20 Feet from Stardom

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bitflipper
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2014/03/31 10:07:37 (permalink)

20 Feet from Stardom

I haven't watched American Idol since the first season. One of the things that ruined the show for me was realizing how much better the nameless background singers were than any of the contestants. It made it obvious that AI was just a competition of the mediocre.
 
I've just watched this excellent documentary about background singers called "20 Feet from Stardom", a celebration of the contributions of background singers to great records.
 
It starts with the legendary Blossoms, who made so many 60's records into hits (think "da doo ron ron"). You get to put faces to the voices you know so well, singers who made the difference between an ordinary song and something special. Imagine "Gimme Shelter" without the female vocal - quick, who sang that? I didn't know, either. You also realize that when you sing along with those tunes you're often singing with the backup singers - as one of them put it "we're the ones who sing the hooks".
 
I just wish the musical bits were longer, because some of them are really good.
 


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    bapu
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/03/31 11:19:31 (permalink)
    Yup. We watched this about a month ago. We gave it 5 stars.
     
     
    I met Mary Clayton at a friends' party in the 80s. I knew who she was even before I met her.
    #2
    Kalle Rantaaho
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/03/31 12:04:32 (permalink)
    I've always been a "background singers fan", but I think we also have to aknowledge that a brilliant background singer may only be a mediocre lead singer, or perhaps lack totally what it takes to entertain the crowd. They are two different forms of art.  Most likely Dylan, Amy Winehouse or Whitney Houston would have been poor background singers, for one or the other reason. 
     

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    Starise
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/03/31 12:22:51 (permalink)
    And of course it always helps to have hot background singers if the lead singer is ugly.Just sayin'

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    jamesg1213
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/03/31 14:11:48 (permalink)
    Sam Brown is one that springs to mind. She's sung back-up for Floyd, Deep Purple, George Harrison & Gary Moore, to name but a few, and regularly sang with Jools Holland's Big Band.

     
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    Rain
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/03/31 16:44:07 (permalink)
    bitflipper
    It made it obvious that AI was just a competition of the mediocre.
     



    I usually avoid such shows but these days, a couple of friends of ours were on The Voice back home, so I had to at least check it out quickly. It is disheartening. (And how unbelievably tone-deaf the public of these shows really is is beyond anything even the most pessimistic of us could imagine). The tyranny of mediocrity...
     
    The tragic thing is that, in a smaller market like back home, these shows have practically become the single (illusory) gateway to making a career in music. But in truth, it's only another temporary engagement which leads to nothing - chews you and spits you out.
     
    Even people with a 20 years career end up doing it because there's no job - and ironically, there is no job in part because such show produce new "stars" by the dozen when there is no market to support them. Most of them vanish from public consciousness after 6 months... If we'd stayed back home, my wife would have had to audition for it too - even if just to survive for a few more weeks. Dreadful perspective...
     
    Another tragic thing is that in such a small market, there can be no viable alternative - there's not enough people to make it possible to support alternative music - you can't make a life out of that system. Even our friends, who've been in some of the biggest musicals ever, and have been on cover of magazines and all - they have to have day jobs and go back to school. There's no job for musicians. And yet, TV shows like these keep on producing disposable new stars years after year.
     
    At least here in the US, there is a bit more room for working musicians outside that circuit.
     

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    craigb
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/03/31 17:18:43 (permalink)
    Rain
    At least here in the US, there is a bit more room for working musicians outside that circuit.

     
    Yeah, Domino's, Pizza Hut, Papa John's... 

     
    Time for all of you to head over to Beyond My DAW!
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    Rain
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/03/31 18:01:46 (permalink)
    craigb
    Rain
    At least here in the US, there is a bit more room for working musicians outside that circuit.

     
    Yeah, Domino's, Pizza Hut, Papa John's... 




    I know it's far from easy, but compared to back home, this still is the land of milk and honey... It may not be as obvious as it once was, but, artistically, there still is a "middle-class" here.
     
    When working on the translation of my wife's humongous press kit (which, according to the lawyer helping us w/ the green card process, is the most impressive she's seen), at one point, both of us realized that if we'd transpose what she'd accomplished back home even before she joined Cirque, transpose all of that to its relative US equivalent, the results would be very impressive... We'd probably be chilling w/ Bon Jovi around a private pool somewhere and we'd have nice apartments in NY and LA.
     
    Instead of which, back home, for all the awards and the gold and platinum records hanging on the walls, we depended on my stable income and she had to go back to school and work a day job... 

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    craigb
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/03/31 18:08:02 (permalink)
    Yeah, the so-called entertainment industry certainly is not fair.  That so many dumb jocks make millions playing a game while most of the musicians and actors are barely scraping by doing what they love is sad...

