![]() ![]() As a vivid and accurate depiction of African-Americans struggling with 1950s Harlem life, it is exactly what one might expect from the man who would later direct “St. So the original “Sparkle” is near and dear to many people's hearts, but the screenplay by Joel Schumacher - his first big-screen effort - is full of excruciatingly bad dialogue. It revived Franklin's career and contains some of Mayfield's best songs, including “Something He Can Feel,” which was a hit for the Queen of Soul in 1976 and then revived 20 years ago with a faithful cover by En Vogue. The original “Sparkle” featured fine performances by Irene Cara as the title character and Lonette McKee as the gorgeous “Sister,” the oldest and most troubled of the all-sibling vocal group, and while “Sparkle” was not a box office success, the album of songs from the film that Mayfield recorded with Aretha Franklin is a classic. And as Whitney Houston's final completed work, “Sparkle” provides a poignant coda. But if the new version of “Sparkle” lacks the grimy atmosphere, exploitative plot and slapdash, 1970s grindhouse quotient of the original, it makes up for those losses with better acting, far more coherent storytelling and a period setting that corresponds with the deep, soulful sound of Curtis Mayfield's music. Lastly, "Running" is a similarly bright and energetic Supremes/Vandellas-style showcase for veteran R&B singer Goapele.Practically from the moment that “Dreamgirls” hit Broadway in 1981, fans of 1976's “Sparkle” insisted that the cult film about a 1960s girl group did it first and did it better on a frayed shoestring budget. Cee-Lo Green (Black) contributes the rollicking "I'm a Man," seemingly made in the mould of Edwin Starr's 1969 single "25 Miles." Ejogo takes the lead on the bouncy "Yes I Do," one of three songs involving songwriter and producer Andrew Wansel (whose father, Dexter Wansel, was in full flight as a soul artist, songwriter, and producer in 1976). Kelly production, Sparks is joined by Whitney Houston (Sparkle's mother Emma), the latter of whom is showcased on a piano, organ, and choir rendition of "His Eye Is on the Sparrow." Houston sounds as commanding as one can expect from a later recording. Kelly and have his peculiar "old but new" feel - composed with a bygone era in mind but executed with modern means. Sparks also fronts the gospel-tinged ballad "One Wing" and the midtempo "Love Will," both of which were built and helmed by R. Sensibly, there's no effort to out-power them this version has its own light and breathy touch. Both the Franklin original and En Vogue's 1992 version rightly topped the R&B chart. When it comes to "Something He Can Feel," it would be an understatement to say that the deck is stacked against Sparks and her vocal partners, Carmen Ejogo (Sister) and Tika Sumpter (Delores). Led by Jordin Sparks (who succeeds Irene Cara as Sparkle), the 2012 soundtrack features faithful and decent covers of four songs from the original. The 1976 soundtrack doubled as a fine Aretha Franklin album - one written, arranged, and produced by Curtis Mayfield. ![]() The soundtrack for the 2012 remake of 1976's Sparkle is an enjoyable if muddled affair. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |