My Favourite Music Documentaries
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- DirectorGjon MiliStarsLester YoungGeorge 'Red' CallenderHarry EdisonCreated under the guidance of jazz impresario and Verve Records founder Norman Granz, this short captures the spontaneity of a jam session and is one of few film records of black jazzers of the day including tenor sax legend Lester Young.
- DirectorWolf KoenigRoman KroitorStarsGlenn GouldBanquoMrs. Wm. DoolittleIn preparation for a recording session in New York City, Glenn Gould, as he usually does, first makes a stop at at the Steinway showroom to choose from among the many concert grand pianos available which he would like to use for the recording. Mention is made of his favorite piano on which to practice, namely the one at his recreational property on the shores of Lake Simcoe, his tastes in such not for the bells and whistles of newer instruments, said piano which is seventy years old with a tone and touch more reminiscent of a harpsichord. Mention is also made of his wish to retire from performing at age thirty-five, eight years away, to concentrate on composing. And while he is known primarily for performing the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, he favors more contemporary atonal music. He himself talks about among other things performing on stage versus in a recording studio, and why he doesn't attend concerts of other musicians.
- DirectorWolf KoenigRoman KroitorStarsGlenn GouldHoward ScottStanley JacksonToronto-based pianist Glenn Gould is in New York City to record Johann Sebastian Bach's Italian Concerto, four years after Gould made an international name for himself with his bestselling recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations. Gould will perform each of the three movements several times over the course of his stay in the studio in his perfectionism, he and the recording crew who will critically review each. That recording crew will have to deal with some of Gould's idiosyncrasies, some problematic, such as his tendency to hum when he plays, and some just humorous, such as he conducting himself when he has a free hand when he is playing. Gould will also have to deal with some of what he would consider necessary evils of the process, such as publicity, including having publicity photos taken. Away from the piano, he talks about his career, being in New York compared to his home in Toronto or anywhere else in Canada, and his very conscious decision, unlike many artists, not to live in the creative epicenter of New York.
- DirectorJack SmightStarsMiles DavisPaul ChambersJimmy CobbMiles playing with sextet and Evans orchestra. A TV program hosted by Robert Herridge, The Robert Herridge Theater from Studio 61, and recorded in New York in 1959.
- StarsGlenn GouldLegendary piano virtuoso, Glenn Gould , from Canada is well known for his Goldberg Variations. He hums while he plays which some say distracts but others don't care. There is a movie of his life which is very good.
- StarsJohn LennonPaul McCartneyGeorge HarrisonPathe News technicolor short showing The Beatles in concert at the ABC Cinema in Manchester, Lancashire on 11/20/63. This footage was incorporated into the 1965 Pathe feature "Pop Gear".
- DirectorDonald BrittainDon OwenStarsDonald BrittainLeonard CohenRobert HirschhornNational Film Board of Canada Donald Owen teamed with NFB producer Donald Brittain for an imaginative profile of Montreal poet Leonard Cohen.
- DirectorPeter WhiteheadStarsSyd BarrettNick MasonPink FloydShot by movie maestro Peter Whitehead, this film features rare full length performances from the classic late 60's Pink Floyd line-up at Sound Techniques London & material from the legendary '14 hour Technicolor Dream' extravaganza in April '67 at Alexandra Palace. The footage includes performance art by Yoko Ono and a Sgt. Pepper era John Lennon taking in the festivities (John and Yoko had not met then).
- DirectorAlbert MayslesDavid MayslesCharlotte ZwerinStarsMick JaggerKeith RichardsMick TaylorWhen three hundred thousand members of the Love Generation collided with a few dozen Hells Angels at San Francisco's Altamont Speedway, the bloody slash that transformed a decade's dreams into disillusionment was immortalized on this film.
- DirectorLes BlankSkip GersonStarsLightnin HopkinsBilly BizorMance LipscombA portrait of the great Texas bluesman, 'Lightnin' Hopkins. The film includes interviews and a performance by Hopkins.
- StarsNeil YoungA solo performance by Neil Young, recorded and broadcast in February 1971 at the BBC's television studio in the Shepherd's Bush area of London.
