#30: Re: Motown Monday Author: ontheqt,
You have posted in this forum: Sun Apr 03, 2016 10:31 pm
I'll be busy tomorrow morning so posting this tonight. Time for some Motown history.
Q: Can you tell me who has "played on more number-one hits than the Beatles, Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys combined"?
A: The Funk Brothers
Don't know who they are? As noted on Wikipedia:
"The Funk Brothers were a group of Detroit-based session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972. They are considered one of the most successful groups of studio musicians in music history. The Funk Brothers played on Motown hits such as "My Girl", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "Baby Love", "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours", "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", "The Tears of a Clown", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", and "Heat Wave".
The role of the Funk Brothers is described in Paul Justman's 2002 documentary film Standing in the Shadows of Motown, based on Allan Slutsky's book of the same name. The opening titles claim that the Funk Brothers have "played on more number-one hits than the Beatles, Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys combined."
In 2008 surviving members recorded Live in Orlando, an album and video."
So listen to some Motown hits with a new perspective and a new appreciation for the musicians. It's Motown Monday, cheers!
|