Small Axe: Lovers Rock

They call it a "blues party" but they really aren’t playing the blues. Yet, this 1979 West London get-together is not so different from a swing-era Harlem rent party or a hill country hootenanny. It is all about feeling the groove and hopefully your dance partner, while someone makes a little change at the door in Steve McQueen’s Lovers Rock, the second installment of his Small Axe film sequence, which premieres today on Amazon Prime.

They had to take all the furniture out to fit all the people they expected, but space will still be tight. Of course, that is the point. This is way, way before the era of social distancing. If Martha and her friend Patty meet a fellow they are interested in, they will definitely want to dance slow and close. Franklyn obviously catches Martha’s eye and vice versa. Unfortunately, his wingman crashed and burned with Patty, but that will not sabotage their mutual attraction.

Some of the music heard in Lovers Rock isn’t what fans of the subgenre might immediately think of “Lovers Rock” either, particularly not Carl Douglas’s “Kung Fu Fighting.” Menelik Shabazz’s The Story of Lover’s Rock (which used an apostrophe) provides an excellent survey of the music, which derived from reggae, but was smoother, more romantic, and less political than the Jamaican-based variety of the period (ironically, considering the polemical nature of the other Small Axe films). However, it features the song that was arguably Lovers Rock’s greatest hit, Janet Kay’s “Silly Games,” in a truly show-stopping sequence. First, we watch the dancers grind to Kay’s record and then we hear the entire house sing the lyrics as an ecstatic a cappella chorus.

McQueen would have been a terrific music video director during the 1980s—and that is not meant as a slight. Quite the contrary. Every shot seems to marry-up seamlessly with the beats of the soundtrack, while cinematographer Shabier Kirchner’s close-ups bring out the passion and the frustration of the characters. However, the sense that one of the more predatory guests is likely to overstep the bounds of propriety before the end of the night adds an uneasy vibe that prevents viewers from casting their cares away and simply enjoying the show. Of course, that also gives the film most of its dramatic tension.

ADIFF ’11: The Story of Lover’s Rock

A distinctly Caribbean-British phenomenon, Lover’s Rock was like the Quiet Storm of reggae, but with a stronger beat. Perfect for slow dancing, the romantic style of reggae was wildly popular, but had trouble cracking the UK charts. The under-documented music and the artists who defined it are fondly remembered in Menelik Shabazz’s The Story of Lover’s Rock (trailer here), which opens the 2011 African Diaspora International Film Festival tonight.

Though firmly rooted in reggae, Lover’s Rock was smoother, mellower, and less political than the music coming out of Jamaica at the time. It also boasted considerably more prominent female artists. Indeed, the acknowledged crossover hits were mostly sung by women, like Louisa Mark’s version of “Caught You in a Lie” and Janet Kay’s “Silly Games.”

Of course, there were plenty of men involved, especially on the production side, including bassist Dennis Bovell, the producer of “Silly Games,” who is probably Shabazz’s best interview subject. He certainly still looks and sounds cool. In fact, most of the talking heads offer a better than average degree of musical insight, though one academic comes across pretty silly explaining how the slow grind stimulated dancers’ chakras (and it is not meant as a euphemism).

While Story might sound like it should only appeal to a narrow range of fans, Lover’s Rock influenced many future top UK recording artists, including UB40 (who charted fifty UK hits, but never got their proper due, according to one rock critic) and even the Police. It has also gone global, inspiring a considerable Japanese scene (including an intriguing but unnamed band briefly seen in the film).

Strangely though, Shabazz largely eschews archival performances, choosing instead to show the artists (who have aged well, for the most part) performing a contemporary PBS-style reunion concert. Still, most artists remain in good voice, such as standout Trevor Walters, whose rendition of Lionel Ritchie’s “Stuck on You” sure goes down easy. However, the same cannot be said for the periodic sketch-interludes featuring British comedians, who are largely unknown in America, for good reason.

With this film, Shabazz makes “smooth” and “sweet” respectable. His tune selections nicely represent the music’s slinky groove, while the expert commentary puts everything in its proper context. Quite an entertaining music doc (even with the occasional comedic misstep), The Story of Lover’s Rock is quite a pleasant surprise, recommended beyond the core reggae audience. It screens tonight (11/25) as part of an opening spotlight on director Shabazz at Symphony Space and then plays for a week at the Quad Cinema, starting this coming Wednesday (11/30-12/6).