- DirectorAdrian MabenStarsDavid GilmourRoger WatersRichard WrightLive versions of the songs, filmed in an old Pompeii amphitheater. Songs included are Echoes (split into 2 parts), Careful with that axe, Eugene, A saucerful of secrets, One of those days, Set the controls for the heart of the sun, Mademoiselle nobbs (Seamus, but with Rick's dog on vocals). "Careful" and "Set the controls" are shot at night with minimal lighting, setting a beautiful mood. And the live Saucerful just has to be seen, with Waters jumping around in the sunlight banging the huge gong. The 80-minute version features studio footage from the recordings of Dark side of the Moon, with alternate versions of Us and them, On the run and Brain Damage, as well as interviews with the band.
- DirectorPeter CliftonJoe MassotStarsRobert PlantJimmy PageJohn Paul JonesThe line forms here for the world's greatest and possibly most influential band--Led Zeppelin. This mesmerizing movie built around Zep's famed 1973 concerts at New York's Madison Square Garden is convincing proof why.
- DirectorNeil YoungStarsNeil YoungRalph MolinaFrank 'Pancho' SampedroDocumentary covering Neil Young's October 22, 1978 concert performance at the Cow Palace.
- DirectorPenelope SpheerisStarsEugene TatuAlice Bag BandBlack FlagA look into the Los Angeles punk rock scene, that was largely ignored by the rock music press of the time.
- DirectorGordon Forbes IIIStarsJohn DensmoreJerry HopkinsRobby KriegerTen years after the death of lead singer, Jim Morrison, remaining members of the Doors offer insight into the unique vision of a rock and roll legend.
- DirectorJean-Jacques FloriStéphane TchalgadjieffStarsFela KutiMartin Luther KingPope John Paul IIFELA KUTIis to African music what Bob Marley is to reggae: its prophet. All contemporary forms of black music, from funk to electronic, owe something to the irresistible groove of the Afrobeat sound that he created. Shot in Lagos at the peak of his career in 1982, this documentary contains interviews with Fela detailing his thoughts on politics, Pan-Africanism, music and religion, alongside unpublished versions of songs like ITT, Army Arrangement and Power Show.
- DirectorBrian WisemanStarsBlack SabbathTony IommiOzzy OsbourneGreat Concert footage of one of the best and original heavy metal bands to grace the stage.
- DirectorDick DarleyClark SanteeFrank ZappaStarsFrank ZappaGeorge DukeRuth UnderwoodDirect to video film by Frank Zappa. Features footage from two of his concerts: a 1974 Los Angeles concert and a 1981 New York City concert. It also includes clay animation by Bruce Bickford.
- DirectorRay ManzarekStarsRay ManzarekJohn DensmoreRobby KriegerA combination of concert footage, television appearances, record company promo clips and new video footage shows the Doors, a top '60s rock band.
- DirectorShirley ClarkeStarsOrnette ColemanJohn GiordanoFort Worth Symphony OrchestraIt captures Ornette's evolution over three decades. Returning home to Fort Worth, Texas in 1983, it chronicles his boyhood in segregated Texas and his subsequent emergence as an American cultural pioneer and world-class icon.
- DirectorJohn HeynJeff KrulikStarsJohn Cloud Jr.Judas PriestA look at the wild scene outside a Judas Priest concert.
- DirectorCarol DysingerSteve GebhardtStarsJohn LennonYoko OnoStan BronsteinIn 1972, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and the Plastic Ono Elephants Memory Band put together a benefit concert for mentally and physically handicapped children in New York. Their performance in Madison Square Garden included material culled mostly from Lennon's "Sometime in New York" album.
- DirectorRay ManzarekStarsJim MorrisonRobby KriegerRay ManzarekA 1968 concert given by the rock group The Doors at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California.
- DirectorDoug FreelJean PellerinStarsCliff BurtonKirk HammettJames HetfieldCliff 'Em All, Metallica's first video, is a tribute to late original bassist Cliff Burton. James Hetfield describes it as "a compilation of bootleg footage shot by sneaky Metallifux, stuff shot for TV that was never used, but we've held onto, home footage, personal fotos and us drunk. But most important, it's really a look back at the 3-1/2 years that Cliff was with us and includes his best bass solos and the home footage and pix that we feel best capture his unique personality and style."
