People queued around the block last night at the Randwick Ritz to see the film of Aretha Franklin’s 1972 two-night performance at a Baptist Church in the Watts district of Los Angeles. The gospel genre is loved by a by road church… atheists, Buddhists, Christians, Jews… everyone who has a soul for soul and the blues. The film was preceded by an excellent live performance of gospel songs by the Café of the Gate of Salvation, directed by Dynes Austin. The solo by Cheryl Craig was magnificent. Cheryl is a Detroit African American who has lived in Australia since 2002. She entranced the audience last night.
The two consecutive night performance at the New Temple Baptist Church, with Aretha accompanied by the Southern California Community Choir, was filmed by Sydney Pollack with five cameras. The film was delayed for release due to technical problems converting the film to the new technology. Aretha began as a church-based gospel singer then moved into the commercial field with Respect, A Natural Woman and Bridge Over Troubled Waters being just some of her hits. It was her idea to return to the church for this performance and the recording of the two nights.
The documentary is 95% singing, and thankfully, only 5% rehearsal chatter or interviews. This is cinema verite at it’s very best. It’s all about the music and its effect on the audience. Aretha’s trance-like singing swells with emotion as souring highs, reverberating lows and hums echo around the church. She has a four-octave range. She often sang or hummed a single syllable while moving between different notes in succession. The audience in the church swooned, fainted and danced. The audience at the Randwick Ritz last night, clapped and cheered.
What effect did Aretha have here in Australia in 1972? Torres Strait singer Christine Anu has said that Aretha is one of her greatest influences and an inspiration to black pride. “She was the greatest soul singer of all time. Her magic introduced me to a whole new audience and for this, I will forever love her,” Christine created the Aretha Franklin Songbook in 2002 and has performed the Aretha works many times around Australia. September 19 she is at the Brass Monkey in Cronulla, singing the ‘Songbook’.
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