STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN

Although until Paul Justman’s 2002 film ‘Standing in the Shadows of Motown’, the Funk Brothers were unknown, since the film their importance in musical history is still unfortunately largely unappreciated. The film’s opening titles proclaim the Funk Brothers “having played on more number-one hits than the Beatles, Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys combined”. Although since the film, they have won a Grammy lifetime achievement award, their role as the architects of the ‘Motown sound’ is still relatively underplayed compared to that of the record label.
The band were first assembled in 1959, by Motown boss Berry Gordy Jr. getting the musicians from the Detroit club scene. They went on to play on countless number one hits in the 1960s, however were not credited until 1971 when they featured on Marvin Gaye’s masterpiece ‘What’s Going On?’. Such hits like The Supreme’s ‘Baby Love’ and ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’, Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’, The Jackson Five’s ‘ABC’, Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’ featured the Funk Brothers who greatly contributed in crafting the Motown sound. They used various innovative techniques to craft this sound. On Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” they used three drummers playing together. Despite playing a key role in this hit machine, they were not credited by Motown records. In fact they were paid a mere $10 a song. The southern soul rival label, Stax Records’ house band Booker T and the Mgs on the other hand released their own records and were encouraged to promote their own identity outside the records they played on. 
With the success of Motown records during the 1960s, they moved from Detroit to Los Angeles which deeply isolated the Funk Brothers. The Funk Brothers, as well as working for other record labels, carried on performing in the Detroit clubs and bars such as Chit Chat. Although some of the Funk Brothers moved to L.A. to try and follow Motown’s success, the move signalled the end of the Funk Brothers. 
Although in recent years their important in music has been more recognised, they are still largely forgotten in musical history. It took until 1971, with their finest piece of work featured in Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On?’ until they were credited by Motown for their vital role in crafting the music. However it appears they have since started to gain the attention they deserve for their importance within the hit-machine that was Motown records.