- DirectorGeorge AtlasStarsGlenn BrancaJohn CaleKim Gordon
- DirectorPenelope SpheerisStarsJoe PerrySteven TylerGene SimmonsDocumentary showcase, what life was like for the music artists living during the Los Angeles Heavy Metal scene in the mid and late 1980s.
- DirectorScott KalvertStarsAxl RoseSlashDuff McKaganGuns N' Roses performs live at the Ritz in New York, NY on February 2nd 1988.
- DirectorAndrew SoltStarsJohn LennonYoko OnoPaul McCartneyA biography of the rock music star.
- DirectorAllan MillerStarsJohn DalleyDavid SoyerArnold SteinhardtRelationships, rehearsals, performances, hobbies, family life of the members of the Guarneri string quartet
- StarsRoy OrbisonJackson BrowneT Bone BurnettRock 'n' roll legend Roy Orbison and some friends, legends in their own right, get together and perform some of Orbison's songs.
- DirectorRay ManzarekStarsRobby KriegerRay ManzarekJohn DensmoreA collage of vintage clips, interviews and musical performances by The Doors, mounted by Ray Manzarek and, among other things, showing Jim Morrison's charming side.
- DirectorHenning LohnerStarsPierre BoulezJohn CageMatt GroeningThis Film is an intimate music portrait of American composer Frank Zappa, who lives secluded from the outside world at his home and music studio in Los Angeles, California. For the past ten years Zappa in composing has turned away from Rock and Roll music - for which he first became famous - and has been working on new, contemporary, orchestral electronic music; in solitude and beyond any commercial conventions or commitments. It is the first time that Zappa has allowed a film crew to study him during compositional work, actually filming the first moments of a new compositional process. By contrast, in a staged interview Zappa gives comments on music. This film seeks to reveal the sensetivities of Zappa's personality and character also beyond narrative content.
- DirectorDavid MalletStarsFreddie MercuryQueenDavid BowieThe benefit concert in memory of Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, who died of AIDS in November 1991.
- DirectorMartin BakerStarsGeezer ButlerTony IommiOzzy OsbourneA documentary about the heavy metal band Black Sabbath that recounts their history from the early days to the separation with Ozzy Osbourne.
- DirectorMartin BakerStarsVinny AppiceBev BevanGeezer ButlerA documentary about the heavy metal band Black Sabbath that recounts their story from the leaving of Ozzy Osbourne to the recording of "Dehumanizer", discussing the line-up changes during the period between 1978 and 1992.
- DirectorDavid Van TaylorStarsK.K. DowningSuellen FulstoneErich GranzenTwo young men shoot themselves in a churchyard. Ray Belknap dies; James Vance - severely disfigured - survives. Their parents take heavy-metal icons Judas Priest to court, claiming the band "mesmerized" their sons. The unprecedented trial is the framework for this one-of-a-kind, Emmy-nominated documentary.
- DirectorChris HuntStarsKeith RichardsEric ClaptonJohn HammondA UK television documentary film about the legendary Delta blues musician Robert Johnson.
- DirectorAdam DubinStarsMetallicaLou BrutusChristopher GuestThis DVD contains many never-seen-before interviews of Metal icons METALLICA, exploring the true lives of these larger-than-life heroes. The footage reveals how the biggest phenomena in the Metal world has managed to keep their feet fixed firmy on the ground regardless of all the massive media attention and millions of fans. Metallica formed in October 1981 and has since over 90 million albums making them one of the most commercially successful heavy metal acts ever! This program is sure to enlighten any Heavy Metal enthusiast, Rock and Roll rebel, or Metallica master!
- DirectorBeth McCarthy-MillerStarsKurt CobainKrist NovoselicDave GrohlThe concert of the rock band Nirvana at Sony Music Studios in New York City that became a live album.
- DirectorKevin KerslakeStarsKurt CobainDave GrohlKrist NovoselicAn intimate look into one of the most influential bands in music, Nirvana, in this collage of performances, interviews, and touring.
- DirectorRuss ForsterStarsVyto B.James BurnetteTerry BurnsA documentary about obsessive 8-track tape collectors, the film documents a cross-country trip looking for those passionate few for whom the 70s never died.
