Documentaries - Music
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- DirectorChris RodleyStarsCarleen AndersonBob DoroughElla FitzgeraldDocumentary celebrating some of the greatest female jazz singers of the 20th century, including what it took to be a jazz diva during a turbulent time in America's social history.
- DirectorJulian BenediktAndreas MorellStarsFreddie HubbardGil MelléHerbie Hancock"It must 'schwing!'" was the motto of Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, two German Jewish immigrants who in 1939 set up Blue Note Records, the jazz label that was home to such greats as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins.Blue Note, the most successful movie ever made about jazz, is a testimony to the passion and vision of these two men and certainly swings like the propulsive sounds that made their label so famous.The only documentary about the legendary Jazz record label includes original footage from concert recordings by Blue Note label artists, original footage of Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff and interviews with Carlos Santana, Rudy Van Gelder, Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock among others.Grammy nominated for "Best Long Form Music Video" in 1997, Blue Note also went on to earn a Peabody Award (1998), Vision Award (1998) and a Rocky Award nomination.
- DirectorMorgan NevilleStarsKeith RichardsAnthony DeCurtisSteve JordanA portrait of Keith Richards that takes us on a journey to discover the genesis of his sound as a songwriter, guitarist and performer.
- DirectorChris HuntStarsKeith RichardsEric ClaptonJohn HammondA UK television documentary film about the legendary Delta blues musician Robert Johnson.
- DirectorFrancis WhatelyStarsDavid BowieRick WakemanJohn HarrisA documentary covering five of the most important years of the influential rock star David Bowie's career.
- DirectorMatthew LongfellowStarsMartin BirchRitchie BlackmoreChris CharlesworthThis classic album features the seminal Smoke On The Water and brought worldwide superstardom to Deep Purple putting them at the peak of hard rock. We follow the album's creation, track by track, through exclusive interviews with Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice.
- StarsDon HenleyGlenn FreyDon FelderThe life and times of the super successful American soft-rock band, Eagles.
- DirectorDavid HeffernanStarsMick FleetwoodLindsey BuckinghamChristine McVieThe making of Fleetwood Mac's album Rumours in 1976/77.
- DirectorClare MilwardStarsSteven AdlerBernard BaurBuddy BrundoA look at the history of the rock band Guns N' Roses.
- DirectorLiz GarbusStarsNina SimoneLisa Simone KellyRoger NupieA documentary about the life and legend Nina Simone, an American singer, pianist, and civil rights activist labeled the "High Priestess of Soul."
- DirectorMatthew SeigStarsDavid Langston SmyrlBillie HolidayRuby DeeLady Day: The Many Faces of Billie Holiday tells us the story of one of jazz's greatest singers ever. Although Billie Holiday lived a life filled with tragedy, this documentary focuses more on her achievements as a singer and her exceptional ability to convey emotions through her voice, rather than going into detail about her drug and alcohol addictions and destructive relationships. Lady Day: The Many Faces of Billie Holiday features several brilliant performances of Billie Holiday. Colleagues such as Carmen McRae, Annie Ross, Mal Waldron, Buck Clayton, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and Milt Gabler offer their first-hand perspectives.
- 1985– 1h 30mTV-147.9 (80)TV EpisodeDirectorJohn JeremyStarsBillie HolidayMilt HintonPeter O'BrienConsidered by many to be the greatest jazz vocalist of all time, Billie Holiday lived a tempestuous and difficult life. Her singing expressed an incredible depth of emotion that spoke of hard times and injustice as well as triumph.
- DirectorMartin R. SmithStarsKarla DeVitoJim ForbesMeat LoafMeat Loaf (Marvin Lee Aday), speaks openly about his childhood and successful music career. Interviews with family, friends, record executives and, videos.
- DirectorBob SmeatonStarsMeat LoafJim SteinmanKarla DeVitoThe story behind the making of the epic album "Bat Out of Hell" by Meatloaf and Jim Steinman.
- DirectorJim McBrideStarsW. Earl BrownDedee PfeifferZachary Throne"Meat Loaf" Aday is an overgrown Texas youngster, the son of a gentle woman dying of cancer and an alcoholic, abusive father. Tormented by his father and schoolmates over his size, he strikes out on his own after his mother's death, in an impossible task to prove himself to the world and to himself. A chance audition for a musical leads him to join forces with composer Jim Steinman, and together the two make music history with the operatic rock album "Bat Out of Hell." But the demons that drive Meat Loaf aren't assuaged by success, and eventually he must come to terms with them.
