Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002) User Reviews

Just beautiful....

[marsupial3300 · 9/10 · 11 January 2005]

At 35, I'm too young too have been around when all this great music first appeared. But I truly feel the Motown music in my soul, always have. I still get goosebumps, to this day, when I hear certain Motown songs.

Therefore, I spent half this film sobbing, for the beauty & genius of the music, the happiness I felt that that Funk Brothers were finally getting their due, and lamenting, as always, that they simply do not make music like this any more, and never will again.

Beautifully filmed, fascinating....if it doesn't move you, or get you moving, you must be comatose.

Unsung heroes finally get their due (***)

[Ronin47 · 7/10 · 2 December 2002]

The Funk Brothers, as they came to be known, were (and are) a group of about 20 extremely talented jazz musicians who were recruited by Barry Gordy to be studio musicians for Motown Records, which was just starting out at the time.

Cut to a few years later, and the Funk Brothers had played on more number 1 hits than the Beatles, Elvis, and the Rolling Stones combined. If you hear a Motown record by any number of great artists, like Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, the Supremes or dozens of others, that's them playing that great backing music. "Standing In The Shadows Of Motown" is a movie that finally salutes these unsung heroes, without whom the music of Motown might not have been half so brilliant.

The best part of the movie, without a doubt, is the new concert footage. All the surviving Funk Brothers were recently reunited for a concert in Detroit (the home of Motown) to play some of their biggest hits, with a diverse group of singers. These live scenes are so powerful and breathtaking, that it only reinforced my opinion that the Motown music of the 60's and 70's is some of the best music ever recorded. Pop music never, ever (before or since) sounded so pure and beautiful as that music does. All these performances are great, but my favorites have to be The Four Tops' "Reach Out I'll Be There" sung by Gerald Levert (which kicks off the movie with fire and energy) and Jimmy Ruffin's "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?" sung passionately by Joan Osbourne.

The rest of the movie is pretty regular documentary stuff, featuring lots of insightful interviews with the musicians and narration by Andre Braugher.

It goes on a little too long (like I said in my review for "Bowling For Columbine", 2 hours is usually pushing it for a documentary) and some of the re-enactments aren't as effective as intended.

But man, those performances. There isn't much music I like more than classic soul, and if you have at least a passing interest in it, you'll be wanting to get up and dance in the aisle just like me.

Under-appreciated National Treasures

[spider-82 · 9/10 · 28 December 2004]

The mere fact that these 13 people created so much of the best of American music in virtual anonymity is reason enough to watch this movie. But the performances of those great songs...lots of them, make it a really special movie. I think they could have found some better current singers to perform with them in the concert but even Joan Osbourne can sound good with the Funk Brothers playing behind her. Maybe that's the point of the movie. Steve Jordan said it best though when he said that Deputy Dog could have sung to their tracks and made hits. And just for the record, I was kind of proud that at least 2 of the 13 were Caucasian. :-)

Hard to find a better music documentary

[Uthman · 10/10 · 22 December 2004]

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.

Finally the "Funk Brothers" get their overdue recognition.

[paulef121 · 10/10 · 4 February 2004]

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!

Meet The Funk Brothers!

[macjazz · 30 April 2003]

Standing in the Shadows of Motown is a terrific documentary that gives us a wonderful introduction to The Funk Brothers, the musicians behind the hits at Motown. This is their story, therefore little time is devoted to Barry Gordy or the label's stars. The Brothers emerge as engaging personalities in their own right - it's a pleasure to listen to them tell their tales of life in "the Snake Pit" (the studio) at Motown.

