There’s No Business Like Show Business

Rip It Up, Issue 10, 1 April 1978, Page 13

There’s No Business Like Show Business

1978 looks like being that the rock'n’roll biz finally ties the knot with the Hollywood film moguls. Film producers have woken up to the fact that big profits can result from the tie in between movies and music. Soundtrack albums and successful singles from films are, of course, extremely effective promotion for the film, and the movie itself naturally boosts sales of the soundtrack.

Rock impressario Robert Stigwood has been perhaps the swiftest to move in on this scene. As a producer his first screen musical was Jesus Christ, Superstar, which he followed with Ken Russell's production of The Who’s Tommy. This year Stigwood has three rock musicals in production and more in the planning stages. The first to get NZ release will be Saturday Night Fever which will hit Auckland cinemas in early April and the other centres in May. Saturday Night Fever stars John Travolta as a paint store attendant who comes to life on Saturday nights at the hottest disco of the moment. It’s based on a magazine article by well-known rock writer Nik Cohn, “Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night ”, in which Cohn wrote: “The new generation, takes few risks; it graduates, looks for a job, endures. And once a week, on Saturday night, it explodes.’’ The enormous success of the film in America has been spurred on by the even greater success of the soundtrack album. The three Gibb’s brothers put together many of the songs to tie in with the script of the movie. Besides this original material as performed by the Bee Gees, Yvonne Elliman and Tavares, the album also features established disco favourites from KC and the Sunshine Band, Walter Murphy, the Trammps and Kool and the Gang. The soundtrack album is currently Number 1 on the US album charts, while tracks from the album hold a total of 6 spots on the American Top 100 "Staying Alive” at No. 3 and “Night Fever” at No. 4 and significantly Bee Gees produced product occupies the top two slots with Samantha Sang at No 1 with “Emotions” and little brother Andy Gibb at No 2 with “Thicker Than Water”. Later in the year, the Bee Gees them-

selves hold down the starring roles in another Stigwood film Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Flearts Club Band. The Bee Gees take the part of Sgt. Pepper’s band, while Peter Frampton plays Billy Shears and Frankie Howerd takes the role of Mean Mr Mustard. There are also appearances from Aerosmith, Linda Ronstadt, Eric Clapton, Alice Cooper, Chicago, Earth, Wind and Fire, and Nils Lofgren. The whole shebang is directed by Michael Schultz of Car Wash fame. It’ll surprise no one to learn that there will be a sound track album of 30 Beatles songs assembled under the direction of Beatles’ producer, George Martin. Other rock connected films on the way include FM a look at the behind-the-scenes activities at an American FM radio station. The film includes acting performances from Linda Ronstadt and Joe Smith (chairman of WEA records) and boasts a theme song written by Steely Dan. Another disco film is also in production. This one is a.comedy entitled Thank God It’s Friday and features the Commodores and Donna Summer. Films of the lives of Buddy Holly and Janis Joplin are under way, while Milos Forman, director of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, is filming Flair-, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John star in the movie version of the Broadway hit Grease; and Motown Industries are making a black version of The Wizard of Oz entitled The Wiz. Diana Ross lands the Judy Garland role and Michael Jackson and Richard Pryor also have major roles. Abba - The Movie is a film based around the group’s Australian tour and Martin Scorsese’s The Last Waltz features The Band’s farewell concert in San Francisco. Unfortunately The Last Waltz has been delayed to avoid clashing with Dylan’s film, Renaldo and Clara, and The Last Waltz should now see NZ release in August. And if that’s not enough for you the film rights to Rock Follies have been bought, the rock opera Evita is to be filmed and Neil Diamond is believed to be considering a remake of the first talkie of all, The Jazz Singer, with Diamond in Al Jolson’s role.