| |
|
|
Business Stationary Mart - Standing In The Shadows of Motown
|
List Price: $9.98
Our Price: $4.90
Your Save: $ 5.08 ( 51% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
Starring: Richard 'Pistol' Allen, Jack Ashford, Bob Babbitt (II), Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin, Eddie 'Bongo' Brown
Directed By: Paul Justman
|
Average Customer Rating: 
|
|
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: DVD
Brand: STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN (DVD MOVIE)
EAN: 0012236137801
Format: Closed-captioned
Label: Lions Gate
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
Number Of Items: 2
Publisher: Lions Gate
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2003-04-22
Running Time: 110
Studio: Lions Gate
Theatrical Release Date: 2002
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spotlight customer reviews:
|
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Treat For The Ears And the Eyes!!
Comment: First off, let me say that musically I WAS stuck in the 60's and 70's. I've never paid much attention to anything after that period. Watching and listening to the wonderful performances on this DVD really opened my eyes and ears to a whole generation of new artists , but I digress, I think the main point of this production, telling the story of a wonderful and obviously, extremely talented group of musicians who never received their due is beautifully done. Listening to the recollections of these "unsung musical heroes" was very bittersweet for me, I can't imagine how overlooked and used they must have felt. Hopefully this story generated some interest and work for them. Well worth adding to your collection and this is one disc that will make you home theater system shine!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: MIndblowing
Comment: I heard of them, but never knew the real story. This is really spectacular stuff. The groove these guys have is awesome! There recognition was long overdue!! Respect, respect. If you want to see the guys in action, buy the dvd "live in Orlanda" That is even more swinging!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Standing In The Shadow Of Motown
Comment: There is a lot of well kept secret in this world and "Standing In The Shadow Of Motown" is one of them. This biography of Motown should be in all households, that is, all fans of the Motown Sound. Five Stars.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A must have
Comment: If you have any interest in how great music is created you'll want this 2 disk set. In another life I was a musician and recording engineer; seeing the personalities and interactions is great to watch. Another must have: Tom Dowd & the Language of Music.
Jim Bell
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Funk Brothers were Motown! Don't give the Motown singers all the credit!
Comment: I've always been a fan of Motown but of the singers, now I'm starting to realize I shouldn't give the singers all the credit, it was the producers, songwriters, and musicians who made the artists become hits. We tend to overlook the people behind the scenes and give all the credit to the singers. If it wasn't for the unique, special Funk Brothers who knows if Motown would have become as successful as they did. It doesn't matter how good of a singer a singer is, if the music ain't right, the singer ain't gonna sound good. Its that something special about the Motown Sound that sparks something in our minds, hearts, and souls, the music complimented the singers excellently thanks to The Funk Brothers who made sure the music fit the artists image. They didn't play the same for everyone yet each song had their special trademark sound.
I favor James Jamerson, as mostly everyone else do, he was just a handsome, wonderful, real, interesting, talented person. Its sad he and the other Funk Brothers had to get recognition after they passed on. It seems the only way to become a legend is to die first then people appreciate you more, well the book on Jamerson's life and this documentary taught me to love and praise people while their alive...that's what keeps them going. All James and The Funk Brothers wanted in their last days was recognition and to know they did make a difference in the world of music and they wanted people to know they created the Motown Sound. This documentary taught me to appreciate the musicians, songwriters, and producers, the people behind the scenes, who made it possible for the music to become timeless, sometimes we give the singers too much credit. The singers come to the studio do they number then get fame and fortune, its the musicians, producers, and songwriters who worked in the studio for many hours perfecting everything to make the artists successful.
It was interesting for me to find out most of the Funk Brothers didn't even like Rock N Roll or Soul music and thought most of the songs at Motown wouldn't be hits, they were really jazz and blues fans and wanted to play jazz, so it shows how gifted they were to still play soul music effectively even though it wasn't their cup of tea. Another reason why Motown sound is so appealing and fresh is because the Funk Brothers laced different genres of music and tried new things creating the Motown Sound, a sound in its own class. Now I know why Berry Gordy didn't want The Funk Brothers playing for the other studios. He was afraid the Motown secret sound would get out and make other studios and artists successful. The Funk Brothers were so good they could make anyone a hit.
The Funk Brothers were an entertaining, colorful group of guys who was Motown, thanks to this documentary, we now know it wasn't just the singers, there were other talents who contributed to the greatness of Motown. I loved the re-enactments of some of the hilarious things James and the other Funk Brothers did in their lives and careers. The story that put tears in my eyes in this documentary was the reenactment of when James slipped into a theater to watch Motown 25. He should have been at Motown 25, all the Funk Brothers should have been there, if it hadn't been for the Funk Brothers, there probably wouldn't have been a Motown 25. The Funk Brothers should have been the first invited but again The Funk Brothers were overlooked by Motown itself. Also, why wasn't David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Barrett Strong, Kim Weston, The Andantes, The Marvelettes, Brenda Holloway at Motown 25, there were a lot of key figures missing from Motown 25 who contributed to the greatness of Motown as well....but that's another story. It must have killed James to sit in the theater watching Motown 25, seeing all the people he help make superstars and legends, hearing the music he helped create and play on and then the people sitting around him didn't know he help make the Motown Sound, all that that must have did him in, he died shortly after Motown 25. He must have died of a broken heart too.
Some people complain why the Motown artists weren't included in the documentary. I'm glad they weren't, it would have only overshadowed The Funk Brothers story, and they've been overshadowed enough. The purpose of having other singers sing the Motown songs was to show it was the musicians who made Motown and the documentary wanted to show that it didn't matter who was singing the songs, The Funk Brothers could have made those sound good and become hits regardless of who sings them. One of The Funk Brothers said if you took most of the Motown songs and gave them to other singers outside of Motown those songs would have been hits anyway if The Funk Brothers were playing on the songs, not to knock the Motown artists but its true, think about it. Its really the music, not the Motown singers, its something special about the Motown Sound that The Funk Brothers created that grabs you and makes you listen, they worked their magic and made the unique music classic and if you put The Funk Brothers behind any artists their gonna make that artists a hit. Most of the time I listen to Motown and just fascinated with the sound, the singers are great of course but the music just stands out to me more now.
I liked seeing Lottie The Body in this documentary, she was something else and in her late 70's she still has IT. We learn The Funk Brothers learned a lot about music playing for her, so the Funk Brothers had some great teachers and great training from interesting places that benefited Motown.
Everytime you listen to a Motown song, as much as you love the artists singing, don't forget to love The Funk Brothers playing right along singing through also through their music. It wasn't just Berry Gordy, it was the singers, producers, writers, arrangers, composers, and musicians who made Motown possible and everyone should be commended, not just some.
No one could have done it alone!
Now I hope the musicians who helped create The Philly Sound and the Chicago Sound have their story told!
|
|
|
Editorial Reviews:
|
Fourteen years in the making this film is based upon a book of the same title that won the 1989 Rolling Stone / BMl "Ralph J. Gleason Music Book Award" STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN was shot in 35mm film on location in Detroit and elsewhere. This one hour and forty-eight minute documentary and performance film tells the Funk Brothers' saga through archival footage and still photos narration interviews re-creation scenes 20 Motown master tracks and twelve new live performances of Motown classics with the Funk Brothers backing up Chaka Khan Ben Harper Bootsy Collins Montell Jordan Meshell Ndegeocello Joan Osborne and Gerald Levert.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre:Â DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating:Â UPC:Â 012236137801 Manufacturer No:Â 13780
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
