Casablanca Records ranks as one of the most legendary record labels of all time. In its classic incarnation, the label discovered artists as varied as KISS, Donna Summer, The Village People, Parliament, Giorgio Moroder and many more throughout the disco era. Thewas the brainchild of Neil Bogart, a legendary record exec who, tragically, died young of cancer at only 39. His own son, Timothy Bogart, has assembled a loving, warts-and-all biopic about his father, Spinning Gold, which opened in theaters last week.
I was lucky enough to speak to Timothy, his leading man Jeremy Jordan, who plays his father, and SNL vet Jay Pharoah, who plays Bogart’s right-hand man Cecil Holmes, and singer Tayla Parx, who plays Donna Summer. The interviews were pretty interesting, with Timothy Bogart in the unique position of adapting his own father’s life story to the big screen. He discusses how he didn’t want to smooth out any of the rough edges, with his father, among other things, carrying on a long-time affair with the woman who inspired Kiss’ Beth, despite being married to an adoring wife and indulging in his share of cocaine, as pretty much every record exec did during the era. Jay Pharaoh himself explains that what happened at Casablanca could likely never be repeated nowadays, but the collection of talent they assembled is unrivalled.
Meanwhile, Tayla Parx discussed her unique contribution to the film, with her not only having to play Donna Summer but, despite being an accomplished vocalist herself, having to adapt her singing style to match that of the legendary disco diva. All in all, a very interesting group to chat with. You can check out the interviews above, and Spinning Gold is open in theaters now! If you’re a fan of the era, you’ll want to give it a look.