The new year is here and we wanted to add some Sparkle to it, so we’ve chosen the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, to kick off this year’s Record of the Month Club.
The 1976 film “Sparkle” features a soundtrack created by two Soul giants – Aretha and Curtis. Whilst the movie stars – Irene Cara and Lonette McKee (primarily) – sang the songs on the film, the soundtrack to Sparkle features Aretha Franklin, accompanied by composer and producer Curtis Mayfield recorded at his Curtom studio in Chicago.
This record is available for the first time since its original release in 1976. Club Members will be getting a copy of the limited, crystal-clear vinyl pressing as part of Rhino Record’s “Start Your Ear Off Right” series.
More info on the film:
Sparkle is a 1976 American musical drama film directed by Sam O’Steen and released by Warner Bros. Pictures. With a plot inspired by the history of The Supremes, Sparkle is a period film set in Harlem, New York during the late 1950s and early 1960s. It presents the story of a musical girl group that ends up breaking apart due to individual issues each member faces. This film not only “recreates the magic of a special period in American history, but it explores the effect of Harlem’s musical and social culture on the rest of the world”, as well as the linkages to black power.
The film received generally negative reviews at the time of release and was a box office disappointment. It has since developed a cult following. The film was remade in 2012 starring Whitney Houston in her final film role.
