TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM {20 FEET FROM STARDOM} (DOCUMENTARY FILM)
Summary
A documentary film about the lives of backup singers and the directions their careers take. Many discuss the profession of backup singing, noting that it is a largely “unheralded” profession. Several discuss coming from a church background and learning to sing via a choir. One example of a longtime backup singer is Darlene Love, who along with Fanita James became the first African-American backup singers for the 1960’s girl group The Blossoms. Before the 1960’s, the recording industry was predominantly made up of white artists, and the introduction of African-American artists brought a new kind of sound and energy to the industry. Love reunites with the Blossoms in the present day, recounting their meeting; others note their effect on the music industry in the 1960’s. They listen to several records they provided backups for, and record themselves singing a few songs from their original period together. Another background singer from that era is Merry Clayton, known for being prolific even amongst other backup singers. She became one of Ray Charles’s Raelettes, recounting how she had to learn how to be an “entertainer” and sing alongside other backup singers. Another backup singer is Lisa Fischer, who attempted a career as a solo artist but prefers to remain a backup singer. She recounts her lifelong love for music and her affinity for the “sound vibration” of melodic singing. In a recording studio, Love listens to her background vocals for a song produced by Phil Spector as part of a record re-issuing some of his produced material. Love experienced her first leading part in the song “He’s a Rebel,” where she substituted (or “ghosted”) for another girl group, The Crystals. During the song’s popularity she was not given credit for her work, which proved to be frustrating. However, it led Love to sign with Spector, but found that he continued to use her work under The Crystals’s name, making her angry. The backup singer Táta Vega recounts moving out to California at the age of sixteen to become a singer, and going to work with Stevie Wonder. Claudia Lennear, a former Ikette, recounts working with Ike and Tina Turner, describing the Ikettes as “action figures” of the music world, discussing Ike’s exacting demands of his singers. Many backup singers resent taking on the role of “eye candy,” which some artists still view them as. During that time, English artists attempted to replicate the sound of African-American artists, including Joe Cocker, known for giving his backup artists “free reign” to express themselves. Clayton revisits the studio in England where she worked for Cocker, and recounts singing a duet with Mick Jagger for the Rolling Stones’s hit song “Gimme Shelter.” Fischer sings backup vocals for Sting, who compliments her talent, particularly for the song “Hounds of Winter.” Fischer shows off her apartment and recounts auditioning for Luther Vandross, talking about the kind of vocal style he sought in his backup singers, and his sense of direction in his music. Vandross, a former backup singer himself, sang backup vocals for David Bowie’s “Young Americans.” Several of the background vocalists recount their participation in the Concert for Bangladesh in 1971, including Lennear, who then became a backup singer for the Rolling Stones, leading to a relationship with Jagger. The 1970’s was a politically complex time, and people’s views began to creep into the music industry, such as Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama,” which Clayton sung backup vocals for. Clayton and others begin to become aware of the growing influence and momentum of the struggle of African-Americans for civil rights, and keep these value in mind in relation to their place in the music industry. The Waters family became notable background singers for a large number of important works over the years, including films such as “The Lion King,” television theme songs such as the one for “Growing Pains,” and Michael Jackson’s famous “Thriller” album. Love recounts gaining fame due to her association with Spector and other artists recognizing her talent. She was inspired to pursue a career as a solo artist, as was Clayton. Clayton put out three albums produced by Lou Adler, and she was given a great deal of promotion, but in the end she failed to gain fame or success. In the mid-1970’s, Love is freed from her contract with Spector and signs with another record