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.
01:06:20 staying on top the U.S. R&B chart for nearly two months.
01:09:23 the first record on his independent Tamla label.
01:10:37 track, his congas were usually given their own track...
01:12:43 When rewritten,jimmy "took" the song from the Spinners.
01:14:19 He died shortly after the film was completed.
01:17:13 During Robert's fallow L.A. period, he sold his beloved black Gibson L-5 guitar.
01:19:26 Dennis describes a short-lived Motown "Producer's Workshop"...
01:21:03 John Ingram was singer and road drummer for Patti LaBelle.
01:24:33 This was Babbitt's band The Royal Tones - that's Dennis Coffey at left.
01:25:42 Babbitt handled the second half
01:28:28 The Funks had been recording "Ain't Nothing Like The
01:30:23 Chaka Khan sings the song Marvin created after
01:31:41 Tom Scott transposed Eli Fontaine's original alto sax part to his soprano sax.
01:32:41 The Miracles' Bobby Rogers and Motown's other unsung heroes...
01:34:34 included The Temptations' "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and The Supremes' "Floyjoy. "
01:36:09 & Billy Davis's "You Don't Have To Be A Star. "
01:37:36 Jack became a producer, then gave up music until
01:38:14 as did johnny, between his gigs.
01:39:41 Standing 6'8", Montell is the only one on stage taller than jack Ashford.