Some years later, now calling himself Jack Robin, he has become a talented jazz singer, performing in blackface. After singing popular tunes in a beer garden, he is punished by his father, a hazzan (cantor), prompting Jakie to run away from home. The film depicts the fictional story of Jakie Rabinowitz, a young man who defies the traditions of his devout Jewish family. Based on the 1925 play of the same name by Samson Raphaelson, the plot was adapted from his short story "The Day of Atonement". with the Vitaphone sound-on-disc system and features six songs performed by Al Jolson. Its release heralded the commercial ascendance of sound films and effectively marked the end of the silent film era. It is notable as the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score as well as lip-synchronous singing and speech (in several isolated sequences). The Jazz Singer is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. And I never did get a real taste for the movies.”Ĭinema’s loss was music’s gain… and The Jazz Singer remains a landmark album.96 minutes (with overture and exit music) Another sweet song, called “Acapulco,” was written with guitarist Doug Rhone.Īt the time, Diamond became one of the highest-paid debut actors ever for his performance in The Jazz Singer (scooping $3.5 million), but later told Larry King Live on CNN that it was not a happy experience. His long-term bandmate Alan Lindgren – the arranger on the album who also played synthesizer and piano – had previously worked with Frank Sinatra. His marvelous playing is also a key part of The Bellamy Brothers’ 1975 hit “Let Your Love Flow.”ĭiamond liked to gather musicians of the highest caliber. Back in the 70s, Bennett was a regular in Diamond’s band. In addition, the guitar work on The Jazz Singer is exemplary, featuring Richard Bennett, who had worked with Mark Knopfler for the past 23 years. It all combined to help the album go platinum five times over. Among them, “You Baby” is bouncy and witty, and the jazzy “On The Robert E Lee” is quirky, while “Summerlove” is a simply a well-constructed pop song. Most tracks are under three minutes long – and all pack an emotional punch, channeled through his sugary bass voice. The album also contains a Jewish traditional hymn (“Adon Olom”), used as a 30-second interlude among the 13 snappy songs. It, too, became an enduring anthem for Diamond. Elsewhere, “America,” about the hopes and fears of immigrants, played the patriotic card deftly with lyrics about “the flag unfurled” and a catchy chorus. The most successful was “Love On The Rocks,” a weepie love song that became one of Diamond’s standards, and which was later a hit for Gladys Knight. Before The Jazz Singer, Diamond sought out Bécaud and they wrote songs together, including five for the soundtrack: “Love On The Rocks,” “Summerlove,” “On The Robert E Lee,” “Hey Louise” and “Songs Of Life.” One of the first albums he bought as a youngster was by The Everly Brothers, and he particularly loved a “beautiful, very melodic song” called “Let It Be Me,” originally written in French by Gilbert Bécaud, a man whose compositions had been covered by Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland. As a young college dropout, he made a living as a writer on New York’s Tin Pan Alley, during which time he learned to play guitar by listening to folk group The Weavers. But despite the poor reception for the film, the album, released on November 10, 1980, was an instant hit, with chart placings for songs as emotionally potent as “Love On The Rocks,” “Hello Again” and the brazenly patriotic “America.”ĭiamond had strong credentials as a songwriter before he became a solo artist. Diamond, who was about to turn 40 when the film was made, showed considerable courage in taking on the challenge of acting, especially when you consider that it came after a long spell in a wheelchair when he had been recuperating after having had a tumor removed from his spine.
In the film, a remake of the Al Jolson classic from 1927, New York-born Diamond stars opposite Laurence Olivier as Yussel Rabinovitch, a young Jewish cantor performing at the synagogue of his overbearing father. It’s no wonder that Diamond later said, “I decided while I was doing The Jazz Singer that I’d rather be a really good singer than a mediocre actor that I’d concentrate on my music, my records, and my shows.”