Song of the Day 7/2: Joan Osborne and the Funk Brothers, “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted”
Most remakes of Motown songs aren’t worth the electricity it takes to run the equipment, but there are exceptions. Like, what would happen if you reassembled the Funk Brothers — not just a band’s worth, all of them who were left as of 2002 — added a choir and an orchestra and put a soulful singer like Joan Osborne at the microphone? That’s what they did for the documentary on the Funk Brothers, “Standing in the Shadows of Motown,” and they got a version of Jimmy Ruffin’s signature song that rivals the original.
Saw ‘Standing In The Shadows Of Motown’ down at Theatre N with my kids. Recognized almost half the people in the audience.
We ALL left singing this song, which closed the movie. It was a joyful experience.