The Funk Brothers

The Temptations, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Contours, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, all of these names, and many more, are synonymous with the new sound that came out of Detroit, Michigan in the early 1960s. But, if you think they are responsible for the Motown Sound, you only know the half of it–The Funk Brothers are the other half.
Their workplace, studio-A dubbed “The Snake Pit,” was a dirt-floor, smoked stained, dimly lit basement at 2648 W. Grand Blvd., home of Berry Gordy’s Hitsville, U.S.A. It was here, over a fourteen year period, that they created more number one hits than The Beach Boys, Elvis, and The Beatles combined.
Gordy had them churning out songs like assembly-line workers. Union rules stated that no more than four songs could be cut per session, but since the Brothers were on call seven days a week and the Union was never there, they cut whatever was needed–at $10 a song.
Working with the Motown stars, producers, and songwriters, they made most of the arrangements on the spot. Unlike the multiple track recording studios of today, the group had only three tracks to work with. Hectic recording schedules and limited technology increased the need to get it right the first time.
Primarily blues based in the beginning, the musicians also incorporated Jazz into their sound in the mid 1960s and the “psychedelic soul” sound of producer Norman Whitfield in the late ’60s to early ’70s. Along the way, they threw in a little Afro-cuban beat acquired from working with Lottie Claiborne, a.k.a., “Lottie the Body,” an exotic dancer and contemporary of the group.
Increased recording schedules brought in new players, but after recording Marvin Gaye’s, “What’s Going On,” The Funk Brothers closed up shop at Hitsville U.S.A. when Motown moved permanently to Los Angeles.
Although there were numerous other musicians that played with them, the core group consisted of:
“Ivory” Joe Hunter-keyboards (Signature sound-Earthy, boogie woogie; played for Hank Ballard and Jackie Wilson, pre-Motown; listen for him on “Do You Love Me” by the Contours and “Heatwave” by Martha and the Vandellas.)
Richard “Pistol” Allen-drums (Signature sound-soulful, shuffle beat; listen to “Baby Love” and “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).” )
Jack “Black Jack” Ashford-vibes/percussion
Bob Babbitt-bass (Signature sound-strong walking bass line; replicated Jamerson’s sound.)
Johnny Griffith-keyboards (Hear his electric piano work on “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg.” His non-Motown works include Jackie Wilson’s “Lonely Teardrops” and “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher,” The Chi-lites’ “Have You Seen Her?” and The Capitols’ “Cool Jerk.”)
Uriel Jones-drums (Signature R&B Sound heard on The Temptations’ “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg,” and “Cloud Nine” and Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine.”)
Joe Messina-guitar
Eddie “Chank” Willis-guitar (Signature sound-strong backbeat; listen for his octave lower doubling of Robert White’s guitar lead on “You Keep Me Hanging On.”)
Benny “Papa Zita” Benjamin-drums (Deceased; creator of the signature Motown drumbeat, also named the group.)
Eddie “Bongo” Brown-percussion (Deceased)
James “Igor” Jamerson-bass (Deceased; played upright bass before switching to a 1962 Fender precision bass nicknamed “The Funk Machine,” signature style-cut beat time played with one finger, known as “The Hook.”)
Earl “Chunk of Love” Van Dyke-keyboards (Deceased)
Robert White-guitar (Deceased)
Often imitated, never duplicated, the Motown Sound was created by diverse artists who are masters of their craft. The surviving members still play, and they reunited several years ago for the movie, “Standing In The Shadows Of Motown,” based on the book by Allan “Dr. Licks” Slutsky. More than thirty years after creating a distinct musical genre, The Funk Brothers finally recieved due credit.