“Music has no color, this is about love, it’s for the love of the music.” Sammy Strain – Little Anthony & The Imperials
A sweetheart of a film, the movie Streetlight Harmonies takes you on a journey into the past accompanied by some of the greatest names in music. Not just the ordinary, but those who started in the 50’s with street corner doo-wop and made it big the hard way. If you know the names Anthony Gourdine, Fred Parris, Terry Johnson, Willie Winfield, Jimmy Merchant, Vito Picone, Eddie Rich, La La Brooks, Leon Hughes, Brian McKnight and others appearing in this documentary, then this film is right up your alley.
Watch with so many name stars as your guides though an era that turned into decades of Rock n’ Roll, Motown, Rhythm & Blues and all the music of the street corners that started in the 1950’s. Step back in the past for 83 minutes of memories and you’ll be humming the tunes for the rest of the day.
If you didn’t recognize the names in the opening paragraph, how about the singing groups they were a part of, like; Little Anthony and the Imperials, The Five Satins, The Flamingos, Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, Sha Na Na, The Lettermen, The Drifters, The Crystals, The Coasters and more. Not quite sure yet? How about the unforgettable music like “In the Still of the Night”, “I Only Have Eyes for You”, “Life is But a Dream”, “Why Do Fools Fall in Love”, “Sugar Sugar” and “Under the Boardwalk”. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg as this film blows your mind about their slow climb to the top of the charts. The only drawback is getting the tunes out of your head or going on line to hear so many more of these pioneers who rattled band music and mood music to the bone.
Saying anymore would only be pandering and that’s not what this film is about. It tells a story of bringing America together, making dreams come true and why doo-wop was so important to the music world. If there is one movie that will bring a smile, tear and release of a day of stress, Streetlight Harmonies sure did it for me. And wait until you hear a special song near the end that will boggle your mind. Tell me I’m not wrong and that I steered you to one of the best documentaries released on VOD this year.
Check out the film trailer below for a bit of the past.
FINAL ANALYSIS: It’s one of those films that’s hard to get out of your head. (5 out of 5 stars)
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Anthony Gourdine, Fred Parris, Terry Johnson, Willie Winfield, Jimmy Merchant, Vito Picone, Eddie Rich, Leon Hughes, Barbara Jean English and many more
Directed and co-written by: Brent Wilson
Genre: Music, Documentary
MPAA Rating: No Rated, no
Running Time: 1 hr. 23 min.
Opening Date: March 31, 2020
Distributed by: Gravitas Ventures
Released in: VOD
