Director Martin Scorsese winds his way from the banks of the Niger River in Mali to the cotton fields and juke joints of the Mississippi Delta to trace the origins of the blues in a lyrical combination of original performances (including Willie King, Corey Harris, Taj Mahal, Keb' Mo', Otha Turner,...
Motor City's Burning: Detroit from Motown to the Stooges
02008HD
Documentary looking at how Detroit became home to a musical revolution that captured the sound of a nation in upheaval. In the early 60s, Motown transcended Detroit's inner city to take black music to a white audience, whilst in the late 60s suburban kids like the MC5 and the Stooges descended...
Having not hit the road for most of the 80s, The Steel Wheels Tour was an astounding return for the Rolling Stones, not least as it was the longest tour they had by that point undertaken. It was also to be their last with Bill Wyman. Steel Wheels Live was recorded towards the end of the band’s...
John Lee Hooker is one of the few legendary bluesmen to crack the MTV barrier. He has recorded and performed with a host of contemporary pop stars. John Lee's music hasn't changed but the accompanying musicians have. This 60 minute video presents John Lee performing with many of his friends from...
John Lee Hooker was one of the greatest bluesmen of the 20th century. Born into poverty and racial segregation, he lived through a monumental time in American history. This is the story of a cultural icon, and his far-reaching impact on popular music, told in his own words and those of his family...
Van Morrison: The Concert is the second video released by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, first released in 1990. Recorded in New York at the Beacon Theater on 30th November 1989, the concert featured two special guests and long-time friends Mose Allison and John Lee Hooker, each of...
A teenage runaway who never went to school, John Lee Hooker had trouble spelling his name, even into his eighties. But, despite these humble beginnings, John Lee Hooker is today considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.
One Irish Rover, a documentary focusing on the words and music of Van Morrison, was broadcast in 1991 on BBC 2 Arena TV special and on A&E cable television program. It is a series of live songs with commentary by Morrison about music and poetry, it has some truly amazing performances. It includes...
The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966, Vol. 1
02003HD
Taken from the European tours organised for American blues musicians between 1962 and 1969, this release features performances by several popular blues artists, including: T-Bone Walker, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, etc.
A hugely groundbreaking and influential live recording, that set the tone for generations of Blues artist afterwards. Performed during a tumultuous time at the Newport Jazz Festival, where just the day prior police used teargas and water hoses to control a drunken, riotous crowd, this...
This hour long collection of clips presents John Lee Hooker in a variety of settings, playing both with a band and as a solo artist. The 1964 full-band clips from the BBC are the best, particularly a percolating "Boom Boom." Also good are a couple of songs (again with a full band) from the 1960...
The 1990 show finds Hooker making a triumphant return to the Montreux stage with an expanded band that includes female vocalist Vala Cupp, an additional guitarist, and a sax player. After a raucous introduction boogie, Hooker delivers another hit-filled set with some new additions, including the...
The 1983 show kicks off with a simmering version of Hooker’s mid-60s single “Serves Me Right To Suffer.” The Coast To Coast Blues Band puts down John Lee’s signature style of hypnotic rhythm behind him and Hooker works his minimalist magic on the assembled fans. The Hook has always defined...
The blues legend John Lee Hooker was the last great King of the Mississippi Delta Blues, and his unmistakeable musical style made him known the world over. He spent more than half a century in the music business, received numerous awards and influenced various generations and world-renowned artists...