label to try to start her solo career. However, weeks later her new label sold her contract back to Spector. This added to her frustration, in part because Spector’s growing celebrity affected his behavior around the artists he produced. This led her to quit and part ways with Spector. Lennear notes that she attempted a solo career with Warner Brothers, but her record with them was not received well and she fell into financial difficulties. Vega recounts her own attempt, which led to her being “shelved” by Motown. Judith Hill, a former backup singer for Michael Jackson, attempts her own solo career. She recounts being devastated by the news of Jackson’s untimely death and performing at his memorial, which launched her into the national spotlight. She notes that backup singing can be a platform to stardom but can become “quicksand” for some; she has turned down numerous background singing offers in an attempt to lend herself legitimacy as a solo artist. Love recounts falling into a depression after leaving the music industry. She limited her singing to the church and became a cleaning lady to support herself. However, she was unsatisfied and moved from California to New York, where her singing career experienced a resurgence, accompanied by some small film roles. Fischer discusses the creation of her own hit single, “How Can I Ease the Pain,” which won a Grammy Award. However, she feels her second record “took too long” and she was unsure of what direction she wanted to go in as a solo artist. Her peers note that she does not possess the sort of “ego” it takes to have a solo career. Despite Hill’s desire to become a solo artist, she still takes backup singing jobs, even trying to disguise herself so as not to upset fans. She talks about singing backup for Stevie Wonder, who encourages her to pursue her dreams of stardom. Many background singers note that their job opportunities have thinned in recent years due to fewer songs having a need for them, and since artists often do their own backups in home studios. Fischer is asked by Jagger to go on tour with the Rolling Stones following her failed solo attempt, and she accepts, leading to her becoming the female vocal lead for all of the band’s tours from 1989 onward. She feels satisfied with her lack of fame or notoriety, preferring the simple joy of performing. Clayton, similarly, prefers to “stay humble, stay cool, stay beautiful, and do the work.” Lennear has spent years as a high school Spanish teacher, being somewhat regretful that she gave up on music. Hill continues to perform and record, struggling yet hopeful. Love continues her solo career and is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: January 17, 2013
- RUNNING TIME: 1:30:36
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 114028
- GENRE: Arts documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Arts documentaries
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Art Bilger … Executive Producer
- George Conrades … Executive Producer
- Joel S. Ehrenkranz … Executive Producer
- Peter Morton … Executive Producer
- Morgan Neville … Producer, Director
- Caitrin Rogers … Producer
- Gil Friesen … Producer
- Caryn Capotosto … Associate Producer
- Warren Zanes … Consulting Producer
- Bill Maxwell … Music by
- Dan Crane … Music by
- Jo Lawry … Music by
- Darlene Love … Interviewee
- Merry Clayton … Interviewee
- Lisa Fischer … Interviewee
- Judith Hill … Interviewee
- Janice Pendarvis … Interviewee
- Lynn Mabry … Interviewee
- Jo Lawry … Interviewee
- Cindy Mizelle … Interviewee
- Charlotte Crossley … Interviewee
- David Lasley … Interviewee
- Mable John … Interviewee
- Bette Midler … Interviewee
- Stevie Wonder … Interviewee
- Edna Wright … Interviewee
- Fanita James … Interviewee
- Jean King … Interviewee
- Lou Adler … Interviewee
- Bill Maxwell … Interviewee
- Todd Boyd … Interviewee
- Patti Austin … Interviewee
- Chris Botti … Interviewee
- Sheryl Crow … Interviewee
- Rob Santos … Interviewee
- Bruce Springsteen … Interviewee
- Susaye Greene … Interviewee
- Warren Zanes … Interviewee
- David Ritz … Interviewee
- Táta Vega … Interviewee
- Gloria Jones … Interviewee
- Oren Waters … Interviewee
- Maxine Waters … Interviewee
- Julia Waters … Interviewee
- Claudia Lennear … Interviewee
- Stevvi Alexander … Interviewee
- Mick Jagger … Interviewee
- Sting … Interviewee
- Rose Stone … Interviewee
- David Bowie
- Ray Charles
- Joe Cocker
- Michael Jackson
- Tom Jones
- Phil Spector
- Ike Turner
- Tina Turner
- Luther Vandross