Standing in the Shadows of Motown
2002 · 116 MIN · IMDB 7.8 · 3,914 VOTES · DIR. Paul Justman
Overview
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.
Dialogue Timeline - 144 lines
A SAMPLE ACROSS THE RUNTIME - EVERY LINE IS SEARCHABLE
00:59:04 In December '68, Motown held the top three spots for four weeks.
01:01:00 Earl Van Dyke remembers Smokey pushing for more than 40
01:02:18 like the "hotel sheet," which he used on Marvin Gaye's "Got To Give It Up. "
01:03:36 shuffle and the Motown "four on the floor"' groove.
01:04:51 recorded, issued and eventually hit number two.
01:07:02 Benny's substance abuse led to chronic heart disease.
01:09:38 Joe was a staff guitarist at WXYZ-TV. More than 10 years
01:10:40 so his sound wouldn't be buried by the other instruments.
01:13:15 Paul Riser, seen in this film, wrote the
01:14:35 Seth justman, a member of thej. Geils Band and the brother of director Pauljustman...
01:18:45 Also in the mix on the local scene: The Parliaments
01:19:50 re-creates the part originally played by "Spider" Webb.
01:23:10 Nate and Ralphe are speaking about Bob Babbitt's bass solo in "Scorpio"...
01:24:44 recordings at Hitsville were album tracks for Stevie in '67.
01:28:11 Racial confrontations also escalated into urban
01:28:58 Before the National Guard ended the Detroit riots on july 25...
01:30:47 For the album's sessions, Marvin hired Chet Forest, a local jazz drummer.
01:32:04 like the "Dizzy Gillespie scatting" in the middle.
01:34:01 Isle, where many Motown company picnics took place...
01:36:01 Jamerson's West Coast sessions included The Sylvers' "Boogie Fever"...
01:37:30 After Motown's L.A. move, Uriel and
01:38:09 Joe kept playing after "63. Earl toured with Freda
01:39:13 Terrell's version of"Ain't No Mountain High Enough"...
30:20:00 before the film's release.