All Available Episode
All Season 2010 Episode
1. Neil Sedaka: That's When the Music Takes Me
Documentary telling the story of songwriter and performer Neil Sedaka, the man behind some of the biggest smash hits in history, including Oh Carol, Is This the Way to Amarillo, Solitaire, Breaking up is Hard to Do, and Love Will Keep Us Together. Sedaka was destined for life as a classical pianist when he was seduced by the raw sounds of rock 'n' roll. In the early sixties he recorded a string of teenage anthems such as Calendar Girl, Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen and Breaking up is Hard to Do. The arrival of the Beatles on the musical landscape signalled the end of Sedaka's singing career and he turned to writing songs for other artists such as the Monkees, Tom Jones and Tony Christie. But a move to England in the early 1970s was the launch pad for a remarkable comeback. He recorded with British band 10cc in Stockport before returning to the top of the American charts with Laughter in the Rain and Bad Blood. In 2009, at the age of 70, Sedaka still has a huge following. He toured the UK to packed houses and released a new album, The Music of My Life. Singers Tony Christie and Connie Francis, musicians Graham Gouldman of 10cc and Jay Siegel of the Tokens, and Brill Building song-writing colleagues Don Kirshner and Carol Bayer Sager are among those paying tribute to the 'king of doobie-dos'.
2. Dennis Wilson: The Real Beach Boy
Dennis Wilson was the drummer in the Beach Boys. And he was the real Beach Boy. In a band of geeks who sang about surfing, cars and girls, Dennis was the only one who surfed, the one who drove hot rod cars in competition and the one who got all the girls. He was married five times, shared a house with Charles Manson (with whom he wrote songs, including one recorded by the Beach Boys) but died, ironically by drowning, at the age of 39. He was also the first Beach Boy to release a solo album, the stunning Pacific Ocean Blue, which after years of being out of print and fetching hundreds on Ebay, was re-released in 2008 to widespread acclaim, being voted No 1 Reissue of the Year by Mojo and Uncut magazines. This documentary tells the story of Dennis's life and music, with unseen archive footage and original interviews with Beach Boys Al Jardine and David Marks, his sons Michael and Carl and many friends and fellow musicians. These include Taylor Hawkins, drummer with the Foo Fighters who provided a vocal for the lost track on Pacific Ocean Blue, Holy Man, for which Dennis never laid down a vocal when he recorded the song in 1977.
3. Joan Sutherland - The Reluctant Prima Donna
Documentary about Dame Joan Sutherland, one of the greatest operatic performers of the late twentieth century, who died in October 2010. Shy and lacking in confidence, she had sung unnoticed at Covent Garden for seven years after arriving from Australia, but over the course of twelve months was transformed into La Stupenda. With a focus on the two roles - Lucia di Lammamoor and Alcina - that launched her, the film features interviews with Dame Joan, Richard Bonynge, Franco Zeffirelli, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti.
4. Herb Alpert, Tijuana Brass and Other Delights
This is the story of deals on the beach, accidental pop stars, friendship, comebacks, multimillion dollar deals and new discoveries - the story of musician, producer, record industry mogul and artist, Herb Alpert. Herb is probably best known as the trumpet player who created the Tijuana Brass and sold America, and the world, the sound of Mexico. Or the crooner that made the ladies swoon when he sang This Guy's in Love With You. From his first job working with soul legend Sam Cooke to creating A records, Alpert's life reads like a wonderful story of dreams come true. This profile follows him today and platforms his music and artwork as he exhibits his sculptures for Hollywood's art elite. Contributors include Lou Adler, Quincy Jones, Richard Carpenter, Sting, Jam & Lewis and Stephen Fry.
5. Roll over Beethoven - The Chess Records Saga
Chicago's Chess Records was one of the greatest labels of the post-war era, ranking alongside other mighty independents like Atlantic, Stax and Sun. From 1950 till its demise at the end of the 60s, Chess released a myriad of electric blues, rock 'n' roll and soul classics that helped change the landscape of black and white popular music. Chess was the label that gave the world such sonic adventurers as Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf and Etta James. In this documentary to mark the label's 60th anniversary, the likes of Jimmy Page, Mick Hucknall, Public Enemy's Chuck D, Paul Jones and Little Steven, as well as those attached to the label such as founder's son Marshall Chess, pay tribute to its extraordinary music and influence. The film reveals how two Polish immigrants, Leonard and Phil Chess, forged friendships with black musicians in late 1940s Chicago, shrewdly building a speciality blues label into a huge independent worth millions by the end of the 1960s. Full of vivid period detail, it places the Chess story within a wider social and historical context - as well as being about some of the greatest music ever recorded, it is, inevitably, about race in America during these tumultuous times.