Music fans Greg Carey and Wade Jackson never made a documentary
film before let alone wrote, produced, edited or scored one in a very
do-it-yourself fashion. However when the
story of American singer and songwriter Van Duren came about, the former member
of the Memphis, Tennessee based band Big Star who broke out on his own
to record solo albums and nearly became ‘the next Paul McCartney’ after working
with Rolling Stones producer Andrew Loog Oldham, the duo sprung to action and
became part of a chapter of musical history that would come full circle in ways
unexpected and wholly rewarding. I’ve
never heard of Van Duren before but thanks to a limited-edition DVD release by Australian
label Living Eyes in conjunction with MVD Entertainment, a wonderful and
surprising tale of musical history characterized by a rise, fall and then rise
again, the aptly named Waiting – The Van Duren Story ushered in a
remarkable musical talent into my earspace.
Van Duren during his time in the band Big Star crossed
paths with drummer Jody Stephens who later joined his group and in 1977 began
work on his first solo album under the supervision of the aforementioned Andrew
Loog Oldham and soon formed a rapport with Big Sound record label owner Doc
Cavalier who published his first album Are You Serious? in 1978. Released to effusive critical praise and wide
radio airplay in the United States, the album wasn’t a commercial success with
acts like Van Halen overshadowing Van Duren’s work.
Further still, very briefly the musician had
a brush with Scientology which didn’t follow through but was enough to sour the
working relationship with Doc Cavalier who blocked his second album Idiot Optimism
in 1980 from being released. Unable
to retain the rights to the master tape recordings, Van Duren suffered a stroke
in 1999 around the time Idiot Optimism was finally released in Japan after
an unlikely record deal. It wasn’t until
the filmmakers took it upon themselves to hire a lawyer who litigated the
master tape recordings out of lockdown back into the hands of its rightful
owner and creator.
Featuring interviews with key members of the production of the albums
including Jody Stephens, Andrew Loog Oldham and Hilly Michaels from Sparks
as well as the filmmakers conveying their arduous uphill battle in getting this
film made before finally tracking down the artist himself in an unlikely
alliance, you find yourself rooting for not only Van Duren but for the
filmmakers also. At first it was
somewhat irksome the filmmakers put so much of themselves onscreen, but by the
end of the saga they play an integral offscreen role in reuniting Van Duren
with his songs.
--Andrew Kotwicki