Even more a pleasure is listening to them play and hearing new interpretations of some of the great old tunes. Especially, for me, Bootsy Collins on "Cool Jerk" (Bootsy puts the "fun" in "funk") and Joan Osborne on "Heat Wave" (the Brothers really groove on this one) and "What becomes of the Broken Hearted" - a stirring rendition that raises the roof and brings down the house! Great stuff. A few of the other new performances are not quite as strong as this, but overall the music is just great. The old guys have still got it. I really loved hearing little bits of their jazz playing sprinkled throughout the movie - in fact I'd like to have heard more of this, but of course there are time constraints in any film. It was also great to hear some of the arrangements broken down to (or built up from) individual parts. It brings home the fact that these guys are really creative players (try to imagine "My Girl" without the "dum da da da da da" guitar lick, for example).

I already knew a bit about James Jamerson, the genius bass player for Motown, before watching this movie, but meeitng the rest of these great players and hearing their stories was just a pure pleasure straight through. Good to see these guys getting their props - they are The Funk Brothers!

stylings to die for

[conannz · 7/10 · 13 July 2003]

Like Calle 54 and other "music as a journey documentaries" (Buena Vista included) this film plays as a homage to the actual musicians by letting them talk about their own experiences. The funk brothers make it all seem easy. What is revealed is that they played in all the clubs around Detroit almost continuously and so when in the studio they needed a new arrangement for a live take they could oblige in record time.

These guys were/are superb arrangers and ensemble players. It combines the concert movie with the documentary insights in a way that is kind to the era but leaves many other questions outstanding. Listening to a few of the solo's from the likes of Tom Scott and other visitors to the concert will make your heart soar. Gerald Levert and Ben Harper get the chance to really shine with the band from heaven. I hope this documentary gives the "brothers" the chance to reap some of the attention they so richly deserve.

Fabulous!

[ragtime_millionaire · 10/10 · 30 September 2002]

This is a "must see" if you are at all interested in R&B, soul, Motown, etc. But it's really a must-see if you're a musician yourself.

Using archival footage interspersed with recent concert footage and anecdotal recreations, this film follows the careers of "The Funk Brothers" - the men who backed up a who's who of Motown's brightest stars from 1959 into the mid 1970's, and who have played on more #1 hits than the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, and Elvis COMBINED.

The movie will be in general distribution Nov. 15 (2002) - I saw it at the Vancouver International Film Festival, where the theater was packed (I'd guess at least half with musicians) - and the response was amazing - people were laughing, crying, shouting, singing along, and dancing in the seats (to paraphrase Martha and the Vandellas)

Good, but not great

[preppy-3 · 7/10 · 2 December 2002]

Interesting documentary following the careers of the bands that played the music for Motown acts in the 1960s-1970s. These men have never been acknowledged--until now. At first I thought "What's the big deal? The stars put these song across!" Boy, was I wrong! As one person says in the film "Anyone could sing these songs--it's the music that delivers". This film proves it wonderfully. There are many great stories from the musicians still alive (sadly, some have passed away) and some musical guests (Joan Osbourne, Chaka Khan among them) recreate some fantastic Motown songs with the original musicians. There's one especially incredible moment where we see each instrument, one by one, added together to create the "Motown" sound. And it all ends on a fantastic rendition of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".

There's plenty of truly wonderful moments here, but it is too long (almost 2 hours) and some of the recreation just don't work. Still, this is worth seeing--especially if you love Motown.

Behind the music

[gravity3 · 10/10 · 25 October 2003]

Forget VH1, forget MTV, this is the real deal. Even if you loathe documentaries, this film is different - it's about the music and the musicians that made it, and there's not a boring moment on film. If you ever liked the Motown sound, if you ever liked music for that matter, you owe it to yourself to learn how so many great recordings really came about. If you like what's on the radio right now, here's a rare chance to find out where it all really came from. A lot of the artists playing and singing today were heavily influenced by the Funk Brothers, whether they realise it entirely or not. So if you want to learn who created those sounds in the first place, you must see STANDING. I can't say enough about this film.

