Exclusive: Lee Fields Sings “Let’s Talk It Over” in New Clip from Lee Fields: Faithful Man

Paste has been a big Lee Fields fan long before the soul veteran and his band stopped by our studio, so it’s exciting to see a new film focused on his winding career and impact in Jessamyn Ansary and Joyce Mishaan’s documentary Lee Fields: Faithful Man. The ups and downs of the longtime singer (for example of his longevity and influence, Sharon Jones was once one of his backing singers) are already dramatic enough for a cinematic narrative, but understanding the entirety of his musical career makes it that much more impressive that he’s still up there belting it out. Riding the rise, fall, and return of soul music, Fields has spent 50 years burning down the house. Naturally, we’re going to listen.

Paste has an exclusive look at the documentary, courtesy of First Ocktopus LLC, which sees Fields on stage singing the song “Let’s Talk It Over,” over which he talks about finding the balance between performing music and the business of music.

Take a look:

That. Voice. Fields’ performance in the clip embodies the magic unlocked when Fields, as our critic Eric Swedlund wrote, “struts, croons, shouts and turns on a low, tuneful vulnerability, matched at each turn by his terrific band.” And then you get to hear from the man himself. He discusses the dangers of becoming your own stage persona, an alluring trap so many stars fall into. Now riding a new wave of soul music (and new fans), Fields has gotten wiser with age — so why not look back and share his life’s lessons?

“I was immediately struck by the power of his voice, and, after looking into him further, was convinced that his story needed to be told,” filmmaker Ansary said in a press release. “At first I was reluctant to commit to such a massive undertaking, but Jessamyn persuaded me to spend a day filming with Lee. One day was all it took. I experienced what we later came to call, ‘the power of Lee’ – that dynamic draw that nearly everyone gets when first in his company. It’s the feeling of being in the presence of a legend,” said Mishaan.

Lee Fields: Faithful Man comes to TVOD via Gravitas Ventures on February 27, though it is available to pre-order on Apple now.