Review: 20 Feet From Stardom

Somewhat similar to “Standing in the Shadow of Motown”, this 2013 documentary from director Morgan Neville attempts to give spotlight and due respect to unsung heroes of the music world, backup singers. It’s a very impressive film with some great stories to tell and some incredible music- and musicians.

 

Among the backup talents on show here, you’ll probably immediately recognise the name and face of Darlene Love, who rather ironically is best known for playing Danny Glover’s backup (i.e. Wife) in “Lethal Weapon”. She’s the main focus of the film, and certainly has the most commanding physical (if not vocal) presence. I genuinely had no idea that Miss Love (and her group The Blossoms) sang back-up on ‘The Monster Mash’ and ‘Da Do Ron Ron’, among many other hits. You’ve gotta feel for this woman, had producer/murderer Phil Spector not screwed her over, she could’ve been a whole lot more than a backup singer. Instead he used her voice and put other artists’ names on the records.

 

Also on show here are Merry Clayton and Lisa Fischer, the former having been the one to record the backing vocals for the Rolling Stones’ classic ‘Gimme Shelter’, and the latter being the one playing that part on tour with The Stones for the last few decades. Fischer can definitely sing (her career downfall was more her lack of persistence and determination in pursuing a solo career), but Merry Clayton is- pardon my French- fucking brilliant. It’s great to be able to put a name and face to that piercing vocal (to some rather coarse lyrics, I might add), and her story of the recording at 2AM with curlers in her hair is hilarious, possibly making you change the way you hear the song from now on. She also tells a fascinating story about singing backup for the redneck anthem ‘Sweet Home Alabama’. There’s a LOT more going on in that song than simply the redneck pride lyrical content with Clayton singing in defiance. Clayton unquestionably should’ve been a star by now, she’s like Aretha and Janis all in one. Sadly, she only made a few albums of her own and it didn’t pan out. That’s pretty much everyone’s story here, and it’s unfortunate. Perhaps all the good songs were saved for the people for whom these women were singing backup for. It’s like “Idol”, a lot of those people can sing, but do they have the songs to make it in the biz? For 99.99% of them, no. I must say, though, that I’m a bit surprised that Claudia Linnear never made it big in the industry as a solo artist. In addition to her vocals, she had a marketable look too. So yes, perhaps it really is about getting the right songs. Or maybe it’s about timing.

 

Another artist on display here is young Judith Hill, and you’d think the exposure of having worked with Michael Jackson on his ill-fated last tour, plus her obvious vocal talents, and her cute looks would combine to create a star sensation. But so far that doesn’t appear to have happened. It’s with her that I must bear one gripe, and director Neville shares blame here too. She and the film itself basically throw our own Kylie Minogue under the bus, by suggesting that Hill was so embarrassed with having to sing backup to mediocre talent that she wore wigs to disguise herself. I’m not a Kylie fan (but like Madonna, I respect her ability to adapt over the years), and she’s never been labelled a good singer, so much as a great bit of corporate packaging, but Kylie has been a huge success in Australia and the UK for a reason, quite clearly, and for a very long time. She’s not had sustained US success, but she’s no hack, either, and I found it highly inappropriate and offensive. In fact, it made me like Hill just a little bit less, though Neville has edited things rather suspiciously.

 

It’s great to hear big stars like Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder putting over these talented but unheralded women for their vital contributions to the music industry as well. They’re clearly fans of these women, and now so am I. I also had no idea the late Luther Vandross (a bigger deal in the US than here in Australia where his only big hits were duets with Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson) was originally a backup singer for David Bowie…and was a much, much bigger dude at the time. There’s not a whole lot to say here except it’s fascinating, one of the ten best films of 2013, and you really need to see it. It’s even better than “Standing in the Shadows of Motown”.  

 

Rating: B