By José Alberto Hermosillo
Relevant and freshly made, “Spinning Gold” tells the untold story of visionary record producer Neil Bogart, the man behind America’s biggest hits of the 1970s such as “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Love to Love You, Baby,” “Hot Stuff,” “Last Dance,” “On the Radio,” “Midnight Train to Georgia,” “Lean on Me,” “YMCA,” and “Beth.”
Neil Bogart, known as “the star maker,” discovered and promoted some of the most iconic singers to stardom—Donna Summer, Gladys Knight, Bill Withers, The Isley Brothers, The Village People, and KISS.
 | |
|
The life of the visionary record producer hits the big screen in an insightful and nostalgic biopic, where viewers can see not only Neil’s personal life and his relationships with future stars, but also get dirt on the record industry. He was a hustler, a gambler, and addicted to heavy drugs. To pay for the engagement ring, Neil worked in a soft-porn movie. This shows how far he was willing to go. Without being judgmental, it was a time when people enjoyed life to the fullest with plenty of sex and drugs, just before the AIDS pandemic, the war on drugs, and corporate greed.
Neil had to navigate betrayals, payola violations, and lawsuits to establish Casablanca Records as the most successful independent recording company in American history. The competition with other studios was intense, mainly against Universal, Warner Bros., Motown, and Arista.
 |
| Timothy Scott Bogart, “Spinning Gold.” Photo by José Hermosillo. Copyright © Festival in LA |
According to director and producer Timothy Scott Bogart, everything the movie depicts, including Neil’s issues with the Jewish, Italian, and Black mobs, was real.
Timothy did not focus on specific moments in his father’s life but instead emphasized the chronology of the music. Every song Neil Bogart produced at Casablanca Records carries a compelling narrative because the rhythms from 1974 to 1977 build toward the drama’s climax, avoiding an episodic structure.
In “Spinning Gold,” Timothy Scott Bogart accurately captures Neil’s essence and positivity, advancing the story as his father did throughout his life, including producing each song and facing challenges such as going to Berlin to get Donna Summer.
Timothy Scott Bogart wrote the lines with musicality and freedom. He allowed the script to become something more. The story is told through costumes, makeup, set design, and mainly music. He aimed to make a “musical movie,” not “a movie with music” in it. Timothy’s insight was to realize how scared his father was at every stage of his professional and personal life.
Timothy aimed to pay visual homage to the era with neon, electric, and highly colorful images, costumes, and sets. The extras in the film were professional dancers who were easy to keep in frame.
 | |
|
In 1999, he pitched the project to Paramount, and even Justin Timberlake was attached to play Neil Bogart at one point.
The film’s casting can be questionable because fans remember their idols at the peak of their careers after those diamonds were polished. Actress and singer Tayka Paxs has the confidence, innocence, and powerful voice to portray Donna Summer, not just someone who looks like her. Similarly, George Clinton’s case is comparable because rapper Wiz Khalifa is playing the legendary singer and original performer. Other actors were comedians capable of delivering the performance.
The director states that in his movie, he did not want someone impersonating another person but wanted genuine acting. Following in his father’s footsteps, Timothy is always fascinated by discovering new artists.
 |
| Jeremy Jordan as Neil Bogard, “Spinning Gold.” Photo courtesy of Movie Platform. |
Two months before the production, he went to Broadway and met Jeremy Jordan, who could captivate the audience with his charisma and musical talent. In “Spinning Gold,” Jeremy Jordan delivers a great performance, confidently portraying the independent record producer Neil Bogart.
The sound quality of “Spinning Gold” is excellent, and the soundtrack is detailed. The original songs were not simply remastered; they were re-recorded with new voices. They dedicated a lot of time to designing the film’s sound and mixing different tracks.
To obtain rights and access to such important songs, in 2009 Timothy Scott Bogart presented the film to record companies as an independent project. He secured lower rates for the entire song catalog, thereby avoiding the need for “needle drop” rights for 20-second song clips. That was not the case with “Spinning Gold.”
Donna Summer - Last Dance (Academy Awards,1978)
Suppose they have already secured the rights to those timeless hits. Why not recreate some of the most iconic moments associated with them, or at least mention those specific events, such as Donna Summer performing the award-winning song “Last Dance” at the Oscars, the crown jewel of the golden era of disco?
Long before the concepts of inclusion and diversity gained prominence, the independent record label Casablanca had African Americans, Jewish, and white people working together to achieve their core goal: bringing the best artists, composers, and theme songs to the masses.
In “Spinning Gold,” the vibrant musical montages add style to the film but need to be more than enough to balance the extended-family melodrama. The audience craves music, awards, and memorabilia from the entertainment industry. In other words, less drug use and more immersive creativity from the visionary artist and record producer who transcended his era to influence today’s music industry.
 |
| Timothy Scott Bogart and film critic José Hermosillo. Copyright © Festival in LA |
No comments:
Post a Comment