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‘Summer of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)’ Soundtrack To Be Released January 28, 2022

211209_summerofsoul

SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED) ORIGINAL
MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK TO BE RELEASED VIA 
LEGACY RECORDINGS ON JANUARY 28, 2022 

INCLUDES LIVE RENDITIONS FROM THE 1969 HARLEM CULTURAL FESTIVAL OF CLASSICS BY 
NINA SIMONE, B.B. KING, SLY & THE FAMILY STONE, GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS, & MORE

SLY & THE FAMILY STONE’S “SING A SIMPLE SONG” LIVE FROM THE SOUNDTRACK
AVAILABLE NOW LISTEN HERE

DIRECTORIAL DEBUT FROM AHMIR “QUESTLOVE” THOMPSON SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR,
WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED) STREAMING ON HULU NOW

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, Mass Distraction Media, documentary producers David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent, and Joseph Patel alongside filmmaker, director, producer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson announce the release of the Summer of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on January 28, 2022. The album accompanies Questlove’s directorial debut documentary Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), which won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and is available in select theaters and on Hulu now. It notably took home six top honors at the Critics Choice Awards, including “Best Documentary Feature,” “Best Director,” “Best First Documentary Feature,” “Best Editing,” “Best Archival Documentary,” and “Best Music Documentary,” and wasWinner of Best Documentary Award from the National Board of Review. It is currently nominated for “Best Music Film” at the 2022 GRAMMY® Awards.

Summer of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is available for pre-order now in digital and CD formats HERE.

A vinyl LP configuration will be released later next year.

Like the documentary, most of the audio recordings that were recorded during the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival have not been heard for over 50 years, keeping this incredible event in America’s history lost – until now.   The Summer of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Original Motion Picture Soundtrackis a joyous musical celebration and the rediscovery of a nearly erased historical event that celebrated Black culture, pride and unity.

Additionally, the Soundtrack boasts everything from B.B. King’s poignant and powerful guitar-driven gem “Why I Sing The Blues” to the rapturous “Precious Lord Take My Hand” by The Operation Breadbasket Orchestra & Choir featuring Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples. Not to mention, Gladys Knight & The Pips show out on a simmering “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” while Nina Simone’s voice smolders on “Backlash Blues” and “Are You Ready.”

For the album, Questlove carefully selected 17 live renditions of jazz, blues, R&B, Latin, and soul classics performed over the course of The Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969 as chronicled by the film. Heralding the soundtrack, Sly & The Family Stone’s performance of “Sing A Simple Song” debuts today. Listen to it HERE.

Said Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, “It goes beyond saying that you can’t have a monster music journey on film without an equally awesome soundtrack. The people demanded ‘more!’.  So for the people, we bring you musical manna that hopefully won’t be the last serving. These performances are lightning in a bottle. Pure artistry! Enjoy.”

Said Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein from Mass Distraction Media, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Legacy to share some of the incredible audio recordings from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival that were featured in the documentary. The gospel, blues, R&B, soul, Latin, and jazz classics on this record have stood the test of time. We hope these live performances from these legendary artists, captured at a key moment during our country’s ongoing struggle for civil rights equality, can bring joy to everyone like it did to the Harlem community over 50 years ago.”

Stay tuned for more news and announcements about the Summer of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Original Motion Picture Soundtrack soon.

In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary—part music film, part historical record created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture, and fashion. Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was largely forgotten—until now. Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past and present. The feature includes concert performances by Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension and more.

Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award. It is streaming on Hulu in conjunction with Disney General Entertainment’s Onyx Collective; Searchlight Pictures released it theatrically.

