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441 posts
Jun 12, 2013
4:57 PM
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I saw "Born in Chicago" during SXSW. For those who might not know SXSW also includes interactive i.e. web, apps, and the like, film, and an education conference as well as the music festival.
"Born in Chicago" was shown at the historic Paramount theater downtown. To be honest, I thought it was okay but not all that great. For a start there were not nearly enough performance clips and I didn't learn much that I didn't already know, though it's always great to hear/see a Charlie Musslewhite interview and there were a couple of nice moments. Like I said, IMHO, okay and certainly worth watching.
My reaction may have well been tempered by seeing it right after "Muscle Shoals", a documentary about Fame Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, which was absolutely brilliant on every level. The production values were top class, great editing, great stories and interviews with Aretha Franklin, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Wilson Picket, Percy Sledge, Bono, Clarence Carter and a host of others.
Some of the most amazing stories came from Rick Hunter who founded Fame Studios and started the whole thing. The man had an extraordinary life, the dark side of which would have killed just about anyone else and nearly did him in on more than one occasion. Lends new meaning to the word "tragedy".
Highly entertaining with some really funny moments and boy, did I learn somethings I didn't know before.
I understand it got picked up for distribution. I wouldn't be surprised if it showed up on PBS or the History channel before long. Probably Channel 4 in the UK and similar broadcasters in Europe no doubt.
And the guy that made it never made a film before. Didn't know much about it or Muscle Shoals. He had his arm twisted by a friend to go on a road trip to New Mexico from NY. They decided to take the back roads and at one point came to a crossroads. One way lay Memphis. The other way lay Muscle Shoals. They took the Alabama fork, became fascinated by the place and stayed nearly two weeks. Then the thought sprung into the guys head, "Somebody should make a movie." So he did.
To put the cherry on the pie, The Swampers, the core of the Fame and Muscle Shoals house band, played down the road the same night with Will McFarlan played on "Midnight Hour" and most all the Wilson Picket hits, Spooner Oldham, who did an unbelievable rendition of "I'm Your Puppet" which he wrote with Dan Penn, and some other folks in the same league though names escape me at the moment.
I honestly could not believe I was standing in front of these guys let alone having conversations with them after.
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