NASHVILLE |FROM: MARCEE RONDAN
‘OF ALL THE THINGS’
SET TO DEBUT AT SXSW FILM FESTIVAL:
DOCUMENTARY FILM TELLS THE STORY OF SONGWRITER/PRODUCER
DENNIS LAMBERT;
LAMBERT TO PERFORM SPECIAL LOS ANGELES SHOW
(TUESDAY, MARCH 4)
IN ADVANCE OF SXSW FILM DEBUT
“Of All The Things” is the name of a song by famed songwriter/producer Dennis Lambert, whose diverse catalog of hits in the ’70s and ’80s included “Ain’t No Woman Like The One I’ve Got,” “Don’t Pull Your Love,” “Rhinestone Cowboy” and “Nightshift.”
Of All The Things is also the name of a film that tells the unlikeliest of comeback stories.
World premiering this March at the SXSW Film Festival, this music documentary details the story of an artist whose music career ended; who became a real estate broker in Florida; and who unexpectedly gets a chance to perform 35 years later.
It all comes together when the 60-year-old family man accepts an invitation to tour the Philippines, where his 1972 solo album Bags And Things–all but forgotten in the U.S.–has made him a beloved icon among fans who have adopted the track “Of All The Things” as the country’s Valentine’s Day anthem. The tour culminates in a sold-out show at Manila's famous Araneta Coliseum for thousands of fans he never knew he had.
The story of a man rediscovering his passion for music, Of All The Things is directed by Dennis’ son Jody and produced by longtime family friend Taylor Williams.
The journey chronicled in Of All The Things begins as Dennis Lambert receives an annual call from a Filipino promoter asking him to consider a tour–an offer he’d turned down numerous times over the last thirty years.
“It was a ‘now or never’ moment,” says Dennis. “I felt it might be the last time the promoter would be asking me to tour and I believed that if I did it, something important would come out of the experience.”
Upon hearing that Dennis had finally accepted the offer, his son Jody and Taylor decided to accompany Dennis on his whirlwind tour–a two-week adventure that takes Dennis from the comforts of Boca Raton to a multi-city tour of the Philippines.
“When my dad said yes, that’s all I needed to hear,” Jody said. “I had to make a movie about it. I was going to follow him to the Philippines and hoped to capture on film what seemed no longer possible–my dad getting his musical mojo back.”
“Jody and I had always wanted to work together,” Taylor adds. “And when Jody called me Christmas Eve 2006, I thought it was just going to be another holiday greeting. I was wrong. He told me about the tour and asked if I wanted to come. At that moment, we decided we were going to make a film about this extraordinary experience in this unlikely place.”
Before heading to SXSW for the film’s World Premiere, Lambert will come to Los Angeles for a special showcase Tuesday, March 4 at the Viper Room. He’ll re-invent classic tunes from his songwriting career, and “debut” songs from his 1972 solo album, including the film’s title song, “Of All the Things.” Throughout his career, Dennis had chart-toppers in nearly every genre of music; at one point four of his songs were simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a feat previously accomplished only by The Beatles. Some of his additional credits include “One Tin Soldier,” “Baby Come Back” and “It Only Takes A Minute.”
For the L.A. show, Dennis’ back-up band is Joshua Lopez, guitar (Nikka Costa, Macy Gray, Will.I.Am); Scott Siever, drums (Amos Lee, Ari Hest, Ben Taylor, Jon Brion, Lisa Loeb, Tupac Shakur); Milo Decruz, bass; Mila Williams, vocals (Macy Gray, Missy Elliot, Raphael Saadiq).
Where does Dennis go after the L.A. show and the SXSW premiere?
Dennis says, “The film and the tour have reignited a flame deep in my creative gut. Once a hit maker, always a hit maker. We’ll see what new mountains I can climb without falling and hurting myself.”
The “Of All The Things” SXSW screenings are as follows:
Saturday, March 8: 11:00 AM
Alamo Ritz 1 320 E 6th St.
Austin, TX 78701
Monday March 10: 5:00 PM
Alamo Lamar 2
1120 S. Lamar
Austin, TX 78704
Thursday March 13: 7:30 PM
Alamo Lamar 2
1120 S. Lamar
Austin, TX 78704
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‘OF ALL THE THINGS’ SET TO DEBUT AT SXSW FILM FESTIVAL: DOCUMENTARY FILM TELLS THE STORY OF SONGWRITER/PRODUCER DENNIS LAMBERT