- DirectorDoug PrayStars7 Year BitchValerie M. AgnewCarrie AkreDocumentary covering the growth and subsequent overexposure of the Seattle "grunge" music scene in the early 90s
- DirectorJoe PerotaStarsJerry CantrellMike InezSean KinneyAlice in Chains perform an accoustic concert as part of the MTV Unplugged series.
- DirectorBob SmeatonStarsEric ClaptonRick DankoGeorge HarrisonAn interview show with discussion of how the eponymous album was recorded; all surviving members of The Band participated. Other musicians are also interviewed about the impact and influence of the album and The Band in general. Details include the four track method of recording that resulted in multiple parts being recorded on each track. The Band routinely traded instruments, who would sing, etc. to determine what worked best for each song. On many songs, members discussed their (or other) parts specifically and the track was played by itself to here the nuances of the recording. This program really shows both the raw talent of the group, but a level of creativity in making the music that is rarely seen in today's recording industry.
- DirectorRay ManzarekStarsJohn DensmoreRobby KriegerRay Manzarek
- DirectorJim JarmuschStarsNeil YoungJim JarmuschRalph MolinaThis film documents Neil Young and Crazy Horse's 1996 concert tour. Jim Jarmusch interviews the band about their long history, and we see backstage footage from the 1970s and 1980s.
- DirectorPenelope SpheerisStarsFleaKeith MorrisEyeballThe Decline of Western Civilization III is a 1998 documentary film that follows the gutter punk lifestyle of homeless teenagers.
- DirectorJim GableStarsJohn Fogerty
- DirectorNick BroomfieldStarsCourtney LoveNick BroomfieldKurt CobainA documentary on the life of Kurt Cobain and his relationship with Courtney Love.
- DirectorMark PellingtonStarsJeff AmentStone GossardJack IronsA documentary on the making of Pearl Jams Album Yield.
- DirectorWim WendersStarsCompay SegundoIbrahim FerrerRubén GonzálezAging Cuban musicians whose talents had been virtually forgotten following Castro's takeover of Cuba, are brought out of retirement by Ry Cooder, who travelled to Havana in order to bring the musicians together, resulting in triumphant performances of extraordinary music, and resurrecting the musicians' careers.
- DirectorRay ManzarekRick SchmidlinStarsJohn DensmoreRobby KriegerRay ManzarekA collection of short films, interviews and concert footage of the '60s rock band The Doors.
- DirectorGary MenottiStarsLynyrd Skynyrd
- DirectorEvan BernardAdam BernsteinTamra DavisStarsAdam HorovitzAdam YauchMike DA compilation of video clips by the Beastie Boys.
- DirectorErnie FritzStarsBruce SpringsteenRoy BittanBarbara CarrThe Grammy-nominated documentary Blood Brothers finds Bruce Springsteen reuniting The E Street Band for the first time in six years for his Greatest Hits album. Here, fans will see Springsteen and his band with rare, intimate detail.
- DirectorDon LettsStarsTerry ChimesTerence DackombeTopper HeadonA career retrospective of British punk band The Clash, featuring exclusive interviews with the entire band.
- DirectorJulien TempleStarsPaul CookSteve JonesJohn LydonA film about the career of the notorious punk rock band, the Sex Pistols.
- DirectorWayne IshamStarsMetallicaJames HetfieldLars UlrichA live Metallica concert backed by a 80 piece symphony orchestra, conducted by Michael Kamen. Two songs are debuted, "- Human" and "No Leaf Clover". A documentary is included. It also was released on audio CD.
- 1997– 1h 20mNot Rated8.1 (516)TV EpisodeDirectorTim KirkbyStarsMartin BirchBruce DickinsonSteve HarrisA behind the scenes look at the making of Iron Maiden's critically praised album 'The Number of the Beast'
- DirectorBob SmeatonA documentary about the making of Lou Reed's legendary album, "Transformer," the album that took Lou Reed from cult hero of the Velvet Underground to international superstar status as a solo artist.
