A Musical Rainbow
A Musical Rainbow
"This is a most entertaining film of the Soviet pop scene. Various pop groups and soloists entertain us with appearances from Georgian groups playing music that is influenced by rhythm and blues; Estonia's country music, outfitted with traditional western garb and strumming on fiddles and banjoes; a group from Turkmenia with a sound derived from a combination of native music and Salsa. Enjoy yourself. And you will enjoy this film--footage of some of the world's worst and weirdest late-1970s musical groups. Kitsch, camp, wacky.
A Musical Rainbow
Opening Credits.
A Musical Rainbow
Opening montage: colorful MSs of a disco band playing in an enormous auditorium (good shots of silly drummer in a military-styled coat playing, dancers in polyester swinging, Rhodes keyboard being tinkled);
A Musical Rainbow
MS of an energetic Turkmen drummer; panning low angle band; CUs of singers; MS of drummer. Various pop bands.
A Musical Rainbow
MS/LSs of various folk dancers and singers at outdoor festivals (a range of ethnicities).
A Musical Rainbow
LS montage of Soviet Union landscapes: mountains, rivers, geysers, tribal huts, reindeer herds, ice floes, cruise ships sailing or docked at port, palm trees, beach resorts, and cityscapes.
A Musical Rainbow
DO NOT USE Still photos of Soviet people at work, at play, etc. Great composition, saturated colors. Very beautiful material, impressionistic.
A Musical Rainbow
Russia. MS of birch trees in forest, zoom out to LS. ALEXANDER DJEPOULANI (sp) sings a song about love for Russia. A tender weeping ballad that crescendos into a martial stomp, then breaks back to the weepy part. CU's of Alex singing intercut with nature shots (spring and winter). Excellent quick zooming (in) CU of Alex singing and looking into the camera.
A Musical Rainbow
Tape 2: Russia. Good footage of neon lights tweaking the nightscape ,complete with glittering Hammer and Sickle.
A Musical Rainbow
Winter Folk Festival. Horse drawn sliegh in the snow. Panning est shots of remote town blanketed by snow. MS's of villagers singing and dancing with straw effigies through the center of town. CU's and MS's of people eating ethnic food at one of several vending booths. MS of a large straw effigy being burned as people act happily. Nighttime festivities: MS of village folk in heavy costumes lumbering through the snow with some type of sparklers as they make their way to a windmill.
A Musical Rainbow
Lithuania. Interior large barn as people in costumes dance about paper-mache towers (unique event). MS man playing accordion. MS's of costumed dancers and musicians playing fiddles, clarinets, and a range of homemade percussion.
A Musical Rainbow
DISCO! Interior large concert hall. Break out the polyester and the sequins, we're goin' dancin'! MS's of male and female dancers shaking their groove thing. MS of the drummer getting syncopated. Nice zooming (out) LS of the 10 or so piece band playing on stage. Funky low angle MS's of the female dancers/singers doing an odd hand jive into the camera. Good CU's of the chic singers. Some swank camera work here, too. More dancing, more tight outfits. Great MS of the bass player and guitarist striking a rather arena rock/heavy metal pose (facing off with their respective axes). MS's of the drummer. Dig that crazy chorus... it's infectious!
A Musical Rainbow
Soviet Baltic Republics, Estonia. EST shots of the rocky shore, the quaint towns, etc.
A Musical Rainbow
Soviet Baltic Republics, Estonia. An Estonian Country and Western group. They wear straw hats, vests, jeans and flannels... but for some reason the bass player is wearing a tuxedo. Weird. MS's of them sitting and playing in a collective by a rock near the sea. MS of them riding (walking) horses in the woods. Instruments include: banjo, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, fiddle and electric bass.
A Musical Rainbow
Turkmenia, Central Asia. Great shots of area (LS's of desert, camels, dunes, valleys, etc).
A Musical Rainbow
Turkmenia, Central Asia. A 9 piece funk-pop outfit. Turkmen funk. Electric guitar, bass, sitarist, four man horn section, male vocalist and a rocking drummer who needs to be seen to be believed. They play in a slight stone recess, surrounded by Persian rugs, wearing ridiculous furry hats. Great MS's of the players, some fantastic ones of the drummer (his set is huge! tons of toms, crotales, bells, cymbals, even a Turkish gong!).
A Musical Rainbow
Moldavia. Great shots of vineyard, scenic countryside. CU's of sunflowers and white grapes basking in the late afternoon sunlight.
A Musical Rainbow
Moldavia. A man playing a violin. LS of man and large string ensemble playing a sad tune in a village center. Pan over a field. Folk music
A Musical Rainbow
Moldavia. Panning CU of red grapes ripening on a vine. MS of a man stirring a large wooden vat of green grapes. MS of a female folk dancer, followed by LS of a line of them. MS of male folk dancers. Folk music
A Musical Rainbow
Ukraine. Nice shots of dusky scenics (mountains and lakes). MS of Ukrainian pop singer Sofia Rotaru walking on a sidewalk (wears black leather pants). CU's of her (dig those giant sunglasses) as she gives autographs. Great MS's of tide crashing vehemently against a port wall, the spray shuttling high and wide. MS of the Sofia Rotaru greeting a male friend, waving to the camera, getting into the car.
A Musical Rainbow
Ukraine. A music video for the pop star, Sofia Rotaru. Wearing a fur coat and maternal white dress, she sings a tune in the woods, her band accompanying her in BG. MS's of the band (flutist, violinist, guitarist). LS's of waves crashing on rocky coast. Zooming (out) LS of pop star and band waving to the camera.
A Musical Rainbow
Belarus. Slo-mo MS of people on an amusement ride. Zooming (out) MS of several men waring traditional coats, singing by a babbling brook. Folk tradition. CU's as well. High angle LS of the group walking slowly through a birch forest. Folk music.
A Musical Rainbow
Georgia. A unusual pop group performs... part talking, part hoedown, part folk, part call-out. CU's of band members as they take turns singing (two girls, one of whom wears a funky black hat with feather stuck in it, and the bass player who has a lower than low baritone). LS's of the band cavorting by a castle, still lip-syncing the tune. Two of the members wear tight, shiny, space-age one-piece outfits. There are way too many singers in this band. The average age appears to be 38.
A Musical Rainbow
DO NOT USE Still of an LP cover for a pop singer named Alla Pugachova.
A Musical Rainbow
MS of the singer, Alla Pugachova, being interviewed outdoors by reporters.
A Musical Rainbow
DO NOT USE Stills of the artist Alla Pugachova working (stage and studio. promo pix as well).
A Musical Rainbow
Singer, Alla Pugachova, outside carrying flowers and being mobbed by fans and reporteres. Panning (left) wide LS inside a massive concert hall as roadies and techs set the stage up. MS of someone fading up all the houselights from a master switcher. Low angle MS of a banyon of colored lights flickering. MS's and CU's of people filing in, taking their seats. MS's of singer, Alla Pugachova performaning (wears billowy clothes). Great CU's of rapt audience members. MS's of percussionist, keyboard player, guitarists. MS of the singer leaving the stage, a bouquet of roses in her arms.
A Musical Rainbow
Credits