     
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    clintmartin
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/03/31 18:16:45 (permalink)
    bitflipper
    I haven't watched American Idol since the first season. One of the things that ruined the show for me was realizing how much better the nameless background singers were than any of the contestants. It made it obvious that AI was just a competition of the mediocre.
     
    I've just watched this excellent documentary about background singers called "20 Feet from Stardom", a celebration of the contributions of background singers to great records.
     
    It starts with the legendary Blossoms, who made so many 60's records into hits (think "da doo ron ron"). You get to put faces to the voices you know so well, singers who made the difference between an ordinary song and something special. Imagine "Gimme Shelter" without the female vocal - quick, who sang that? I didn't know, either. You also realize that when you sing along with those tunes you're often singing with the backup singers - as one of them put it "we're the ones who sing the hooks".
     
    I just wish the musical bits were longer, because some of them are really good.
     


    Is this on Netflix or Hulu?

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    #10
    bayoubill
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/03/31 18:53:49 (permalink)
    Netflix Clint. 
     
    Pickins is few and far between here. I can't buy my way into a band here. Way too many guitar players and not enough places to play. I don't play live gigs anymore. 

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    #11
    batsbrew
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/03/31 19:37:49 (permalink)
    what a great movie!
    just watched it this weekend.....
     
    this premiered here at sundance film festival, i just missed tix on this one......
    any fan of popular music from mid 50's thru modern should see this flic it's cool

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    mixmkr
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/03/31 20:51:43 (permalink)
    bayoubill
    Netflix Clint. 
     
    Pickins is few and far between here. I can't buy my way into a band here. Way too many guitar players and not enough places to play. I don't play live gigs anymore. 


    I understand, but don't let it discourage you in ANY way.  When I first walked the halls at Berklee in the 70's, the talent just sitting on the floors, leaning against the walls practicing before a lesson or ensemble...or just a class, was truly a humbling experience.  The drop out rate was huge....either due to people that just left and went on the road, or the rest were just intimidated.  I choose to hang in there, and was rewarded with 8 incredible semesters that shaped my entire life, from then on.  IF you compare your abilities to others, you'll always find someone better.  Remember, there are the Segovias, Methenys, VanHalens, etc, etc  It doesn't end.  Start your own band if that's what would float your boat.....or enjoy music forever on your level.

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    #13
    sharke
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/04/01 01:15:51 (permalink)
    What about Tina Turner and the Ike-ettes singing background on Zappa's "Overnite Sensation" album? They had some serious skills - listen to Montana for instance. Apparently Zappa paid them $25 per song (under orders from Ike). 

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    clintmartin
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/04/01 09:34:29 (permalink)
    Thanks for the heads up. My family watched this last night and my daughter got to see some singers she's only heard me talk about. Lisa Fisher, for example I've seen live 3 times with the Stones and Cindy Mizzell (spelling?) I saw with Steely Dan a couple of years ago...Great stuff! Thanks Dave.

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    mugician41
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/04/07 16:49:08 (permalink)
    I loved 20 Feet from Stardom. Great to see background singers getting some recognition!
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    batsbrew
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/04/07 17:36:39 (permalink)
    JUST WATCHED LISA FISCHER SINGING BACKUPS FOR NINE INCH NAILS ON AUSTIN CITY LIMITS.
     
    badd @ss

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    bluzdog
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/04/12 18:36:39 (permalink)
    I checked it out. Cool stuff. I have a buddy that lives that life touring with Brian Wilson. He got to do the 50th anniversary Beach Boys tour. I got the full VIP treatment when they played Red Rocks. My little guy got to go to the sound check: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3701546291295&set=a.1059099111767.2010771.1054576307&type=3&theater
     
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    bitflipper
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/04/13 09:25:19 (permalink)
    Looks to me like he was doing the sound check. Great photo.


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    Moshkiae
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/04/13 10:48:10 (permalink)
    bitflipper
     
     Imagine "Gimme Shelter" without the female vocal - quick, who sang that?
    ...


    Merry Clayton?
    post edited by Moshkiae - 2014/04/13 11:27:00

    As a wise Guy once stated from his holy chapala ... none of the hits, none of the time ... prevents you from becoming just another turkey in the middle of all the other turkeys! 
      
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    Moshkiae
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/04/13 11:08:42 (permalink)
    bitflipper
    ...
    I just wish the musical bits were longer, because some of them are really good.
     ...



    I also wish they would get some REAL artists to do some guest coaching. The people they use are 2nd and 3rd rate folks that don't have it, people that are not even good enough, but they have some kinda fame somewhere!
     