- StarsJeff AmentMatt CameronStone Gossard"Pearl Jam: Touring Band 2000" features twenty-eight full length songs from various cities on the band's 2000 U.S. tour. The video includes live music clips, videos, behind the scenes shots, and more: Live music set list: Long Road, Corduroy, Grievance, Animal, Gods' Dice, Evacuation, Given To Fly, Dissident, Nothing As It Seems, Even Flow, Lukin, Not For You, Daughter (into "It's OK" by Dead Moon), Untitled/ MFC, Thin Air, Leatherman, Better Man, Nothingman, Insignificance, I Got Id, Rearviewmirror, Wishlist, Jeremy, Do the Evolution, Go, Parting Ways, and Rockin' In The Free World. Special DVD features include: -"Matt Cam" (allows you to switch camera angles to Matt's point of view during Evacuation, Even Flow and In My Tree) -Outtakes of the band set to "Smile," backstage scenes, a montage from the 2000 Euro leg of the tour with "Yellow Ledbetter" live -Two music videos - Do the Evolution and Oceans (previously unreleased in the US) -Previously unreleased instrumentals recorded by Pearl Jam during early Binaural album recording sessions. The instrumentals are titled, "Thunderclap," "Foldback," and "Harmony."
- DirectorS. Leigh SavidgeJeff ScheftelStarsFrank AlexanderSam Gideon AnsonWilliam J. BennettThe true story of the rise and fall of Death Row Records.
- DirectorClaudia HeuermannStarsJoey BaronGreg CohenDave Douglas'Claudia Heurermann directs this fascinating documentary that examines the work of experimental composer John Zorn, including live footage of Zorn's projects Masada, Naked City, and Cobra as well as improvisations, classical works, and rare interviews.
- DirectorJack OfieldStarsDanny SugermanJohn DensmoreRay ManzarekThree different TV appearances ('67-'70) including old interviews, performances and the commentaries about specific songs by band members.
- DirectorSerena CrossStarsSteve BerkowitzBrad PittJimmy PageRetrospective look at the life and music of Jeff Buckley through the eyes of family, friends, and fans.
- DirectorMark HaefeliStarsPaul McCartneyPaul WickensRusty AndersonPaul McCartney in concert during his spring 2002 tour of the U.S.
- DirectorJeroen BerkvensStarsNick DrakePaul WellerGabrielle DrakeA study, mostly chronological, of the life of Nick Drake (1948-1974). Gabrielle, his older sister, tells us of her brother's birth in Burma, childhood in Warwickshire, life at Cambridge and in London, then back to his parents' home in Tanworth. His parents describe his habits and personality. Two friends and the producer, arranger, sound engineer, and photographer for his three albums comment. His mother, a musician and poet, is an early influence. His quiet folk style made his one tour a disaster. His lack of success and gradual withdrawal end with his death at 26. Eleven of his recordings play on the soundtrack, usually as we see his room, a city, or the Warwickshire countryside.
- DirectorKent SobeyStarsAndrew BucklesAndrew Buckles dreams of one day winning the World Air Guitar Championship in Oulu, Finland. This documentary follows Andrew on his journey through a rigorous training regime, financial difficulties, and personal conflicts to his ultimate arrival in Finland on his quest to become Air Guitar Champion of the world.
- DirectorEdward GillanStarsJoe BussardSusannah AndersonBarbara BrownA documentary of the life of record collector Joe Bussard.
- DirectorJem CohenStarsBrendan CantyJoe LallyIan MacKayeA collaboration between filmmaker Jem Cohen and the Washington D.C. band Fugazi, covering the 10 year period of 1987-1996. Far from a traditional documentary, this is a musical document; a portrait of musicians at work. The project mixes sync-sound, 16mm.
- DirectorMatthew LongfellowStarsRoger WatersStorm ThorgersonNigel WilliamsonA detailed look at the production of the biggest album in the history of progressive rock and one of the best-selling albums of all time.
- DirectorAnthony M. BongioviStarsTom ArayaJeff HannemanKerry KingSlayer at The Warfield in San Francisco, CA
- DirectorSpike JonzeStarsFatlipSpike JonzeA series of interviews with rapper Fatlip that took place over the few days while shooting the music video for his song 'What's Up, Fatlip?'
- DirectorSimon BissetStarsGreg BaiseWendy CaseDoug CoombeOn 'Candy Coloured Blues' we go behind the music to get the inside track on the making of this unique band. Packed with interviews, this in-depth documentary film takes you where the cameras never previously preyed ...
