Maggie McClure talks about the film and music industry in Oklahoma.
Maggie McClure talks about Oklahoma’s music and film industry while attending Film and Music Day at the Capitol in Oklahoma City.
When the newly elected President and First Lady Ron and Nancy Reagan (Dennis Quaid and Penelope Ann Miller) take to the dance floor at their first inaugural ball in the film biopic “Reagan,” it is the married couple The Imaginaries from Oklahoma who provide the music away from the spotlight.
“Even though you barely see us, you hear us, and that’s super cool for us, so we’re really grateful,” said singer, songwriter and pianist Maggie McClure.
Her better half – singer, songwriter and guitarist Shane Henry – takes over the vocals on “My Eyes Adored You,” her cover of Frankie Valli’s hit ballad, which can be heard in this scene and on the soundtrack to “Reagan.”
“It’s a difficult song. I really spent a lot of time listening to it and listening to a lot of different Frankie Valli stuff to ultimately put my own spin on it… but still stay true to the original,” Henry said.
The biographical drama about the 40th president of the United States, shot largely in Guthrie, opened nationwide on August 30 and exceeded box office expectations over the Labor Day weekend.
In addition to the Norman-based Americana duo’s rendition of “My Eyes Adored You,” the “Reagan” soundtrack includes a Bob Dylan cover of “Don’t Fence Me In,” the Cole Porter anthem popularized by Oklahoma singing cowboy Gene Autry; a rendition of the successful 1930s torch song “Stormy Weather” by KISS frontman Gene Simmons; and a version of John Denver’s global hit “Country Roads” by country singer Clint Black.
“It’s great to see this movie in our home state where it was shot. This has been a long time coming,” McClure told The Oklahoman on the red carpet at the Oklahoma premiere of “Reagan” on August 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Edmond.
“I think everyone here is super supportive of the entire film and entertainment industry and is happy to support (the film) whether they were involved in it or not. And that’s the really cool thing.”
“Reagan” distributor brings Oklahoma-produced film to more cinema screens
The first feature-length film about President Ronald Reagan was released by independent distributor ShowBiz Direct and grossed $7.4 million at the North American box office over its three-day opening weekend. Over the four days of Labor Day weekend, Reagan grossed $10.3 million, beating estimates of $5 million.
According to GoldDerby.com, the biopic landed at number three on the box office charts over the holiday weekend, just ahead of the film “Twisters,” also shot in Oklahoma, when the final figures for the last four days were counted.
Of the seven new films that hit theaters during the last weekend of August, only “Reagan” made the top five. Deadline even reported that the ICON Cinema in Edmond was “Reagan’s” highest-grossing location during the film’s debut weekend.
After the biopic exceeded expectations with 2,754 theaters in its opening weekend, Showbiz Direct announced plans to add more theaters in “Reagan’s” second week.
Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, the new film follows Ronald Reagan’s life from his childhood in Dixon, Illinois, through his acting career in Hollywood to the U.S. presidency and the world stage. Reagan served as president from 1981 to 1989 and died on June 5, 2004, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Filming for “Reagan” began in September 2020 in Oklahoma. The production headquarters is in Guthrie and the historic Scottish Rite Masonic Temple.
“How amazing that Guthrie was able to host this production – and during COVID of all times. Guthrie spent $22 million, which is incredible, (and) employed 1,100 people,” said Jeanette Stanton, director of the Oklahoma Film + Music Office.
“They really brought every Oklahoma company they could into this production, which makes it even more special. … Besides the fact that the film was shot primarily in Oklahoma and in Guthrie, there’s the post-production and the music. The Imaginaries were part of the music and Boiling Point (studio) was part of the post-production.”
How have The Imaginaries made cinema a central part of their career?
Quaid and Stanton were joined by Governor Kevin Stitt, “Reagan” director Sean McNamara and several Oklahoma lawmakers, film industry leaders and artists who walked the red carpet at the film’s premiere in Oklahoma and attended the biopic’s first Sooner State screening at nearby ShowBiz Cinemas Edmond.
“We went to the premieres in Nashville and LA, but I think that was the biggest turnout. People are excited to see this movie,” Henry said on the red carpet at the Edmond.
For Henry and McClure, “Reagan” is the latest cinematic project in their home state in which they have been able to demonstrate their musical talent: Over the course of their career, the duo has had more than 75 placements of their songs in films, television shows and commercials, including two tunes in the Netflix military drama “Mending the Line,” which became the platform’s No. 1 film in March.
In 2012, the couple, who married in 2011, moved to Los Angeles in hopes of working in the music and film industries. Although they found work opportunities there, life in LA was expensive. In 2018, they moved back to Oklahoma, where they formed their duo The Imaginaries and McClure founded Searchlight Music Group, a production music company that sources music for films, television shows, commercials and games.
“There are a lot of opportunities for music and film in Oklahoma, and if you can just position yourself to be involved, you’ll find ways to get even more involved. And that’s what we did (with ‘Reagan’): We took the casting opportunity and turned it into a multifaceted opportunity by also getting the license for our song,” said McClure, who also worked as a music supervisor on the upcoming film “The Book of Jobs,” which shot in Tulsa and Bartlesville last year.
“When you get in the room, you can make connections and often get more out of it. Every time we’ve done that, we’ve worked with people on their next projects and their next project. So it’s lifelong friendships and working relationships that we’ve developed through working in Oklahoma, which is really special, and we love working on projects outside of our home state.”
In 2021, Los Angeles-based filmmaker Timothy Armstrong brought the family-friendly franchise he launched a decade earlier in Oklahoma with “Cowgirls N’ Angels” back to the Sooner State to shoot the inspirational sequel, “A Cowgirl’s Song.” The Imaginaries wrote and produced the 11-song soundtrack, co-produced the film and played supporting roles in the musical drama, which was shot in Chickasha.
“It’s a really special thing for musicians when your song gets on the screen and makes it into a movie. Maggie and I just experienced that: We had an off day on tour last month in Livingston, Montana, and were hanging out at a music venue. … I went to the bathroom and when I came back there were six or seven girls standing around Maggie,” Henry recalled.
“They had just seen ‘A Cowgirl’s Song,’ were obsessed with the music and the movie and recognized us. … It’s amazing how many people you can reach.”
How did The Imaginaries become musical mentors to “America’s Got Talent” winner Darci Lynne?
While working on “A Cowgirl’s Song,” McClure and Henry met Oklahoma City-based singer, songwriter and ventriloquist Darci Lynne. The 2017 winner of “America’s Got Talent” played a role in the film and wrote and recorded the original song “Just Breathe” for the soundtrack with The Imaginaries.
“Maggie and Shane have become like family. I’m always commenting on their (social media) posts and saying, ‘Mom and Dad!’ So we’re all just good friends and they definitely helped me get into music and taught me a lot just because they’ve been around for so long,” said Darci Lynne, who also has a small role in “Reagan.”
“I was honestly just enlightened and my eyes were opened to a lot of things. So they definitely guided me and got me on my feet for this whole musical journey.”
Two years ago, the Oklahoma trio met in Nashville to write and record more songs, including the first two singles of Darci Lynne’s music career: the country-rock song “Push Our Luck” and the soulful pop ode “Someone Wake Me Up.”
“It’s really been a joy to write and record with Darci, produce her and just help her through this process as she finds her sound and her style. She’s just so talented. We just love working with her and it reminds us of what we were like when we were her age,” McClure said.
How did The Imaginaries collaborate with fellow Oklahoman Vince Gill?
Darci Lynne isn’t the only fellow Oklahoma musician The Imaginaries have collaborated with recently: The duo’s upbeat summer single “Whole Lotta Livin'” features Sooner State native Vince Gill on guitar.
The duo met the Country Music Hall of Fame member through the late Guthrie fiddler Byron Berline while working on “A Cowgirl’s Song.”
“Byron actually came to our studio to record some of his mandolin and fiddle parts for the soundtrack and just gave Maggie Vince’s cell phone number. To be honest, Maggie called Vince to talk to him about a song for ‘A Cowgirl’s Song,’ and that didn’t work out because he had a big tour coming up with the Eagles,” Henry said, adding that Gill is a client of Westerlund Audio, the Oklahoma-based guitar pedal company that The Imaginaries guitarist co-founded.
“But he was so kind. He said, ‘Keep me updated on the film and call me next time you’re in Nashville.'”
They did, and Gill invited her to breakfast and became friends.
The duo was working on their new album in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in February when they noticed a gap in “Whole Lotta Livin'” that they thought would be perfect for a Gill guitar solo. So they called the Oklahoma Hall of Famer again, who quickly agreed.
“He’s an absolute singer-songwriter and musician and just such a nice person. The Oklahoma connection, I think, probably made him more interested in hanging out with us,” McClure said. “But he’s worked with a lot of artists. I think he’s just a good guy and we’re grateful to have him be a part of what we do.”