Now I don't want to belittle the talent that stood in front of the Funk Bros., because they deserve a lot of credit. But honestly, after seeing it the first time, I thought about how tragic it is that no one had really done it before. Maybe that's it's only flaw - this is a story we should have heard 30 years ago. I probably knew more than most being a musician myself, but there were many aspects that were revelations. To hear these guys play in a live setting again, is above and beyond what you could expect in this kind of work. But it's here - rent, buy, go see this movie!

Interesting

[lampic · 7/10 · 31 July 2015]

The movie starts with statement that these guys sold more records than The Beatles, The Rolling Stones,The Beach Boys and Elvis together - but nobody has ever heard of them. Therefore it looks like interesting glimpse in music industry where people in the background are forever in the shadow, while only selected few have spotlight, fortune and fame.

Motown's own home-band The Funk Brothers played behind every hit single that company had ever produced and backed singers, stars, wannabees and everybody else along the way, creating soundtrack of 1960s for not only US but for the rest of the world as well. Musicians paid attention but majority of audience never heard of these guys names since they were "only studio musicians" and were accordingly constantly changing line-up when needed. Contrary to what journalists assumed, it wasn't the studio, floor, walls or air in Detroit but the chemistry between musicians that created this particular magic - when asked now, decades after the fact, they all claim that anybody could sing in front of the studio microphone but it was themselves who provided setting first and perhaps they are right (however, I must say that those voices were excellent and instantly recognizable, full of character and just pop enough to break into large market). When company became too large and Berry Gordy decided to move to Los Angeles, most of these guys were either left behind or did not find the footing when transplanted far from familiar surroundings. As much as its fun to see still surviving musicians joking, talking and enjoying the camaraderie, there are always skeletons in the closet, those who got sidelined with alcohol and drugs, those who did not survive. And a very interesting story about the dangerous night in the late 1960s when Detroit burned in the middle of racial protests and violence, where these black musicians took care of their white friends.

What I didn't particularly care for were tedious clips from live concert celebration of the band, with current generation of singers performed classic Motown hits and naturally almost nobody (except Chaka Khan) can hold a candle to original artists, no matter how hard they tried. It could be that original recordings are now so much part of our consciousness that I simply won't accept anybody else singing them. Youngsters are naturally awed when talking to elderly musicians but Ben Harper is a bit much when he claims that Motown introduced soul music to audience - yes, it gave deserved prominence to black artists but it was never as gritty, sweaty or dangerous as James Brown, for example. Motown was a excellent, polished pop product and dance music of its time but if you want soul, you go for "Stax" or "Atlantic" or elsewhere. Those people did not learn how to walk and how to wear white gloves.

In the beginning it was The Funk Brothers

[jotix100 · 10/10 · 8 March 2005]

"Standing in the Shadows of Motown" is a documentary that has to be seen by all lovers of popular music. This is a must for all fans of the best sound that came out in the middle of the last century from Detroit. Paul Justman, the director of this extraordinary documentary, takes us into a fantastic voyage to the place where the music was born. Aided by the narration of Ntozake Shange and Walter Dallas, this film will warm up anybody's heart.

The documentary is a tribute to the people that created most of the hits that became popular and went to become classics: The Funk Brothers, as they were known. The survivors of these talented musicians are presented individually, and those no longer living are remembered with anecdotes told by living artists in loving memory of them. These talented musicians gave America, and the world, some of the most memorable songs of its history.

The Funk Brothers' music had such an edge, that everything else written by popular songwriters pale in comparison. Detroit nurtured these magnificent musicians and gave them the base where they were able to excel by creating something that wasn't easily duplicated by their contemporaries, or their followers.

In a poignant performance Chaka Khan, perhaps the best and most original exponent of the genre gives an amazing rendition of the old Marvin Gaye's mega hit, "What's going on". Then, to end the film, this incredible and generous singer is seen and heard with Montell Jordan singing "Ain't no Mountain High", which keep us singing, smiling, and shedding a tear for that innocent bygone era that the sensational Funk Brothers created for our delight and pleasure.

