We are back to work again following a hiatus while Laura Colwell and I caught up on work and life  - as mentioned in the recent Update. That update includes a wonderful 1980 Phoenix article by Dave Marsh. As promised here is a short video clip from the film of some pre-Chartbusters history.

In the clip, Robin is talking with her good freind Jocelyn Heaney behind a thrift store in Topanga Canyon. It was shot by Luca DeSanto Grassi several years ago. The conversation moves Robin's story to Boston where she took her lesser known bent for Christian songwriting to a changing local music scene. The material before and after this clip will expand considerably on what you see here. Brett Milano's interview puts it all into a larger historical framework. She soon slips into the 'punk' scene at the Rat in Kenmore Square armed with her new band featuring Asa Brebner and Leroy Radcliff from Jonathan Richman's Modern Lovers, Scott Baerwald, and me, your humble scribe.

The clip features two little heard early songs: A Rose for Sharon, an early demo recording, and Winter and the Wind, which was written during the Blizzard of '78. The recording was meticulously preserved by David 'Finn' Finnerty from his living room recordings done in Cambridge during, what were called,  'Acid Jams' (though no LSD was involved!).

There are interviews with Peter Johnson, Joanne Cipolla (beautifully shot by Matt Thurber), and Tony Gilroy who recall those heady days. Gilroy was recorded at the top of the MTV building in NYC and shot by my students. The figures in the still pictures are not labeled, and will change some, but here they include Peter Johnson, Peter Bell, the late Reeve Little, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Rishell, Michael Golub, and Jean- Do Sifantus of the Road Apples.

Enjoy, and let us know what you think!

5 Minute Clip from A Woman's Voice

It's been too long since our last update. It was a busier than usual teaching semester for me, and Laura Colwell, the film's editor, is getting herself acclimated to Texas. We both had about a month of limited time to work on the project, but are back in gear now. The hope is for a completed rough edit by the end of the summer.

I have been finding material and sorting through interviews about the Boston music scene in the late 70's early 80's. and then we will move on to Ms Lane's post Warner Brother's struggles and successes. I did a last interview with Robin at her daughter Evangeline's house recently. We sat down to reflect on past mistakes, and current ambitions. I'm focusing on keeping Robin's story one that has universal appeal, beyond a fan base. In that regard the interview with Evangeline was a big surprise, and heartwarming. Not only is Evangeline a beautiful woman, but she had some surprising things to say about growing up in a rock and roll life.

We really are hoping to post a clip from A Woman's Voice in the next week or so. Meanwhile here is an interesting article by Dave Marsh that I recently uncovered. 

It's also readable at my blog TimJacksonWeb

Keep in touch. Keep those questions and comments coming.

Also consider a small contribution to another terrific music project by the wonderful filmmaker (and enormously fine person) Beth Harrington. She has a great film and a big goal. This is her second campaign for post production on her film about Johnny Cash LINK HERE to read all about it!

This is a good time to post an update because the Globe today featured an article on what is essentially the ending of the film's wandering tale - Robin's current work with songwriting programs for women. The programs featured in the article, called Taking Flight in Song,  are catching attention just we work towards finalizing a rough edit. Hopefully it will all converge nicely.

Other notes:

Bob Bettendorf who has maintained an amazing file of old press and articles sent in a treasure trove, all of which has been scanned and ready to edit in. I have included some samples below.                                                                                              

John Kusiak, who last month won the 2012 Cinema Eye Honors award for Best Original Music Score for Errol Morris' great film Tabloid, has written a wonderful composition that fits perfectly into the opening section of the film. Visit Kusiak Music for some of his fantastic scores for Errol Morris films and others. His music is filled with humor, emotion, and great orchestrations,

Last, but not least, Jimmy Herald, former owner of the Rat club, is opening up some of his long lost archives to me soon. That should be interesting.

Thanks Bob, John, and Jim. This late gathering of material doesn't slow things down. Even with Laura being in Texas and me in Boston things are moving along well, and we should have a clip for the next update.

Tim J.

Top 'o the New Year. Laura Colwell and I are into a third rough edit of the film, which is now at about an hour with lots of concert footage to add, and a whole section to finish. So it's cut here and cut there. As we move forward it begins to establish a rhythm. We 're both working several jobs, of course, and Laura has moved to Austin, so we have long conferences and notes back and forth, but continue to make progress. We will try to post some clips soon.

Here some stills from the last edit:

#1. Robin's mother from one of many modeling jobs in the 50's.  #2. From a shoot with Robin on Malibu Beach a few years back. #3.  A reenactment shot by Matt Thurber  #4. A concert still from the 80's.  #5. From the interview with Asa Brebner

It was a busy month. Laura Colwell, our editor has gotten through the first 40 pages or so of the script from transcripts,  and worked in Robin’s home movies, and an array of archival photos. I’ve gone through that and revised it and mercilessly paired it down. 

We’ve found old Robin Lane demo tapes, songs from her pre-Chartbuster days, some done in David ‘Finn’ Finnerty’s living room around 1976-78 with Tony Gilroy, Peter Johnson, Finn and others backing up. There is the earlier version of the song, When Things Go Wrong, in its countrified version, which later recorded in that form by the Pousette-Dart Band.

Finally we have finished shooting recreations of a pair of stories that Robin and an old friend, Nettie Bonan, told in interviews out in Los Angeles several years ago. Cameraman Matt Thurber again directed the photography and dressed the set, peppering it with just the right details to look like the 1960’s. He brought in Ben Knight, as a grip, and created some great cinematic shots.

Boston Casting  and Angela Perry kindly provided us with an actor to play Sal Mineo (yes, Robin has a wild Sal Mineo tale to tell). Franz Israel who, among many talents, owns the New England Gallery of Latin American Art played Sal Mineo. A terrific actor David Ryan Kopcych played Sal’s ‘friend’.  Casey Preston once again played the ‘bad guy’ to Robin’s disturbing tale of Nettie Bonan.  Once again, Ameriah Schoeber was Nettie and Saffron Moon Scheober was Robin.

Finally, a huge thanks to Joanne Cipolla who allowed her house to be a movie set for 12 hours. Joanne co-wrote When Things Go Wrong, was the singer/writer for the band Planet Street, and is as kind and gracious as a human can be.

Links are included here. Pictures below.

Step by step we’re making progress.

Thanks everyone

Tim J.

Director