Standing In The Shadows Of Motown

The Funk Brothers were the musical machines behind the Motown stars. They helped Marvin Gaye hear it through the grapevine, made The Supremes put a stop (in the name of love) to unfaithful lovers and, together with Martha & The Vandellas, created a love so hot it was like a heat wave. During a 15-yearperiod, they created hits for among others Stevie Wonder, Jackson 5, The Temptations, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Four Tops and The Marvellettes. In fact, they came up with more Billboard number one-singles than Elvis, The Beach Boys, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined. But to the great majority, The Funk Brothers are still pretty unknown (as studio musicians often are), even though their work certainly speaks for itself. Director Paul Justman tries to c~ange this with dramatised segments, a mix of interviews with the remaining Funk Brothers and a star-studded reunion concert. The ageing musicians relate a fantastic story about musical joy, breaki ng down race boundaries and the unglamorous life of working day in, day out providing new hits. At the beginning of the 70's, Motown moved from Detroit to Los Angeles. That meant the end not only for The Funk Brothers but also, in reality, for Motown. But the music's still alive. Standing in the Shadows of Motown is a warm, heartfelt tribute to the fallen funk brothers that'll linger in your memory. DAN FRÖBERG