Some of the biggest record labels in the history of soul music have provided their own house bands in order to give their artist roster that individual sound. Record companies like Philly International in the early seventies had their own in-house band in MFSB who crafted that magical sound for the likes of the O'Jay's/Harold Melvin/Trammps/The Ebonys/Three Degrees etc. etc. So too did the giant dance label Salsoul who commandeered the dancefloors during the middle to late seventies via their hit making machine The Salsoul Orchestra led by Vincent Montana Jnr.
This ploy was nothing new as Berry Gordy has already assembled his own in-house band The Funk Brothers during the early part of the sixties to provide that special sound known throughout the world as the 'Motown Sound'. The various members of this multicultural outfit had all played a very special part in creating the right ingredient that Gordy was looking for, but for many there were three main players in the band in organist Earl Van Dyke, drummer Benny Benjamin, and for many the greatest bass player the world has ever seen in James Jamerson. Martha Reeves once told me that after Benny Benjamin she had experienced great difficulty in finding another drummer that could play anywhere near to his style, and that her current drummer at that time Larry Crockett had mastered the art of re-creating the pick-up's and turn around's that you hear on all her records.
'Standing
In The Shadows Of Motown' is a new CD that features all of the remaining
members of the Funk Brothers who between them have created the backing
tracks of some of the biggest hit singles in Motown's history for a handful
of today's soul artists who I have to say have done each song proud.
The opening song is a rendition of the Martha Reeves & Vandellas 1964 hit 'Heatwave' performed by Joan Osborne and the backing track whilst not being the original one from the sixties, could well have been, as it captures the excitement of the Motown hit machine of that era. Next up is a cover of Smokey's 'You Really Got A Hold Of Me' and it really sounds original down to a tee with vocals by Meshell Ndegeocello who does the song justice and this could well have been recorded in 1963. Instrumental collectors will be happy to hear 'Bernadette' which was a massive songs for the Four Tops back in 1967 and it's great to hear these songs in a different dimension. The instrumental version of 'You Keep Me Hangin'' On' a hit for The Supremes in 1966 is one of the highlights of this CD and one that will attract attention from the northern soul fraternity who will make this a priority over the coming months. Incidentally, this version appears to be the original on from the sixties? - though I could be wrong.
Ben Harper kicks in next with Ain't Too Proud To Beg' performed in the same tempo as the Temptations original and Gerald Levert takes on the HDH classic 'Reach Out I'll Be There' that even Levi would have been proud of, and along with Tom Scott he also performs 'Shotgun' a major song for the late Jnr Walker. Joan Osborne performs her next cover version with a remake of Jimmy Ruffin's classic 'What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted' which on close inspection is not too far from sounding like a modern day Martha Reeves. Now, work this next one out if you can - Bootsy Collins takes on 'Cool Jerk' (which was not a Motown track anyway) but, this version is nothing short of superb!!!. The original by the Three Caps (later known as the Capitols) for Atlantic records in 1966. If this has only recently been recorded/discovered then this is a definite must have. Northern soul at it's best.
Ben Harper returns with Marvin Gaye's million seller 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' and whilst the backing track is just perfect, the vocals sadly do little to match that of Marvin's, but it is nevertheless a good version and very listenable. Next up Chaka Khan delivers a version of 'What's Going On' and it is difficult to imagine anyone other than Marvin Gaye performing this song - it was his, and his alone, although Chaka's pedigree carries it through with credibility. Chaka also teams with Montell Jordan for an interpretation of the Ashford and Simpson classic 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' which whilst being a big hit for Diana Ross during the early seventies, was originally issued by the late Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and they both sound uncannily like Marvin & Tammi.
I am not a fan of cover versions of Motown songs whatsoever but on one listen to 'Standing In The Shadows Of Motown' had me hooked, and full of admiration at what had been achieved by the making of this project which is a timely reminder of the contribution that the Funk Brothers made to all those Motown hits that we have listened to over the last forty years.
