I want you to stop, close your eyes, and listen in your mind for a minute by remembering the song "My Girl". I'll bet you can hear the opening guitar riff clearly in your mind. It begins with a very simple three-note phrase on the bass guitar accompanied by light taps on a snare drum. Can you tell me who recorded the hit song in 1964? What's that you say? Temptations? Why,yes of course, you would be right about the vocals. BUT, did you ever think about who it was behind the wonderful instrumentation that now, nearly 40 years later, can so easily drift back into your mind with only a moments thought.

If you are like me, you simply accepted it as the Temptations "singing" the song without giving any thought about the musicians. Yet, "My Girl", and any other of the Motown hits we all love and remember, would not reverberate in our minds today without the studio musicians that made the magic of Motown and those wonderful memories in our minds. By the way, the bass player behind that opening guitar phrase was the late Robert White, one of the 13 original studio musicians known as the Funk Brothers.

Among this weekend's movie releases is a "must see" documentary, especially for those of us whose teen years were enchanted by the Motown sound. Nostalgic, yes, but the movie
"Standing in the Shadows of Motown" is filled with the authentic sounds of Motown through reuniting the remaining original Funk Brothers. The film brings the aging musicians back together to tell the story behind the music. It is a story that will forever change the way you hear your favorite Motown music because you will no longer hear the Temptations singing "My Girl" but rather appreciate the Funk Brother's contribution to the sounds that shaped our childhood years.



The Funk Brothers were the studio musicians, hand picked by Berry Gordy (founder of Motown), who played on every Motown hit from 1959 to 1967. These musicians were the genius of the music, delivering a fusion of jazz, classical, gospel, soul, pop and blues to produce a sound never before heard and now known as the Motown Sound. Yet, their contributions were not recognized or publicized by the hit making machine called Motown. The movie brings long overdue recognition to a group of men who shaped the music of the 60s throughout the change of civil rights and Vietnam protests and beyond.

The documentary movie tells the story through a blend of interviews, re-enactments of events and incidents from the 60's, archival footage, rare interviews, and performances by the remain musicians backing some of today's top Motown artists including
Ben Harper,
Chaka Khan,
Joan Osborne, and
Me'Shell NdegeOcello. The documentary includes 20 Motown master tracks and 12 new live performances. The movie soundtrack is sure to become a classic.

Along with the music, this movie brings forth the story of the 60s culture. The musicians reminisce about the camaraderie and sense of friendship felt between them despite the social barriers and musical diversity of their talents. Amidst stories of both the good times and personal tragedies, they share remembrances of the prayers offered for the gifts of their talents, the success of their performances and the sense of reverence still felt in the "snake pit" studio where the recordings took place. The movie is meant to showcase the genius of the musicians whose contributions made the music successful while deemphasizing the vocal contributions from the artist already so well known. Don't take my word for it. Take a look at the trailers for the movie and you will know how important this film is for understanding the times and music which have influenced your life.

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The story of the Funk Brothers first surfaced when Allan Slutsky became interested in the work of James Jamerson (one of the original Funk Brothers). Slutsky wrote the book "Standing in the Shadows of Motown: The Life and Music of James Jamerson", upon which the movie has been based. Bringing the story to the screen took 14 years and required great effort to gain the necessary permissions to use the Motown songs, find and gather the Funk Brothers, and obtain the necessary financing. Persistence paid off and ultimately the project got off the ground floor and came together for the November 15th release. In sadness, however, we remember the 6 Funk Brothers who did not live to see their story told.

If any doubt remains about the power and influence of this group of musicians known as The Funk Brothers, consider this: From 1964 to 1967, Motown had 14 pop singles hit #1 plus 20 #1 singles on the rhythm and blues charts, 46 more Top 15 pop singles and 75 other Top 15 R&B singles. The Funk Brothers performed on each and everyone of these hit songs plus all the hits coming out of Motown from 1959 to 1967. No other band or group of artists can boast this type of success. Not even close.

Artisan Entertainment is launching the movie's release in a tiered staging with 30 theaters opening on November 15th, 15 theaters on November 22nd,and 12 theaters on November 27th culminating in a broader distribution markets in early December. Be sure to see the movie when it comes to your neighborhood. I promise you, you won't regret it.

Watch the movie clips (uses Quick Time):
Movie Clip 1
Movie Clip 3
Movie Clip 5
Movie Clip 7






Standing in the Shadows of Motown

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