Music Documentaries - Movies

If I Leave Here Tomorrow

Music Documentaries

Featuring rare interviews and never-before-seen archive, If I Leave HereTomorrow takes viewers on a trip through the history, myth and legend of thegreatest American rock band ever! Rising from the swamps of the Deep Souththese good ol’ boys from Jacksonville, FL came to define an era with their hardrocking boogie-woogie sound, their drunken and dangerous antics, and theircontroversial use of the rebel flag. The film also serves as a portrait of bandleader Ronnie Van Zant; Simple Man, Country Boy, Whiskey Rock-a-Roller, apoet and prophet for the common man whose life was cut tragically short, butwhose legacy endures to this day.The film is primarily narrated by Gary Rossington, the last of the Street Survivors,founding member along with Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins, who remains theonly original member still in the band today. His recollections, from the beginningto the very end, mingle with the tales of drummer Artimus Pyle and “Sweet Home”co-writer Ed King, interviews with the late drummer Bob Burns and “Honkette”JoJo Billingsley, producer Al Kooper, and recently discovered interviews with thelate founding members Allen “Freebird” Collins and Leon “Mad Hatter” Wilkeson.And Lead Redneck, singer and lyricist Ronnie Van Zant, captured in radiointerviews, comes vividly to life through his own words and the stories andmemories of the people who made music with him.

The Rolling Stones: Crossfire Hurricane

Music Documentaries

‘Crossfire Hurricane’, directed by Brett Morgen, was released as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of The Rolling Stones. This superb film tells the story of the Stones’ unparalleled journey from blues-obsessed teenagers in the early sixties to their undisputed status as rock royalty. All of The Rolling Stones have been newly interviewed and their words form the narrative arc that links together archive footage of performances, news coverage and interviews, much of it previously unseen. Taking its title from a lyric in “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, ‘Crossfire Hurricane’ gives the viewer an intimate insight into exactly what it’s like to be part of The Rolling Stones as they overcome denunciation, drugs, dissensions and death to become the definitive survivors. Over a year in the making and produced with the full co-operation and involvement of The Rolling Stones, ‘Crossfire Hurricane’ is and will remain the definitive story of the world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band.

Oasis: Supersonic

Music Documentaries

From the Oscar winning producers of Amy comes this essential and entertaining look at the meteoric rise of the seminal 90s rock band Oasis. The film immerses us in the raucous rock stars’ fast-paced world of electrifying music, wild debauchery, and epic fraternal feuding, weaving never-before-seen concert footage with candid interviews and an astonishing firsthand account of the backstage sibling rivalry that threatened to destroy the band.

Katy Perry the Movie: Part of Me

Music Documentaries

Katy Perry is living proof that if you just be yourself, you can be anything! Get an inside look into the real Katy Perry and find out how this regular California Girl with big dreams became one of the biggest stars in the world. This “undeniably irresistible” film is your chance to experience Katy Perry’s teenage dream come true* Elizabeth Weitzman, NY DAILY NEWS

Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind

Music Documentaries

In this exclusive documentary, Joni Mitchell, one of the foremost singer- songwriters and poets of our time, tells her story with in-depth interviews interwoven with her words and music. Rare performance footage of her work reflects both the pain and joy of her extraordinary life as an artist. The programme also features interviews with the artists who know her personally and who have worked with her, such as David Crosby, Graham Nash, Neil Young, Judy Collins and Bob Dylan and the contemporary artists she has influenced, Janet Jackson (“The Beat of Black Wings”), Amy Grant (“Big Yellow Taxi”), Tori Amos (“A Case of You”), Prince (“A Case of You”), Sarah McLachnan (“A Case of You”), Bonnie Raitt (“Woodstock”) and Bjork (“Boho Dance”).

Echo in the Canyon

Music Documentaries

Echo In The Canyon celebrates the explosion of popular music that came out of LA’s Laurel Canyon in the mid-60s as folk went electric and The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield and The Mamas and the Papas gave birth to the California Sound. It was a moment (1965 to 1967) when bands came to LA to emulate The Beatles and Laurel Canyon emerged as a hotbed of creativity and collaboration for a new generation of musicians who would soon put an indelible stamp on the history of American popular music. Featuring Jakob Dylan, the film explores the Laurel Canyon scene via never-before-heard personal details behind the bands and their songs and how that music continues to inspire today. Echo in the Canyon contains candid conversations and performances with Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys), Michelle Phillips (Mamas & the Papas), Stephen Stills (Buffalo Springfield), David Crosby (The Byrds), Roger McGuinn (The Byrds) their contemporaries Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Graham Nash and slightly younger followers Jackson Browne and Tom Petty (in his last film interview) as well as contemporary musicians influenced by their music such as Beck, Fiona Apple, Cat Power, Regina Spektor and Norah Jones.

