Rating: 
Summary: Laying The Foundation For The Motown Success
Review: This is an incredible documentary describing the history of the Motown success through the eyes of the musicians that made it possible. These musicians were known as the Funk Brothers. Through this video I became familar with each of the musicians that created the distict Motown sound which laid the foundation for hit after hit record at Hitsville USA (Motown Studio A). They were just as responsible for the success of Motown's hit records as the vocal artists, if not more so. Listening to the origianal band members describe their trials, tribulations and success at Motown was heart warming. The music on the DVD is incredible and the audio video sound quality is excellent. Be sure to view all of the sections on the two set DVD in order to gain the most information about the Funk Brothers. It was good to see these musical artist finally receive the recognition and critical acclaim they deserve, alhtough a few of them that participated in the making of the documentary died before it was released in 2002.
Rating:
Summary: Its a low down, dirty SHAME...
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: The Funk Brothers are the greatest!!!
Review: In January 2004, I was asked the question....had you heard of the Funk Brothers? I immediately responded with .....WHO? Well, this DVD certainly explained who they are and took me deep into their story. Nevertheless, when you think of Motown you must now think of the Funk Brothers. The names are synonymous! This DVD will bring back great memories as well as give you a greater appreciation for the musicians of Motown. These brothers truly brought the funk and provided me with the most memorable days of my life.
Rating:
Summary: 20 Copies and Counting
Review: I grew up on the South Side of Chicago when the AM air waves were filled with Wilson Pickett, Diana Ross, and The Motown Temps. My Dad ran WIND radio - 560 AM - 'First on Your Dial', and I thought I knew Motown - until I bought my first copy of this DVD. I didn't know squat. This is a 'must have' for anyone that has ever heard of Barry Gordy, Motown, or can find Detroit on a map. I sent out over 20 copies of this STELLAR masterpiece as birthday, Christmas, and you-name-it gifts. Everyone has thanked me, and has been awe struck by how little they really knew about the Funk Brothers. The music is beyond brilliant and the DVD is the one I'm gonna grab first if the house ever catches on fire.
ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR!
Rating:
Summary: DON'T PASS!
Review: 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 intertaining 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.
Rating:
Summary: Funk Brothers the Secret to Motowns Success
Review: I saw this documentary at the theater and was impressed by how much the musicians at Motown contributed to the overall success of the record label. At one point one of the musicians said it didn't matter who they had to sing those songs, they would have been hits just because of the music behind them. Then, they went on to prove it by playing live with several different singers. How refreshing to hear the music played exactly as it was recorded, with a little variation in the vocals. Yet, the Funk Brothers never got credit on any of the Motown songs. It also covers the move of Motown from Detroit to L.A. The musicians found out about the move when they showed up to the studio to do a regularly scheduled session. There was a note on the door saying "We've moved to L.A." All in all, a facinating movie that was produced and directed very well. I hope the sound quality transfers well because it was truly excellent.
Rating:
Summary: After Forty Years, All the Questions are Answered!!!
Review: As a white Fender bass player in the South in the 60's, I had a very tough time keeping up with soul music and R&B developments. There were two sides of town, and mixing of the races was still not encouraged then-- at least, not in the South. When Motown records could be listened to, the sound, and the highly-advanced musicality was utterly fascinating and totally innovative, but it was a real challenge to learn all the parts from the primitively-mixed records (the reasons for which are explained in the DVD). Rumors abounded about how the songs were recorded. One of my favorites was that each Motown hit was recorded with TWO bass tracks: one acoustic (upright) bass, and one track with the Fender bass (electric guitar). As it turns out, this rumor was false, but to see the interplay between the bass player and the drummers, not to mention some improvised percussion "instruments" (such as plywood boxes stomped upon in time with the beat), is to understand how the listener would get the wrong impression. To see and hear the actual studio players (AKA "The Funk Brothers") is exhilarating, to say the very least. To watch this excellently-produced DVD is to have the gauze pulled from one's eyes and ears, and to be able to appreciate the Funk Brothers for their superior musicianship, in addition to that of the arrangers. The movie itself, as released to theaters, is a constant revelation and enjoyable from start to finish, jumping as it does from history to flashbacks to oral history by the participants to recreations of the original hits sounding even better than they originally did. But the DVD goes much further: It contains a whole second disk of behind-the-scenes shots taken of further interviews, social get-togethers of the Funk Brothers where their tongues get REALLY loose, and other such materials. There was only one thing on the entire package I didn't like, and that was some contemporary studio sessions of some rather dull, nowhere basic 12-bar pieces that really weren't much more than just riffing. My impression was that this was just filler. But in terms of everything else on the two disks, whether it was social history, musical history, personal histories, rare archival film footage from the 60's, or the recreations of some of the greatest Motown hits, was absolutely top-notch. I've done a lot of research on Motown over the decades, and I found the DVD's content to be factually consistent with the rest of my research, but in much more depth; and the excellent musical performances just take the presentation right over the top. I can't begin to count the "mysteries" I'd wondered about for decades that were all "solved" by watching and listening to this DVD. I play it over and over, and it gets better and better. I highly recommend it to anyone who lived through the era and wants to gain an even greater appreciation for the Motown phenomenon; and to younger people who aren't familiar with the cultural and historical contexts that made the phenomenon such an important aspect of the time.
