The Funk Brothers Lay it Down in ‘Standing in the Shadows of Motown’

Watching 20 Feet from Stardom inspired me to check out Standing in the Shadows of Motown (Paul Justman, 2002), which is based on the book by Alan Slutsky. Both documentaries offer homage and share themes and topics related to supporting musicians in the music industry, but they differ in visual style. Both documentaries tell overlooked…

Back-Up Singers Face Long Walk to Fame in ’20 Feet from Stardom’

20 Feet from Stardom tells a compelling story while glossing over music industry issues. The story in Morgan Neville’s 2013 documentary is of the back-up singers who sing aural life into songs, such as pioneers Judith Hill, Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, and Lisa Fischer, among others. Consider it this way: Just think of what Lou…