Jay-Z isn't the only one with an 'American Gangster' song

Rapper Jay-Z is rightfully getting plenty of attention for his "American Gangster"-influenced album, but  he's not the musician who makes the biggest impact on the film.

That would be Anthony Hamilton, the R&B singer who performs the show-stopping "Do You Feel Me," which serves to score the moment crime boss Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) meets his wife-to-be.

With a smoldering keyboard laying the foundation of the song, Hamilton's fragile vocals contrast with an assertively relaxed guitar. There's a sort of graceful if desperate swing to the song, at least until a triumphant horn section arrives to lighten the mood.

If the song is a showcase for Hamilton, it truly belongs to Diane Warren, who penned the cut for the film. That would be the same Diane Warren who wrote Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" from "Armageddon," and Faith Hill's "There You'll Be" from "Peal Harbor," among many other non-cinematic songs for the likes of Toni Braxton, LeAnn Rimes and Michael Bolton, and countless others.

"Do You Feel Me" will go up against songs from "Once," "Enchanted," "Into the Wild" and "Hairspray" tonight at the Broadcast Film Critics Assn. Awards. It's odd to think of such a strong song from a powerhouse songwriter and a rising R&B singer as an underdog, but that's the kind of year it's been for cinematic music. With artist-driven projects such as "Into the Wild," featuring the work of Eddie Vedder, and "Once," built around the songs of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, it's easy to overlook the more traditional "Do You Feel Me," in which Warren was a hired gun rather than someone scoring a film.

"I knew what the scene was going to be about, and I knew the song had to be in a '70s style," said Warren, speaking recently about "Do You Feel Me." "I grew up loving a lot of soul music, so I kind of tapped into that when I wrote the song. I wanted to write something that really genuinely came from that time."

Hamilton goes a long way in giving the song its period feel. Warren compares the artist to Bill Withers ("Lean On Me"), and soul legends such as Curtis Mayfield and Al Green can be heard in Hamilton.

But if Warren was writing a song that reminded people of a certain time, she wanted it to still be relevant today. Speaking directly to how the song fit in the scene of the film, Warren said, "He was meeting the woman he was going to marry that evening, so I wanted to sort of have something that said something like that, where you're not sure what someone is feeling for you. That's why it works outside the movie, since it's something everyone has felt. I'm glad they didn't have to write something called 'American Gangster.' Jay-Z did that, so it all worked out."

Listen to "Do You Feel Me" below. 

 

(Photo courtesy MySpace)

Share an 'American Gangster'

A post yesterday ran-down some upcoming films that may have some Oscar-worthy tunes. This week's opening of "American Gangster" was among the picks; the film showcases a fine selection from R&B singer Anthony Hamilton. The Universal Web site for the film has now made available a widget, putting Hamilton's song front and center.

It provides a nice mid-day music diversion, as it includes a song from Public Enemy, John Lee Hooker and some of the jazzier score selections from composer Marc Streitenfeld. My only qualm: full songs aren't available on it. But with some video and pics embedded, it's worth some procrastination time:

Look for 'Enchanted,' 'American Gangster' to crowd Oscar song race

Just two years ago, the Oscar race for best original song was slim pickins.'

Remember? The Academy was unable to find five songs to nominate. Three 6 Mafia performed and won for "It's Hard Out There for a Pimp" from "Hustle & Flow," besting songs from "Crash" (Kathleen "Bird" York's "In the Deep") and Dolly Parton ("Travelin' Thru" from "Transamerica").

This year, the Academy will have the opposite problem. First of all, the music from "Once" sailed into fall as a front-runner (and there's no good reason why it shouldn't win), but strong selections are taking shape.

First, consider Eddie Vedder's efforts in "Into the Wild." As the first solo effort from the Pearl Jam frontman, the soundtrack isn’t lacking in public awareness, and has been largely well-received. To help matters, Paramount Vantage is hosting a private weekend performance of Vedder in Los Angeles, which should further fuel the soundtrack’s buzz.

And plenty of critics (though not this one) and readers (judging from the results of an informal and unscientific poll conducted on this blog) are fawning over Sondre Lerche's work in "Dan in Real Life." We shall see how much pull his fans have Oscar voters as the days go by.

Earlier in the year, Bob Dylan's "Huck's Town" was a worthy iTunes download from an already-forgotten film ("Lucky You"), and then, of course, Marc Shaiman's two (possibly three) new original songs in "Hairspray."

It certainly feels like Oscar race for best song is picking up a head of steam. And there's still plenty of music from A-list artists and hotly-anticipated films to come. Here's a quick look at five films with noteworthy songs. Some have the pedigree and/or buzz to win, and others just shouldn't go unnoticed (looking at you, No. 2).

Also, note that Oscar-favorite Shakira is not included below, as she was written about in an earlier post -- it's not a slight, just a chance to write about some other acts.

1. "Grace is Gone." Nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow has an as-yet-unreleased song, "Lullaby for Wyatt," in the upcoming Weinstein Company film. It hasn't leaked yet, but there's a tear-jerker of a trailer to watch on the official Weinstein Web site. The well-reviewed movie is due in limited release Dec. 7. Coupled with early hype for Crow's upcoming February album, a solid opening could push the heartland singer/songwriter into the race.

2. "Nanking." The Sundance award winner, which looks at the Japanese invasion of Nanking, China, during World War II, will open in limited release Dec. 12 before airing later on HBO. The film has an original song from Lou Reed, "Gravity," a slow-burner driven by a guttural guitar riff. Even in the poor-sounding clips circulating the Web, it's a haunting rocker, with Reed's cries of "war" echoing throughout it.

3. "Beowulf." Broadway actor/singer Idina Menzel has an acting role in Disney's "Enchanted," and a credit's song in fantasy "Beowulf" entitled "A Hero Comes Home." The latter was written by superstar producer Glenn Ballard (Celine Dion, Alanis Morissette) with composer Alan Silverstri. Variety's Red Carpet District reminds readers that the pair received a nomination in 2004 for their work on "The Polar Express."

4. "Enchanted." Talk to anyone about the best original song category, and "Enchanted" turns up. The children's fantasy has a host of original songs from Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. The pair worked together on "Pocahantas" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," and if the film becomes a holiday hit, and it likely will, it should easily score a nomination. Since voting on the songs must occur immediately after screening a clip of the film (see rules), the vivid scenes and talent of actress Amy Adams (pictured, with Patrick Dempsey) could make "Enchanted" a favorite, although it's hard to believe anything could come out in front of "Once," a movie that simply could not exist without its songs.

5. "American Gangster." Looking to be a blockbuster this autumn, the film should be well represented come Oscar time too, perhaps even in the song category. It won't be from Jay-Z, whose album of the same name is not featured in the movie, but the work of soul singer Anthony Hamilton is. The singer has a cameo in the film, and his "Do You Feel Me" goes down easy, with its gospel keys and a relaxed groove.

(Photo courtesy Disney)