groovyjazzyfunky Posted November 16, 2002 Share Posted November 16, 2002 Anyone else as anxious as I am to see this movie? Apparently James Jamerson figures heavily into the story, as well as a ton of other amazing musicians that most people have never heard of (hence the title). Somehow Bootsy Collins finds his way in, too. Read what Roger Ebert has to say about it (whether you care for his reviews or not): http://www.suntimes.com/output/ebert1/wkp-news-motown15f.html Unfortunately the city I live in is a craphole that isn't capable of sustaining movies that don't have "mainstream" appeal, so I'll either have to be lucky enough to catch this on one of my very infrequent out-of-town excursions (unlikely), or wait for the DVD. Which I'll probably have to do a lot of searching for once it does come out. Anyway, everyone who CAN should go see it, and tell me about it so that I can live vicariously through my big-city brethren. All your bass are belong to us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Gollihur Posted November 16, 2002 Share Posted November 16, 2002 There is a site for the movie at http://www.standingintheshadowsofmotown.com/ that includes trailers and other info. Definitely a must-see. 1000 Upright Bass Links, Luthier Directory, Teacher Directory - http://www.gollihurmusic.com/links.cfm [highlight] - Life is too short for bad tone - [/highlight] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted November 16, 2002 Share Posted November 16, 2002 Word. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenLoy Posted November 16, 2002 Share Posted November 16, 2002 That's it...I'm going to see this today...thank god I live in New York!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandman Posted November 16, 2002 Share Posted November 16, 2002 Wow, it looks really good. It's too bad Detroits music scene is now associated with Kid Rock and Eminem. I lost some time once. It's always in the last place you look for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jotown Posted November 16, 2002 Share Posted November 16, 2002 Originally posted by Sandman: Wow, it looks really good. It's too bad Detroits music scene is now associated with Kid Rock and Eminem.Yeah' I hear you. There is still a ton of great music happening here, just no national outlet for it. There is also not much studo work for studio musicians. Most of us have our ownn project studios and we tend to work alone on our own low budget projects. I am sure that it is the same all over. Excepot maybe LA and Nashville. Jotown:) "It's all good: Except when it's Great" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Hoyt Posted November 17, 2002 Share Posted November 17, 2002 November 15 Chicago, IL LCE Pipers Alley 4 DAMN!!! I just missed it!!! ... Now I'll have to wait for video... "Suppose you were an idiot ... And suppose you were a member of Congress ... But I repeat myself." -Mark Twain http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/63/condition_1.html (my old band) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenLoy Posted November 17, 2002 Share Posted November 17, 2002 Just got back. Wonderful. It was really, really great. The guest singers were a mixed bag (Ben Harper was really a wrong choice for "Ain't to Proud to Beg")...but Joan Osborne, Me'Shell Ndegeocello (sic) and Chaka Khan were just mind-blowing. And the funk brothers. THE FUNK BROTHERS!!! Man, that was some shit they were playin'! Bob Babbitt was reading down all of Jamerson's lines pefectly...and the anecdotes were all just great. What a great movie. It's about time those guys got recognized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fonz Posted November 17, 2002 Share Posted November 17, 2002 Originally posted by Sandman: Wow, it looks really good. It's too bad Detroits music scene is now associated with Kid Rock and Eminem.with such an avatar, how could you forget the insane clown posse? but one cannot disparage a town that gave us the great gonzo himself, the nuge. Eeeeeehhhhhhhhh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fonz Posted November 17, 2002 Share Posted November 17, 2002 uhm, i read the review. the movie looks great. but is anyone else disturbed by roger ebert repetedly referring to the Funk Brothers as "the Funks?" Eeeeeehhhhhhhhh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wraub Posted November 17, 2002 Share Posted November 17, 2002 I notice that all the Non-music press reviews I have seen mostly slag the film, and several reviews I've read echo Ben Loy's comments, regarding singers chosen for the project. Most comments seem to lean towards the film being too weighted towards those modern singers interpretations, rather than towards more stories/info directly relating to the studio, musicians, and songs. I have not seen it though. Ben, any truth to this? Peace, wraub I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobT Posted November 17, 2002 Share Posted November 17, 2002 Originally posted by Bastid E: uhm, i read the review. the movie looks great. but is anyone else disturbed by roger ebert repetedly referring to the Funk Brothers as "the