I urge you to give this CD your most urgent attention and I have pleasure in including two tracks for you to listen to. Click on the two links above and enjoy.
Don't forget to try and see the movie too.
Rating 9/10.
The
DVD Review
Released
on the 22nd April 2003 almost six months after the issue of the above audio
CD. Well, after all the hype is it as good as one would hope? - the answer
is YES and much more too. This is the definitive story of the Funk Brothers
as told by the remaining members of the greatest house band of all time.
There are in depth interviews with all the remaining members of the band
who in turn relive the glory days at 'Hitsville' and in particular studio
'A' affectionately known as the 'snake pit' where during the 1960's and
early 70's the Funk Brothers produced an in house sound that captured the
imagination of millions of record buyers world-wide, and made the Motown
Sound into a household name the likes of which have never been heard since.
Sure there were in house bands at Stax, Philly International, and Salsoul,
but they never quite matched the sound from 'Hitsville' who played host
to a generation of musicians who over the last forty years have modelled
their carers based on the Funk Brothers sound.
This DVD assembles the group for a series of lives performances using a variety of vocalists to perform various classic Motown hits. Artists include Bootsy Collins, Chaka Khan, Joan Osborne, Gerald Levert, and Ben Harper to name but a few. Whilst not wishing to knock the enormous talents of these artists (the Joan Osborne performances are brilliant) one has to wonder why having having assembled all this original talent in one studio to perform Motown songs, why they didn't engage the services of surviving original Motown artists to perform them?. With such people as Martha Reeves, Levi Stubbs, Jimmy Ruffin, Dennis Edwards, Freddie Gorman, Stevie Wonder, Richard Street, Edwin Starr, and Diana Ross etc etc, who would have made this DVD performance the ultimate accolade to the Funk Brothers - perhaps legal/contractual restrictions prevented this.
All the live performances are available separately on this DVD. There are three names within the band that keep cropping up time after time and it is clear that the rest of the band held James Jamerson, Benny Benjamin, and Earl Van Dyke as the three most important names in the history of the Motown Sound, but at the end of the film you realise that ALL of them played just as important a part as each other. One interesting inclusion on this set is that of funkster Bootsy Collins performing 'Cool Jerk' at hit for the Capitols in 1966 which whilst not being a Motown release as such, showcases the Funk Brothers playing the backing tracks on other famous tunes such as this, and Jackie Wilson's 1967 classic 'Higher and Higher'
There are numerous snippets of comments from the likes of veteran Martha Reeves (who often made mention of the Funk Brothers during my interview wit her her in 1994) and a brief comment from the Holland Brothers, and producer Paul Riser. Nowhere in this film is there any tribute to these guys from Berry Gordy, Norman Whitfield, Diana Ross, or Smokey Robinson etc., which I find hard to accept given their obvious involvement at studio level.
Disc number 2 in this DVD package includes a trivia quiz, and a chance to see the guys during various jam sessions (they have lost NONE of their original sound) plus a special video montage of the band. There is also a selected discography, and a special feature that allows the user to experience the ultimate in picture and sound quality when played on your computer's DVD Rom drive which I am told contains even better quality than that on your TV.
'Standing In The Shadows Of Motown' once seen, will have you to listening to Motown records in a different way, searching out the drum rolls and pick up's as performed by Benny Benjamin or Uriel Jones. You find yourself listening out for Jamerson's bass line, whilst ignoring everything else, plus, it puts the audio CD into a new dimension as white singer Joan Osborne's version of 'What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted' and 'Heatwave' are just brilliant.
Don't be afraid of taking the plunge and buying this this DVD as it is not expensive, and yes, you will have your own thoughts on the good and bad points of it, but make no mistake this is one 'must have' DVD that will make an essential addition to Motown perfectionists who want the true inside story of what really happened back in the sixties. My only thoughts are that it should have been made twenty years ago when a whole lot more of the original band would have been alive to tell their story.
Absolutely essential viewing.
Please note that this is a region 1 DVD and buyers in the UK should ensure that their hardware is capable of being configured to support this format.