Rating:
Summary: Its a low down, dirty SHAME...
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Tribute to the Funk Brothers
Review: Sure, everyone's heard of Diana Ross and the Supremes, Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson, but what about the Funk Brothers? Never heard of them? It turns out that even if you've never heard of them, you've most likely heard this group of musicians before: it turns out they've played on more #1 hits than the Beatles, Elvis, Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys combined. Standing in the Shadows of Motown is a documentary that raises some debatable issues: someone in the film says that anybody could have sung the songs because it was the music (and the musicians) that was the key element in the song's success. Director Justman makes it seem like it was a gross miscarriage of justice the way that label head Berry Gordy didn't publicly acknowledge the Funk Brothers' contribution to the Motown sound. What fails to be kept in mind is that this oversight isn't unique. I mean, when kids listen to Christina Aguilera or Avril Lavigne today, how many actually stop to think about the backing musicians? The actual size of the Funk Brothers' contribution is never made completely clear here and none of the relevant people are interviewed (Berry Gordy, Diana Ross, etc.) so the tone remains decidedly one-sided. Even so, it's still an entertaining ride as the Funk Brothers liven up the proceedings with fascinating anecdotes and by reminiscing about Motown's heyday in the 60s which are much more vivid and memorable than director Justman's cringe-worthy use of reconstructions. Another touchy point is the fleeting, unnecessary mention of the Vietnam War and how the Motown sound apparently brought comfort to the soldiers: it seemed to have been included for sentimental value and didn't fit with the rest of the film and the reason why the soldiers listened to Motown was left unexplained. The many musical performances by the Funk Brothers and the guest singers are what make this film worth watching, even if it's a tad too long at 116 minutes. It's one thing to hear them say that the music was what made the song, not the singer, but the performances say so much more. Joan "What If God Was One Of Us" Osborne gives a powerful, touching rendition of "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted" while Gerald Levert sounds every bit as good as Gloria Gaynor on "Reach Out I'll Be There". Even though Standing in the Shadows of Motown is a tribute to the Funk Brothers as musicians, it is the Funk Brothers as men that is really being honoured here: even with rumours that they were cheated out of royalties by Motown and the lack of public recognition, the Funk Brothers don't come across as bitter and vengeful at all, and this magnanimous attitude is what saves this documentary from being a humdrum VH1 special, despite director Justman's attempts to (over)lionize the Funk Brothers.
Rating:
Summary: After Forty Years, All the Questions are Answered!!!
Review: As a white Fender bass player in the South in the 60's, I had a very tough time keeping up with soul music and R&B developments. There were two sides of town, and mixing of the races was still not encouraged then-- at least, not in the South. When Motown records could be listened to, the sound, and the highly-advanced musicality was utterly fascinating and totally innovative, but it was a real challenge to learn all the parts from the primitively-mixed records (the reasons for which are explained in the DVD). Rumors abounded about how the songs were recorded. One of my favorites was that each Motown hit was recorded with TWO bass tracks: one acoustic (upright) bass, and one track with the Fender bass (electric guitar). As it turns out, this rumor was false, but to see the interplay between the bass player and the drummers, not to mention some improvised percussion "instruments" (such as plywood boxes stomped upon in time with the beat), is to understand how the listener would get the wrong impression. To see and hear the actual studio players (AKA "The Funk Brothers") is exhilarating, to say the very least. To watch this excellently-produced DVD is to have the gauze pulled from one's eyes and ears, and to be able to appreciate the Funk Brothers for their superior musicianship, in addition to that of the arrangers. The movie itself, as released to theaters, is a constant revelation and enjoyable from start to finish, jumping as it does from history to flashbacks to oral history by the participants to recreations of the original hits sounding even better than they originally did. But the DVD goes much further: It contains a whole second disk of behind-the-scenes shots taken of further interviews, social get-togethers of the Funk Brothers where their tongues get REALLY loose, and other such materials. There was only one thing on the entire package I didn't like, and that was some contemporary studio sessions of some rather dull, nowhere basic 12-bar pieces that really weren't much more than just riffing. My impression was that this was just filler. But in terms of everything else on the two disks, whether it was social history, musical history, personal histories, rare archival film footage from the 60's, or the recreations of some of the greatest Motown hits, was absolutely top-notch. I've done a lot of research on Motown over the decades, and I found the DVD's content to be factually consistent with the rest of my research, but in much more depth; and the excellent musical performances just take the presentation right over the top. I can't begin to count the "mysteries" I'd wondered about for decades that were all "solved" by watching and listening to this DVD. I play it over and over, and it gets better and better. I highly recommend it to anyone who lived through the era and wants to gain an even greater appreciation for the Motown phenomenon; and to younger people who aren't familiar with the cultural and historical contexts that made the phenomenon such an important aspect of the time.
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