Long live the Funk Brothers and the sound they left behind. Amen!

The Music Behind the Voices

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 5 January 2022]

"Standing in the Shadows of Motown" is about The Funk Brothers, the musicians behind Motown's hit songs. Many of the members reminisce about what it was like playing in "the snake pit" and how they became a part of Motown. They aptly mention that many of the songs were known by the incredible sounds behind the vocalists. There were a few musical numbers done from the more popular songs with contemporary vocalists, such as Chaka Khan and Gerald Levert, and the original band. I would've preferred archival footage of the original performers, but I suppose they wanted to give the living band members a chance to play again.

Important story, BAAAD documentary

[norkin · 1/10 · 19 October 2002]

This documentary is based on an extremely interesting group of guys, The Funk Brothers who are responsible for a large amount of Motown number 1 hits, but never got the credit. And now this film unfortunately has immortalized these guys on celluloid in an incompetent documentary. The story is all about how these guys were left in the shadows, more attention was given to the lead singers instead of them. In this film there are a number of songs performed where these guys get to reunite and play once again. But during these songs, the camera spends 80% of the time focused on the singer. Here the documentary works against everything it was preaching. And during these songs whenever we do get a glimpse of the Funk Brothers, we aren't able to see them play, the camera is swooping too fast, and is too impatient for this. Usually we'll get a glimpse of a hand playing the guitar and then we'll see a close-up of a smiling face, and then back to the singer. And that's another thing, the singers in this film. These guys are so important and yet the best talent they can get is Bootsy Collins, and Joan Osbourne?? Joan Osbourne who is responsible for "What if God was one of us?" which includes classic lines like "nobody calling on the phone, except for the Pope maybe in Rome" is in too many scenes of this film, and why?? Is she related to the director? Was Aretha Franklin busy that day? In the film there are at least 8 songs played in full, not so that we can get a chance to see these guys play, no, since the scenes are focused on the singers anyway, but there are so many songs because the movie has absolutely nothing to say at all. During some of the horribly unoriginal anecdotes, we get to see "dramatizations" of dull stories which seem to echo the cinematic brilliance of an E True Hollywood Story rather than a credible documentary. And through these anecdotes we never really learn about the tribulations these guys were under, we never find out anything about them really, except little cute stories. Suddenly one of the guys will say, "Yeah, that's when he died of drugs," but the film has not set up that this individual had been having any problem with drugs. These guys never become clear characters and it is never made clear how they feel about being forgotten, what it was like then, or anything, not from episodic little anecdotal segments placed between songs. And there are two white guys in the Funk Brothers, but there is no dramatization showing either of their pasts. For the other African American guys, we get to see how a boy would strum a guitar string in an ant hole and make the ants dance, and we get to see how another guy made a guitar on the side of his house. But the white guys just get stepped over, they don't fit into the simplistic minds of the filmmakers. And even the scenes which propel the men to talk about their anecdotes are ridiculous. In one scene we get to see one of the men on his back attempting to play a bass, he then says "Man, nobody can play a bass on the floor like this," this then spurs one of his buddies to say "No, that's not true, Jemmerson could do it. Why I remember one time..." Not only does this scene have horrible acting embarrassing these men, but it also has such a contrived premise to bring on pseudo nostalgia that it recalls sitcoms like The Golden Girls when they have one of their "remember the past" episodes. The story dealing with these guys is very interesting, and they deserve to be honored and remembered, but not like this.

Moving tribute

[rodew · 13 November 2004]

I really loved this documentary. Three key points: (1) I applaud the spirit and energy to put the project- long overdue recognition and praise for great musicians- together. I happen to be a fan of the Temptations movie and saw this DVD next to it. Had I not bought it on a whim, I would be so much more empty. (2) James Jamerson-I would love a documentary on him alone. Not because of his quirks, but because of his tortured spirits; a great movie-making project! Also, upon my research of this topic after seeing this film, I came across an extensive web site, bassplayer.com, with a great tribute page to Jamerson. Among the most outrageous discussions that have not been resolved to my knowledge- who played bass on Stevie Wonder's "I Was Made to Love Her"? The majority of folks strongly contend it was James Jamerson, however, a woman named Carol Kaye states she was the actual bass player for the song.