- DirectorMichael SimonStarsMeat LoafPatti RussoKasim SultonMeat Loaf is back with a show recorded live in Melbourne, Australia, with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
- DirectorRed HamiltonStarsMeat LoafKasim SultonJohn MiceliMeat Loaf's epic rock opera features live performances from the trilogy of Bat Out of Hell albums. Filmed in breathtaking 5.1 surround sound and filmed in High Definition, this concert video completes the trilogy of music that fans have long been waiting
- DirectorJoe BerlingerBruce SinofskyStarsJames HetfieldKirk HammettLars UlrichThe iconic metal band struggles for two years to create their album St. Anger, dealing with alcoholism, the loss of their bass player, and the challenge of working with a psychotherapist.
- DirectorMatthew LongfellowStarsKirk HammettJames HetfieldMichael KamenThe story of the making of this remarkable album is told here via exclusive interviews, archive footage and performance, with contributions from producer Bob Rock, band members James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Jason Newsted. We revisit the original multi-tracks of the album, as well as listen to previously unheard demo recordings. Featuring the five singles from the album, Enter Sandman, Sad But True, The Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam and Nothing Else Matters, this is the compelling story of one of the biggest selling albums of all time, a true Classic Album.
- 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.
- DirectorJohn EdgintonStarsKirsty WarkSyd BarrettJoe Boyd"The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story" (video release title) tells the full bizarre, tragic, but also celebratory story of Syd Barrett, the co-founder of Pink Floyd. With contributions from friends, managers, lovers and of course the members of Pink Floyd themselves. The film includes rare early television appearances of Pink Floyd and home movies too.
- 1997– 1h 40mNot Rated8.0 (457)TV EpisodeDirectorMatthew LongfellowStarsBrian MayFreddie MercuryRoger TaylorA documentary examining the production of Queen's most iconic and critically acclaimed album.
- DirectorRudi DolezalHannes RossacherStarsQueenFreddie MercuryBrian MayThis documentary on the music group Queen includes performance and rehearsal footage, and exclusive interviews from backstage at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.
- 1997– 1hNot Rated7.0 (251)TV EpisodeDirectorJeremy MarreStarsChris BlackwellJohn BundrickRita MarleyIn the late '60s, the notion that reggae would become more than just a novelty act would have been laughed at. To break into the mainstream, the movement needed a powerful voice of prophetic proportions. This voice emerged from the collective work of three pioneering friends from Jamaica, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, and Robert Nesta Marley, who sought to bring about an ideological revolution through deeply meditative, hypnotic, and spiritual music. Catch a Fire was the Wailers' and reggae's introduction to the world and turned Bob Marley into a mega-icon of enormous proportions. It was the first album to remain true to the traditions of reggae music while having enough elements that were accessible to popular culture.
- StarsByron LeeRanking Miss P.Rita MarleyTraces the story of how Caribbean island conquered the world through its music. With interviews and commentary from reggae legends as well as people on the ground, Lloyd Bradley takes up the story from the late 1950s and the development of ska, then follows the musicEUR(TM)s journey overseas in the 1960s. But it was in the 1970s that reggae exploded into an international phenomenon with the super-stardom of Bob Marley and artists like Burning Spear, Jimmy Cliff, and Third World. Since then, reggae has continued to reinvent itself as a powerful musical and cultural force.
- 1997– 1h 15m7.6 (105)TV EpisodeDirectorDavid HeffernanStarsDorothy AshbyShirley BrewerBen BridgesMusicians, producers, family, colleagues and the artist himself look back on the making of Stevie Wonders's classic album "Song In the Key of Life".
- DirectorPhil JoanouStarsBonoThe EdgeAdam ClaytonA documentary of the Irish rock group U2 on their Fall 1987 tour of North America.
- DirectorHamish HamiltonEnda HughesMaurice LinnaneStarsBonoThe EdgeAdam ClaytonThe world's greatest rock band return to Ireland to play a sold out Slane Castle, in a concert that will live long in the memory of everyone there.
- DirectorPhilip KingNuala O'ConnorStarsBonoThe EdgeAdam ClaytonA documentary examining the production of U2's most commercially successful and critically acclaimed album.
- DirectorThorsten SchütteStarsFrank ZappaSteve AllenAngelAn in-depth look at the life and work of avant-garde musician, Frank Zappa.
- DirectorJon BrewerStarsMorgan FreemanB.B. KingBill CosbyThe untold true American story of an orphan boy from the heart of the Mississippi Delta who rose to music stardom around the world and inspired a generation of fans against all odds.
- DirectorJohn EdgintonStarsSyd BarrettJoe BoydVenetta FieldsRoger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Richard Wright and others tell the story of the creative process of the album "Wish You Were Here", released in September 1975.