Letting Neil Diamond’s Music Sing in Song Sung Blue

Adapted from the documentary of the same name, writer-director Craig Brewer’s Song Sung Blue dramatizes the incredible real-life story of Mike and Claire Sardina (Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson). In the late ‘80s, while forming the Neil Diamond tribute band Lightning and Thunder, the two fell in love and married. Following the couple through hard times and stage successes, the film chronicles the way the two never let go of each other or their love for Neil Diamond.

To bring out the best in Diamond’s music, Brewer reunited with composer Scott Bomar, who’d previously scored his films Hustle & Flow, Black Snake Moan, and Dolemite Is My Name. In addition to composing the film’s score, Brewer arranged the Diamond songs for Jackman and Hudson. The Hollywood Reporter praised his work, writing, “song after song is an uplifting knockout.”

We spoke with Bomar about Brewer’s vision, Neil Diamond’s genius, and the power of music to tell the story.

Get tickets for Song Sung Blue now!

When did Brewer first talk to you about this film?

Craig and I first saw Greg Kohs’ documentary at the Indie Memphis Film Festival in 2005 and were both blown away by it. But I wasn't aware that he had written the script for Song Sung Blue until sometime later. A few years ago, Craig called me out of the blue about the project and asked if I could create some demo tapes that he and Hugh could rehearse with. He sent me the script. I told him, “Craig, like everything you do, this is an amazing project that I would love to be part of when it gets up and running.” I created demos for “Cherry, Cherry” and “Play Me,” which I sent to him. Then I worked on helping create the sequence where Mike and Claire perform music for the first time at Claire's apartment. At that point, the movie was put on the back burner for a few years.

When you started, were all the Neil Diamond songs already placed in the film.

Yes. That was all Craig. He wrote each song into the script to help tell the story.

You played multiple roles, both working on arranging the Neil Diamond songs and writing the score.

I wanted the musical world in the film to be very comprehensive, so that the pre-records we did, the live musical scenes that are performed on camera, and the score all feel like they were all part of the same world. My approach to the score was to make music feel like an extension of the music that was already in the film. The score was inspired and influenced by Neil Diamond's music, especially in our use of acoustic guitar with strings. Buddy Holly's music also inspired some of the more up-tempo rock-and-roll cues. Richard Bennett, who played guitar with Neil Diamond for 18 years and co-wrote some songs like “Forever in Blue Jeans,” played on the Neil Diamond songs in the film.

On the song side, I helped Craig put together all the songs that are performed in the film. Craig, the music supervisor Trygge Toven, and an arranger here in Memphis named Mark Franklin with whom Craig and I have collaborated for years, worked with us. The one thing that was important to Craig was that we adapted the songs so that Hugh and Kate could perform together. When I started looking at the lyrics and listening to the songs, the first one that came to mind, “Sweet Caroline,” seemed like a perfect duet. I went through the lyrics and I split up what I thought would be the best lyrics for them to sing to each other.

Each of the songs serves a dramatic purpose in the film. How did you musically stress that?

When the film got greenlit, I told Craig, “The hard part has been done. The songs have already been written and they are amazing, so we just need to put it together where it helps tell the story.” Craig really knew these songs. Before we shot a single frame of film, Craig understood what was going to happen over every measure of music. Musically, the use of strings was very helpful in finding the emotions in the songs. To me, Richard Bennett is the real hero of the music in this film. He is a master musician and had such a deep relationship with Neil Diamond’s music and was very intuitive about what Craig needed this music to be.

What were your goals in arranging the songs for the film?

My goal was to serve Craig's vision the best and have Kate and Hugh's vocals shine the most. Having watched the documentary, I wanted the music to connect to Mike and Claire Sardina’s world in ‘90s Milwaukee. There's definitely some ‘80s and ‘90s production influence in the music. Finally, I wanted to be true to Neil's music, to his songs, and to his fans. I wanted the songs to work at various levels. And I believe we’ve succeeded. From what I hear, Neil is very happy with the music. We recently had a screening here in Memphis and I invited a friend who’s seen Neil Diamond in concert around 18 times. As a super Neil Diamond fan, he was very, very pleased with the film.

Neil Diamond’s songs have an amazing place in people’s lives. Why do you think that is?

I have a theory about this. I remember seeing the 1980 The Jazz Singer on television when I was young. Where I lived in Memphis, it got played at least once a year. Before we made this film, I rewatched it just to immerse myself in Neil’s world. My theory is him being a cantor at a young age, him singing religious music, and having that background, I think it created a real spiritual connection with him and music.

The film is an emotional roller coaster. How did you handle that with the score?

That was definitely tricky. Because there is so much music in the film and Kate and Hugh’s performances are so strong. I felt that the score needed to be understated and subtle. We all collectively felt that we didn't have to pummel the audience with the score. We just wanted to hint at things and let the music be a little subliminal.

Did you create specific themes?

There's one major theme which Craig referred to as the sad Claire theme. It appears in the middle and returns several times. By the end of the film, we get a reinterpretation of Claire's sad theme. Piano and cello are the main instruments in the theme’s melody. I used some woodwinds as well.

In addition to acoustic guitar, what sort of instrumentation did you use?

I didn't get too far away from the same instrumentation used in Neil’s songs, which is guitar, some percussion, strings, and acoustic piano. The main departure in my score is the use of woodwinds.

What do you hope people take away from the film?

I hope people feel the passion and love that musicians have for their craft and that no matter what obstacles they may face in their lives, if someone has the passion for art, they should pursue that passion.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.