It's pouring here in Cobourg, Ontario. Seems like a great day to talk about one of rock music's most iconic rain-soaked performances! Enjoy "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls, live in the rain from Buffalo.
The Stars of Stage and Screen…Song #72/250 AND Places Everyone! Song #22/50…Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls from the original Motion Picture Soundtrack of the Film City of Angels https://tommacinneswriter.com/2025/05/22/the-stars-of-stage-and-screensong-72-250-and-places-everyone-song-22-50iris-by-the-goo-goo-dolls-from-the-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-of-the-film-city-of-angels/ ##BuffaloNewYork, ##Iris, ##Music, ##PlacesEveryone, ##Rain, ##StarsOfStageAndScreen, ##TheGooGooDolls

Fwiw, my thoughts on the recent US election and on the meaning of Remembrance Day going forward. #Peace

Keepin’ It Classy…Composition #52/52: Fanfare For The Common Man by Aaron Copland (+) the Stars of Stage and Screen…Song #72/250: Hymn For The Fallen by John Williams from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of the Film Saving Private Ryan https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/11/15/keepin-it-classycomposition-52-52-fanfare-for-the-common-man-by-aaron-copland-the-stars-of-stage-and-screensong-72-250-hymn-for-the-fallen-by-john-williams-from-the/ #AaronCopland, #EugeneGoossens, #JohnWilliams, #KeepinItClassy, #RemembranceDay, #SavingPrivateRyan, #StarsOfStageAndScreen

Happy All Saints Day to all who celebrate! Today's post takes a look at a film about good people with kind hearts and how finding your place in this world can fill your heart with contentment. Local Hero features a wonderful score by guitarist Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits, too.

The Stars of Stage and Screen…Song #71/250: Going Home by Mark Knopfler from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of the Film Local Hero https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/11/01/the-stars-of-stage-and-screensong-71-250-going-home-by-mark-knopfler-from-the-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-of-the-film-local-hero/ #LocalHero #MarkKnopfler #StarsOfStageAndScreen

You may know Lisa Loeb from her one big hit song but there is so much more to know about this wonderful person. Life can lead you in many different directions if you have the patience to follow the path it lays before you. Enjoy!

The Stars of Stage and Screen….Song #69/250: Stay (I Missed You) by Lisa Loeb from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to the Film Reality Bites https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/10/17/the-stars-of-stage-and-screen-song-69-250-stay-i-missed-you-by-lisa-loeb-from-the-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-to-the-film-reality-bites/ #EthanHawke, #FullerHouse, #LisaLoeb, #RealityBites, #StarsOfStageAndScreen, #Stay(IMissedYou)

Today's post is about the award winning Broadway musical Newsies. Newsies is based on the true story of the Newsboys Strike of 1899 which pitted 5000 young boys against the might of the Hearst/Pulizter publishing empires. This strike changed child labour laws.

The Stars of Stage and Screen…Song #67/250: Seize the Day from the Original Cast Recording for the Musical Newsies https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/06/20/the-stars-of-stage-and-screensong-67-250-seize-the-day-from-the-original-cast-recording-for-the-musical-newsies/ #Broadway, #JosephPulitzer, #Newsies, #StarsOfStageAndScreen, #TradeUnions, #WilliamRandolphHearst

The Stars of Stage and Screen…Song #66/250: The Impossible Dream by Richard Kiley from the Original Cast Recording of the Musical The Man of La Mancha https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/06/12/the-stars-of-stage-and-screensong-66-250-the-impossible-dream-by-richard-kiley-from-the-original-cast-recording-of-the-musical-the-man-of-la-mancha/ #Broadway #ManOfLaMancha #TheImpossibleDream #RichardKiley #Musical #StarsOfStageAndScreen

