WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Have you ever gotten that certain song stuck in your head? You may not have even heard it for an extended period of time, yet something brings it back to your thoughts and away you go, humming along. But what if it is more because this certain song is part of a larger, ongoing tradition? What if its significance transcends decades and remains a relevant piece of history both musically, politically, and even athletically? Such is the subject of the new “Rockumentary” that delves into one such iconic tune, “Hang On Sloopy”, and all those who were to become associated with it, starting with its origins as “My Girl Sloopy” in 1964, an R&B recording effort by The Vibrations.
Tracking the path to becoming “Hang On Sloopy” in 1965, as recorded by pop group The McCoys headed up by Rick Derringer, the greater mystery always remained as to who exactly Sloopy was. While many theories are still swirling, the bigger narrative follows how this simple, straight-forward song about a girl from the wrong side of the tracks became a super-hit, launching The McCoys into stardom, to ultimately becoming a staple performance piece for The Ohio State University Marching Band which, in 2015, assisted in playing the quintessential piece along with Derringer and the newest incarnation of The McCoys at OSU stadium to celebrate the song’s 50th Anniversary.
With such a storied and unexpected history, hearing so many varied people weigh in on how “Hang On Sloopy” touched them truly amazes.
Next, my Mind:
With co-directors/co-producers Dave Whinham and Brian Grady’s 68-minute documentary, one might first be inclined to think it isn’t necessarily plausible to engage viewers for that timeframe with the subject matter being about a single song. Gratifyingly, nothing could be further from the truth. More than just a “fluff” perspective on some song we’ve heard too many times, it instead illustrates not only the overall history of a classic tune, but also paints some fascinating and sobering pictures of the 60’s music scene in New York City, the uber-producers behind it, and the sometimes less than scrupulous tactics taken to turn songs and artists into hits and stars. Therefore, it becomes not just about a song, but very much about every person directly impacted by its journey.
What a list of people it is. Showcasing archival footage from the 60’s era to the 2015 50th Anniversary performance, the doc features music industry giants like Richard Gottehrer, Jerry Goldstein, and Bob Feldman telling their sides of the “Sloopy” story, while also getting the viewpoints of Derringer, his parents, former and current members of The McCoys, fans, and OSU greats, past and present, like Eddie George and coach Urban Meyer in addition to OSU music faculty and band leaders. What this does is bring all the threads revealed smoothly through the decades covered and knits them into one cohesive tapestry that truly becomes a total realization of how one concept, one melody, one unfaltering institution can so vividly resonate within us.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
