Director Cameron Crowe captured the musical collaboration between Elton John and Leon Russell in "The Union," which premiered on February 2, 2012, on HBO.
Elton John had not seen, or spoken to, Leon Russell for 38 years, but Russell's greatest hit album. Elton John was on safari in Africa with his partner David Furnish at the time. Elton John was moved to tears at the thought that music legend Leon Russell, who he consideres of of his greatest influenced, was falling into obscurity. He vows to contact his idol and propose that they collaborate on an album together.
So begins "The Union," an unprecedented personal look into the making of John and Russell’s acclaimed album of the same name. Stepping into The Village studio in Los Angeles, director Cameron Crowe captures a myriad of intimate moments involving the two artists, including the first-ever filming of John composing music to lyrics written by Bernie Taupin, his longtime collaborator.
Elton John wanted the new album to sound like one of Russell’s classics, the film is filled with concert footage of John and Russell throughout their careers, including John’s first U.S. appearance at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, a show attended by Russell.
The film is a candid portrait of two remarkable talents as they take a journey of the heart. John and Russell create many of the signature songs in the film. They work on nine songs in three days.
With celebrated producer T Bone Burnett on board to produce, Crowe observes as the two musicians develop, rehearse and record such heralded tracks as “If It Wasn’t For Bad” (which received a 2011 Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals), “Gone to Shiloh,” “Monkey Suit” and “In the Hands of Angels.” Taupin, icons Neil Young and Brian Wilson, legendary organist Booker T. Jones, steel guitarist Robert Randolph and a ten-piece gospel choir are seen contributing to the album. Appearances by Stevie Nicks and Don Was also color the documentary, a chronicle not just of music-making, but of the reinvigoration of Russell’s career.
As the start of recording, Russell undergoes a five-hour emergency operation to remove brain fluid, but he eventually returns to the studio and completes the ambitious 14-song album. John makes sure that it is a true collaborative effort, sharing vocals as well as writing and performing credits with Russell. As the album is mixed, the pair makes plans to promote it via TV, radio and print interviews, as well as in a special live performance at the Beacon Theatre in New York. On Oct. 19, 2010, in conjunction with the release of “The Union” – which went to #1 on Amazon, entered the Billboard 200 at #3 and was named #3 on Rolling Stone’s Greatest 30 Albums of 2010 – Russell and John take the stage at the Beacon for a memorable joint concert.
THE UNION also shows how John has evolved, as an artist and a man. Reflecting on his rise to fame in the“glorious blur” of the ‘70s, marked by over-the-top costumes and hyperactive performances, he says, “I spent a lot of time in my life feeling insecure offstage, rather than being secure on it. I’m not that way anymore – I want to help people, I want to give back. I love young artists. And if I met the younger me today, I’d probably want to help him, too.”
THE UNION, which had its world premiere as the opening-night selection at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival, isthe latest installment in Cameron Crowe’s already lustrous filmography. His previous films include “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “Jerry Maguire” and “Almost Famous.” Crowe recently directed another music documentary, “Pearl Jam Twenty,” as well as “We Bought a Zoo,” starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson. He has also been an influential force in music journalism since early in his career, having been Rolling Stone magazine’s youngest contributor.
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