“The Wiz” turns 30
Today (October 24) marks the 30th anniversary of the theatrical release of The Wiz, the film adaptation of the 1975 Broadway musical that shifted L. Frank Baum’s famed novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to a ’70s urban environment with an R&B-flavored soundtrack.
Although the film was a commercial and critical disappointment at the time of its initial release, it’s looked at more favorably today. As of this writing, the film scored a B+ from the nearly 800 users that rated the film on Yahoo! Movies.
The Wiz is important to Quincy’s career because it marked a few key collaborations, most notably the first time he worked with a young Michael Jackson.
It also reunited Quincy with director Sidney Lumet, who gave Q his American film-scoring big break by enlisting him to score The Pawnbroker in 1964. Quincy and Lumet went on to work on five other films together, including The Deadly Affair (1967), Last of the Mobile Hot-Shots (1970), and The Anderson Tapes (1971). In fact, it was Lumet who drafted Quincy into the project, although Quincy was not initially enthused about working on the film. Noting that Lumet had given him his first big break, Quincy wrote in Q, his 2001 autobiography, “I felt I owned him more than one; I owed him a lot.”
Quincy was credited as the music supervisor handling orchestrations, music adaptation, song arranging, dance arranging, and co-writing of additional songs for the film: “Is This What Feeling Gets” and “Can I Go On?,” with lyricists Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson and “Green, Red and Gold—Emerald City Sequence,” with lyricist Charlie Small. Q also made an uncredited cameo in the film as Emerald City pianist sporting a stunning gold suit.
“Michael was the best thing that came out of The Wiz for me along with finally getting to work with Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson,” Quincy wrote in Q. “I took great pride in having been one of their friends since the sixties and one of their rare collaborators in the years to follow on several wonderful songs.”
According to Quincy, he first met Michael in 1972 when he was 12 at a party at Sammy Davis Jr.’s home. At the party, friends gathered around the television to watch the Jackson Five’s performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, which Davis had recorded on an early version of the VCR. Michael recalls there first meeting at a dinner for Muhammad Ali.
Whatever the case, The Wiz marked their first collaboration, even if it wasn’t particularly successful from a chart standpoint. In the film, Jackson portrayed the Scarecrow, while Diana Ross was cast as Dorothy. The pair sang a duet on the single “Ease on Down the Road,” co-produced by Quincy. Despite the pairing of two Motown stars, the single peaked at number 17 and 41, respectively, on the R&B and pop charts, while the soundtrack album stalled at number 33 and 40, respectively, on the Black and Pop Albums chart. Another song from the soundtrack, “You Can’t Win (Part 1),” was released as Jackson’s first solo on Epic. It peaked at number 42 on the R&B chart.
Yet, despite the lukewarm chart success, The Wiz did have some highpoints. For one, Quincy received his fourth Academy Award nomination for Best Adaption Score, for The Wiz. And of course, Q and Michael would go on to collaborate on such history-making albums as Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad.
It turns out there was plenty of magic in The Wiz’s yellow brick road after all.
Below you’ll find a sampling of some of the songs from The Wiz. You can view the trailer from the film here.
What is your favorite memory of “The Wiz”?
