A few years ago, when I was staying at the von Trapp family’s hotel in Northern Vermont, I attended a presentation about their family history. In the talk, they discussed the differences between The Sound of Music and their actual story.
They said the plotline about Captain von Trapp refusing to let the children play outside was particularly laughable. As a military man, they noted, he encouraged all sorts of outdoor activity.
I thought of this recently when reading about the film Song Sung Blue. The movie tells the story of husband and wife duo Mike and Claire Sardina, whose Neil Diamond tribute band, Lightning and Thunder, rose to local fame in the Milwaukee area.
Mike Sardina’s son from another marriage, Mike Jr., has criticized and denounced the film for its factual inaccuracies saying: “Everybody thinks it’s such a wonderful film, it’s so touching. It’s all lies.”
Claire, aka Thunder, has taken a different view, saying in one interview that “They captured it wonderfully. The chronological order wasn’t exactly on target completely. But, you know, the story is ‘based on a true story’ as they say and it’s more Hollywood in parts.” She has even performed live with the film’s stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson.
Anytime a “true story” is transferred to film, certain elements of the story are bound to be lost, perhaps even more so in musicals. Real life is often far messier. One truth that I thought the film captured perfectly was the joy of seeing a great band play at a less than pristine venue. There’s that moment when the music takes you out of that time and place, if only for a brief second, before life comes crashing back in.
One of the main reasons the film accomplished this is that the soundtrack is fantastic. Hugh Jackman is perfectly cast for the role of a Neil Diamond “interpreter.” On the soundtrack he delivers solid renditions of several of Diamond’s greatest hits, such as “Cherry, Cherry,” “Forever in Blue Jeans,” and, of course, “Sweet Caroline.” Under the premise of playing in a tribute band, Jackman does not have to sing each song perfectly. Instead, he is able to give the tracks his own spin, and showcase his character’s unbridled enthusiasm for performing Diamond’s work.
The album and film’s biggest surprise is Kate Hudson, who delivers an electrifying performance both singing and playing the role of Claire Sardina. Though Hudson is known primarily for her acting chops, her music career has been slowly building over the years. In 2012-2013, she appeared on the musical T.V. show Glee, where she performed powerhouse versions of “All That Jazz” from Chicago and “There are Worse Things I Could Do” from Grease. In 2024, she released her debut album Glorious. Rolling Stone said the record was “One of the year’s most pleasant musical surprises, a thoroughly grown-up and strikingly assured collection of guitar-heavy songs that tend to land somewhere between Adele and Sheryl Crow, with Hudson’s big, slightly husky voice and deep rock and roll fandom always front and center.”
More than just a sidekick, Hudson sings alongside Jackman in the band, adding her own voice to various verses and choruses from the Diamond songbook. She takes the lead on Diamond’s “I’ve Been This Way Before.” Originally released on 1974’s Serenade, it’s a gospel-inspired power ballad. Hudson delivers it with a slightly raspy, Midwestern accent that sets the song in its place and time. She also takes a turn singing two songs from the Patsy Cline songbook, “After Midnight,” and “Sweet Dreams.” It’s enough to leave us eager for her next musical project.
