Whenever a song by Marvin Gaye, The Temptations or The Supremes comes on the radio, it's impossible to keep from belting out a few lines, tapping the drums on the steering wheel or mimicking a bassline.
There's just something special about the classic Motown sound.
But the men behind the sounds - those who deserve a great portion of recognition for Motown's music - have lived out their careers in the shadows of superstars.
The Funk Brothers, a tight group of Detroit-based studio musicians, were the heartbeat behind nearly every classic No. 1 Motown hit. But until the documentary "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" was released in November, little was known about the musicians behind the vocalists - save the occasional brief mention in an album jacket.
"Everybody knows about Motown. It's our music and it's very personal," said Allan Slutsky, who produced the film and wrote the book that inspired it. "You think you know about Marvin Gaye, and all of a sudden you say you don't know anything about Motown. You give them the whole story and it blows them away."
The film, which chronicles the band's Motown career from its beginning until the label moved to the West Coast, offers an intimate look into the lives of the 13 Funk Brothers.
Focusing on the groups' camaraderie and voyage through times of glory and tumult, the film has won audiences over with its story about the group of friends whose behind-the-scenes work spawned music now synonymous with "cool."
The documentary has its Mid-Michigan premiere tonight as a fund-raiser for the East Lansing Film Festival. The showing, which will include film director Paul Justman and Funk Brothers Joe Hunter and drummer Uriel Jones, runs at 7 p.m. at the Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbott Road.
"It's not just a music story, America loves the concept of hip and cool," Slutsky said. "You can't meet a group of guys who are more hip.
"It's not just about music that they played, it's about very riveting exclusive figures that you want to get to know better. There is a story of social interaction between these guys."
The documentary brought the living members of The Funk Brothers back together. But instead of jamming together in the house on West Grand Boulevard where Motown started, they met in another Detroit home.
Musical instruments were set up in the basement in case the band felt inclined to play, said Marty Shea, a 1998 MSU alumnus and production coordinator for the documentary.
"I don't think anything will beat being in the basement when they first reunited," Shea said. "There were no lights. There were no stars. There were no more than 10 people in the place and they just started jamming.
"They top any star I've ever met."
The film interlaces a historical narrative about the band's Motown experience with footage of the group performing live.
"We wanted to take the audience into the world of The Funk Brothers," Slutsky said. "We let them hang out with The Funk Brothers and take them out of their mundane world where they're worried about paying bills and dropping the kids off at school.
"Gun fights, late steamy midnight sessions, high-speed car chases and all the crazy things these guys did. By the end of it you feel like they're family and you're almost bummed out because you want to hang out with them more."
And fans might get that chance. The documentary that brought the surviving members together again also has spurred them to rehearse for an upcoming tour, said Hunter, The Funk Brothers' keyboardist.
Members of the group also are getting more recognition for their work. But despite the increased attention the film has drawn to the band, Hunter maintains a humble attitude about his music.
"I'm just waiting to present the music. I've been all over, to Turkey, Mexico and I think 48 states. I haven't gotten used to it in nearly 50 years. Performing is a job and it is a pleasure," Hunter said.
Hunter said the most rewarding part of being a performer is the feeling he gets from his audience.
"It's part of your job as a performer to smile and make people feel good. You have to be healthy in both the body and the mind," he said.
"The biggest thing to concentrate on is what you're conveying to the public on your instrument. You remember who you're playing for and what you're doing."
