Soul to Soul (1971), directed by Denis Sanders (Elvis: That’s the Way It Is), is a concert movie/documentary filmed that features performances by Wilson Pickett, Santana, and Ike and Tina Turner among others. Its title derives from the idea of bringing top American singers and musicians together and having them perform at an all day festival for the people of Ghana. Now thanks to Reelin’ In The Years Productions and MVD Entertainment it’s been restored in high definition and re-released in time for its 55-year anniversary.
Buy Soul to SoulSoul to Soul not only highlights performance footage but we follow along as the acts board a plane, arrive in Ghana, explore historic locales, and attend welcoming events the day before the historic festival/Independence-Day celebration. There are interesting scenes intercut throughout with examples of Ghanaian culture including celebrations and rituals of birth, marriage, and death. There are also segments filmed at a market place to highlight everyday life as well as the region’s place in the terrible slave trade. When the cast visits Elmina castle, where captives were held before being sold and shipped to places west, we get to hear some of their heartfelt reflections on how it all connects to their lives.
The venue, Black Star Square, located right on the edge of the Atlantic ocean in Accra would exceed capacity as eventually over 100,000 people would gather to experience the live sounds of American soul and rock music. Local performers, including the Accra Ga Royal Drummers and the Damas Choir, welcome the crowd before the Voices of East Harlem, Santana, Les McCann with Eddie Harris, the Staples Singers, Ike and Tina Turner, and Wilson Pickett ignite the stage and thrill the audience, both live at the event and for those watching on a screen.
Santana rocks as Carlos and crew rip through “Jungle Strut” and “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen.” Les McCann and Eddie Harris deliver innovative soulful jazz with “The Price You Gotta Pay to Be Free” and “Hey Jorler” which features a charismatic young African performer named Amoah Azangeo and his unique Calabash shaker instrument. The Staples Singers are as soul stirring as ever as Mavis Staples leads them through “When Will We Be Paid” and “Are You Sure.” The electric Tina Turner (clad in a see-through sheer top) and the Ikettes shake and shimmy while Ike cooks on guitar as they work out “Soul to Soul,” “Ooh Poo Pah Doo,” “River Deep-Mountain High,” and “I Smell Trouble” for the lively crowd. Closing the show and whipping the masses into complete frenzy is the Wicked Wilson Pickett as he delivers his usual powerful live version of “In the Midnight Hour” and “Land of !000 Dances.”
The Special Features are filled with more gold as they include four separate audio tracks with producers and performers as well as a 32-page booklet with an essay by Grammy Award-winning Author Rob Bowman. The commentaries are amazing, filled with anecdotes and stories of good times to production woes. Each speaker, be they performer or producer, brings insight, memories, and the joy of being part of the project. They all make for interesting re-watching of Soul to Soul. Though recorded separately, the four commentaries are interwoven throughout the others, making listening interesting but a little confusing to follow who’s speaking at times. The splicing of the four commentaries also make listening to each one a must as together they paint a complete picture of how the project came together, how the show was nearly rained out, and how it withstood the violent egos of Ike and Wilson sharing a single dressing room.
In Bowman’s 32-page booklet, we learn that Roberta Flack, who was part of the original project and film, has always been disappointed with her segments and wanted absolutely nothing to do with the re-release of the movie. Her performance and any scenes she was in were then completely scrubbed from the film. Leading David Peck of Reelin’ In The Years Productions to add Mavis Staples’ thoughts from her audio commentary portion to play over the vintage footage of Elmina slave castle. We also learn that the piano used for the concert, most prominently by Flack, had to be purchased several times before show day through comic misfortune and shady grifters milking the “rich” Americans.
Filled with outstanding, powerful performances Soul to Soul is an entertaining documentary/concert film. Thanks to Reelin’ In The Years Productions and MVD Entertainment for making it available again after 20 years and as clear and crisp as possible on Blu-ray.
