AN ABSOLUTE MUST HAVE FOR MOTOWN FANS.
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