Funks?"Yeah. Me. RobT Famous Musical Quotes: "I would rather play Chiquita Banana and have my swimming pool than play Bach and starve" - Xavier Cugat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wraub Posted November 17, 2002 Share Posted November 17, 2002 true dat. peace, wraub I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted November 17, 2002 Share Posted November 17, 2002 Just saw it. It's great. A must-see for any musician. And Bob Babbit grooves like crazy. He plays an old Precision through an Ampeg B-15. BadAss bridge, flatwound strings, and a big piece of foam rubber down by the bridge. Some people don't like the choice of singers, it's not about the singers, it's about the groove. Wow, two Detroit music movies in one week! (This one and Eight Mile). My wife grew up in Detroit and both movies had lots of shots of her old neighborhoods. I was in Ann Arbor during the heyday of the Motown era, so at least I was close. And of course, I play in a Motown band, so I have been playing these songs for years. Just go see it. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebrownbass Posted November 17, 2002 Share Posted November 17, 2002 Wow...a few months ago we were talking movies and I said that a "tough" movie about Detroit would be called 8 mile...and it's here!!!! I had no idea. I have to see "Standing." There was an extended interview on NPR today with the Funk bros. and Mary Wilson. She said that she wasn't asked to be involved with the film, but when she found out about it, she volunteered to do promotion for it...She considered it just too important a story that had to be told. And she loved getting back with those guys. "Let's raise the level of this conversation" -- Jeremy Cohen, in the Picasso Thread. Still spendin' that political capital far faster than I can earn it...stretched way out on a limb here and looking for a better interest rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blux Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 I saw it Friday in Philadelphia, and it rocks. I think Joan Osborne was excellent and the Funk Brothers obviously accepted her into the fold. Not one of the performers failed, they were all very good. This film should be an on going series on HBO. Just get small theater and a film crew. Another idea, I would like to see each of the bassist from the book/CD perform their chosen parts, plus a couple more songs. And to have some of the original artist perform the vocals as well. But. for me the movie was about the Funk Brother and did not need the original singers. The "Funk" cut through anyhow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenLoy Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 Joan Osbourne was indeed great. In fact, her, Chaka Khan, and that guy who sang on "Reach Out, I'll Be There" all did a fine job. Bootsy too. Ben Harper was just not up to the task, though. On a song that needs a really raunchy lead vocal like "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", he held back and sang in this wimpy falsetto that just didn't cut it. But, like they said..."You could've had ANYONE sing on those tracks and they would've still been great." And they were. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewstermaniac Posted November 19, 2002 Share Posted November 19, 2002 Saw that fat movie review guy who's partner died a few years back review it and give it 2 thumbs up if your into music. Not that his opinion matters really, he's not a musician. Anyway, I'll definitly be checking it out, not only for the music, but for the expose. Thanks for the heads up! Check out my work in progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted November 19, 2002 Share Posted November 19, 2002 Listened to Fresh Air last night and they had a nice interview with two of the Funk Brothers. It was very interesting to hear Mr. Ashford talk about the development of his tambourine style. In the movie, at one point they build up a groove. First the drums, then the bass, then the guitars, then the keyboards. Finally the tambourine comes in and WOW, what a difference it makes. Of course for years I have been playing these songs with four instrumentalists and two singers (well, I'm singing harmony too, so I guess that makes two and a half singers. ). Maybe we should teach one of the singers how to play tambourine. That could make up for the missing congas, two more guitars, another keyboard, vibes, backup singers, horn section and strings that we don't have. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted December 13, 2002 Share Posted December 13, 2002 Saw this movie last night. My favorite musical number might have been "Cloud Nine," although I was really diggin' Montell Jordan and Chaka Khan singing "Ain't No Mountain." If you haven't seen it yet, catch it before it's gone. Although if you have a nice sound system hooked up to a decent-sized TV at home, you could wait for the video or DVD. It'd be nice, though, to support this kind of effort at the box office! Peace. spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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