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Interview: Jeremy Jordan Talks Going '70s For SPINNING GOLD
May 17, 2024
Jeremy Jordan stars as Neil Bogart in the new film Spinning Gold, which follows the creation of Casablanca Records, home to musical icons like Donna Summer, KISS, and more. BroadwayWorld caught up with Jordan to discuss the impact that the music had on his own life, working with the film's all-star cast, and more. Watch the interview video now!
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0:00
I'm so excited to talk to you about this film
0:03
You gave such a knockout performance, but I want to start out by asking how you sort of approached playing Neil Bogart
0:10
Did you sort of do a deep dive into like the music and the era? What was your process like
0:15
Well, you know, I was lucky enough to that, you know, sort of directed and written by his son
0:22
So he had kind of a treasure trove of, you know, videos and interviews
0:28
and a lot of sort of eyewitness accounts of who this guy was because he died back in 80s
0:34
So there wasn't like a whole lot of material, but I kind of dove into everything that I could get my hands on to try to just get his energy
0:42
and get his vibe and how he talked and how he moved. And kind of went from there
0:47
And, you know, the script was really great and sort of, and I got to know a lot about him just by talking to his son Tim
0:56
So that's kind of where we started. Awesome. I mean, and the music featured in the film is so ingrained in people's lives
1:04
What was your relationship with that music before the movie? You know, I knew it, you know, like I'm, you know, I was a little bit before my time, just a little bit
1:15
And, but I certainly knew like all the big hits of Kiss and Donna Summer and Izy brothers, Gladys Nye, and all those people that we highlight
1:24
And there were definitely a few songs that I'd never heard of. But for the most part, you know
1:28
These songs have lived on long past you know a normal expiration date of a hit song from that era So it definitely a testament to how much a visionary the character that I played Neil was So yeah I mean I was
1:44
familiar, but not, you know, they weren't my go-toes. Right. I mean, and even for some of your
1:50
maybe younger audiences and bands, you definitely are going to be maybe even introducing some of this
1:56
music to them for the first time. So what do you hope maybe younger audiences
2:00
take away from this film and being introduced to that type of music business and the music
2:05
in the film. Yeah, I mean, it's still a universal story of, you know, sort of an underdog and believing
2:12
in yourself, even when everybody else has kind of written you off, even to a fault
2:18
You know, we kind of push it even farther. But, but yeah, I think that the music, really good music, lives on
2:27
And it becomes, you know, this music is always cyclical, you know, sometimes the 80s are in
2:33
sometimes the 90s are back in, you know, and hopefully with this film we'll bring the 60s and 70s
2:39
back in as well, but and bring disco back a little bit. But I still think a good song is a good song and anybody that's, that likes music is going
2:48
to recognize that. And we put a little bit of fresh takes on them, but we're not doing, you know, the American Idol
2:53
versions of these songs, you know. They try to be as true to the original style
3:00
even though we're re-recording them with more modern artists. Yeah I mean with those modern artists there also such an all cast joining you in the film What was it like working with some like huge artists from today Oh it was great I mean it funny because the artists that came in and played these roles you know
3:16
they kind of have little cameos and they would come for like a day or two. And then they would leave with like, ooh, who's coming today
3:22
Oh, it's, you know, Jason Rullo. Oh, now we have pink sweats. Oh, whiskleaf is coming
3:27
Like so, you know, we got to sort of, it was like a little, I was always like a fun little surprise for us having all these people coming
3:33
And then everybody was great and really lovely. and probably my favorite was getting to work with, like, Lettucey
3:40
We got to basically just sing together and goof off and improv a whole scene that made it into the movie
3:45
And then Taylor Parks, who plays on a summary, is just a really incredible human being and a great singer-performer, too
3:53
So we really got lucky. We were in the business of making dreams come true
4:05
Sold over 200 million records. Came the soundtrack of your lives. How do you expect me to tell you how all that really happened
4:19
This is Casablanca Records, the biggest independent label anyone had ever seen
4:24
And the artists, they were family. Yes, the Isley brothers, Gladys Knight, Parliament, Bill Withers, Donna Summer
4:32
They legally changed my name. No! Everything is hotter in summer. And we knew what Casablanca could be We win million in debt You broke The whole town knows it What the hell do you really want
4:50
You didn't come over here just to beat up Bruce. I didn't
4:55
I want to rock and roll out night. We were waging an all-out war against all the majors, all at once
5:04
You gotta be out your mind. These labors fighting dirty. Moton actually put a hit on us
5:09
You are going to need. to make a phone call. You just call the Italian mob to tell the black mom not to kill us
5:17
You had a better idea? Midnight plane to Houston. My people from Georgia, they would never take a plane to Houston
5:29
We're in place one final bet. On who? On us. Lift off. Let's go
5:40
You left him right about that. I'm with you by me
5:50
Why did you sign us? You had to know how hard this is going to do. Because two kids from Queens had dreams about being the next gods of rock
6:00
That is who you are. Come on, baby. So, what happens next
6:14
You do
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