“When you wish upon a star, your dreams will take you very far, yeah.” The lyrics from Earth, Wind & Fire’s Grammy-winning song ‘Shining Star’ couldn’t be more appropriate for the band, this joyous documentary or the festival that hosts it.
As the Tribeca Film Festival marks its 25th anniversary, there are a lot of reasons to celebrate good times. And who could be a better choice to ignite the festivities and a nice-feeling aura than the world’s most happy-go-lucky house band? Oscar-winning music documentarian Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson (Summer of Soul…) judiciously brings the backstory of the 57-year-old R&B, funk, soul, jazz fusion, pop and Afro-pop group into the spotlight.
Yes, Questlove has assembled a tight tech crew. Editors Matt Cascella, Jessica Miller, Andrew Morrow and Timothy Ziegler piece together concert footage, old interviews, new ones and testimonials that lift the veil. What went on backstage behind the fancy pyrotechnic shows? Who was zooming who? The well-paced film examines bandleader Maurice White’s creativity and his domineering leadership style while following the changing cast of band members whose numbers grew and shrank over time. With his unobtrusive camera work, cinematographer Emily Topper’s lens never intrudes but is placed where it needs to be.
Some viewers will embrace the bright shiny superstars who give their personal opinions of White, the band and the group’s significance as a cultural phenomenon. After all, they were and are artists who brought all kinds of people together to hear their music and see their performances—all around the world. Getting Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s opinions is a coup. Adding thoughts by Stevie Wonder, whose famous song ‘I Wish’ was influenced by EW&F’s ‘Shining Star,’ provides a link between greats. Hearing H.E.R., Flea, Booker T. and Lionel Richie’s thoughts on the group’s significance is enlightening too. The testimonials to the band’s originality, musical genius, Afrocentric perspective and staying power are impressive—albeit pretty standard for music docs.
None of the aforementioned folks need to do a hard sell. The fun music and electric performances do that. As the footage reminds all, it’s hard to not want to turn bedroom lights down low when you hear ‘After the Love Has Gone.’ Everyone jumps out of their seats whenever ‘September’ cranks up. And to this day, anyone who hears the harmony on ‘Boogie Wonderland’ is filled with unbridled joy.
Solid documentaries delve into the good and the bad. This one does that fairly well. It recollects the group founder’s beginnings and ingenuity and also his reckless behavior, gallivanting and superstar complex. Few may remember or know that White was a drummer for the Grammy-winning Ramsey Lewis Trio. From 1966-1970 White was the percussionist, Cleveland Eaton was on bass and Lewis on piano in one of the band’s many incarnations. That background solidified White’s musicianship, and glimpses of those days reveal that White was surprisingly bashful and intimidated at the idea of standing in front of a mic. What a metamorphosis! From shy guy to brassy, bossy lead singer, futuristic thinker, ethereal soul man, space-age artist and the ultimate showman.
Along the way band members like singer Philip Bailey, younger brother and bassist Verdine White and drummer-turned-singer Ralph Johnson fill in the missing details. The spaces between Grammy wins, worldwide touring, recording and mercurial evolution. Viewers learn the hard, cold facts of artists’ lives in a business that didn’t always treat them fairly—or pay them well. Broke? Sometimes. Deep in debt? Yes! The band members tell all, and not all of it flatters White or his management skills. Or his husbanding or fathering. It’s the kind of true-story depth you’d read in a Rolling Stone article. But it’s here on film. Sobering, illuminating—yet fun! White: “I wanted to reach a universal audience.” Jimmy Jam: “You’re thinking they’re coming from Africa or outer space.”
Questlove relies heavily on the familiar music-documentary formula of archival footage, celebrity commentary and retrospective interviews. The approach works but rarely surprises. That said, he exhibits a steady hand, pulls together the right artists, footage and moments. Maybe a bit less of the Obamas, who had EW&F perform at their inauguration party, and a bit more from friends and musicians more integral to the group might give this doc more cred and less fluff. For example, legendary clothing designer Bill Whitten, who gave the group its iconic space-age costume look, is barely a footnote. Whitten is deceased, but his influence was major and clothes further established their Afro-futuristic sensibilities. He, like others, deserved more time. Also, wouldn’t it be nice if the name of the film was just Earth, Wind & Fire, and didn’t include the unnecessary, tongue-tying hard-to-comprehend subtitle about celestial stuff that just seems irrelevant in a movie title?
This doc treads much of the same territory as Questlove’s Sly Stone bio/doc Sly Lives! (a.k.a., the Burden of Black Genius). Similar recollections of pioneering, funk/soul bands with great crossover appeal. That’s an observation, one that is neither pro nor con. Just true. Questlove has become ‘the’ Black music archivist. That’s a blessing and a great responsibility. He’s the chosen one. This is one more precious doc in his ever-expanding library.
In the end, nostalgia and a celebratory feel will envelop all who see and listen. Especially baby boomers and Gen Xers who can mark milestones in their lives by EW&F hits. A “Shining star comes into view and shines its watchful light on you, yeah.” It also shines on the 25th Tribeca Film Festival.
