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.
Made in US
6.9/10
2002
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Cast
Richard 'Pistol' Allen
As Self
Jack Ashford
As Self
Bob Babbitt
As Self
Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin
As Self (archive footage)
Eddie 'Bongo' Brown
As Self (archive footage)
Bootsy Collins
As Self
Johnny Griffith
As Self
Ben Harper
As Self
Joe Hunter
As Self
James Jamerson
As Self (archive footage)
Uriel Jones
As Self
Montell Jordan
As Self
Chaka Khan
As Self
Gerald Levert
As Self
Joe Messina
As Self
Meshell Ndegeocello
As Self
Joan Osborne
As Self
Rudy Robinson
As Self
James Jamerson Jr.
As Self
Paul Riser
As Self
Andre Braugher
As Narrator (voice)
Gary Bosek
As Young Bob Babbitt
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