Jeremy Jordan and Jay Pharoah Are Spectacular in 70's Biopic Spinning

Donna Summer, Bill Withers, KISS, The Isley Brothers, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic had one thing in common – Neil Bogart. A mastermind marketing genius, Bogart signed these acts to his Casablanca and/or Buddha record labels during the 70’s literally defining the disco era and beyond with hit records like “Love to Love Ya Baby,’ “Lean on Me.” “Rock and Roll All Nite,” “It’s Your Thang” and so many more.

Spinning Gold is a fairy tale spin on Bogart’s humble beginnings, major success that turned disco on its head and his slow decline with career, marriage, family and life. Directed by Bogart’s son Timothy Scott Bogart, you will immediately be transported into an era of music that was fun, fluffy and sometimes even a little dangerous. Yet, the film is layered with pop culture back story like how Gladys Knight and The Pips were almost singing about a Midnight Train to Houston instead of Georgia, how pyrotechnics almost ruined KISS before they got started and how church going LaDonna Gaines became the Queen of Disco – Donna Summer.

Spinning Gold has a insanely entertaining soundtrack with great costumes and production design. Old adages that permeated the industry then which have lingered into the present include many Black artists annoyed that consumers and record execs love their music, but hate the color of their skin.

It’s utterly fascinating how a company could go from being 5 million dollars in debt to making 9 million with KISS on a ‘live” album, 10 million with a group where only one member could sing – The Village People. Neil Bogart signed 140 artists, made 289 albums and his biggest artists Donna Summer and KISS racked up combined total of 175 million dollars in record sales.

Both leading ladies Michelle Monaghan and Lynsay Fonseca are quite stellar as the two women who occupy Bogart’s heart and mind. However, Jeremy Jordan and Jay Pharoah are the real stars of this film. Jordan’s Neil Bogart has all the energetic energy required to portray a man who was bigger than life. Every fiber of Jordan’s talent is utilized and his big scene with Jay Pharoah is intensely delicious. Pharoah is amazingly grounded and stands his own with the same confident swagger he would bring to a comedic role.

Although there are some weird green screen scenes that make the film look a little cheesy and cheap, for the most part it is the music that will keep audiences engaged. Of all the recording artists tapped to participate, Wiz Khalifa as George Clinton and Jason Derulo as Ronald Isley were dead ringers for the real thing.

Disco may be dead, but Spinning Gold resonates with all the glitz and smaltz necessary to bring 70’s nostalgia back with bang.