Funk Brothers

Funk Brothers is the nickname of the studio musicians who played most of Motown recording in the Motown Golden-age (From 1959 until the company move to LosAngels in 1972). The Funk Brothers played Motown hit songs such as “My Girl”, “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, etc. The notable member are Joe Hunter and Earl Van Dyke (piano), James Jamerson (bass guitar), Benny "Papa Zita" Benjamin and Richard "Pistol" Allen (drums), Paul Riser (trombone), Robert White, Eddie Willis, and Joe Messina (guitar), Jack Ashford (tambourine, percussion, vibraphone, marimba), Jack Brokensha (vibraphone, marimba), and Eddie "Bongo" Brown (percussion).
Their innovative sounds are characterized by the fact that use of timberline to accent the back beat, prominent and often melodic electric bass guitar lines, distinctive melodic and chord structures. Moreover, most Motown records feature two drummers, playing together or overdubbing one another. In “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye, three drummers ಅರೆ used. Despite the contribution to Motown Sound, Studio musicians were not credited by Motown until Marvin Gaye's What's Going On in 1971. They were credited as "Earl Van Dyke & the Soul Brothers" because Berry Goddy hated the word “Funk”. At last, these members came to attention by the release of the “Standing In The Shadows Of Motown” documentary in the 2002. This documentary revealed the fact that these musicians "played on more number-one records than The Beatles, Elvis, The Rolling Stones, and The Beach Boys combined."
In the "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" documentary, Joe Hunter states that the "The Funk Brothers" is named by Benny Benjamin. Hunter states that Benjamin was leaving the studio after session work, paused on the stairs, turned and said to his fellow musicians, "You all are the Funk Brothers". The band was then informally named. The powerful vocal on the rhythmical and accomplished groove of Funk Brothers is the core of Motown sounds.