Waste of time

Absolutely Fantastic

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Wonderful exploration of the surprisingly small world of backing singers in the US music industry.One observation by Sting gets to the heart of it, when he says the difference between the talented singer and a star is down to circumstance, luck, destiny ... whatever, but that the best people deal with it. He's not being harsh, just accepting that only a very few have the completeness to achieve stardom. Or maybe he means the best are those who survive and live good lives.We're shown the greatness of heart and the bitterness of failure among those who don't have that completeness. In the end it is sad, but nothing can take away from the commitment of the performers, as their faces light up in remembrance of glory or grow blank with despair. As one guy says, If you get hooked on music you are forked! A lot of emotion, but two especially powerful moments, with the performances of Gimme Shelter: the original singer says she decided to "blow them out of this room" and the isolated track of her vocal cracks, and the later singer overwhelms a live audience.

20 Feet from StardomThe worst part of being a backup singer is you're in the path of the lead singer's farts.Mind you, Mick Jagger would be the one emitting gas in this documentary.In the shadow of the spotlight, women, like, Darlene Love, Merry Clayton and Sheryl Crow, have been overlooked in the annals of music history for their supporting role – until now.From their inception due to breakouts within existing girl groups - The Supremes – to Caucasian rockers - Bruce Springsteen, Sting - who utilize African American singers to add credibility to their ditties, 20 Feet from Stardom explores every angle of this misunderstood contributor.Through interviews with the backups themselves as well as the artists and producers they work with, viewers are treated to a fascinating account of the recording industry's true underdog.And contrary to popular belief, backup singers weren't invented because Phil Spector might shoot the lead singer.Green Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

This is a study of those backup singers possessed of as much talent as the stars they work for, but who have somehow not managed to ascend to show business' top tier. Partly this is due to lack of will; partly due to luck; and partly due to the fact that perhaps talent is not enough to ensure one's name emblazoned on marquees outside theaters.Among those interviewed include producer Lou Adler, singers Patti Austin, Merry Clayton, Amy Christian and Carole Childs (among others), Mick Jagger, Stevie Wonder and Sheryl Crow. What emerges most tangibly from Morgan Neville's film is that there exists a definite pecking-order between stars and their backing singers; although Wonder and Jagger (especially) praise the efforts of those who have worked so hard to make their albums memorable, they regard the singers as secondary beings. In Jagger's case, there is a definite sense that he treats them as commodities, to be engaged by producers and to be available whenever the star requires.The careers of these singers stretch way back to the mid-1960s; and some of them continue working to this day. For the most part they are philosophical about their careers; even to be a backing singer on some of the greatest hits of the last five decades is something memorable. But we cannot but help empathize with their underlying disappointment as they reflect on what might have been, had the breaks gone their way. There are some memorable performances in 20 FEET FROM STARDOM, which make the film eminently watchable, but the overall mood is elegaic, a longing for what might have happened, even though most of the singers have enjoyed financially successful existences.

One of the things that I liked about the film was showing a part of the music industry that is often not examined very often which is the background singers the ones who deliver the vocals heard in many popular singers, while I commend those who work their ads off to get in the music industry and seeing what had to be done to succeed, the documentary has interviews from famous background singers such as Darlene love known for playing truth murtaugh in the lethal weapon films and Judith hill who was s contestant on the fifth season of the voice. Overall I would say the documentary does a great job showing the impact that background singers have and their importance as well.