Summer of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
CD TRACKLISTING:

  1. The Chambers Brothers – “Uptown”
  2. B.B. King – “Why I Sing The Blues”
  3. The 5th Dimension – “Don’t Cha Hear Me Callin’ To Ya”
  4. The 5th Dimension – “Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)”
  5. David Ruffin – “My Girl”
  6. The Edwin Hawkins Singers – “Oh Happy Day”
  7. The Staple Singers – “It’s Been A Change”
  8. The Operation Breadbasket Orchestra & Choir Featuring Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples – “Precious Lord Take My Hand”
  9. Gladys Knight & The Pips – “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”
  10. Mongo Santamaria – “Watermelon Man”
  11. Ray Barretto – “Together”
  12. Herbie Mann- “Hold On, I’m Comin’”
  13. Sly & The Family Stone – “Sing A Simple Song”
  14. Sly & The Family Stone – “Everyday People”
  15. Nina Simone – “Backlash Blues”
  16. Nina Simone – “Are You Ready”

Summer of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
DIGITAL TRACKLISTING:

  1. The Chambers Brothers – “Uptown”
  2. B.B. King – “Why I Sing The Blues”
  3. The 5th Dimension – “Don’t Cha Hear Me Callin’ To Ya”
  4. The 5th Dimension – “Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)”
  5. David Ruffin – “My Girl”
  6. The Edwin Hawkins Singers – “Oh Happy Day”
  7. The Staple Singers – “It’s Been A Change”
  8. The Operation Breadbasket Orchestra & Choir Featuring Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples – “Precious Lord Take My Hand”
  9. Gladys Knight & The Pips – “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”
  10. Mongo Santamaria – “Watermelon Man”
  11. Ray Barretto – “Together”
  12. Herbie Mann- “Hold On, I’m Comin’”
  13. Sly & The Family Stone – “Sing A Simple Song”
  14. Sly & The Family Stone – “Everyday People”
  15. Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach – “Africa”
  16. Nina Simone – “Backlash Blues”
  17. Nina Simone – “Are You Ready”

Sly & The Family Stone’s ‘There’s A Riot Goin’ On’ On Limited Edition Red Vinyl

Sly & The Family Stone - There's A Riot Goin' On limited edition red vinyl

There’s A Riot Goin’ On, Sly & The Family Stone’s influential masterpiece of psychedelic funk turns 50 in 2021 and to celebrate, there will be a new limited edition version on red vinyl.

The album marked a shift in the band’s tone, striking a more political and militant vibe while showing Sly Stone’s disillusionment with the promise of the 60s. At the same time, it was also a big commercial success, hitting #1 on the album charts while the single “Family Affair” topped the singles charts.

There’s a Riot Goin’ On is still to this day highly regarded and continues to rank in many publications’ best-album lists, including Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” Pre-order your copy here: https://legacyrecordings.link/TARGOAW

‘Summer Of Soul’ Documentary Out Now Featuring Sly & The Family Stone

The acclaimed documentary Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is now playing in theaters and at Hulu!

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Inside ‘Summer Of Soul’ Documentary Coming July 2 – Rolling Stone

210603_summerofsoul_Feat

Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is a feature-length documentary — part concert film, part neighborhood love letter, part interrogation of Sixties music-doc conventions — that has received early raves. The documentary arrives in theaters and on Hulu on July 2 and includes rare footage of Sly & The Family Stone.

Read how the film came together in this article at Rolling Stone.

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Watch ‘Summer Of Soul’ Trailer Including Sly & The Family Stone

Sly & The Family Stone in Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

A new trailer has been released for the documentary Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised). The film, directed by Questlove, includes rare footage of Sly & The Family Stone.

Summer Of Soul will arrive in theaters and on Hulu on July 2. The film won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in the U.S. Documentary category at the Sundance Film Festival in February.

Related News:

Pat Rizzo Has Died At Age 79

Sly & The Family Stone - Ha Ha, Hee Hee written by Pat Rizzo

Pat Rizzo, a saxophonist who played with Sly & The Family Stone, War, Tito Puente and Frank Sinatra, died on Thursday. He was 79.

