Documentary Music
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.
Directed by
Paul Justman
Written by
Walter Dallas, Ntozake Shange
Andre Braugher
Narrator
Chaka Khan
Herself
Ben Harper
Himself
Montell Jordan
Himself
Gerald Levert
Himself
Bootsy Collins
Himself
Meshell Ndegeocello
Herself
Gary Bosek
Young Bob Babbitt
Bob Babbitt
Himself
Jack Ashford
Himself
Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin
Himself (archive footage)
James Jamerson
Himself (archive footage)
Uriel Jones
Himself
Joe Messina
Himself
Richard 'Pistol' Allen
Himself
Eddie 'Bongo' Brown
Himself (archive footage)
Johnny Griffith
Himself
Joe Hunter
Himself
Joan Osborne
Herself
Rudy Robinson
Himself
James Jamerson Jr.
Himself
Paul Riser
Himself

Your rating