By Bob Gibbons
This is the story of several women whose names you may not know, but whose voices you’ve undoubtedly heard. They’re the back-up singers who’ve sang with Ray Charles and Bette Midler, with Frank Sinatra and Sting, and the Rolling Stones and Paul Simon and so many other great recording artists. They’re the ones who sang …Da Doo Run Run… and other hooks in the days of their youth and whose voice are still strong today. Their names: Merry Clayton. The Waters. Darlene Love. Lisa Fischer. Tata Vega. Judith Hill. Claudia Lennear.
Director Morgan Neville cuts back and forth among them, weaving in bits of music and comments from the stars they sang for. And we hear from and watch the women themselves, talking and still singing today. There is a sense of energy, of jubilation and of honesty to this movie, a feeling of being behind the scenes, sitting at a table in a free wheeling conversation with some remarkable people. But this is a movie that also takes a bit of time to get comfortable with because in the early going it seems so unfocused, so meandering, so trying to find its direction and traction. But, at some point, director Neville gets it all together and it feels extraordinary. These women deserve time in the spotlight and this movie finally gives it to them. At the end, the audience – the whole audience – applauded and for good reason. This is a terrific piece of entertainment.