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Am I Black Enough for You?

Documentary, Special Interest, Musical & Performing Arts

The story of the singer who soared into the stratosphere with his breakout single "Me and Mrs. Jones", then plummeted back to Earth when his funky follow-up "Am I Black Enough for You?" proved dead on arrival. Billy Paul was a Philadelphia soul artist who could have easily been as big as Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield, but the radical lyrics of his sophomore single proved too polarizing for white America of the 1970s. In the wake of the Civil Rights Movement, amity and personal gain frequently took a backseat to political assertion, especially for African-Americans. Billy Paul had enjoyed international success with the soulful, almost soothing "Me and Mrs. Jones", and record executive Kenny Gamble was banking on the fact that America was prepared for the empowering message contained in "Am I Black Enough for You?" Not only did that gamble fail to pay off, but effectively crippled Paul's burgeoning career as well. In this documentary, filmmaker Goran Olsson explores how the singer's loving relationship with his longtime wife Blanche gave him the courage to endure even in the darkest of times, and offers an informative look the origins of soul music in the American Civil Rights Movement.

Rating

Director

Goran Olsson, GÃ¶ran Olsson

Trevor Johnston

Slightly woolly overall, though you might find yourself buying the CDs. I did.
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Sam Jordison

A touching story, relatively well told with the bonus of a fine backing track and eloquent interview subjects.
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Peter Bradshaw

Philadelphia's soul legend Billy Paul takes centre stage in this intriguing documentary, which teases out the nuances of his complex and often painful career.
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Sukhdev Sandhu

The film succeeds in making us want to check out the singer's back catalogue.
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Uncut Magazine [UK]

The feeling that the film's subject has been over-stretched isn't helped by some crass overdubs of Paul's live performances. Authenticity starts at home.
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David Edwards

This illuminating doc looks back on the Philly singer's life and times. It reveals a vast talent who lost his way through a combination of drugs and bad business decisions.
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The Sun (UK)

An intriguing documentary.
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Allan Hunter

An affectionate and thoughtful portrait of an artist.
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Matthew Turner

Despite a few structural problems, Am I Black Enough For You is an engaging and ultimately uplifting film.
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