Standing in the Shadows of Motown (film)

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Standing in the Shawdows of Motown
DVD Cover for Standing in the Shadows of Motown
Directed by	Paul Justman
Produced by	Paul Justman, Sandford Passman, Alan Slutsky
Written by	Walter Dallas, Ntozake Shange, Alan Slutsky
Starring	Richard "Pistol" Allen, Jack Ashford, Andre Braugher (narrator)
Distributed by	Artisan Entertainment (USA)
Release date(s)	November 15, 2002
Running time	116 mins
Language	English
IMDb profile

Standing in the Shadows of Motown is a 2002 documentary film directed by Paul Justman. It recounts the story of The Funk Brothers, the uncredited and largely unheralded studio musicians who performed on Motown Records' recordings from 1959 to 1972. The film was inspired by a 1989 bass guitar instruction book of the same name, by Allan Slutsky, which features the bass lines of James Jamerson.

The film covers the Funk Brothers' career via interviews with surviving band members, archival footage and still photos, dramatized re-enactments, and narration by actor Andre Braugher. The film also features new live performances of several Motown hit songs, with the Funk Brothers backing up Gerald Levert, Me'shell Ndegeocello, Joan Osborne, Ben Harper, Bootsy Collins, Chaka Khan, and Montell Jordan.

[edit] Awards

2002 National Society of Film Critics: Best Non-Fiction Film
2002 New York Film Critics Circle: Best Non-Fiction Film
2002 Austin Film Festival: Audience Award, Best Documentary Showcase Film
2003 Grammy Award: Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
2003 Grammy Award: Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance, "What's Going On", Chaka Khan & The Funk Brothers