![]() What makes the movie worthwhile is that it shows making it in show business can be next to impossible, with many obstacles requiring determination to overcome, along with the ability to resist what can end it all. We even had two scenes in church, one with upbeat old-time black gospel, and one with slow, passionate funeral music. And the musical performances were superior and explored a variety of styles from Doo-Wop to Motown to restaurant jazz and down-and-dirty jazz. But most of the leading performers did a good job with their roles, even if more time was devoted to music than advancing the plot. This wasn't a feel-good movie by any means, though parts of it were nice. So then why is the movie called "Sparkle"? You'll find out. Sister is the prettiest and apparently the oldest, and the lead singer. Whether the girl group will succeed depends a lot on how they adapt to the temptations provided by the show business world. Levi is nice but he works for the charming but cruel Satin, who hits his jealous girlfriend in his first scene. But this means dealing with some unsavory characters. Sister and the Sisters turns out to be a big hit with local audiences. ![]() Stix feels an all-girl group would work better. The emcee who first introduces them (some of you may know him as Fred Sanford's friend Bubba) messes that up. Synopsis: Three sisters form a singing group in 1950s Harlem, but success threatens to ruin their relationship forever. Sparkle and her sisters want to sing too, and eventually they join the group, which is called The Hearts. Sparkle likes Stix, who sings with an all-male R & B group and wants to work in the recording industry. The result was a win for all: Sparklegave Franklin a much-needed boost after a handful of disappointments, and pushed her into the next phase of her work.In 1950s Harlem, Effie is raising three teenage daughters and working as a maid on Long Island, for people she calls by the name of a Nabisco product I won't use. She was working with Mayfield-whom she respected and trusted-and you can hear how comfortable and relaxed she is throughout the album, which mixes pop, gospel, and jazz. By comparison, making Sparkle was a vacation. On her studio albums, Franklin essentially functioned as an uncredited co-producer, showing up to the studio with songs arrangements already prepared-and with scratch vocals sometimes recorded. Sparkle is her most cohesive album, with songs covering the kinds of topics to which the singer could easily relate: family, love, betrayal, drugs, the music business. The cast sang Mayfield’s songs on the big screen, but Mayfield wanted a more experienced singer on the official soundtrack-which is how Franklin came aboard. It was loosely based on the story of The Supremes, and featured a cast of largely unknown newcomers (Irene Cara, still years away from Fame, played Sparkle, the lead singer). Sparkle is a musical drama set in Harlem during the early 1960s, one that tells the story of three sisters who form a singing group and pursue stardom. All anyone needs to know about Aretha Franklin’s soundtrack to Sparkle is written on the bottom of the poster for this 1976 rags-to-riches story: “Featuring the sensational music of Curtis Mayfield.” Mayfield, who had achieved success in the 1960s as part of the Chicago soul group The Impressions, had established himself as not just a great songwriter and performer, but also a first-rate film composer with his work on the 1972 blaxploitation crime drama Superfly. ![]()
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