Have you ever been to a dinner party or found yourself in a bar or some other social gathering where you know some of the people but not all of them? Then, as you sit there, someone starts telling the most amazing story about sailing solo around the world, or escaping a burning building while rescuing a litter of kittens or else, meeting a famous celebrity and getting the better of the encounter. All the while, you find yourself sitting there, mouth agape, as you listen to someone you are meeting for the first time who suddenly seems like the most interesting person in the world? Well, being drawn to storytelling as I am, I have met a few interesting people in interesting places over the years and have heard all manner of tales. So, it was with some excitement on my part that I got to watch the Academy award-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man the other day.  Not only did this documentary win an Oscar for itself, it also won the British Film Association version of Best Documentary of the Year, as well as winning the Sundance Film Festival top prize and just about every other prestigious prize for documentaries that were available to be won. Searching for Sugar Man won all of these awards because the story that it depicts is highly unusual and is very unique to its time period (which was the early 1970s).  It is a story of myth, of poetry, of humility, of the power of music and the importance of the Arts when it comes to giving hope to people in times of darkness. Searching for Sugar Man is a story that could not be told in today’s modern times because privacy is so hard to maintain. But back in the early 1970s, it was possible to be the face of a political movement and yet, be completely mysterious and unknown. It was the absolute anonymity of the man who sits at the focal point of this documentary that fuels this story. The documentary clocks in at approximately an hour and a half but the time spent watching it flew by in the blink of an eye. The story of the global search for this mysterious shaman-like figure known only as Rodriguez will leave your own mouth agape. It is truly that interesting. And the music is terrific, which is also one of the points of this film. As always in cases such as this, I intend to discuss the film in greater detail in the paragraphs to come. I will place the trailer for Searching for Sugar Man here. Watch it now. If you haven’t seen this film and think that you may wish to do so then stop reading this post, go and watch a terrific documentary and then come back and finish the post at another time. If you have watched the documentary or don’t think that you will then, by all means, continue reading below. In either case, thanks for being here. See you soon. 

Welcome back. SPOILER ALERT time!

I hope that you gave the documentary trailer a try because it is hard for me to watch that and not want to relive the story of the search for Sixto Rodriguez all over again. For me, one of the things that makes Searching For Sugar Man such a stellar tale is that it works on so many different levels at the same time. 

First of all, it is the character study of one of the most talented and yet humble people I have ever heard about. As I watched his story unfold, I found myself thinking that Sixto Rodriguez was a cross between Bob Dylan and Mother Teresa and even at that, it didn’t quite capture this mysterious, quiet, profound man’s spirit properly. So for much of the documentary, the true search is to try to get to know who this wise man really was and if how he seemed to be to others was how he really was deep inside himself.

Secondly, this is the story of music in Detroit at the height of Motown Record Company’s fame and power. I’m going to assume that anyone reading this post has an idea of what the “Motown sound” was like and who some of the main stars were that emerged from the hit-making factory founded by Berry Gordy III. Motown was such a colossus in a city that came to bear that name as its own, that it would not seem improbable for someone playing quietly down by the river to go unnoticed and unheard. The politics of the music business in Detroit at the time played a key part in how the story of Sixto Rodriguez came to be and why he was able to disappear so completely while continuing to live and work in plain sight.

Thirdly, Searching For Sugar Man is the story of the importance of anthems for people in need of hope. The Arts has long been a source of inspiration for those in troubled times. It is no wonder that Jewish people continued to sing and draw while struggling to exist in the death camps of the Holocaust. The act of creativity gave them a reason to live. In Searching for Sugar Man, it was the inexplicable appearance of the music of Sixto Rodriguez, halfway around the world in South Africa during the height of Apartheid, that caused many to rally to his music and the essence of his spirit as a human. And all the while, he had no idea that his mysterious countenance had become the face of the resistance movement by a small but determined faction of liberal whites in that country.

Fourth, this is a music documentary. Searching for Sugar Man does a great job of introducing the rest of us to the music catalogue of Sixto Rodriguez. His music reminds me of Bob Dylan in terms of the substance of his poetry and in the vocal stylings of his singing. If you are of the opinion that the 1960s version of Bob Dylan is one of the most important and influential singers of our time then you can get some sense of what a revelation it was for the world to undercover music that rates just as highly in the minds of many. 