    Folks I would like to see:
    1. Bob Dylan. Have him teach how to say it and flick a finger at the judges.
     
    2. Peter Hammill. Wanna learn to scream? Cry? Have them try sing  ... "you really think so, Alice?" ... or sing "A Way Out". Or better yet, "Godbluff". That ought to send the judges to hell!
     
    3. Willie Nelson! Teach the kids how to get stoned before you sing, so you can really mean it and sing it badly, but it still comes off good! That ought to throw the judges to the trash!
     
    4. Neil Young. He would teach them how to sing out of tune, and still come off really good, and the feeling is excellent, because it was honest and FELT, not thought!
     
    5. Kate Bush. See if she can teach them how to do a song with no ending, no beat and it just flows non-stop without the usual formats (hint: 50 Words for Snow)
     
    6. Rickie Lee Jones. Only the early version. She's not half as good as her first 5 albums, nowadays, and have a Steve Gadd behind her, so she can make use of the excellent drum breaks and accents to make the song better than it really is!
     
    7. David Crosby. But he gets to sleep with the ladies first! But he will teach you harmonies from heaven to hell that you never dreamed of!
     
    8. Mick Jaegger. He would have to teach them how to swing their butts, of course! And do, yet another impression of Turner in that one song from "Performance". (Memo from Turner)
     
    9. Jon Anderson. And have them sing lyrics that might not mean anything at all, but they come off like the greatest spiritual structure ever written in the history of rock music!
     
    10. Magic Johnson. Teach them to put on a smile, while crying in a song, and still say ... Showtime! ... and in the middle of it, look at Larry Byrd and say ... check this out Byrd!
     
     
    And last, but not least ... a few other teachers that are not around with us anymore!
     
    1. Harold Pinter. Not a singer, but teaching these kids silence with a smoke ring, in between lyrics, would be priceless, and something that none of them will ever try or succeed at!
     
    2. Jean Genet. I hear that Strummy was writing a song about the opening paragraphs of "Our Lady of Flowers", with the same words as lyrics. We may have to have Adam Lambert sing it with Queen, though! The visual, of course, would be from that Ken Russell film with the lady coming down those long stairs nude in her heels. Oh wait ... that's a guy!
     
    3. Freddy Mercury. To have the balls and guts to sing it, and MEAN IT! And then he will show you what being a singer and showman is really all about!
     
    4. Andres Segovia. Show them how to miss a note and continue like nothing ever happened. (He broke a string in Madison on his guitar, and continued for 7 more minutes to finish the piece, and when done, he asked ... did it sound alright? And he got a standing ovation for that!)
     
    5. Hugh Hefner. He would teach all of them how to pose, and not say anything, of course! And then you still gotta sing with all those special lights highlighting one part of your body only. Forget the leko pointing at your face and lips!
     
    6. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Teach them how to really have a dream and work up some excitement that was heard around the world!
     
    7. Ken Kesey. Help them sing something, and of course, they don't succeed, and then in the end, tell them that they missed the point of enjoying the "experience" and learning from it, by coping out, and not being able to handle personal issues, and thinking that singing is going to do it for you! Only Jack and Ken, made it through, and that is why they are known and everyone else isn't! Harsh lesson for many folks involved in "The Trip", that some refuse to learn! Except that bus ... but it is noisy and doesn't sing!
     
    8. Jim Morrison. Learn to scream, sing, read poetry, talk, and still sound like you're missing your loved one and having more sex to make it all better!
     
    9. Janis Joplin. How to go beserk on the stage at Woodstock, and have Michael Wadleigh condemn your heartfelt sensations to hell, as some sort of insane, stupid and moronic singer. And be remembered forever, too! But she would have to teach them how to sing "Ball And Chain" ... but we need a guitarist!
     
    (I wanted to use some political figures, but I didn't want to sound ... or come off ... politically incorrect ... !!!)
    post edited by Moshkiae - 2014/04/13 11:33:13

    As a wise Guy once stated from his holy chapala ... none of the hits, none of the time ... prevents you from becoming just another turkey in the middle of all the other turkeys! 
      
    #21
    bluzdog
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    Re: 20 Feet from Stardom 2014/04/13 12:44:38 (permalink)
    bitflipper
    Looks to me like he was doing the sound check. Great photo.


    We were hanging out behind the stage during the sound check. After they finished we were walking across the stage, I told him not to touch anything. With that he walked up to a sax mic and just started belting it out. All I could do was whip out my phone and take a picture. Priceless. On the way home he said "daddy, your friends sing really good".
     
    Rocky
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