The FBI spent years surveilling the "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin, trying to gauge how involved she was with the civil rights movement, communism and the Black Power movement, a . Her face is largely expressionless, and she scarcely says a word to the audience. "The other day somebody asked me, 'What's the historical meaning of this church?'" Viewers find their seats inside The New Temple Missionary Baptist Church for the LA screening of Amazing Grace. Perhaps theres an insecurity at work that we cant ever fully understand. Amazing Grace is a live album by American singer Aretha Franklin. Its expected to say that it is eternal, because the trope is a trope, and also because it is true. The album was a critical and commercial success, selling over two million copies in the United States alone and earning a double platinum certification. You can see, during the first night, rows of empty seats in the back (by the second night, its a full house, complete with Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts lurking in the last row). Aretha Franklin recorded her live album "Amazing Grace" over two nights in 1972. . He was a man of faith and good humor. As choir member Mary Hall said, Alex created the sound of Amazing Grace. He was incredible.. After the choir members take their places, Franklin follows them. "All the technical difficulties are fixed and when I saw it, it was such a moving and powerful experience, I thought that everybody deserved to see it," Owens says. Alexander Hamilton, who died Jan. 28 at age 77, was a conductor and arranger who was able to add movie star to his credits in the last years of his life. Aretha Louise Franklin (/ r i / -REE-th; March 25, 1942 - August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. We take it for granted its like air or water. Otherwise, she comes across as almost bashful. And the tears and the laughter and the fourth-dimensional feeling of the presence of something larger engulfed the church. Aretha Franklin and members of the Southern California Community Choir in a still from the documentary Amazing Grace. "And I said, 'Well, you know, it's like what Mozart's church or Bach's church is, this is what this church is for gospel music. . Mar 21. In 2019, Alexander Hamilton was recognized by Los Angeles County with a special proclamation, as Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas commended him for a long-lasting and outstanding career in the music industry, and for all that you have done and continue to do in the lives of musical artists all over the world. Hamilton began playing piano at 4 and began his professional career at 9 when he played organ on a gospel recording. C.L. The Southern California Community Choir is a choir founded by the Rev. In this March 13, 1972 file photo, Aretha Franklin holds her Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blue performance of the song "Bridge Over Troubled Waters," in New York. Kenneth "Ken" Lupper organ, additional keyboards, Pancho Morales congas, additional percussion, Aretha Franklin - producer, musical arrangements, Rev. She was identified in a 1969 memo titled "Possible Racial Violence, Urban Areas, Racial Matters" when, in the year before, Denver concertgoers rioted after she refused to perform at the Red Rocks amphitheater due to not being properly paid. The choir talked amongst and to themselves, now and 47 years before. Credit. "I've known Aretha since she was like 13 years old," Kendrix says. Aretha Fanklin photographed in London on July 28, 1972. Directors Alan Elliott Sydney Pollack Stars Aretha Franklin James Cleveland Alexander Hamilton See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist Added by 18.1K users 41 User reviews The recording was originally released as a double album on June 1, 1972, by Atlantic Records. Fortunately, technological advancements enabled Elliott to sync the sound. MusicHound R & B: The Essential Album Guide, Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies, "Review: 'Amazing Grace,' Aretha Franklin", "Sydney Pollack's 'Amazing Grace': The Tortured 4-Decade History of the Film Aretha Franklin Wants to Stop", "TIFF: Aretha Franklin Doc 'Amazing Grace' Screening Canceled", "Aretha Franklin's 'Amazing Grace' concert film finally debuts", "Aretha Franklin Didn't Want You to See This Movie. Fans file into The New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts, Los Angeles for the screening of Amazing Grace. C.L. Franklin (who takes the pulpit on the second night at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church), Arethas musical foundation was built on gospel, the shape of her vowels and heights of her range strengthened and vaulted by scripture. The Civil Rights activist and spiritual leader used to greet the attendees of Franklins birthday dinners ever year, which he noted before blessing the documentary and leading the room in a brief prayer: You gave us a queen, and that queen never forgot it was you who gave her that crown., Sabrina Owens, Franklins niece, and Elliott also offered introductory remarks, as did producer Tirrell D. Whittley, who acknowledged the mythic reputation of the film. Formed under the direction of late gospel pianist and singer Reverend James Cleveland (1932 -- 1991), the Southern California Community Choir is one of the world's foremost gospel groups. In addition Aretha Franklin and the Southern California Choir. With "Amazing Grace," Alex invented a language of music that a generation grew up with as if it were sacred and holy because it is.. Posts. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google. 'To Catch a Killer' Review: Shailene Woodley Hunts a Mass Shooter on the Loose in Baltimore, Danny Mastersons Second Rape Trial Gets Underway: Heres Why the Case Is Back in Court, Killers of the Flower Moon Author Visited Scorseses Set and Left Thinking Itll Be Bracing, Breathtaking and Powerful, Brett Goldstein on Being a Fing Sex Symbol, Wanting More Ted Lasso and Breaking His Rule of Not Smiling in Photos, The Best Celebrity-Designed Sunglasses to Wear This Summer, Netflix Proceeds With Love Is Blind Reunion Taping After Technical Issues Crater Live Broadcast Plans, WGA Approves Strike Authorization With 97.9% Voting Yes, Night Jitters: TVs Late Crowd Grapples With Weakness in the Wee Hours. In addition to singing for the Lord, the choir has lent their inspiring harmonies to albums by Kansas, Elton John, and Arlo Guthrie. . With Amazing Grace, Alex invented a language of music that a generation grew up with as if it were sacred and holy because it is. In this March 13, 1972 file photo, Aretha Franklin holds her Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blue performance of the song "Bridge Over Troubled Waters," in New York. Welcome to ArethaFranklin's mailing list! Share. Reverend Dr. Alexander Hamilton, who had directed the choir and arranged many of the songs, led his singers in two spirituals from a wheelchair. James Cleveland. Franklin, who died in 2018, was monitored ahead of several performances and attendances she made for civil rights groups, such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, whose first president was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Informants mentioned Franklin, a Detroit native, in separate memos for possibly appearing at the SCLC's 1967 and 1968 national conventions, in Atlanta and Memphis, respectively. 2, Aretha Franklin and Alexander Hamilton in performance, as seen in the film Amazing Grace, Alexander Hamilton and the surviving members of the Amazing Grace choir before the films regional L.A. premiere in 2019, Alexander Hamilton receives a proclamation from the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, accompanied by film producer Alan Elliott and Hamiltons wife, Alicia, Alexander Hamilton, choir director and arranger for Aretha Franklin, at Amazing Grace premiere in 2018, Frank Ocean Jolts Coachella Festival With Aimless, WTF Headlining Set. Franklins father, civil rights activist and Baptist minister C. L. Franklin, was exceptionally sharp in a crisp blue shirt and tie. To someone familiar with the Amazing Grace album front to back, it's something of shock to see the conditions under which it was recorded. C.L. James Cleveland. But Homecomings one-year gap is nothing compared to how long its taken for us to see Amazing Grace. Owens, who was 14 at the time, wasn't there those two nights. Shes aware that her singing voice can do all the heavy lifting, and she lets it. During the second night, she dons a mint green paisley cape dress and gold chain necklaces. Riding the crest of musical energy like a zen surfer, Alex brought out the best in his choir and in doing so revealed a common healing musical experience that brought the world together. Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for REV JAMES CLEVELAND & THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY CHOIR - Having Church CD at the best online prices at eBay! She plays havoc with the traditional styles but she sings 'like never before' on record. Her artistry, her genius and her spirit are present in every note and every frame of the film. Aretha Franklin and members of the Southern California Community Choir in a still from the documentary Amazing Grace . For every triumphant verse of Franklins, we see the tearful fits of unbridled joy she inspires; for every moment of silence, we see how Franklin measures it as she prepares to draw breathe, lay her fingers on the waiting piano keys or listen to the custodian of the mic, be it her father or Cleveland. The Queen of Soul, sweating and belting in, More Women Accuse YouTuber Andrew Callaghan of Sexual Misconduct and Assault, Welcome to the Age of Permanent Pessimism. Reviewing for Rolling Stone in 1972, Jon Landau commented: "Amazing Grace is more a great Aretha Franklin album than a great gospel album. Mary Hall remembers the first time she heard Aretha Franklin sing Amazing Grace. It was during a dress rehearsal inside of the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. She is accompanied by the Southern California Community Choir, directed by Alexander Hamilton, positioned behind her as Franklin sings from the church's lectern or from the piano to a mostly African-American audience. Amazing Grace, the Sydney Pollack-directed documentary that provides the visual foil to Franklins album, offers an additional testament to the soul-shaking gospel according to Aretha: to hear it is to believe it, but to see it in action is to understand why fans have long since accepted Amazing Grace as a sacred text on its own. The Reverend James Cleveland, the evenings master of ceremonies, stumbled over to a pew and folded his husky frame in half, the curve of his back rising and falling with every sob as Franklin scaled yet another cloud-brushing note in the climax of a hymn. The DOC NYC congregation proceeded to raise their hands and voices and sang along with Franklin, Cleveland and the choir throughout the film. As of 2017, it stands as the best-selling disc of Franklin's entire fifty-plus year recording career as well as the highest-selling live gospel music album of all time. Aretha Franklin was coming to. The rhythm section, featuring drummer Bernard Purdie, bassist Chuck Rainey, and guitarist Cornell Dupree, is unflappable, holding down a thick, supple foundation that leaves plenty of room for the choir and piano to extend their notes toward heaven. 