A Poem Is a Naked Person

Music Documentaries

An ineffable mix of unbridled joy and vérité realism, A Poem Is a Naked Person presents the beloved singer-songwriter and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Leon Russell as filmed by documentarian Les Blank between 1972 and 1974. Blank’s camera lets us into the world of Russell and his friends and fellow artists in and around his recording studio in northeast Oklahoma, capturing intimate, off-the-cuff moments and combining them with mesmerizing scenes of Russell and his band performing live. This singular film about an artist and his community never got an official theatrical release and has attained legendary status. Now, after more than forty years, it can finally be seen and heard in all its rough beauty.

Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest

Music Documentaries

A Tribe Called Quest has been one of the most commercially successful and artistically significant musical groups in recent history. The band’s sudden break-up in 1998 shocked the industry and saddened the scores of fans, whose appetite for the group's innovative musical stylings never seem to diminish. This insightful film, directed by Michael Rapaport, takes viewers on a behind-the-scenes journey - chronicling the group's rise to fame and revealing the stories behind the tensions which erupted in the years to come. The film features interviews with the members of the group as well as with the Beastie Boys, Kanye West, Pharrell, Mos Def, Monie Love, De la Soul, the Jungle Brothers, Common and more.

Michael Jackson: The Journey

Music Documentaries

From modest childhood beginnings to international fame and fortune, follow the journey behind Michael Jackson’s fantastic career and witness the King of Pop’s transformation from boyhood sensation to international superstar.

Rolling Stones: Rock of Ages

Music Documentaries

It seems hard to believe that the Rolling Stones have been around since the early sixties when you consider that as recently as 2008 they have been rocking audiences’ world wide on their latest concert tour. The two youngest of the band, front man Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, turned sixty-five this year, but show no signs of slowing down, even after a career that has spanned forty-five years. Rock of Ages charts the amazing story of what is arguably the greatest rock band in the world, chronicling their first ever gig at the Marquee Club on the 12th of July, 1962, the line-up changes, the famous “rivalry” between the Stones and the Beatles, the meteoric rise to fame (and notoriety) of the group due to their live shows as well as all the personal drama the band members themselves had to go through. From the earliest beginnings, when manager Andrew Olden was eager to present the Stones to the world as the antithesis of the family-friendly Beatles, trouble followed the band wherever it went, with numerous drug busts, in-fighting within the members of the group and the offstage antics with groupies leading to the newspaper headline: “Would you let your sister go with the Rolling Stones?” Brian Jones, the founder of the group, was feeling displaced as the decision maker and left, the band replacing him with Mick Taylor. Sadly Jones was later found dead in his swimming pool in Sussex on 3rd July 1969. Since then, The Stones, as they are affectionately known by fans around the world, have gone from strength to strength, despite continuing drug busts, the tragedy that was the concert at Altamont Speedway, and the high profile love-life of Mick Jagger. In recent years, however, the Stones have concentrated on their live shows, still giving 100% despite their collective age. Jagger jokes that there aren’t so many pairs of women’s underpants thrown on stage these days; “more Y-fronts” he laughs. But that hasn’t curbed their enthusiasm for touring, and while they enjoy playing live music, the Rolling Stones will keep on rolling, for years to come.

808

Music Documentaries

From electro to hip-hop to Phil Collins, the 808 changed the way music sounds and inspired countless hit singles.

Carlos

Music Documentaries

A music industry legend for 50 years and a 10-time Grammy-winning global sensation, as well as a recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor and a Billboard Century award, Santana continues to be one of the music world's premiere artists, blending jazz, blues, and the Mariachi sound with a rock n' roll spirituality and a sense of connection to music's primal connection to our deepest emotions. The electric documentary CARLOS utilizes new interviews with Santana and his family alongside extraordinary, never-before-seen archival footage — including home video recordings Santana himself made; concert footage; and behind-the-scenes moments — as two-time Emmy-winning director Rudy Valdez (The Sentence; Through Our Eyes; We Are: The Brooklyn Saints) creates an intimate, rich documentary about a man whose sound casts a spell on fans who love — as one of Santana's famous titles says— “how his rhythm goes.”