I don't know the truth, but I do know that after never hearing the bass in the song for the 30+ plus that this has been one of my all-time favorite songs, I ONLY hear the bass line. That bass line is so masterful, so exceptional, and so unrelentingly funky, that I believe only a virtuoso could have done it. The fact that that song and bass line were done in 1966/67, amidst so many hundreds of other Motown hits and other songs, tells me that the Funk Brothers and James Jamerson were truly blessed talents.

(3) Chaka Khan's rendition of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" is undoubtedly the very best performance I have ever seen her do and is among the top performances ever recorded. That she won a Grammy for the song is amazing. She actually sang it in 2000; the movie was released in 2002 and won the Grammy in 2003! I get teary every time I hear her singing the song in the movie(I replayed this section at least 10 times when I first saw the movie) and I don't think she will ever have another brilliant performance that would match that intensity. Bottom line: I strongly recommend this movie and subsequent deeper research into other great R&B music roots. Rod Walker

Thankfully, they're no longer in the shadows

[bama1111 · 10/10 · 17 May 2003]

I have been a Rock/Pop music fan since the 50s and I've always felt that the 60s provided us with the greatest diversity of popular music. The Motown Sound contributed immensely to that era's music. At least as much as, and probably more than, The British Invasion.

I remember seeing the Ebert/Roeper review of this film and it was the first time I ever heard of The Funk Brothers. Finally, I rented the DVD and watched and listened to these men who, to paraphrase a gentleman on the DVD whose name I don't recall, "provided the soundtrack of my life". It is hard to believe that Berry Gordy, or anyone at Motown, never made a public acknowledgement of the contributions made by these outstanding musicians. And it is a further tribute to these men that they appear to bear no ill will for being kept "in the shadows". It's just a shame that all of them didn't live long enough to know that their accomplishments have finally been recognized and appreciated by the music fans.

The musical performances of some of the songs by the 'newer' artists are wonderful. Watching and listening to them interacting with the older musicians allows us to see the respect and admiration they have for these men and for the contributions they made.

And just when I thought that I had seen and heard it all they scrolled a list of the songs [records] these men had provided music for and I was stunned by the volume of hits with which they were involved.

My favorite Motown artists are The Four Tops, Mary Wells & Stevie Wonder and I know that it was not just the music of The Funk Brothers that made their [as well as all the other great artists at Motown] records so good. The songwriters [Holland, Dozier & Holland, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye & Barrett Strong to name a few] provided wonderful lyrics. Anyone who knows Motown music knows the artists and the songwriters and now, finally, we all know the musicians who made up the third key element to this wonderful Motown sound.

The DVD has many extras and I would suggest that anyone who watches the movie should watch all of the extras, too. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

EVERYONE SHOULD SEE THIS MOVIE!! Maybe twice.

[asdalin · 10/10 · 4 November 2002]

I just had the pleasure of seeing the best documentary made about the music world. It's about the unsung heros of Motown -- the musicians. The Funk Brothers played on everyone song that came out of Motown, but no one knows it. Now they will finally get the recognition they so deserve. Allan Slutsky, over the course of 16 years put together a movie that includes archival footage, live interviews with the remaining Funk Brothers, and performance sequences that had the audience almost dancing in the aisles -- okay, just rocking in their comfy theater chairs to the beat of the songs. It also includes new versions of many of the most famous songs done by Joan Osborne, Chaka Chan, Ben Harper, and others. During the course of the film the audience applauded at least 3 times after a song, then CHEERED at the end of the film.