Rizzo, in 1970, was “recommended to replace a saxophonist in the groundbreaking funk band Sly & The Family Stone. Sly Stone called him into his bathroom and asked if he was any good. Rizzo said yeah and Sly gave him the job without hearing him play. One night, they went to a recording studio and Rizzo watched Sly jam with Jimi Hendrix. After that, they dreamed of fusing rock and funk with jazz. They started stretching funk in a new jazz direction.”

Read more at the Palm Springs Desert Sun.

‘Summer Of Soul’ Featuring Sly & The Family Stone To Be Released In July

Sly & The Family Stone in Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

Questlove’s documentary, Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised), will arrive in theaters and on Hulu on July 2. It delves into the history of the Harlem Cultural Festival which took place in 1969 over the course of six weeks at Harlem’s Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The lineup for those shows included Sly & The Family Stone and the documentary features never-before-seen footage.

Summer of Soul had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in February. It was awarded both the U.S. Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in the U.S. Documentary category.

Read more at Rolling Stone.

Related News:

Questlove To Direct New Sly Stone Documentary

AHMIR “QUESTLOVE” THOMPSON TO DIRECT SLY STONE FEATURE DOCUMENTARY

MRC Non-Fiction Partners with Network Entertainment, Two One Five Entertainment, Stardust Films and ID8 Multimedia for a Documentary Film from “Summer of Soul” Director about Legendary Artist Sly Stone

MRC Non-Fiction today announced an “Untitled Sly Stone” project that follows the story of groundbreaking artist Sly Stone, founding member of Sly and the Family Stone. Four-time GRAMMY® Award-winner Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson will direct with his Two One Five Entertainment along with producing partners Zarah Zohlman and Shawn Gee. Oscar®and Emmy® Award-winner Common will executive produce via Stardust Films with Derek Dudley and Shelby Stone executive producing via ID8 Multimedia. Network Entertainment’s Derik Murray and Brian Gersh will serve as producers.

The untitled documentary follows the story of the influential artist, king of funk, and fashion icon Sly Stone, a musician who was breaking all the rules at a time when doing so was extremely challenging, even dangerous. The pressure of explosive mainstream pop success and the responsibility of representing Black America forced him to walk the fine line of impossible expectations.

Said Questlove, “It goes beyond saying that Sly’s creative legacy is in my DNA….it’s a black musician’s blueprint….to be given the honor to explore his history and legacy is beyond a dream for me.” 

“Sly’s influence on popular music and culture as a whole is immeasurable, and what his career represents is a parable that transcends time and place,” said Amit Dey, Head of MRC Non-Fiction. “Questlove’s vision, sensitivity and reverence brings the urgency that Sly’s story and music deserve, and we’re excited to be working with him to bring Sly’s story to life.”   

Thompson’s “Summer of Soul (… Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” landed the 2021 Sundance Documentary Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award and secured a record-breaking distribution deal with Searchlight Pictures and Hulu. In addition, the accomplished musician and The New York Times bestselling author executive produced AMC’s acclaimed documentary series “Hip-Hop: The Songs That Shook America,” served as the executive music producer and composer on the A&E miniseries “Roots,” and co-produced the Grammy Award-winning “Original Broadway Cast Recording of Hamilton.”

MRC Non-Fiction’s first feature length documentary “The Sparks Brothers,” Edgar Wright’s musical odyssey about the singular career of brothers Ron & Russell Mael, had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and received glowing reviews.

About MRC Non-Fiction
MRC Non-Fiction works with a diverse group of artists to develop, finance and produce feature documentaries and docuseries for global audiences who seek enduring and definitive storytelling. The slate includes: “The Sparks Brothers,” the critically acclaimed debut documentary from filmmaker Edgar Wright (“Baby Driver”), chronicling the 50-year career of influential American duo Sparks, which premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival; and “The Last Rider,” which tells the story of legendary cyclist Greg LeMond, from acclaimed director Alex Holmes. For more information, please visit www.mrcentertainment.com.