Rating 11/10
Another
hero to mention.
Whilst the Funk Brothers enjoy their most deserved success and limelight let's not forget the man who made it all possible - Allan 'Dr Licks' Slutsky whose book of the same name showcased the late legendary Motown bassist James Jamerson and whose determination, commitment, and down right hard work led to the making of Standing In The Shadows Of Motown. Here's a little bit about Dr Lick's in his own words:
"A Philadelphia based musician and author, Allan Slutsky’s musical journey has taken him into areas of the entertainment industry that he could never have envisioned when he took up the guitar at the age of twelve. After spending his late teens and early twenties attending Temple University and playing in various rock and rhythm & blues bands both at home and on the road, Allan eventually enrolled in Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music to further his musical skills.
Upon his graduation in 1978, Allan’s performing and recording career continually expanded as he worked as an arranger, guitarist, and copyist on hundreds of record and jingle dates for major labels like RCA, Casablanca, Columbia, and Warner Brothers, as well as working with McDonalds, Seafood Shanty, and dozens of other commercial clients
At the same time as his recording career was growing, his performing career began to shift from playing clubs and commercial functions to more ambitious venues. By the mid-80s, Allan was firmly entrenched as one of the “first call” guitarists in the Philadelphia area’s theater scene as well as in the showrooms of Atlantic City’s biggest casinos.
Over the next decade and a half, Allan would play more than two dozen Broadway musicals and production shows including Chicago, Mama Mia, Big, Floyd Collins, Me & Mrs. Jones, Man Of La Mancha, Once On This Island, Annie, and Barry Manilow’s Copacabana. His showroom and concert work included performances with artists ranging from Luciano Pavarotti, Michael Feinstein, Al Martino, Chita Rivera, Don Rickles, Peter Nero and the Philly Pops, and Bernadette Peters to R&B, pop, and rock acts like Lou Rawls, the Delphonics, Gerald Levert, Bootsy Collins, Joan Osborne, Chaka Kahn, Steve Winwood, the Duprees, Peabo Bryson, Phoebe Snow, Little Anthony and the Imperials, and Bobby Rydell.
In 1983, Allan became a household name to guitarists when he penned the Dr. Licks guitar transcription series than has been distributed throughout the world by Hal Leonard Publishing for the last two decades. In 1989, he published Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, a biography and accompanying CD package that chronicled the life and music of Motown bassist James Jamerson as well as the rest of the bandmembers of the Funk Brothers, Motown’s legendary studio band of the sixties. That same year, the book won the BMI/Rolling Stone “Ralph J. Gleason Award” for music book of the year.
That award led to an eleven year odyssey of seeking funding to make a movie that would bring the Funk Brothers’ unforgettable tale to the big screen. In December of 2000, the dream became a reality as Standing In the Shadows Of Motown was shot in Detroit with the eight surviving members of the Funk Brothers. Allan functioned as a producer and music supervisor/arranger on the film which won Best Non-Fiction Film Awards from the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics. Allan is also a Grammy recipient for his production work on the soundtrack CD for Standing In The Shadows Of Motown which won a “Best Compilation Soundtrack” award.
When he’s not touring with The Funk Brothers as their manager and conductor, Allan plays guitar at Philadelphia’s Prince Music Theater and he also conducts and plays for his hometown’s acclaimed African American repertory company, Freedom Theater. Continuing to write as a guest columnist for musician’s trade magazines like Bass Player, Keyboard, Modern Drummer, and Guitar Player Allan is also a sought after writer of album liner notes on projects like Motown’s Hitsville Singles Collection and the Jr. Walker Ultimate Collection. His most recent book is The Great James Brown Rhythm Sections: 1960-1972 published by Warner Bros. Most recently in April of 2004, Allan was the recipient of the Recording Academy’s “Heroes Award.”
The Funk Brothers Interview 2004
Click here to listen to this interview. Please note that this interview was recorded in mono and therefore you may experience the voices on one set of your computers speakers only.
