Standing in the Shadows of Motown 22 years old
The soul behind the sound.
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.
Credits
Standing in the Shadows of Motown Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Chaka Khan She was 49, now 71 years old | as Herself |
| Ben Harper He was 33, now 55 years old | as Himself |
| Joe Messina He was 73, now 96 years old | as Himself |
| Bootsy Collins He was 51, now 73 years old | as Himself |
| Richard 'Pistol' Allen | as Himself |
| Joan Osborne She was 40, now 62 years old | as Herself |
| Joe Hunter He was 74, 79 years old when he died | as Himself |
| Bob Babbitt He was 64, 74 years old when he died | as Himself |
| Montell Jordan He was 33, now 56 years old | as Himself |
| Uriel Jones He was 68, 74 years old when he died | as Himself |
| Eddie 'Bongo' Brown | as Himself (archive footage) |
| Meshell Ndegeocello She was 34, now 56 years old | as Herself |
| Johnny Griffith He was 66, 66 years old when he died | as Himself |
| Jack Ashford He was 68, now 90 years old | as Himself |
| Rudy Robinson | as Himself |
| James Jamerson He was 66, 47 years old when he died | as Himself (archive footage) |
| Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin | as Himself (archive footage) |
| Gerald Levert He was 36, 40 years old when he died | as Himself |
Standing in the Shadows of Motown Crew
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Paul Justman as Director. | Directing |
| Alan Slutsky as Music. | Sound |
| Alan Slutsky as Novel. | Writing |
| Walter Dallas as Writer. | Writing |
Standing in the Shadows of Motown (22 years)
The soul behind the sound.
- Release day: Friday, November 15, 2002
- Runtime: 116 minutes