The Punk Singer

Music Documentaries

Kathleen Hanna, lead singer of the punk band Bikini Kill and dance-punk trio Le Tigre, rose to national attention as the reluctant but never shy voice of the riot grrrl movement. She became one of the most famously outspoken feminist icons, a cultural lightning rod. Her critics wished she would just shut-up, and her fans hoped she never would. So in 2005, when Hanna stopped shouting, many wondered why. Through 20 years of archival footage and intimate interviews with Hanna, THE PUNK SINGER takes viewers on a fascinating tour of contemporary music and offers a never-before-seen view into the life of this fearless leader.

We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song

Music Documentaries

On January 28, 1985, as famine devastated the African continent, a stellar roster of musical talent entered a recording studio in Los Angeles, CA, to make a record dedicated to alleviating hunger in the Third World. The song was called "We Are the World," the collected artists billed themselves as "USA for Africa," and the single became a phenomenon, raising over $60 million for African famine relief. We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song is a documentary which examines how the song was written, how producer Quincy Jones and songwriters Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie persuaded some of the most popular performers in America to donate their services to the project, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the marathon recording session that produced the single. Performers include Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, and many more.

The Elephant 6 Recording Co.

Music Documentaries

An inside look at The Elephant 6 Recording Co., the ’90s rock collective that launched Neutral Milk Hotel, The Olivia Tremor Control, The Apples in Stereo, and other bands. Around 1985, a group of Louisiana high schoolers began experimenting with whatever random instruments and gear they could find. Influenced by psychedelia, and with little to distract them, they birthed a musical revolution.

Blood, Frets and Tears

Music Documentaries

"Blood, Frets and Tears" is the revealing and insightful exploration of history’s great and gifted guitar players: the legends we call our Guitar Heroes. Wood, wire and simple electronics. The mind is blown in trying to imagine how these inanimate objects given life in the hands of humble luthiers could result in such a range of divergent musical styles—rock, blues, jazz, country, R&B, soul, bluegrass, classical and more—and create such profound emotions in the listener. From the unsung swing of Charlie Christian's bebop guitar and the transcendent psychedelic rock of Jimi Hendrix, to the majestic fire of Eddie Van Halen, the electric guitar has been a transformative presence in our lives—not only musically but culturally—since its birth over 85 years ago. The world was first brought to its collective knees through the innovations and inventiveness of four extraordinarily gifted Guitar Gods who emerged during the 1960s: Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. True masters, this quartet revolutionized the sound and style of the electric guitar. Then in the late ‘70s, another God-in-waiting emerged, a European immigrant who would create his own six-string vocabulary. What Eddie Van Halen wrought on “Eruption,” a track from the group’s eponymous debut album, was a style that would come to be known as tapping. This unorthodox approach to guitar playing coupled with his spectacular fretboard wizardry and mindblowing musicality and imagination, ushered in a new generation of players all consumed by the pursuit of mastering this new tapping phenomenon. Paul Gilbert, Yngwie Malmsteen, George Lynch, and other forward-thinking fret warriors cracked the code and added personal twists, deviations and left turns in writing a lexicon all their own. These whammy bar wonders were out in front in leading the charge of a sonic assault that was eventually heard ‘round the world. Blood, Frets and Tears, directed by Andrew Klein [Randy Rhoads: The Quiet Riot Years (2012) and Tuff Luck (2015)] not only uncovers the musical contributions of these gifted individuals but chronicles their journeys toward greatness. Blessed with extraordinary gifts and driven in a singular fashion that is difficult to imagine, these electric troubadours sacrificed all they had in hopes of finding their own voices. Now these plugged-in pioneers tell their tales in a series of candid and historic interviews. The film brings together compelling conversations with legendary guitar builders, renowned music journalists, photographers and influential record executives who closely examine both the birth and aftershock of an unprecedented musical movement. Join us for a momentous and joyous musical trip in the most definitive celluloid document ever filmed on the sound and soul of the electric guitar; "Blood, Frets and Tears."

John Entwistle: An Ox's Tale

Music Documentaries

In 1964, The Who became one of the key figures of the British Invasion, taking the American music scene by storm. While Roger Daltrey, Pete Townsend and Keith Moon took the spotlight with their on stage antics, John Entwistle, stood in the shadows poised to become the biggest bass player in rock and roll. In 2002, after years of touring his solo project the John Entwistle Band, Entwistle couldn't resist the lure of bringing back one of the greatest bands in rock and roll history. Tragically, plans for The Who's North American Reunion Tour were cut short when on the eve of the first show John was found dead in his Las Vegas hotel room. "The Ox," as Entwistle was affectionately known, left behind many fans and several unfinished projects. With his passing, the world lost a musical legend, dubbed Guitar Magazine's "Bassist of the Millennium." Narrated by Peter Frampton, John Entwistle: An Ox's Tale covers the life of John Entwistle, from his first public performance at the age of 14 to his feelings about The Who's most recent reunion. This "special directors edition" contains excerpts from Pete Townshend's 3-hour conversation with Entwistle's drummer and close friend Steve Luongo.

