The Beat Goes On

Buoyed by recent sneaks of “The Five Heartbeats” in Oakland and Pasadena, Virgin Records is currently cutting a soundtrack album of classic ‘60s R&B; hits from the background score, as well as new material performed in the film, which co-producer Loretha Jones calls “wall-to-wall music.”

The 20th Century Fox picture, due out March 15 from director-producer Robert Townsend (who co-wrote with Keenen Ivory Wayans), spans 25 years in the lives of five close friends who make up an R&B; group, the Five Heartbeats. Townsend plays the Heartbeats’ singer-songwriter, with Michael Wright as the lead singer. Rounding out the group are Leon (from Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” video), Tico Wells and Harry Lennix. They may go on tour as the Heartbeats later this year.

“What happened in Oakland was amazing,” says co-producer Jones. “When the songs came up, the audience responded like it was a concert, clapping and cheering for their favorites.”

While Jones estimates that the Oakland audience was 60% black, a more recent Pasadena crowd was largely white and reacted similarly, according to a publicist for the picture.

“This is definitely a crossover picture,” Jones says. “The music of that period is so universal. And the emotions and experiences these guys go through are even more universal.”