This is a poignant film and one that will show how some of the best musicians in the world never got the credit they should have, but this film brings them into the spotlight, and boy do they shine.

Can you tell that I loved this film? It's impossible not to.

the live performances ruin a perfect documentary

[Lorenzo1950 · 7/10 · 16 August 2009]

This film would deserve a perfect 10 rating were it not for the live performances of performers not worthy to be on the same stage as the Funk Brothers.

Was Martha Reeves the only Motown performer available for the documentary? Where was Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross or the Four Tops?

This film could have been so much better if it were more of a collaboration of the Funk Brothers and some of the Motown artists.

The conversations from the bonus material are great. If I were an editor I would take all the Funk Brother bonus material, eliminate the live performances, (except when the Funk Brothers are performing as the Funk Brothers) and add the bonus material to the film.

I did not like the dramatizations with actors. If the performer is deceased let them rest in peace. Do not recreate a scene because it was worthy of mention in the film.

It is a shame James Jamerson, Robert White and Benny Benjamin were all gone when the film was released. At least Robert White had a chance to add some of his insight. I think the Robert White interviews were my favorite part of the film. I really admire this man.

I am glad this film is in my collection but it could have been so much better.

The Funk Brothers

[paula122452 · 10/10 · 7 August 2006]

Jack Ashford, Hank Cosby, James Jamerson and Son, and all of the Motown FRONT OF THE SCENE musicians- you all exploded on this movie!!!! It was a long time coming. I am so elated and personally excited about the success for one main reason - I was musically and personally involved with the music and the fellows during this time. I was fortunate to have Jack Ashford produce several songs for my group, "Softouch". Jack is a wonderful man, as was Hank and many of the other gentlemen featured in this movie. What a history to have worked with these guys in my lifetime. There was so much soul and heart in this movie - it was more than musicians talking about their past and what they contributed - it was as if these guys were laying down the foundation and most important ingredients to a wonderfully baked cake with all the icing and toppings! I am now a teacher and I use this movie as a very important drop to my students who are so much into 'rap'and the like. When they see and hear where the music REALLY originated from, they are all in shock. This is a generation who is now being able to feel the heat and experience the explosion that I experienced. This feeling will never go away. I love this movie as much as I love the people whose lives this movie tells. Hey Charlene and kids! Opal, Alicia and I still talk about you guys! Memphis!

The singers get all the credit... until now

[Marc_Israel_365 · 7/10 · 4 July 2014]

The documentary is based upon the book Standing in the shadows of MOTOWN: The James Jamerson Story. That is my perspective in watching this series of interviews, performances and snippets of the past. There is an unevenness in all of these and I found myself grasping onto the pieces that focused on Jamerson and the appreciation that his fellow Funk Brothers had for his talent. vision and performance. If only there was film of that! He influenced every person who ever picked up the bass guitar, whether they know it or not, and it was that life, counter-melody and energy that helped Motown and the Hit machine find its way onto the soundtracks of our lives. Not enough credit was given to the artists whose records they were on, but this is the Amnerican story of the underdog, the musician, those who worked for Barry Gordy. The film itself goes into the spirit of the sessions and surrounding musical times of constant creation, performance and release on and off the radar of their employer. The idea of the musical performances was great and showed that it was the songs that drove the musicians, and not the other way around. Srtill reading charts was evidence that these guys may not have owned their parts in their heads after all, especially Bob Babbit who inherited the greatest role stepping in for James Jamerson, but not committed to memory. The vocalists were hot and cold and most songs were cut off leaving "What's Become of The Broken Hearted" and "Aint No Mountain High Enough" to shore up the stage. The interviews were lackluster as the stories seemed to be told second hand and the recollection seemed to be corner stoop talk and less actual story. It was wrapped by the music and that's what I was thrilled to see, my musical bassist hero, finally given his credit, albeit posthumously.