Fifth, as much as the politics of the music business in Detroit in the late 1960s and early 1970s had a lot to do with what happened to the career of Sixto Rodriguez for several decades, it was the politics of Apartheid in South Africa that made this story possible on the other end of things. At the time that Apartheid was in full swing, the power of the South African government was absolute. As part of this power, censorship was practiced. Anyone who spoke out against the policies of the government was subject to being banned. There was no such thing as freedom of the press or freedom for citizens to gather their own information and communicate information to others. Everything was very strictly controlled. There were no exceptions. So, when the music of Rodriguez first began to gain popularity with young white academic types, the anti-establishment nature of what was being sung about earned Sixto Rodriguez a ban, even though he never offered an opinion on South African politics, had never traveled to that country and never knew that his music was even known by anybody who lived there. Thus, the way in which the odious nature of censorship worked in South Africa helped to make the search for Sixto Rodriguez by a pair of South African fans initially more dangerous and difficult than it would have been otherwise.

Sixth, Searching for Sugar Man is a story about privacy and how much information about others we are entitled to as consumers on the information highway. We live in a world in which it has become almost impossible to enjoy any measure of privacy. One of the surest ways to be left alone is to be completely uninteresting. But even then, somebody is bound to seek access to your information at one time or another, especially if there is money to be made from that intrusive act or if doing so has political implications. To exist in anonymity in our modern society is difficult. So part of the allure of Searching For Sugar Man is watching how hard it was for the South African fans to learn almost anything at all about who this mysterious figure of Rodriguez actually was. For them, the original inspiration for their search was that they were under the impression that Rodriguez had committed suicide while on stage in the 1970s. This accounted for his “disappearance” from the world’s music scene in their minds. SPOILER ALERT: it is when they discover that the rumours of his demise were inaccurate and that Rodriguez was very much still alive that the search took on new urgency. It is in this second phase of their search that we get to discover how someone can disappear completely while hiding in plain sight. As I have said, I doubt this same scenario could unfold in our modern times. 

Finally, Searching for Sugar Man is a story of family and of love and of holding on to the original inspiration for your own dreams, even if it appears that those dreams are not going to come true. Imagine creating music or paintings or poetry because you believe in the power of the message your art conveys to the world. But then, you watch as your art gets ignored and your message appears to wither on the vine, as it were. Eventually you put your art away and stop being creative and go on about the business of trying to make a living for yourself and your family. Unbeknownst to you, your art has been discovered and celebrated by people you do not know on the other side of the world. There, your message has been received. Your art is venerated. You are respected as a prophet. And yet, you toil away doing odd jobs just to put food on your table, completely unaware that a world away your dream has come true. What a story! And the best part is that it was all real and that it ended in a very uplifting and satisfying manner for all concerned.

