The funk Brothers

[Jeannie]

Hi Ladies
I know most of you are saying"Who the hell are the Funk Brothers!" You all have heard their music but no one knows who they are. My next door neighbor Bootsey is a great musician and the Funk Brothers were the musicians that inspired him to play. They have played on more number one hits than the Beatles,Elvis Presley and the Rolling Stones combined but no one knows who they are. They were the session musicians for 14 years that were the engine that drove Motown for Barry Gordy.
They were paid 10 bucks for every song they played on. They played in a dirt floor cellar of Hitsville USA . Their killer riffs and arrangements for Smokey Robinson,Stevie Wonder,Marvin Gay,Martha and The Vandellas and many more are legendary but not for them.
They are the poster boys for"Life is not fair" . Just get the DVD "Standing in the shadow of Motown" that Bootsey gave me years ago. These guys were fabulous musicians and never made any money. Bootsey knows. Just Google Chris big dog Davis. Bootsey is a producer,arranger, song writer, great keyboardist and engineer and has played for many different artists. He's 6'5",295lbs, an exMarine and looks like Issac Hayes. He has lived next door to me for 12 years and is cool with Jeannie. No wonder no one gives me any crap in the neighborhood. Hugs ladies.


Love
Jeannie

[Elizabeth]

Hey Jeannie,

They were just here a few weeks ago. My History of Rock and Roll professor offered us extra credit if we did a review of the concert, but I could not make it. It sure would have been cool to have seen them though.

Love always,
Elizabeth

[Virginia]

You are quite right Jeannie, "life is not fair" and even with great talent these guys were never given their just rewards, BUT as I was once told by a very high up Hollywood mogul, "to make it, talent is just not enough, you got to have a gimmick!"

Personally, I think Jeannie is gonna make it!!! Her gimmick? She is just one cool lady!!!!!

Love ya, dear!

Virginia

[Jeannie]

Yeah right Virginia.

I'm making it up to my Aunt Pearls to do her meds in a few minutes. She's mad at me. I had a serious senior moment on friday. i took Pearl to the foot doctor and ran downtown and picked up the mail and brought it back to the shop. Katie was there to help in the office. I started showing her some things to do and some rush orders came in and I started them. Two hours later the Doctors office calls and Terry the nurse says "Your Aunt Pearl is still here waiting."

Virginia! I forgot my Aunt Pearl! Kate went up to pick her up because I was afraid. She's going to blast me when I go up there today! It will bring back memories growing up with my Aunts Pearl and Clara. A good spanking!

The Funk Brothers couldn't do gimmicks. They just loved to have a gig and play music. When the music of Britney Sprears, Ashley Simpson and P Diddy are long forgotten everyone will still remember My Girl, Heard it through the Grapevine and Dancing in the Streets and many many more.

In the documentary they said that Smokey Robinson would come to a session with just a very basic few notes for an idea and these guys would run with it and create the most memorable riffs and arrangements that would turn the song into a number one hit for Smokey and they got thrown under the bus. That's life. Have a great weekend. I have to go get my punishment for the day! OUCH!

Love
Auntie Jeannie

[Virginia]

Hi Hon,

Have not got enough on your mind do you?? What with "feeding the monkeys," "your secretarial pool" "your illegal alien gardener and his legless wife" "cooking at all hours of the day and night" "renters and rental property" (been there done that) "rush orders" oh and the dates, I mean all those guys hitting on you all the time and probably having to beat them off with a stick.

Tell you what, when SL and I plan our winter respite to South Florida and DeeDee's place you can come along. Carol Ann will come up and keep your presses running and we can go lay on the beach and chase guys!!!

Don't worry, honey, you are in control!!!

Love ya,

Virginia

[Kendra Lynn]

Jeannie: Would that be Bootsy Collins, who plays (I believe) with Parliament/Funkadelic??
I wonder how they'd take to a "hippie cheerleader" waving pompons on stage with them??!! (actually, I was discouraged from attending a Paliament/Funkadelic show in cheer guise-- an employee of the venue who is also a friend felt that the AUDIENCE might not be cool with it...)
STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN was a great film/documentary; I recommend it to everyone interested in music. James Jamerson-- the greatest electric bass player that ever lived-- I won't argue with that...
The Funk Brothers musicians deserve every bit of belated recognition and glory that they get. If I'm not mistaken, one of the drummers passed away soon after the film was finished.
By the way, any of you other music buffs reading this into British Isles stuff like Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span? New Orleans music like Dr John and The Neville Brothers? klezmer? folk/rootsy music from continental Europe and the middle east?
Peace'n'luv-- Kendra Lynn ("hippie cheerleader")

[Absaroka]

I saw the DVD a while ago. The sad thing is that this is pretty much par for the course for good musicians who aren't pop stars. Which means just about all jazz, blues, or classical musicians. Next time you watch American Idol consider the fact that the musicians playing for the stars on that show are probably all far better musicians than the folks you turned it on to watch.

Sometimes people luck out. There was a time when no one at Chess Records would record anything unless they could have this unknown guitarist playing in the back up band. Eventually that unknown guitarist made a name for himself- it was Buddy Guy.

A couple of years ago I saw KC and the Sunshine band. KC stood right there on stage and said "kids, we were your parents Britney Spears" he knew exactly what he was saying when he said that. Then he performed an hour of the most insipid and stupid music ever composed. But he performed it brilliantly with long incredibly played solos by all of the musicians in his band. They seemed to be having fun, it pays the bills, and lets face it a steady diet of music at the seriousness level of Strange Fruit can be a bit much.

Absaroka