Section: LIFE & LEISURE Page: D1
Friday, June 28, 2002
HIS ATTITUDE IS CAN DOO-WOP
PETER HANSON - Special to the Times Union
Joe Glickman believes in putting his money where his
music is. The young Albany filmmaker's ambitious endeavors
often reflect his deep love for vintage pop tunes, and a
case in point is his latest project.
Glickman, who also sings and plays guitar, recently
recorded a version of the old Del Shannon tune ``So Long
Baby'' for a tribute album that's scheduled to feature
tracks by such former heavy hitters as Jeff Lynne of
Electric Light Orchestra and Randy Bachman of the Guess Who.
To ensure that his contribution doesn't get lost amid the
big names, Glickman will shoot an elaborate music video for
the tune in August.
Budgeted at about $30,000, all of which will come out of
Glickman's pocket, the video will be shot locally and in Del
Shannon's hometown of Coopersville, Mich. The Capital Region
locations being employed are the Malta Drive-In and the Fuze
Box Lounge in Albany.
``I am funding the entire video, and it's a bit of a
gamble,'' Glickman says. ``I could've put a down payment on
a house, for God's sake. I tried to get help funding it, but
I was turned down. It was a bit shocking, considering that
the song has been guaranteed a national release. I'll be
paying for this one for a long time, unless the song goes
gold. I've got my fingers crossed.''
Glickman says that the expense of the project stems from
his decision to shoot on film rather than video, and to hire
a professional crew. Another costly element will be 1950s
period costumes for the cast. Yet Glickman says he's
thrilled with the support he's gotten, especially from
Coopersville officials. ``They have been 100 percent
cooperative,'' he says. ``They're closing down Main Street
for us on Aug. 10. We're also shooting at Rosie's Diner --
famous for the Bounty paper-towel commercials -- and the
Coopersville & Marne Railways.''
For updates on the video, check out http://www.solongbaby.com/.
This is the first installment of ``Focus on Film,'' a
monthly column in which Peter Hanson -- the Albany-based
author of ``Dalton Trumbo, Hollywood Rebel'' (2001) and
``The Cinema of Generation X'' (2002) -- chronicles the
endeavors of the region's independent filmmakers.