The best DVD I have bought in a long time

[Mark-Near · 8/10 · 18 October 2005]

This is the story of some great people who worked hard to make some great music. Berry Gordy assembled them out of Detroit's jazz clubs and brought them in to be the foundation of the now famous "Motown sound". This is their history. Well, they didn't storm the beaches at Normandy and save the world, and yeah sometimes the narration goes a little over the top regarding the importance of what they did and how it fit in to the times, but all in all, this is a well designed story about some very good musicians that you have heard and loved without knowing who they are.

If you love Motown music and/or jazz, this movie is well worth a watch or purchase. The modern renditions of the Motown standard are all moving and/or fun. Bootsy Collins, Montell Jordan, Me'Shell NdegéOcello, Joan Osborne, Chaka Khan and Gerald Levert front the band on some classics that are as listenable as the originals. The secret is that the new backup band behind the singers is pretty much the same band.

The single best documentary ever

[Bozo_Tyrannus · 10/10 · 18 November 2009]

You need to see this. Period. If you enjoy Motown music, or are a musician, you definitely need to see this movie.

The Funk Brothers, the most accomplished musicians in history, finally get their due in this. About time too.

This group of 13 musicians played on more number-one records than the Beatles, Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys COMBINED! The least you can do is give them 2 hours of your time.

It moves between interviews with the remaining living Funk Brothers, re-enactments of stories they have, and a fantastic concert with the remaining Funk Brothers performing their biggest hits with several modern singers... Chaka Khan, Ben Harper, and (my personal favorite) Joan Osbourne.

Allow me to stress my original point. You need to see this.

Flawed premise, missed opportunity

[guineabrat · 5/10 · 18 July 2004]

The success of the Motown sound was equal parts amazing songwriting, dynamic performers, tight production, talented musicians and Barry Gordy's genius for creating a sound and marketing it. This documentary would like you to believe that the success of Motown relied solely on this corps of studio musicians. Not only untrue, but the musicians are likely the least critical contributors to that success.

A more interesting film would have a complete telling of the Motown phenomenon giving the musicians their due in proper perspective - or even an exploration of studio musicians in general.

The performances are fun, but the esoteric singers seem to draw attention away from the Funk Bros. and end up making a stronger case for the greatness of the songwriting than for mastery of the musicians.

I enjoyed it

[joeregularman · 31 August 2003]

One thing that I always noticed in the traditional "Motown" music from the 60's is either the sound of the Tamborine or the Vibes. Little did I know it was the same guy on every album.

Unlike many "true story" documentaries this was a good story with a happy ending. Most times when we watch documentaries about celebrities we tend to see much of the bad and ugly moments from their past. Certianly nobody is perfect with a squeeky clean background, however, I appriciate the fact that the producer of this movie put more emphasis on the good things and the funny stories and less on the conflicts and the shortcommings.

All of the extra features give you a sense of who these people are with the extra unedited footage of the band interacting with one and other. The part about the guys that died before, during, and after production was especially touching because it brought closure to a situation with many loose ends. I feel that this story has a happy ending because those who are still living and those who passed on are satisfied that they were recognized for their contributions.

Personally I would have liked to see the concert in its entirety instead of a few clips in between the candid interviews but overall it was a very well balanced and well written story about a band that most people didnt even know existed. Even though most people didnt know about the band, we can all relate because we know the songs. As each musican shares his involvement with Motown I know and "feel" where they are comming from because I probably have listened to their music a hundered times over.

Unknown Heroes

[vandy-3 · 10/10 · 30 November 2002]

Hail to the almighty "Funk Bothers". Director, Mr. Justman, should be proud of this film, it showcases not only the hidden genius behind such memorable music, but also dives into the band member's backstories. As a fellow filmmaker and a diehard fan of Motown I thank you for telling this story.

This band of brothers never received the attention or celebration that they each deserved, though I felt they were a family and I found it refreshing the amount respect they showed one another.

Vandy Director/Producer vandyproductions.com