Some unsung heroes of pop music get long-overdue recognition in Standing in the Shadows of Motown, a heartfelt documentary directed by Paul Justman. They called themselves the Funk Brothers, a talented group of a dozen or so musicians who were recruited by Berry Gordy from the jazz and blues clubs of Detroit to record the musical tracks for Gordy’s Motown label.

Although they worked in relative anonymity, these studio musicians were responsible for a staggering number of soul and R&B hits. The Funk Brothers backed up the Supremes, the Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and a host of other Motown luminaries, only to be all but abandoned when the label moved to L.A. in the early 1970s.

Standing in the Shadows allows the surviving Funk Brothers to tell their own story, and they tell it well, anchored by the sheer charm of keyboardist Joe Hunter and percussionist Jack “Black Jack” Ashford. Together, they paint a vivid picture of the close-knit musical collaboration that churned out hit after hit in Motown’s Studio A (a basement room known affectionately as “the snake pit”).

But even more time is spent profiling those Funk Brothers who are now “here in spirit,” notably drummer Benny “Papa Zita” Benjamin, keyboardist Earl “Chunk of Funk” Van Dyke, and, at the center of it all, the legendary bassist James Jamerson. (Barnes & Noble)

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Standing in the Shadows of Motown is a must-see film for any fan of the Supremes, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, or any other classic Motown stars. This swinging documentary celebrates the Funk Brothers–the team of studio musicians who powered dozens and dozens of hit Motown songs–by combining reminiscences, reenactments, and clips from a recent concert put on by the Funk Brothers, featuring singers like Chaka Khan, Ben Harper, and Joan Osborne on classic tunes like “What’s Going On,” “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” and “Heatwave.”

This crafty gang of elderly musicians will charm your pants off with a slew of entertaining anecdotes. Though it seems that there’s a lot of dirt they’re declining to dish, the movie deftly outlines the history of Motown, surely the most significant music label in American history–the label that turned segregated “race music” into chart-topping success.

A soulful delight. 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. (Amazon)