As a young troubadour, Sixto Rodriguez recorded two albums in Detroit called Cold Fact and Coming From Reality. Rodriguez, as he called himself on his albums, was a quiet, humble man. He was discovered singing in small bars down by the Detroit RIver. He was so shy and socially awkward that when music executives came to see him play, they found that he was actually singing quietly in a corner with his back to the stage. Despite his quiet demeanor, Rodriguez was a popular figure in the working class areas of Detroit. At one point, after his music career seemed to have come to an end, Rodriguez even ran to be mayor of Detroit. Apparently, he received 139 votes. When Rodriguez was first scouted by record executives, they were all dazzled by the beauty of his song lyrics and the intricacy of his musical arrangements. Everyone who worked with him on the two record albums felt that he was every bit as big a talent as there was in America and that he was a star in the making. And yet, his albums tanked in terms of sales. He was released from his contract after his second album failed to make any money. In the eyes of Motown execs, Rodriguez was just another singing poet that nobody really cared about paying money to hear. With no record company support or interest, Sixto Rodriguez gave up on his dream of being a professional musician and became a day labourer in Detroit. Working on the demolition of derelict properties and clearing away the debris was what he ended up doing. Meanwhile, copies of Cold Fact had made their way to South Africa in the suitcase of a white American who had moved there. Once people there began to hear this album, demand for their own copies grew exponentially. In almost no time at all, despite a ban on all things Rodriguez by the government, Cold Fact sold almost half a million copies in South Africa.  Without any realization that any of this was happening, Sixto Rodriguez had become the voice of the liberal white Apartheid resistance movement. His songs about sexual freedom and about anti establishment sentiments touched the hearts and minds of many young liberal-minded white South Africans. His music provided them with anthems around which they could gain inspiration and organize. To hear the white South Africans in the documentary speak, Sixto Rodriguez was every bit as big a musical figure in that country as Elvis or Simon and Garfunkal. It was against this backdrop of fan idolatry that two South African men decided to discover what happened to their hero (who was reportedly dead). It was through their unrelenting detective work that it was discovered that not only was Rodriguez still alive but that he had a first name and that he was living in Detroit. That a search was on for exact contact information came to the attention of one of the daughters of Sixto Rodriguez. From there, contact was arranged between the searchers and the subject of the search himself. From a series of phone calls and then, face to face meetings, the enormity of the impact of the music of Sixto Rodriguez was made clear to him. I can’t imagine what a complete mind f*ck it must have been to learn that a dream that died several decades early had, in fact, had a profound impact for tens of thousands of people who considered him to be a hero. Needless to say, Sixto Rodriguez and his family were invited to come to South Africa. A red carpet welcome was arranged. A series of completely sold out concerts were held. ***You can watch the audience reaction to his first concert in South Africa in 1998 here. Although money was now pouring into his bank accounts, Rodriguez remained humble to the end. He gave most of it away to others. He even refused to sleep in the hotel beds given to him because he didn’t want to create work for the maids the next day. So, he slept on the floor or the couch in every hotel room at which he stayed.

Not surprisingly, since the premiere of the documentary Searching for Sugar Man, interest in the two albums Cold Fact and Coming From Reality has been renewed. Sales have remained brisk and Sixto Rodriguez had finally received the financial compensation that he had always been due. What had happened to the money generated from the sales of all those South African albums was discussed in the documentary but the issue was never resolved. None of that money made its way to Sixto Rodriguez in Detroit. South African officials stated that they sent their share of payments to the record company listed on the albums. But when the record company was contacted, the documentarian was met with curt and combative replies. We are left to assume that the sales money, if it was ever even sent to Detroit, disappeared into the bank accounts of those running the company. Sixto Rodriguez never offered a complaint about how it all turned out. His demeanour through it all highlighted the stark contrast between the art of making music and the business of making music. Some were enriched because of the money involved. Some were enriched because of the poetry involved. I am fairly confident that Sixto Rodriguez cared more about the poetry. 

Sixto Rodriguez passed away in 2023 of natural causes. In the time between the release of the documentary about his life and the time of his death, Sixto Rodriguez had been accorded a second wind to his career as a performer. He appeared on many stages around the world and played at some of the biggest festivals such as at Glastonbury and Coachella. Everywhere he went, he was greeted with rapturous applause. I am sure it did his heart a lot of good to know that his music mattered and that his efforts as an artist were not in vain. All that I know for sure is that I enjoyed his music too. I feel fortunate to have become aware of Rodriguez through this documentary and that I got to learn about his incredible life story as a result. He seems to like someone who I would have liked knowing in real life. Sixto Rodriguez has more than earned his rest. Thank you for your music and your presence as a human. May you rest in peace now and forever more.

The link to the video for the song “Sugar Man” by Sixto Rodriguez can be found here. ***The lyrics version is here.

The link to a website about the life of Sixto Rodrtiguez can be found here.

