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Catalog/Documentary/Standing in the Shadows of Motown
Standing in the Shadows of Motown poster
A
Excellent
MASTER SCORE 84.0 / 100
2002·Documentary / Music·1h 48m

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.

Above the Line
Paul Justman·DirectorWalter Dallas·WriterNtozake Shange·WriterDave De Brincat·Second Assistant CameraAlan Slutsky·Music
Cast
Richard 'Pistol' Allen·SelfJack Ashford·SelfBob Babbitt·SelfBenny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin·Self (archive footage)Eddie 'Bongo' Brown·Self (archive footage)Bootsy Collins·SelfJohnny Griffith·SelfBen Harper·SelfJoe Hunter·SelfJames Jamerson·Self (archive footage)
Full Crew
(9 credits)
Directing· 1
Paul Justman·Director
Writing· 3
Walter Dallas·WriterNtozake Shange·WriterAlan Slutsky·Novel
Camera· 1
Dave De Brincat·Second Assistant Camera
Sound & Music· 1
Alan Slutsky·Music
Production· 2
David Scott·Executive ProducerMichael Q. Martin·Associate Producer
Other Departments· 1
Michael Q. Martin·Post Production Supervisor
By the Numbers
84.0
OF 100
Master Score
7.8
OF 10
IMDb
91%
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
—
Worldwide Gross
0
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch

THE AVAILABILITY MAP

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Streaming, rental, and purchase availability for this title is being ingested from the TMDB watch-providers feed and will appear here once the next catalog refresh runs. Until then, the canonical source links below remain the fastest route.

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Poster DNA

THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION

A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind Standing in the Shadows of Motown's key art.

Dominant Palette
3 colors
#800000
#CC0000
#FFFFFF
Mood
Energetic, Nostalgic
Composition
Layered
Era
1970s
Visual Style
Graphic Design

“The poster features a dark red background with vertical stripes, resembling stage curtains. Silhouetted figures of a musical band are visible in the mid-ground,”

documentarymusic
Key Elements
Drum KitCymbalsElectric GuitarBass GuitarStage Curtains
Atmosphere
Warm, Dark
Color Mood
Warm
Setting
Indoor
Design Score
8/10
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THE NEIGHBORHOOD

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THREE WAYS DEEPER

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