20 Feet from Stardom

I was fortunate  today to see the marvellous documentary 20 Feet from Stardom, about Motown/rock and roll back up singers.  It's sort of a counterpart to the amazing Standing in the Shadows of Motown, which was about the session musicians that made the indelible sound behind all the major Motown  hits.  The big difference of course, is that the earlier film featured male instrumentalists (the self-styled Funk Brothers), while this one featured female vocalists.  While both films touch on the powerlessness experienced by gifted musicians at the mercy of record labels and producers, 20 Feet had the added heartbreak of people who had to decide if they were going to take a shot at being number one, then discovering that it takes more than talent and passion to make it happen.

The best part of both films of course is hearing the musicians reprise their hits. The hairs stood right up on my arms both times!  In one scene the Blossoms (the voices behind hits credited to the Crystals) see each other for the first time in ages, and sing a song they haven't sung together in 34 years - and there's not one false note.  Unfortunately, due to the nature of their role, they can't just pick up and have a reunion tour like the Funk Brothers did, nor can they do more than provide their vocal part unmoored to lead singers and musicians, whereas the Funk Brothers were able to fully recreate their hits with new guest singers.

Another difference is the spiritual element of singing, which provides a bit of salvation for those that have seen their dreams crushed.  Even though it comes from within you, when combined with other voices to create  perfect resonance and harmony, it becomes something more than the individual.  The wisest singers recognise and respect this, even in the face of disillusionment with the music business.  The truly successful are the ones who are happy to find joy in everything they sing, regardless of who's at the front of the stage.  In a poetic moment, one singer who still tours (albeit behind the Rolling Stones and Sting) describes her soaring non-verbal improvising as blowing a feather from her hand and not letting it touch the ground.

So...how can we each find that transcendent moment in our lives?