***As always, all original content contained within this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared in any manner without the express written consent of the author. ©2024 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com  

https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/06/05/the-stars-of-stage-and-screensong-65-250-sugar-man-by-sixto-rodriguez-from-the-original-soundtrack-to-the-documentary-searching-for-sugar-man/

#Apartheid #Detroit #Rodriguez #SearchingForSugarMan #SouthAfrica #StarsOfStageAndScreen

In today's movie/music post we have a throwback to the golden age of movie musicals with Singin' in the Rain starring Gene Kelly and a cast of some of the world's best song and dance personnel. What a great film and what an iconic dance scene!

The Stars of Stage and Screen…Song #63/250: Singin’ in the Rain by Gene Kelly from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to the Film Singin’ in the Rain https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/05/15/the-stars-of-stage-and-screensong-63-250-singin-in-the-rain-by-gene-kelly-from-the-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-to-the-film-singin-in-the-rain/ #Dance, #DanceInFilm, #GeneKelly, ##SinginInTheRain, #StarsOfStageAndScreen

This is a music post about a movie that has almost no music in it at all! No Country For Old Men is a fascinating study in the role that music plays in how audiences interpret their cinematic experience. As music posts go, I have never written one like this before. Enjoy.

The Stars of Stage and Screen…Post #62/250: No Country for Old Men https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/05/02/the-stars-of-stage-and-screenpost-62-250-no-country-for-old-men/ #JavierBardem, #JoshBrolin, #NoCountryForOldMen, #StarsOfStageAndScreen, #TommyLeeJones #film

In today's post, we are looking at the wonderful Broadway musical Hello, Dolly! If matchmaking in the pre-Tinder days is something that interests you then check today's post out. Have a great day regardless.

The Stars of Stage and Screen…Song #61/250: Hello, Dolly! from the Original Cast Recording of the Broadway Musical Hello, Dolly! https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/04/24/the-stars-of-stage-and-screensong-61-250-hello-dolly-from-the-original-cast-recording-of-the-broadway-musical-hello-dolly/ #Broadway, #CarolChanning, #HelloDolly, #StarsOfStageAndScreen

The Stars of Stage and Screen…Song #59/250: Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to the Film Bank of Dave https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/04/05/the-stars-of-stage-and-screensong-59-250-pour-some-sugar-on-me-by-def-leppard-from-the-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-to-the-film-bank-of-dave/ #BankOfDave, #DaveFishwick, #DefLeppard, #PourSomeSugarOnMe, #StarsOfStageAndScreen

I am still working my way through this year's Academy award nominated films for Best Picture. Today I am talking about the Bradley Cooper-helmed movie Maestro. Enjoy.

The Stars of Stage and Screen…Song #58/250: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor by Gustav Mahler from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to the Film Maestro https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/03/20/the-stars-of-stage-and-screensong-58-250-symphony-no-2-in-c-minor-by-gustav-mahler-from-the-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-to-the-film-maestro/ #BradlewyCooper, #GustavMahler, #KeepinItClassy, #LeonardBernstein, #Maestro, #ResurrectionSymphony, #StarsOfStageAndScreen, #SymphonyNo2

One of the best movies in recent times, based upon one of the best sci-fi novellas of recent times, soundtracked by the saddest song in recent times. What an awesome movie Arrival turned out to be. Enjoy!

The Stars of Stage and Screen…Song #57/250: On the Nature of Daylight by Max Richter from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for the Film Arrival https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/03/06/the-stars-of-stage-and-screensong-57-250-on-the-nature-of-daylight-by-max-richter-from-the-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-for-the-film-arrival/ #arrival #EricKeisserer, #MaxRichter, #OnTheNatureOfDaylight, #StarsOfStageAndScreen, #TedChiang, #TheStoryOfYourLife

In today's post we are taking a look at the highly inventive and entertaining film NOPE by Jordan Peele. NOPE is a great film. You should check it out. You can start by clicking here. Enjoy.

