Review of 20 Feet from Stardom (2013) by V H — 31 Jul 2013

Though I'm willing to watch a documentary about just about anything, I realize that some people cringe at the very mention of the word, imagining a dry slogfest featuring talking heads elucidating on the arcane details of some obscure subject. While "20 Feet From Stardom" does feature Talking Heads, they are of the David Byrne-lead variety, though Bryne is not the one in the spotlight here. Rather it's his backup singers - all backup singers really - that are the stars of this show. Though we often sing along with them rather than the stars (they tend to get the catchy parts; think "Young Americans"), we rarely even know the names of these unsung heroes. (Yes, pun intended.).

Though some of them eventually break through and become stars in their own right, many of them don't even seem want to, preferring the anonymity that allows them to live a normal life while pulling in a steady paycheck and doing the thing they love the most: singing.

And boy can they sing. To its credit, the movie treats us to at least as much singing as it does talking. There are clips from old concerts and studio sessions as well as footage of the women (and the occasional guy) singing just to sing, without a superstar in sight.

As for the talking bits, several stars are interviewed (Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Mick Jagger, to name a few), but mostly we hear from the extremely likeable backup singers talking about their own lives.

Though this film is highly entertaining, I did manage to learn at least one thing. At one point, Merry Clayton, who sang backup on the Stones' Gimme Shelter is talking about going to the studio to record it and being taken aback by the lyrics "Rape, murder ; it's just a shot away". And I thought "rape, murder"? Are THOSE the lyrics? When I sing along in the car (c'mon, you do it too), I tend to sing something along the lines of "Heeeeeey, heeeeyaaaaaa-yaaa-yaaa, it's just a shadow way". So, thanks for clearing that up, Merry.