It's a film about backup singers -- the supremely talented and predominately African American female singers who get called upon time and again by white recording artists who "want to sound black."
Those aren't my words -- those are the words of the performers themselves. Shut out of the music recording industry for years and later given only token roles by manipulative producers, these unheralded singers, when finally given a chance, enriched rock and R&B music with gospel-infused vocals.
The film features many of the pioneers -- members of the Raylettes and the Ikettes -- including the fabulous Darlene Love, who sang with the '50s girl group, The Blossoms, and on countless Phil Spector records. Through sheer perseverance and impossible-to-ignore talent, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.
But Love, still singing at 75, is the exception. So many others, like Lisa Fischer, Merry Clayton and Judith Hill, have sung with some of top performers in the world -- The Rolling Stones, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson -- but never achieved stardom as solo artists.
Yet, not all want the spotlight. Fischer, in particular, has an incredible, angelic voice but says she prefers a supporting role. The joy for her is being able to blend her voice with others, a classic situation where the whole is greater than the sum of many parts. Others, like Hill, yearn to make it big but somehow continue to get overlooked.
I'd heard good things about this movie, but it exceeded my expectations when I saw it with Lori this past weekend. The music is infectious. The film is beautifully edited. The featured women are likable characters, different in temperament and objectives but united by their exquisite gift of singing. Interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger and Stevie Wonder complement those with the backup singers.
The film's title refers, of course, to the short distance on stage between the featured performer and his or her backup singers. That kind of proximity can make for a tight, symbiotic relationship but it can also be tantalizing in a way that leaves an ambitious singer wondering, "Why not me?"
Indeed. Any of the featured singers has a voice that you'd think would earn them a recording contract and stardom. For assorted reasons, that doesn't happen for everyone. But thanks to this sweet little indie film, there is at least a documentation of their vital role in the industry and a triumphant story that stays with you longer after the closing credits.
Four stars, baby.
See the trailer here. Then go see the movie for yourself.