Motown

AUX Docs: Standing In The Shadows of Motown

by Allan Tong

December 12, 2010

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If the name James Jamerson doesn’t ring a bell, it will after you see this 2002 film.  In fact, his bass lines have been ringing your ears for years, because he played on dozens of Motown hits from the 60s.  Jamerson was one of The Funk Brothers, Motown’s house musicians–and unsung heroes.  Until this film came along, only hardcore musicians knew about The Funk Brothers who played the hot instrumental backing on Heatwave, Do You Love Me, My Girl, Stop! In The Name of Love, Ain’t Too Proud To Beg, Shotgun, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Cloud Nine and many others.

This is a straight-up documentary that gets to the point.  It focuses on the surviving Brothers by capturing their old stories and recording their new performances.  Standing in the Shadows of Motown came out in the wake of Buena Vista Social Club, and follows the same structure of reuniting the musicians and placing them in the spotlight.  They deserve it.  For reasons that Berry Gordy Jr. has never explained, Jamerson, guitarist Joe Messina, keyboardist Earl Van Dyke, percussionist William Benjamin, and the nine other brothers were kept hidden at Motown.  They were treated like hired help when in fact they were artists with enormous influence.  Just ask The Beatles and Stones, or Joan Osborne and Don Was who sing their praises in this film.

Tags: Music, News, AUX Docs

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