Blood, Frets and Tears

Music Documentaries

"Blood, Frets and Tears" is the revealing and insightful exploration of history’s great and gifted guitar players: the legends we call our Guitar Heroes. Wood, wire and simple electronics. The mind is blown in trying to imagine how these inanimate objects given life in the hands of humble luthiers could result in such a range of divergent musical styles—rock, blues, jazz, country, R&B, soul, bluegrass, classical and more—and create such profound emotions in the listener. From the unsung swing of Charlie Christian's bebop guitar and the transcendent psychedelic rock of Jimi Hendrix, to the majestic fire of Eddie Van Halen, the electric guitar has been a transformative presence in our lives—not only musically but culturally—since its birth over 85 years ago. The world was first brought to its collective knees through the innovations and inventiveness of four extraordinarily gifted Guitar Gods who emerged during the 1960s: Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. True masters, this quartet revolutionized the sound and style of the electric guitar. Then in the late ‘70s, another God-in-waiting emerged, a European immigrant who would create his own six-string vocabulary. What Eddie Van Halen wrought on “Eruption, ” a track from the group’s eponymous debut album, was a style that would come to be known as tapping. This unorthodox approach to guitar playing coupled with his spectacular fretboard wizardry and mindblowing musicality and imagination, ushered in a new generation of players all consumed by the pursuit of mastering this new tapping phenomenon. Paul Gilbert, Yngwie Malmsteen, George Lynch, and other forward-thinking fret warriors cracked the code and added personal twists, deviations and left turns in writing a lexicon all their own. These whammy bar wonders were out in front in leading the charge of a sonic assault that was eventually heard ‘round the world. Blood, Frets and Tears, directed by Andrew Klein [Randy Rhoads: The Quiet Riot Years (2012) and Tuff Luck (2015)] not only uncovers the musical contributions of these gifted individuals but chronicles their journeys toward greatness. Blessed with extraordinary gifts and driven in a singular fashion that is difficult to imagine, these electric troubadours sacrificed all they had in hopes of finding their own voices. Now these plugged-in pioneers tell their tales in a series of candid and historic interviews. The film brings together compelling conversations with legendary guitar builders, renowned music journalists, photographers and influential record executives who closely examine both the birth and aftershock of an unprecedented musical movement. Join us for a momentous and joyous musical trip in the most definitive celluloid document ever filmed on the sound and soul of the electric guitar; "Blood, Frets and Tears. "

Sleepless: The Story of Future Classic

Music Documentaries

In 2004, Nathan McLay quit his day job to start Future Classic, a Sydney record label he hoped would put Australia’s burgeoning dance music scene on the world map. It quickly became an incubator of local talent and launched the careers of genre-bending artists like Nick Murphy (formerly known as Chet Faker), Flight Facilities, and Flume. This documentary traces the label’s growth from a small DIY collective to an unstoppable force in contemporary music.

Erroll Garner: No One Can Hear You Read

Music Documentaries

In a triumphant career that lasted forty years Erroll Garner pushed the playability of the piano to its limits, developed an international reputation, and made an indelible mark on the jazz world. And yet, his story has never been told — Until now. Atticus Brady's new film uses an astonishing array of archival materials interwoven with interviews with friends, family, and fellow musicians, and features commentary from Woody Allen, Ahmad Jamal, Tonight Show host Steve Allen, Erroll's sister, Ruth Garner Moore, pianist and arranger Dick Hyman, Columbia Records executive George Avakian, Erroll's bass player Ernest McCarty, Erroll's biographer Jim Doran, jazz journalist John Murph, dancer/choreographer Maurice Hines, and Erroll's daughter Kim Garner, who goes on the record about her father for the first time. The film explores Erroll's childhood in Pittsburgh, his meteoric rise in popularity while playing on 52nd street, New York's famed jazz epicenter, the origins of his most famous album (Concert by the Sea) and his most famous composition (Misty), his singular, virtuosic piano style, and his dynamic personality, both on and off the stage.

Music Documentaries Movies