I'm rewatching "Standing in the Shadows of Motown," Paul Justman's 2002 documentary about The Funk Brothers, the brilliant studio musicians who created and played the tracks of all the Motown hits, including "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted," my favorite. Were it not for the documentary, I--a huge Motown fan--would have no idea who those guys were. I'm glad that most were still alive to be in the documentary, but I feel really bad for those who left without ever having gotten nearly as much recognition as the singers who recorded with them. The Motown Sound is The Funk Brothers's Sound.
Originally published on Facebook on December 9, 2012.