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You know their voices you just don’t know their names. If you listen to records by The Rolling Stones or Sting, their voices are as familiar to you as your favorite pair of jeans. Merry Clayton, Darlene Love, and Lisa Fischer are backup singers and, while talent does not escape them, fame certainly does. They are the voices forever immortalized on all those classic Phil Specter 45s and yet no one knows who they are.
Mixing the joy of creating music with the sorrow of life, 20 Feet from Stardom is a must-see documentary that is certainly going to open some eyes when it comes to the music business. It will inspire some audiences and crush the spirit of others. It’s a chew them up and spit them out world when it comes to being a back-up singer. Few make it from beneath the shadows. Sheryl Crow started as a backup singer. Luther Vandross was one for David Bowie. The rest are still there…in the shadows. And, as the documentary shows, every time they try to step into the limelight they are shut down.
Take Merry Clayton for example. She’s the female voice forever connected with The Rolling Stones. She’s the voice singing “rape” and “murder” on “Gimme Shelter”. While the song – written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards – rightfully belongs to the band, it is her piercing vocals that get to the soul of song. Based off her performance on that record, she was able to record two albums of solid soul, one that includes a rather soul-stirring version of Neil Young’s “Southern Man”. Except the world didn’t want another soul singer; another Aretha Franklin so they paid her excellent releases little attention.
The stories are similar. No matter how big the main attraction gets, fame eludes the singers who cut their teeth singing gospel songs in their father’s church. The similar background of these women is, at once, eye-opening and disturbing. Their dreams are larger than their voices. They want so much to share their desire and, yet, are so poorly rewarded for a job done successfully.
Those interviewed are Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Sheryl Crow, and others. They talk rather poetically about the struggles of their background singers and of the music business. They address the need to sing and the need to support their background singers. With 20 Feet from Stardom, veteran filmmaker Morgan Neville attempts to correct a grievous oversight and give these talented ladies the recognition they deserve after years of living outside of the spotlight.
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some strong language and sexual material.
Runtime: 91 mins
Director: Morgan Neville
Cast: Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer
Genre: Documentary
Tagline: Meet the unsung heroes behind the greatest music of our time.
Memorable Movie Quote: "There's a power to these women that stand on stage with these guys."
Distributor: RADiUS-TWC
Official Site: twentyfeetfromstardom.com
Release Date: June 20, 2013
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: January 14, 2014
Synopsis: Backup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we've had no idea these singers are or what lives they lead, until now.
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Blu-ray Details:
Available on Blu-ray - January 21, 2014
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: None
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD); BD-Live; Blu-ray 3D
Region Encoding: A
Anchor Bay provides the movie with a 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer primarily in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Though some of the archive footage varies in quality, the new HD material is sharp and nearly pristine, offering a very pleasing image. Some shimmering, noise, and faint signs of compression are noticeable in isolated instances, but the majority of the image is clean and problem free. Detail is strong, giving the interviews and fly-on-the-wall recording sessions a glossy, cinematic quality. Colors are rich but not over saturated, and contrast is nicely balanced with natural whites and deep black levels. The film is presented with an English DTS-HD MA 5.1 track and optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- None
Special Features:
Anchor Bay has put together a strong selection of supplements, including 12 deleted scenes (with much more Judith Hill) and a Q&A with the filmmakers. All of the special features are presented in 1080p with Dolby Digital 2.0 sound and optional English subtitles, unless noted otherwise,
- Deleted Scenes (29 min)
- The Buddy System (9 min)
- Times Talks: Q&A with Darlene Love, Merry Clayton Lisa Fischer & Director Morgan Neville (30 min)
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