![]() Lonette McKee stars as Sister Williams, a beautiful, self-assured woman who falls under the sway of a smooth-talking rogue who leads her into drugs. They quickly become a sensation in the local club scene, but the sisters display disparate personalities, creating a stumbling block to fame and fortune. The trio are managed by two young men from the neighborhood, Stix and Levi. In Sparkle, three Harlem sisters-Sister, Delores and Sparkle Williams-form a singing group in dubbed Sister & the Sisters. Along the way, a diva emerges from the group while the others fall prey to the temptations of men and drugs. The essential ingredients for such a tale includes their management by a Svengali-like male, who must contend with clashing egos and a merciless music business. The success stories of these all-female singing groups were told and retold in publicity, biographies and promotional materials until an archetypal tale emerged that seemed to describe the path to success for all of them. But, before Dreamgirls, there was Sparkle, a 1976 musical starring Irene Cara, Lonette McKee and Dwan Smith, which was a precursor and maybe influence on the more well-known play and film.īoth Dreamgirls and Sparkle follow a dramatic arc familiar to a generation who grew up with the actual girl groups of the 1960s, specifically the Supremes. ![]() ![]() Most would identify this as the plot to the 1981 Broadway musical Dreamgirls and its 2006 film adaptation. As they work their way toward success, they find the road to stardom is paved with heartache, temptations and disappointments. ¦ Check this track out: "Something He Can Feel," sung on the original soundtrack by Franklin (and also covered by En Vogue in 1992), has the shoo-bee-doo potential to be something you can feel.In the late 1950s, three talented female singers from the inner city form a girl group. While the record is adequate enough in reproducing the sound and cheerful naivet? of 1960s, the period in which the film is set, it ultimately fails to linger in one's heart, mind or feet past its last note. ![]() Mayfield's compositions stand the test of time as the most vibrant and nuanced: Kelly doesn't deliver, and at times his contributions sound cheesy. Kelly gets in on the action by writing and producing a few funky, but too-modern sounding contributions ("Love Will," ''Jump" and "Celebrate"). Perhaps choosing a gospel tune that requires a melodious voice and a song that shares a performer who outshines her wasn't the best way to seal Houston's legacy.įour Mayfield-helmed originals make the 11-track album ("Jump," ''Hooked on Your Love," ''Something He Can Feel" and "Look Into Your Heart"), while R. Her songs here should have served as a high note for the icon, but unfortunately her swan songs - "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" and "Celebrate" with Sparks - falter as the singer struggles to find her once sparkling, soaring voice. With that said, Houston has become the focus of the film and soundtrack since she died earlier this year. She shines bright on various collaborations and her three solo tracks: It's another winning moment for the former "American Idol" champ. Sparks emerges as the leading lady of the album. The burden for greatness is shared among the main cast, which includes Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks, Carmen Ejogo, Tika Sumpter and Cee Lo Green. Various artists, "Sparkle: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" (RCA Records)Ĭurtis Mayfield and Aretha Franklin's union for the soundtrack of the 1976 musical drama "Sparkle" made for an instant soul classic, so the 2012 remake already has a lot to live up to.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |