Bobbi Jo Hart’s documentary Fanny: The Right To Rock is the best film about musicians I have seen so far.
It’s entertaining and inspiring. It chronicled the story of a rock group most of us have probably never heard of: Fanny. And here lies the beauty of the experience.
I have absolutely no idea who they were, so I have no investment in the film at all. And knowing that it’s a documentary had me initially worried. What if it turns out to be a bore? Will I understand the references? Will I be able to stay awake?
Fifteen minutes in, I was hooked. It had one of the most engaging storytelling I’ve experienced.
I am grateful that this documentary was made because it would be a great injustice if this generation–our generation–didn’t get the chance to know who Fanny is.
Back in the days when men ruled the rock and roll industry, Fanny–an all women four-member rock group–broke barriers and fought their way to gain success and respect of their peers, critics, and fans.
According to Bonnie Raitt, “Fanny was the first all-women rock band that can really play and get some credibility within the musician community.”
She was right.
Helen Reddy once introduced them as “the queens of Rock and Roll” while the great David Bowie regarded them as one of the finest rock bands of their time. And yet, despite their greatness and relative success, they were lost in obscurity–and was almost never heard of again.
And that is the reason why I, along with, I assume, many others of this generation, do not know who Fanny is. No one was talking about them when I was growing up, exploring various music influences. It’s a shame, really, to not have been aware of this music group because Fanny is phenomenal.
Fanny was the first all-women rock group to release an album with a major label. They recorded five albums over the course of their career. (In 2018, June and Jean reunited with Brie and formed Fanny Walked The Earth.)
Add the fact that three members are of Filipino descent. Imagine, at a time when racism and discrimination was rampant in the United States, June and Jean Millington and Brie Darling were able to penetrate the music scene, make a huge impact, and became successful.
They basically paved the way for other female rock stars. And they did it by sheer talent and determination. They commanded attention by simply playing and being awesome at it.
While they enjoyed more popularity and success in the UK than the United States, Fanny had the respect of their contemporaries back home and served as influences for future artists.
The Runaways’ Cherry Curie describes them as “iconic, truly, before their time.”
At one point in the movie, someone talked about how they got a lot of attention from their three albums when Fanny had five, perhaps implying that if they were able to find success with three records, the heights Fanny could have reached with their five amazing records would have been tremendous.
They were truly the greatest all-women rock band we’ve never heard of.
What this terrific film does best is pulling the audience in by using the right visuals–there are tons of old photographs and video clips that show Fanny’s (they called themselves The Svelts during their early years) journey, from playing in backyards to living the rock and roll lifestyle in Fanny Hill–and tying them together with amazing songs from the band’s catalogue.
The film is full of heart. Each time someone talks in front of the camera, whether it’s the band or their friends or colleagues, the emotions are raw and palpable. As more and more things and stories are said about the group, the more they become endearing to you as an audience.
Perhaps the most significant takeaway from this film is that true greatness can never be obscured forever. The movie has shown us how legendary Fanny was–the music legends have attested to that–and yet they were forgotten for a long time.
Until now.
Fanny has always had the right to rock. They fought for it before and used that to pave the way for other women in the industry. And now, they’re back to reclaim their right to be recognized and honored as music royalties.
You can watch the trailer here:
Fanny: The Right To Rock is now showing in Philippine cinemas. It is distributed by TBA Studios.
