Amazing Grace - Luna Leederville - 23 August, 2019
- Jangle Music
- Aug 24, 2019
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 8, 2019
It once was lost but now is found.
Amazing Grace is 87 minutes worth of film taken from the two night Aretha Franklin concert filmed in January 1972 at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Filmed originally by Sydney Pollack for Warner Bros, it was produced almost four decades later after being retrieved from the Warner vaults by Alan Elliot in 2008. Up until then the film had been virtually unsalvageable as Pollack's failure to use a clapperboard meant the sound and visual film were out of sync. By the time Elliot retrieved the film, more modern editing techniques provided the opportunity to correct this travesty. Two years later, with the film ready for release, Elliott found himself facing Franklin's wrath for using her likeness without permission - despite the original contract for the recording. Only after Franklin's passing in 2018, did the film make its limited debut. And now, with a general release, we see.
Amazing Grace is a deeply immersive opportunity to bear witness to Aretha Franklin in her spiritual heartland, delivering a musical sermon from the piano and behind the pulpit that includes Marvin Gaye's Whole Holy, Carole King's You've Got a Friend, spiritual favourite Mary Don't You Weep and a staggering 11 minute performance of Amazing Grace. The film is almost entirely performance based - save for a short address by Franklin's reverend father on night two, and some genuine nuggets of comedy gold from long time family friend and supporting musician Reverend James Cleveland. Cleveland, the so-called King of Gospel was himself a multi Grammy winner, and founder of the Southern California Community Choir who enthusiastically accompany Franklin's performance and testify excitedly to her most soulful verses. They are led by choir director Alexander Hamilton.
But the star is Franklin - whilst clearly sure of her own talents (she has already recorded some of her biggest hits by the time this film was recorded), she is completely impassive, delivering note after note without a hint of awareness of the cameras. Sweating profusely (assumingly under the heat of studio lighting) she does not flicker, not even as her father wipes her brow mid performance. There is no sign of effort or strain in her delivery - her range comes easily - but it is so soul stirring that the congregation flails, dances and weeps, and Reverend Cleveland covers his face and sobs. Fellow gospel legend Clara Ward - a regal, hard-to-please looking character introduced with much fanfare on night two, appears to tackle an audience member to the ground as frenzy grips the congregation. Rolling Stones Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts dance white-man style in the back row of this almost entirely black audience (except for the camera crew). Either due to continuity issues or blatant opportunism, Mick in one moment occupies front row before being returned to the back row. He looks awkward in both locations.
The record that this filming spawned, was to become the highest selling live gospel album of all time. Selling over two million copies in the USA and going double platinum, it also won the 1973 Grammy in the soul gospel performance category. It remains Franklin's best selling record. To now be able to see it in the making, is an overwhelmingly emotional experience, especially as we now see it posthumously. It is a moment in time - the music, the fashion, the hair and the legend herself - captured imperfectly, but immortally.
An essential archive and thoroughly compelling viewing.
★★★★★
Comments