''It's your Thing'' is an independently filmed 1970

concert film A concert film, or concert movie, is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by either a musician or a stand-up comedian. Early history The ...

funded by

The Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decades, ...

. The film was directed by Mike Gargiulo and the production was supervised by Betty Sperber.

Concert

The concert was filmed at

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the origi ...

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

, New York on June 21, 1969. It was recorded and subsequently released as a

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

titled ''

Live at Yankee Stadium ''Live at Yankee Stadium'' is a 1969 live album by The Isley Brothers, released on their own T-Neck label. While the Isleys appear in this live album, it is actually a live showcase by the group to conjoin artists that signed to their T-Neck la ...

'' on T-Neck Records in October 1969.

Ike & Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner were an American musical duo consisting of husband and wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by Ike Turner's band the Kings of Rhythm and backing vocal ...

who are featured in the film are not included on the live album because they didn't not participate in the original concert. Their segment was filmed separately in 1970 and added to the film.

List of performers

* The Isley Brothers * Patty Austin * Five Stair Steps and Cubie *

The Edwin Hawkins Singers Edwin Reuben Hawkins (August 19, 1943 – January 15, 2018) was an American gospel musician, pianist, choir master, composer, and arranger. He was one of the originators of the urban contemporary gospel sound. He (as leader of the Edwin Hawkins S ...

* Jackie "Moms" Mabley * Clara Ward Singers * Judy White * The Young Gents *

The Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid Cable-stayed bridge, cable-stayed/suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossi ...

The Winstons The Winstons were an American funk and soul music group based in Washington, D.C. They are known for their 1969 recording featuring a song entitled " Color Him Father" on the A-side, and "Amen, Brother" on the B-side. Halfway into "Amen, Brother ...

Release

''It's your Thing'' was released by Medford Films in theaters in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

on August 21, 1970. Mayor John V. Lindsay of New York attended a special preview of the film a day before its release. Proceeds from the New York premiere went to the Mayor's Commission on Youth and Physical Fitness. The film has not been released on home video. The

UCLA Film & Television Archive The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Also a nonprofit exhibition venue, the archiv ...

has a non-circulating "research and student center" copy of this film on VHS and 35 mm reels.

References

External links

*
''It's Your Thing''
on

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

Documentary films about pop music and musicians 1970 films Concert films American documentary films American independent films African-American musical films 1970s American films {{1970s-documentary-film-stub