The Stars of Stage and Screen…Song #56/250: Sunglasses at Night: Jean Jacket Remix from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to the Film NOPE https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/02/28/the-stars-of-stage-and-screensong-56-250-sunglasses-at-night-jean-jacket-remix-from-the-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-to-the-film-nope/ #DJScrew, #JordanPeele, #NOPE, #StarsOfStageAndScreen, #SunglassesAtNight

Happy Valentine's Day to each of you on this fine site. Today's song is from one of my favourite movies that examines true love in all of its forms.

The Stars of Stage and Screen…Song #54/250: The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore by The Walker Brothers from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for the Film Truly, Madly, Deeply. https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/02/14/the-stars-of-stage-and-screensong-54-250-the-sun-aint-gonna-shine-anymore-by-the-walker-brothers-from-the-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-for-the-film-truly-madly-deeply/ #AlanRickman, #AnthonyMinghella, #JulietStevenson, #StarsOfStageAndScreen, #TheSunAintGonnaShineAnymore, #TheWalkerBrothers, #TrulyMadlyDeeply

For those interested in Saltburn, this is your post.

The Stars of Stage and Screen…Song #53/250: Murder on the Dancefloor by Sophie Ellis-Bextor from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for the Film Saltburn https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/02/06/the-stars-of-stage-and-screensong-53-250-murder-on-the-dancefloor-by-sophie-ellis-bextor-from-the-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-for-the-film-saltburn/ ##AmazingMaisysFamilyTree, ##MurderOnTheDanceFloor, ##Saltburn, ##SophieEllisBextor, ##StarsOfStageAndScreen

The Stars of Stage and Screen…Song #52/250: Over the Rainbow by Judy Garland from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for the Film The Wizard of Oz

https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/01/31/the-stars-of-stage-and-screensong-52-250-over-the-rainbow-by-judy-garland-from-the-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-for-the-film-the-wizard-of-oz/ #JudyGarland, #OverTheRainbow, #StarsOfStageAndScreen, #TheWizardOfOz, #YipHarburg, #MeToo

***Today's Oscar post post was written w/o knowing of the great Barbie snub at the Oscars.

This post is still worth reading as it is about another terrific movie, Poor Things. Have a great rest of your day. Enjoy the post.

The Stars of Stage and Screen…Song #51/250: Lisbon by Jerskin Fendrix from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of the Film Poor Things https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/01/23/the-stars-of-stage-and-screensong-51-250-lisbon-by-jerskin-fendrix-from-the-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-of-the-film-poor-things/ ##AcademyAwards, ##JerskinFendrix, ##Lisbon, ##PoorThings, ##StarsOfStageAndScreen, ##YorgosLanthimos

In today's music post I am examining the hit Broadway musical Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Is it a gothic horror story or a campy comedy? Read on and decide for yourself. Enjoy.

The Stars of Stage and Screen: Song #50/250: Epiphany/A Little Priest from the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/01/15/the-stars-of-stage-and-screen-song-50-250-epiphany-a-little-priest-from-the-original-broadway-cast-recording-of-sweeney-todd-demon-barber-of-fleet-street/ #AngelaLansbury, #HalPrince, #LenCariou, #StarsOfStageAndScreen, #StephenSondheim, ##SweeneyToddDemonBarberOfFleetStreet

Welcome to my first music post of 2024. It concerns the music from one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen...Cinema Paradiso. This film won the Academy Award for Best International Film in the 1980s. It is a masterpiece. Enjoy.

The Stars of Stage and Screen…Song #49/250: Love Theme by Ennio Morricone from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to the Film Cinema Paradiso https://tommacinneswriter.com/2024/01/08/the-stars-of-stage-and-screensong-49-250-love-theme-by-ennio-morricone-from-the-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-to-the-film-cinema-paradiso/ ##BestForeignFilm, #CinemaParadiso, #EnnioMarricone, #LoveTheme, #StarsOfStageAndScreen