(Deluxe
2 CD set available May/June 2004)
OK
so you've all seen the film, you've all heard the soundtrack - well now
Universal Music take it to the limit with the issue of this double CD deluxe
edition featuring the original soundtrack plus three extra non Motown songs
that the Funk Brothers provided the backing on including Jackie Wilson's
1967 hit 'Higher and Higher' plus 'Boom Boom' from blues master John Lee
Hooker as well as the instrumental psychedelic sounding 'Scorpio' from
maestro guitarist Dennis Coffey which was issued on Sussex Records in the
early seventies. This is a wonderful example of how the guitar was used
on all those Temptations hits from 'Cloud Nine' to 'Papa Was A Rolling
Stone' in 1973. Coffey was THE man behind the fuzz box and the wah wah
sound. Check out the piece in the movie where he gives a demo!
It is however disc 2 of this package that is going to blow your socks off. If you think that these instrumentals are a straight re-issue of the Earl Van Dyke LP of 1965 then think again - it isn't. Alan 'Dr Licks' Slutsky has lovingly chosen a number of hit Motown tunes and stripped them 'naked' (no Earl Van Dyke organ) and shows us just how the Funks played these tracks in the snake pit at Hitsville during those glory years. Cleverly conceived as he goes on to gradually introduce some of the backing vocals towards the end of the some songs but you can experience Motown instrumentals like you've never heard them before.
Thankfully, the compilers have chosen a number of Motown standards and appear to have purposely stayed clear of a an album aimed just for the northern soul fans (although I am sure that will come) and even the basic hits are projected and presented in a new light. Make no mistake, there are bass licks and guitar riffs you never knew existed on some songs and they sound as fresh and individual today as they did during the sixties.
You cannot begin to imagine what songs like the Spinners' 'It's A Shame' sounds like as a pure instrumental, or Jr Walkers 1968 hit 'Home Cookin' and northern soul fans are treated to the ultimate dancer with 'Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart' complete with studio lead in - brilliant!!!.
The ONLY way to appreciate the quality of this project is to go out and buy this deluxe set without delay. Forget the fact that you may already own the original soundtrack the cost of this CD is worth it just for this second disc alone which is interspersed with audio clips of interviews with the guys from within the film. I've included some audio for your attention to give you a taster of the quality - you don't need me to tell you that this is one special piece of history.
A word of warning - the final track beggars belief as the compilers turn the tables completely and deliver the opposite of what the rest of this disc has to offer. If you are a Temptations fan then prepare to hear the vocal acapella version of 'Your My Everything' with just Jamerson's bass line kicking ass! Now that's what I call music!
1.
Standing
In The Shadows Of Love
2.
The One Who Really Loves You
3.
Pride and Joy
4.
My Girl
5.
Love
Is Like An Itching In My Heart
6.
Don't Mess With Bill (live at the 20 Grand)
7.
The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game
8.
I Second That Emotion
9.
I Was
Made To Love Her
10.
I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Gladys Knight version)
11.
Home Cookin'
12.
For
Once In My Life
13.
I Can't Get Next To You
14.
It's
A Shame
15.
Ain't No Mountain High Enough (Diana Ross version)
16.
Mercy Mercy Me
17.
Your
My Everything * (acapella version with James Jamerson)
all instrumentals with the exception of *
Superb booklet and liner notes from Harry Weigner and 'Dr Licks' (thanks and well done Allan)
It's what the Funk Brothers left in the groove what counts!
Rating 10/10
'The Funk Brothers Millenium Collection'
1.
The Way You Do The Things You Do
2.
Come See About Me
3.
All For You
4.
Too Many Fish In The Sea
5.
How Sweet It Is (to be loved by you)
6.
I Can't Help
Myself
7.
Soul Stomp
8.
6 By 6
9.
Runaway Child, Running Wild
10.
The Stingray
11.
What's Going On
12.
Papa
Was A Rolling Stone
Out Now!
It's what the Funk Brothers left in the groove what counts!
Also
available in the UK