The Wiz is one of the most amazing films with the most superb talent gathered, starting with Q! Michael and Diana rocked together as did the whole cast – as a singer and teacher I enjoyed using the film for music classes when I used to substitute and even as a teenager in high school myself enjoyed singing the songs in choir! We need more collaborations like this today, to bring positive goals to all people with a happy, upbeat movie/music vehicle to offset the horrific things kids like to see these days! Ugh. Keep on keepin’ on Q – you rock and groove so smoothly – I also so enjoy your version of Birdland – the horns always blow my mind and I can envision singing some sweet harmonies ala Manhattan Transfer meets Motown! all the best & brightest blessings, Uma
Wow,30 years.I can still remember when it was released and the 1st single from the soundtrack.I remember seeing the sights where they filmed the movie.They filmed it in my home town of New York City,New York.Coney Island’s Astroland that is now closed forever where they filmed near the Cyclone rollercoaster and The Walkway and The Nathan’s franks sign near the Subway station in Brooklyn and The World Trade Center and The New York Public Library in Manhattan,Near The 64 world’s fair and Shea Stadium in Queens,In Harlem and a IND or BMT Subway station.When it was shown on TV,I use to watch it with my daughter and point out all the sights.The Wiz to me was and still is wonderful to watch.Q did a wonderful job with The Soundtrack. I was so happy to see Q in that little cameo.He was and still is the coolest cat I’ve ever seen with that big grin playing his Long Grand Piano.He also did a great job with the Singers,Especially Diane Ross and Michael Jackson.I was very happy to see Q bring out Michael’s Talent at a time where it needed to be brought out.Who knew after the film’s release,that Q and Michael would make History 3x.Ted Ross knew that no one can play the Lion.He was a powerhouse of fun to watch.Diane did a great job as Dorothy.Lena Horne, Nippsey Russell and Mable King were all showbiz veterans who knew how a song should be sung. Eventhough he didn’t sing in the film,I will also miss Richard Pryor playing the Wiz.He was a comic Genius.
All in all,The Wiz will be remembered as one of the greatest films of all time.When I want to ease on down the road,I’ll just put in a DVD of the Wiz and just remember The Places I have been and seen in the Movie, besides it reminds me of Home.
Rae C
Brooklyn,New York
P.s
I almost forgot what I wrote before but I remember the highlights.
Thanks for the question.I’ve enjoyed answering it.
I remember seeing this and thinking that the Emerald City Sequence was fantastic. Hearing this brings back memories! I used to have the LP…wow, it just dawned on me…”LP”! LOL
At the charter where I teach here in Tulsa, we watch the film version of the Wiz over and over. I also show them the Wizard of OZ. Of course the Wiz is their favorite! Everytime the music comes on they get up and dance into a frenzy while trying to do the same dance. You know how an audience do a Rocky Horror Show as it is on the screen. It is funny to see kids from 3 to 15 singing and dancing to same songs from the Wiz as I did as a child! We wore that DVD out. Now I got to find me another DVD!
Kavin Ross
Tulsa, Ok
I still watch the Wiz at least once a week. It is one of my favorites. Mean Ol Lion I can sing it back and forth. I just recently introduced my 2 year old daughter to the movie and she loves it just as much as I do. When my friends and I get together we always watch it. There are certain parts that we watch over and over. Our running joke however is that I’ve seen the movie well over 100 times since it’s release but I can’t watch the flying monkeys they still scare me. I always fast forward or walk away from that part.
I have entirely TOO many good memories of The Wiz…..but, if I had to recall one, it always goes back to when Diana Ross sings Home. It still brings a tear to my eye to this day! There was a marathon of The Wiz on TV1 and I watched all day long even though I own the movie. My friends all laughed at me but I did not care!!!! I love The Wizard of Oz too, but nothing compares to The Wiz!!! Love you Mr. Quincy!!!
Seeing Michael Jackson dive so eagerly into the dancing with such a joyous expression when “Ease on down the road” starts up. And seeing Quincy’s smile as he plays that magnificent piano.
I love this film and bought it on DVD many years ago to replace a worn out VHS tape. I even have the album, with the fabulous double cover that has scenes from the film in it. Fantastic cast, great script and one of my all time favourite soundtracks. Bravo Quincy, brilliant work!
Oct 24th! My son was born on that day! Go figure, since The Wiz is my number one musical of all time! This movie influenced my life and writing style in a significant way. It’s no wonder that when I went to record one of my songs, the producer said…”This reminds me of the Wiz”!! I get that alot from people so the Wiz and Color Purple are so much of who I am.
Mr. Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and Luther Vandross are my biggest influences and “The Wiz” brings them all together in this inspiring adventure!!!
I got so excited when I saw this that I forgot to answer the question! “Ease on Down the Road” is my most memorable moment in the Wiz. I took it’s meaning to heart when I first saw the movie in 1984!
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