Everything: The Real Thing Story

A feature-length documentary telling the story of British soul group The Real Thing, Everything: The Real Thing Story revisits the past in which the four young men from Liverpool burst into both the UK charts and the US Billboard Hot 100. With interviews and contributions from band members, friends, associates and even ex-girlfriends, the picture gives a sharp-lensed insight into how the group achieved the unprecedented feat of becoming the first all-black British band to reach number one in the UK charts, particularly at a time in which black British artists were struggling to hit their stride in the music industry.

From the streets of Toxteth to the fame-filled heights of New York, Everything: The Real Thing Story shoots across the years, exploring the lives of each band member, the adoring reactions of their fans, and how they managed, or didn’t manage, to handle their explosion to stardom. Director Simon Sheridan explores numerous pinnacles and notable events in the band’s career, fleshing out its content with memories and insight from industry pros and those closer to home, an addition that adds a lovely personal touch alongside the factual intricacies of its subject matter. With visuals that add flair and an abstract outlook on each chapter, Everything: The Real Thing Story is a creative artist’s visual fantasy, re-enacting the writing of letters through graphics and building environments from artwork – all this, of course, alongside footage of the band performing live and conducting interviews. 

As a feature-length documentary, it ticks all the boxes, with exciting vision and knowledge to share with the viewer. The soundtrack, understandably, is fabricated entirely of The Real Thing’s songs, including the likes of Children of the Ghetto, Can’t Get By Without You and of course You To Me Are Everything – a complete joyride for fans of both the band and 70s and 80s music in general. The film has rhythm woven into its core, allowing each historical moment to flow to the next with ease, charm, and total fluidity.  

Whether or not there is actually enough context in which to formulate a 90-minute picture about the band is up for questioning, but the feeling is this documentary is there to educate, relive the struggles and prejudice of history and remind people how influential and groundbreaking The Real Thing really were. Everything: The Real Thing Story is a solid effort at this and, particularly, will provide entertaining and nostalgic viewing for fans of the band and their songs. Their music is, after all, timeless.

Guy Lambert

Everything: The Real Thing Story is released in select cinemas on 24^th January 2020.

Watch the trailer for Everything: The Real Thing Story here: