The official music video for Gene Simmons's cover version of the Ethel Waters song "Stormy Weather" for the "Reagan" movie can be seen here. The video, which was released by Rawhide Pictures, the producer of "Reagan", includes footage of Simmons recording the song behind a simple piano accompaniment intercut with clips from the movie.
Simmons told Newsweek about his cover of "Stormy Weather": "It seemed to me during the scenes where Ronald Reagan was sitting with Jane Wyman at the club, there would probably be music playing in the background. I was actually thrilled that the producers thought my version of the song would work in the scene."
Gene also praised Reagan, calling him a "great American" who will "certainly go down in future generations as one of America's great presidents."
"Interestingly, and I suspect the masses didn't know this about President Reagan, he started off as an actor, joined the Democratic Party, then became disillusioned with the Democratic party, and joined the Republican party," Simmons said.
Composer Harold Arlen and lyricist Ted Koehler had created "Stormy Weather" with the bandleader and entertainer Cab Calloway in mind, but Calloway had not been signed to appear in the 20-second edition of the "Cotton Club Parade"; Duke Ellington had been signed instead. So, Ethel was invited to sing "Stormy Weather" with Ellington and his orchestra.
Ethel recorded "Stormy Weather" on May 3, 1933 for Columbia, and this became her next crossover hit, a success even larger than her 1925 recording "Dinah". In 2003, Ethel's 1933 recording of "Stormy Weather" was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in the category of "Jazz" (Single). In 2004, the Library Of Congress honored the song by adding it to the National Recording Registry.
(Source: www.blabbermouth.net)