Long before countless boy bands and teen pop icons were receiving all the credit for hit singles backed by anonymous -- but talented musicians -- there was the Funk Brothers.

The film Standing in the Shadows of Motown will be shown at 7 p.m. tonight in the HUB-Robeson Center's Heritage Hall. The presentation is part of Penn State's observance of Black Heritage Month.

The film tells the true story of the faceless and nameless musicians who provided the instrumental background for innumerable classic soul songs recorded by dozens of artists on the Motown label. The Funk Brothers, as they came to be known, never received nearly as much credit or limelight popularity as the major Motown artists that performed on the records, such as Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross and The Temptations.

"It really tells the hidden history of the Motown experience, which was something that all of America experienced in the 60's," said Lawrence Young, director of the Paul Robeson Cultural Center.

According to the film's official Web site, the almost two-hour documentary "tells the Funk Brothers' saga through archival footage and still photos, narration, interviews [and] re-creation scenes."

The film also showcases the Funk Brothers' current lineup in 12 new performances of original Motown songs, backing up artists including Chaka Khan, Ben Harper and Joan Osborne.

Motown founder Berry Gordy recruited the Funk Brothers in 1959, pulling the best musicians from the Detroit scene into a supergroup for his new record label. These names included keyboardist Joe Hunter, drummer William "Benny" Benjamin and bassist James Jamerson.

Over the years, the Brothers would record on such memorable singles as "My Girl," "Bernadette," and "Heat Wave." In total, the group recorded "more No. 1 hits than The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley and The Beatles combined," according to the film's Web site.

"They were literally world-famous musicians that nobody knew," Young said. "This documentary brings them to the light."

Standing in the Shadows of Motown uses historical events of the 1960's to trace the evolution of the Motown sound from the group's earliest days until its ultimate demise in the 1970's.

But although the film is historical in nature, fans will also enjoy its musical value, Young said.

"Anyone that appreciates music will get a lot out of this," he said.