Standing in the Shadows of Motown
“The soul behind the sound.”
In 1959, Berry Gordy Jr. gathered the best musicians from Detroit's thriving jazz and blues scene to begin cutting songs for his new record company. Over a fourteen year period they were the heartbeat on every hit from Motown's Detroit era. By the end of their phenomenal run, this unheralded group of musicians had played on more number ones hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis and the Beatles combined - which makes them the greatest hit machine in the history of popular music. They called themselves the Funk Brothers. Forty-one years after they played their first note on a Motown record and three decades since they were all together, the Funk Brothers reunited back in Detroit to play their music and tell their unforgettable story, with the help of archival footage, still photos, narration, interviews, re-creation scenes, 20 Motown master tracks, and twelve new live performances of Motown classics with the Brothers backing up contemporary performers.
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About Standing in the Shadows of Motown
Standing in the Shadows of Motown is a 2002 English-language documentary and music film directed by Paul Justman. The cast is led by Richard 'Pistol' Allen, Jack Ashford, Bob Babbitt. It has a runtime of 1h 56m. Viewers rate it 7.0/10 across 100 ratings.
Standing in the Shadows of Motown was produced by Elliott Scott Productions and Rimshot and made in United States of America. It was released on September 11, 2002, and carries a PG certification.
- Director
- Paul Justman
- Writers
- Walter Dallas, Ntozake Shange
- Release date
- September 11, 2002
- Original language
- English
- Age rating
- PG
- Status
- Released
- Country
- United States of America
- Production
- Elliott Scott Productions, Rimshot
Standing in the Shadows of Motown cast & crew
Standing in the Shadows of Motown was directed by Paul Justman and written by Walter Dallas and Ntozake Shange.
The cast features Richard 'Pistol' Allen as Self, Jack Ashford as Self, Bob Babbitt as Self, Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin as Self (archive footage), Eddie 'Bongo' Brown as Self (archive footage), and Bootsy Collins as Self.
Behind the camera, it was produced by David Scott.
Is Standing in the Shadows of Motown worth watching?
Standing in the Shadows of Motown holds an audience score of 7.0/10 from 50 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed documentary films.
At 1h 56m, it's a standard feature-length watch.
If you enjoy documentary and music, Standing in the Shadows of Motown is worth a place on your watchlist.
How and where to watch Standing in the Shadows of Motown
Standing in the Shadows of Motown isn't currently available on major streaming services in United States. We track availability continuously — add it to your watchlist and we'll keep an eye out.
Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.
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Cast of Standing in the Shadows of Motown
Richard 'Pistol' Allen
Self
Jack Ashford
Self
Bob Babbitt
Self
Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin
Self (archive footage)
Eddie 'Bongo' Brown
Self (archive footage)
Bootsy Collins
Self
Johnny Griffith
Self
Ben Harper
Self
Joe Hunter
Self
James Jamerson
Self (archive footage)
Uriel Jones
Self
Montell Jordan
Self
Standing in the Shadows of Motown — FAQs
▸Where can I watch Standing in the Shadows of Motown in United States?
Standing in the Shadows of Motown is not currently available on major streaming services in United States. Availability changes often — check back soon.
▸What language is Standing in the Shadows of Motown in?
Standing in the Shadows of Motown is originally in English. Subtitle and dub options vary by streaming service.
▸How long is Standing in the Shadows of Motown?
Standing in the Shadows of Motown runs 1 hours 56 minutes (116 minutes).
▸What is Standing in the Shadows of Motown rated?
Standing in the Shadows of Motown is rated PG. It holds a 7.0/10 audience score from 50 ratings.
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