- DirectorMargaret BrownStarsJoe ElyGuy ClarkWillie NelsonBe Here to Love Me - Chronicles the fascinating and often turbulent life of musician Townes van Zandt.
- DirectorOndi TimonerStarsAnton NewcombeCourtney Taylor-TaylorJoel GionA documentary on the once-promising American rock bands The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols, and the friendship/rivalry between their respective founders, Anton Newcombe and Courtney Taylor.
- DirectorJoe EscalanteRecorded using a full multi-camera crew and 24-track mobile studio, Goldfinger: Live at the House of Blues was directed by Joe Escalante and mixed by Goldfinger's John Feldmann to capture the band's red-hot sound with true accuracy. Songs include 'Here In Your Bedroom,' 'Counting the Days,' 'Superman,' 'Wayne Gretsky,' 'My Girlfriend's Shower Sucks,' and lots more.
- DirectorScott CraryStarsRon AlbertsonAngus AndrewTristan BechetNYC's no wave movement of the 1970s and the art punk revival that happened there 30 years later frame a discussion about the crisis of innovation in an age of commodified nostalgia.
- DirectorMurray LernerStarsCarlos SantanaStanley CrouchMiles DavisDocumentary about Miles Davis' legendary gig at the Isle of Wight Festival, August 1970. Includes full live footage and recent interviews with band mates and others. .
- DirectorLance BangsStarsChad ChanningKurt CobainJason Everman
- DirectorDick CarruthersStarsThe White StripesJack WhiteMeg WhiteConcert footage of The White Stripes recorded in January of 2004, featuring tracks from the bands four studio albums as well as live favorites like the Dolly Parton cover "Jolene".
- DirectorGeorge YoungPaul BecherDerek BurbidgeStarsAC/DCMark EvansBrian JohnsonClips of AC/DC rocking out in both Live and Studio!
- DirectorKerri O'KaneStarsValerie M. AgnewScott BensonTim BradshawThe story of the promising, underground Seattle band, The Gits. Fronted by charismatic vocalist, Mia Zapata, and poised to explode onto the national music scene, a stranger came in and took it all away. A decade later, the legacy lives on.
- DirectorSam DunnScot McFadyenJessica Joy WiseStarsTom ArayaGavin BaddeleyBlasphemerAn examination of the heavy metal music subculture that tries to explain why, despite the longevity and popularity of the genre, fans are marginalized and ridiculed for their passion.
- DirectorBob SmeatonStarsSamuel BayerKurt CobainSteve DiggleIt has sold millions and is responsible for the birth of grunge. This documentary looks at the story behind how Nirvana came to record Nevermind and the effect it was to have on the music world. Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl and Butch Vig share their memories and give us an insight into the genius of Kurt Cobain.
- DirectorDon Letts
- DirectorTim IrwinStarsMilo AukermanJoe BaizaKevin BarrettA feature-length documentary chronicling early 80's punk rock band the Minutemen, from their beginnings in San Pedro, California, to their demise after the death of singer D. Boon in 1985.
- DirectorThom ZimnyStarsBruce SpringsteenWings for Wheels: The Making of Born to Run chronicles the definitive story of Bruce Springsteens breakthrough album from songwriting to production and beyond. Includes archival film shot between 1973 and 1975 but never shown publicly.
- DirectorPaul RachmanStarsGreg GinnIan MacKayeJames DrescherThe History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986
- DirectorDavid LockardStarsDimebag DarrellAaron BarnesJohn BrooksTribute to legendary Pantera/Damageplan guitarist Dimebag Darrell. It includes extremely rare, never before seen archival footage from the entire spectrum of his career.
- DirectorAJ SchnackStarsKurt CobainEvan FortinNathan StreifelIn this visual essay style documentary, intimate audio of journalist Michael Azerrad's interviews with Kurt Cobain is played over more recently photographed footage of Cobain's Washington state homes and haunts.
- DirectorKasper CollinStarsAlbert AylerDonald AylerEdward AylerA documentary on avant-garde saxophonist Albert Ayler.
- DirectorKristofer SteenStarsJon BrännströmDennis LyxzénRefused
- DirectorGary McGroartyStarsSusan AglukarkRandy BachmanDave BinghamThe history of Canadian popular music's coming of age in the 1960s.