Spike Lee & Company: Do It a Cappella is a 1990 PBS documentary, directed by Spike Lee, around the topic of A cappella music. Artists that performed as part of the documentary include The Mint Juleps, Take 6, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Rockapella and The Persuasions. It also stars Spike Lee, Debbie Allen and a cameo appearance by Samuel L. Jackson.[1]
| Spike Lee & Company: Do It a Cappella | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Gerard Brown |
| Directed by | Spike Lee Ernest R. Dickerson |
| Starring | Spike Lee Debbie Allen |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producers | Gerard Brown Cherie Fortis Spence Halperin |
| Cinematography | Robert Leacock Anastas F. Michos Alain Onesto Mark Whitman Crystal Griffith Rebecca Kurtz |
| Running time | 85 minutes |
| Production company | Spence Halperin/Gerard Brown Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | PBS |
| Release | May 10, 1990 |
There is an Audio CD album and MP3 of the songs available as well.[2]
Plot
editLee decides to do a special about acapella music, which means no musical instruments. Then, Lee and Allen find themselves in a Brooklyn alley where they listen to Rockapella, True Image, The Mint Juleps, and The Persuasions. After that, the two attend a concert with all the featured acapella groups at the BAM Majestic Theater. In between songs, there are interviews with the acapella groups as well as songs via rehearsal backstage. Finally, Allen, inspired by all the acapella music that she listened to, suggests to Lee that she does her next album acapella, much to Lee's chagrin.
Cast
edit- Spike Lee as himself
- Debbie Allen as herself
- Samuel L. Jackson as The Janitor
- Roberta Flack as herself (cameo)
- Hugh Masekela as himself (cameo)
- Branford Marsalis as himself (cameo)
- Jay Hoggard as himself (cameo)
- Bobbi Humphrey as herself (cameo)
- David Dinkins as himself (cameo)
Acapella groups
editSongs
edit- Zombie Jamboree - Rockapella (featured on both the special and the album)
- I Need You - True Image (featured on both the special and the album)
- Don't Let Your Heart - The Mint Juleps (featured on both the special and the album)
- Looking for an Echo - The Persuasions (featured on both the special and the album)
- Get Away, Jordan - Take 6 (featured on both the special and the album)
- Something Within Me - Take 6 (featured on the special only)
- Flat Tire - Rockapella (featured on the special only)
- Under the Boardwalk - Rockapella and True Image (featured on both the special and the album)
- Higher and Higher - The Mint Juleps (featured on both the special and the album)
- Phansi Em Godini (Down In The Mines) - Ladysmith Black Mambazo (featured on both the special and the album)
- The Lion Sleeps Tonight - Ladysmith Black Mambazo and The Mint Juleps (featured on both the special and the album)
- I'm Going Home on the Morning Train - The Persuasions (featured on the special only)
- Gold Mine - Take 6 (featured on the special only)
- Trickle Trickle/Work It Out - True Image (featured on the special only)
- I Want To Live Easy - The Mint Juleps (featured on both the special and the album)
- Set Me Free - The Mint Juleps (featured on the special only)
- N'kosi Sikeleli Afrika (God Bless Africa) - Ladysmith Black Mambazo (featured on both the special and the album)
- Pretty Woman - Rockapella (featured on the special only)
- Up on the Roof - The Persuasions (featured on both the special and the album)
- Pass on the Love - The Persuasions (featured on both the special and the album)
References
edit- ^ "Great Performances" Spike & Co.: Do It A Capella (TV Episode 1990), retrieved 2017-11-17
- ^ "Do it a Capella" Audio CD and MP3, retrieved 2019-03-17