Detroit, Michigan, 1959. Berry Gordy gathers the best musicians from the city's thriving jazz and blues scene for his new record company: Motown. For the next 14 years these players are the heartbeat on "My Girl," "Baby Love," "Ooo Baby Baby," "Bernadette," "I Was Made To Love Her," "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," "Dancing In The Street," and every other hit from Motown's Detroit era. By the end of their phenomenal run, the unheralded group of musicians plays on more Number One hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, and The Beatles combined, making them the greatest hit machine in the history of popular music. They call themselves the Funk Brothers. But no one knows their names...this is their story.

Condition: New

Format: DVD

Closed-captioned; Color; Dolby; DTS Surround Sound; DVD; Widescreen; NTSC

Average Customer Review: ( 226 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.

For those who demand to know more about The Temps, Tops, Supremes, and Miracles etc., please either read their autobiographies, watch made-for-TV movies, or listen to their box sets. This movie is about the Funk Brothers, not Motown singers. This film is to celebrate the brothers' contribution to American pop music and to finally validate their hard work, creativity, and how they influenced generations of future musicians.

If you watched a documentary, at least be aware of the subject matter before you criticize the production.

61 of 61 found the following review helpful:

Got Soul...?Nov 27, 2002
By Richard Wells
"Standing in the Shadows of Motown," is an absolute delight. It's the story of the "Funk Brothers," an integrated group of musicians who were the soul behind the soul. As the house band for Motown they were the sound that propelled more number one hits than the Beach Boys, the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and the great Elvis combined. These guys invented the groove. The movie is a straightforward collection of conversations, documentary concert footage, and reunion concert footage, with a few dramatized bits thrown in for texture and comic relief. At the beginning of the movie, someone said that "Deputy Dawg" would have sounded good backed up by the "Funk Brothers." The point is proven by the reunion footage that has good singers giving outstanding performances with the most laid back band in the world. By the end of the movie you not only like and admire these guys, you get to see how much they liked each other. They had to. Not only were a few of the personalities troubled, but it seems they never stopped working, and had to supplement their Motown payroll with gigs around town. See this movie, see who was standing behind the top soul singers of the 60's and 70's, and enjoy the groove.

26 of 26 found the following review helpful:

The Untold StoryMay 16, 2003
By Clark Johnson
Finally, the story of the fabulous musicians of Motown is starting to be told. The movie spends a little too much time lamenting the fact that the Funk Brothers are unknown, but then spends the rest of the move celebrating the triumphs and challenges of the greatest hit machine the world has ever seen. Great stuff!

As a musician, I had two reactions to this movie:

1) Make it longer! I want to know and hear everything!

2) Wow, Motown music was MUCH more complex than I ever imagined when I was listening on cheap radios in my youth. These guys were basically jazz musicians, and the productions were very complex. If I had realized the level of musicianship that went in to these songs, I wouldn't have been so eager to do simple rock n' roll cover versions in my high-school and college bands. Doesn't mean the music isn't great, however.

Here's hoping that the Funk Brothers realize the fruits of the success that they obviously deserve. Enjoy the music!

14 of 14 found the following review helpful:

Its a low down, dirty SHAME...Aug 10, 2003
By Clarissa Bolding "clbzone"
That these men, known as the Funk Brothers have not gotten the recognition they so rightly deserve. That stirring bassline you hear on "What's Going On?" The Funk Brothers put that down. The timeless guitar lick you hear at the beginning of "My Girl"? Funk Brothers. The list goes on and on.

Right off the top, random people are asked if they are familiar with Motown. Yes, each one says. Then they are asked if they know who played the music for those Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Temptations, Marvin Gaye songs. NO, they all answer, one even guesses "The Pips". It's sad to know the world just doesn't know who these men were/are. Until now. Where was Berry Gordy during the filming of this documentary? It is heartbreaking these men got absolutely no props (awards, notable mentions) during the pinnacle of their careers. But such is the plight of a truly talented musician most times. Heard, but never seen.

I watched this movie amazed at the extreme talent these men had and still do. The live performances with them laying down the original bass grooves, guitar licks and rythym arrangements AS HEARD ON THE ORIGINAL RECORDS as they were first recorded, are amazing. They said it themselves, the music is what made the song. Anyone can lay vocals down, but the groove is what stays in your soul.

The antecdotes (with reenactments) were comical and tragic. The scene with the original FB driving in a car one snowy night reminiscing on their traveling days is priceless. (pigfeet and cigars? lol) I love the black and white shot of the little boy with a home-made guitar at the ant hill and house. There is too much to mention about this film. My advice to anyone who is a lover of real, pure, soul and wants to educate their kids on what REAL musicianship is like...Get This Film today. It's a relevant piece of history that must be told.

Standing in the Shadows is moving, enlightening and perfectly titled because "standing in the shadows" laying the foundation of a giant hitmaking machine is exactly what the Funk Brothers did. God bless them all, living and here in spirit. Peace. CLB.

11 of 11 found the following review helpful:

DON'T PASS!Nov 08, 2003
By Patrik Lemberg
This movie is a definitive must for anyone who has enjoyed any song produced on Motown, since most people don't know who the musicians are. THE FUNK BROTHERS played on songs like "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "Singed Seadled Delivered..." by Stevie Wonder, "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye, "Baby Love", "Do You Love Me", "My Girl" etc. etc. etc. This movie is about THE FUNK BROTHERS - everything you could and should want to know about their work is featured on these two discs. There are TONS of special features (they never seem to end...); discographies, biographies, around 20 left out scenes, jam session and MUCH MUCH more. In the movie Chaka Kahn's vocal performance is spectacular and it's very entertaining listening to Bootsy singing "Do You Love Me" and "Cool Jerk". All I knew before I saw this movie was that James Jamerson had played bass on "Grapvine" and that he was part of the Motown studio band called "The Funk Brothers", but I had no idea they had done this much! This is definetly a missing piece in the puzzle of music history and it's not only recommended - at this price it's a must.
To regret this knowledge you would have to be insane.

See all 226 customer reviews on Amazon.com