00:38 Aretha Franklin. Their collaboration with Aretha Franklin, Amazing Grace, recorded during two live performances at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, reached the pop Top Ten and remains one of the best-selling gospel-pop crossover albums of all time. You just dont see the moments the mics didnt pick up, which illustrate how deeply moving it was to be in the room that night. Amazing Grace Film, LLC By Natalie Rinn April 9, 2019 Late in 1971, some unlikely news spread among the Southern California Community Choir in Los Angeles. Explore releases from The Southern California Community Choir at Discogs. "And so, there was this bipolarity to it," Elliot says. The Boys Choir of Harlem, /video/never-gonna-break-my-faith-official-video-ft-the-boys-choir-of-harlem, The Atlantic Singles Collection 1967-197, A Brand New Me: Aretha Franklin With The. [8] However, Franklin's original contract for the film was later discovered at Warner Bros., and Elliott planned to show the film at the Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and Chicago International Film Festival in 2015. Without Alex, our ears and our souls would not have known what we were missing! But with the right production values, it can cross over all barriers and reach more people.. The 1972 album went on to become the best-selling live gospel album and while those live sessions were filmed, the Queen of Soul did not want the concert film to be released. When you listen through Amazing Grace Franklins 1972 gospel double album that would go on to become her best-selling LP, with more than 2 million copies sold to date you hear her excellence and the subsequent, unanimous approval of every person present at Los Angeles New Temple Missionary Baptist Church for those two nights that January. hide caption. Alex and his wife Alicia became family. On night two, the vibe is more confident and celebratory, and things quickly become rapturously chaotic. Elliot recalls. Unfortunately, he failed to capture the film takes with a clapperboard, so it was impossible to synchronize the audio with the images. 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Reel-To-Reel, 7 ips, ", 4-Track Stereo, 7" Cine Reel, Album, Aretha Franklin - How I Got Over (Official Audio), Aretha Franklin - Mary, Don't You Weep (Official Audio), Aretha Franklin - Never Grow Old (Official Audio), Aretha Franklin - Wholy Holy (Official Audio), Aretha Franklin - Climbing Higher Mountains (Official Audio), Aretha Franklin - God Will Take Care of You (Official Audio), Aretha Franklin - Precious Lord, Take My Hand / You've Got a Friend (Official Audio), Aretha Franklin - What a Friend We Have in Jesus (Official Audio), Aretha Franklin - Remarks by Reverend C L. Franklin (Official Audio), Aretha Franklin - Give Yourself to Jesus (Official Audio), Aretha Franklin - You'll Never Walk Alone (Official Audio), Aretha Franklin - Amazing Grace (Official Audio), Aretha Franklin - Precious Memories (Official Audio), Aretha Franklin - Old Landmark (Official Audio), Medley: Precious Lord, Take My Hand / You've Got A Friend. It was recorded in January 1972 at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, with Reverend James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir accompanying Franklin in performance. Tim Greiving/NPR How I was thrilled to watch his hands play these voicings that I grew up with. Verified. Especially in the black church, we dress from head to toe. On 1972 album 'Amazing Grace,' Aretha Franklin "sings like never before on record," writes Jon Landeau. We traveled to the Telluride Film Festival where Meryl Streep fan-girled Alex and, through many dangers, getting Alexs masterpiece of Amazing Grace into the public consciousness. 50's & 60's SongsGRACIAS a los msicos que han creado e interpretado todas estas maravillas!GRACIAS a la tecnologa que nos permite acceder fcilmente a el. (Pollack died in 2008.) He captured the experience of being there. I remember the second that Amazing Grace really came through her and just exploded. "No further investigation is being conducted by the Los Angeles office concerning Aretha Franklin," the memo said. Aretha Franklin With James Cleveland* & The Southern California Community Choir - Amazing Grace. I can hardly talk about it. Aretha Franklin with members of the Southern California Community Choir and the Rev. But there was another major obstacle: Aretha Franklin. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY CHOIR: (Singing) Old landmark. Dojemn snmek o jedn z nejlepch zpvaek jazzu, soulu i gospelu. Franklin, was also a close friend of King's, and she went on to work with King, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and others. Oh Happy Day. Aretha Franklin's 1972 Live Album 'Amazing Grace' Captured The Queen at the Height of Her Powers 08/16/2018 . Unless otherwise indicated, all tracks (except for "Remarks by Rev. Aretha Franklin's peerless musical achievements are Black excellence made real. 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