ROCKPILE - Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe - "Born Fighters" - 1979

This post was originally posted here on April 18, 2017. The accompanying video has since been removed from youtube. Luckily someone else has reposted the Rockpile documentary, "Born Fighters" and I have updated this blogpost. So here it is (again)...

Rockpile was a British rock and roll group of the late 1970s and early 1980s, noted for their strong rockabilly and power pop influences, and as a foundational influence on new wave. The band consisted of Dave Edmunds (vocals, guitar), Nick Lowe (vocals, bass guitar), Billy Bremner (vocals, guitar) and Terry Williams (drums). Rockpile recorded four albums, though only one (Seconds of Pleasure) was released under the Rockpile banner. Two other albums (Tracks on Wax 4 and Repeat When Necessary) were released as Dave Edmunds solo albums, and one more (Labour of Lust) was released as a Nick Lowe solo album. Scattered Rockpile tracks can also be found on a few other Lowe and Edmunds solo albums. Additionally, Rockpile served as backing group on tracks recorded by Mickey Jupp in 1978 and Carlene Carter in 1980. When Robinson and Jake Riviera co-founded Stiff Records, Lowe was the first artist signed to the label, and he and Edmunds recorded new material for release under Lowe's name. Stiff promoted its ties to Edmunds. However, the relationship between Edmunds and Riviera was always rocky, and in 1976 Edmunds signed a solo contract with Led Zeppelin's Swan Song Records, rejecting Riviera and Stiff. With help from Lowe and Terry Williams, Edmunds recorded a new solo album, Get It. Lowe and Edmunds then formed a new version of Rockpile, with Williams returning on drums and Billy Bremner joining as rhythm guitar and third vocalist. Rockpile appeared as a backing band on one track of Lowe's debut solo album, released in March 1978 with different track listings and titles in the UK and the US. The UK version (Jesus of Cool) featured Rockpile on the live recording of "Heart of the City", while the US album (Pure Pop for Now People) featured the Rockpile studio track "They Called It Rock", credited as being written by Nick Lowe/Dave Edmunds/Rockpile. Meanwhile, Edmunds' 1978 solo album (Tracks on Wax 4) was the first album to be completely a Rockpile album, but with Edmunds on all lead vocals. The album included the same live version of "Heart of the City," except with Edmunds' lead vocal overdubbed in place of Lowe's. Rockpile toured behind both the Lowe and Edmunds releases in 1978. The band also backed Mickey Jupp on side one of his Stiff album Juppanese, produced by Lowe. In 1979, Rockpile simultaneously recorded Edmunds' Repeat When Necessary and Lowe's Labour of Lust. Rockpile (under solo artists' names) enjoyed hits in 1979 on both sides of the Atlantic with Edmunds' "Girls Talk" (a top 20 hit in both the UK and Canada) and Lowe's "Cruel to Be Kind" (top 20 in the UK, Canada and the US). Rockpile also played in the 29 December 1979 Concerts for the People of Kampuchea with Elvis Costello & The Attractions and Wings, where they were joined onstage by Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant (co-owner of Swan Song). Two of the band's songs were included in the concert album. In 1980, Edmunds submitted the solo album "Twangin...", which was mostly a collection of outtakes from his prior solo albums, to complete his Swan Song contract, freeing Rockpile to record a true band record for Jake Riviera's new label F-Beat Records. Released in the fall of 1980, Seconds of Pleasure featured lead vocal turns by Edmunds, Lowe and Bremner, and spawned the minor hit "Teacher Teacher", sung by Lowe. Twangin... was issued six months after Seconds of Pleasure, and featured Rockpile on nine of its eleven tracks.

(from youtube upload notes)

"Vince Taylor" television documentary BBC 2001

 "Vince Taylor"  television documentary BBC 2001 (pt.1 of 2)

vince taylor was one of the very best singers the u.k. has ever produced...a fantastic showman in every way he was a man you never wanted to follow on stage...brand new Cadillac was one of THE best singles ever released anywhere from that era...this doc.showcases the man with thrilling live performances that leave you in dis-belief that this man never was a huge star! he had it all...


 "Vince Taylor"  television documentary BBC 2001 (pt.2 of 2)

sad second half of this wonderful doc on brit rocker vince taylor who's sad demise left a gaping hole in british rock history....


(via James Marshall)

ROCKPILE - Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe - "Born Fighters" - 1979

Rockpile was a British rock and roll group of the late 1970s and early 1980s, noted for their strong rockabilly and power pop influences, and as a foundational influence on new wave. The band consisted of Dave Edmunds (vocals, guitar), Nick Lowe (vocals, bass guitar), Billy Bremner (vocals, guitar) and Terry Williams (drums). Rockpile recorded four albums, though only one (Seconds of Pleasure) was released under the Rockpile banner. Two other albums (Tracks on Wax 4 and Repeat When Necessary) were released as Dave Edmunds solo albums, and one more (Labour of Lust) was released as a Nick Lowe solo album. Scattered Rockpile tracks can also be found on a few other Lowe and Edmunds solo albums. Additionally, Rockpile served as backing group on tracks recorded by Mickey Jupp in 1978 and Carlene Carter in 1980. When Robinson and Jake Riviera co-founded Stiff Records, Lowe was the first artist signed to the label, and he and Edmunds recorded new material for release under Lowe's name. Stiff promoted its ties to Edmunds. However, the relationship between Edmunds and Riviera was always rocky, and in 1976 Edmunds signed a solo contract with Led Zeppelin's Swan Song Records, rejecting Riviera and Stiff. With help from Lowe and Terry Williams, Edmunds recorded a new solo album, Get It. Lowe and Edmunds then formed a new version of Rockpile, with Williams returning on drums and Billy Bremner joining as rhythm guitar and third vocalist. Rockpile appeared as a backing band on one track of Lowe's debut solo album, released in March 1978 with different track listings and titles in the UK and the US. The UK version (Jesus of Cool) featured Rockpile on the live recording of "Heart of the City", while the US album (Pure Pop for Now People) featured the Rockpile studio track "They Called It Rock", credited as being written by Nick Lowe/Dave Edmunds/Rockpile. Meanwhile, Edmunds' 1978 solo album (Tracks on Wax 4) was the first album to be completely a Rockpile album, but with Edmunds on all lead vocals. The album included the same live version of "Heart of the City," except with Edmunds' lead vocal overdubbed in place of Lowe's. Rockpile toured behind both the Lowe and Edmunds releases in 1978. The band also backed Mickey Jupp on side one of his Stiff album Juppanese, produced by Lowe. In 1979, Rockpile simultaneously recorded Edmunds' Repeat When Necessary and Lowe's Labour of Lust. Rockpile (under solo artists' names) enjoyed hits in 1979 on both sides of the Atlantic with Edmunds' "Girls Talk" (a top 20 hit in both the UK and Canada) and Lowe's "Cruel to Be Kind" (top 20 in the UK, Canada and the US). Rockpile also played in the 29 December 1979 Concerts for the People of Kampuchea with Elvis Costello & The Attractions and Wings, where they were joined onstage by Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant (co-owner of Swan Song). Two of the band's songs were included in the concert album. In 1980, Edmunds submitted the solo album "Twangin...", which was mostly a collection of outtakes from his prior solo albums, to complete his Swan Song contract, freeing Rockpile to record a true band record for Jake Riviera's new label F-Beat Records. Released in the fall of 1980, Seconds of Pleasure featured lead vocal turns by Edmunds, Lowe and Bremner, and spawned the minor hit "Teacher Teacher", sung by Lowe. Twangin... was issued six months after Seconds of Pleasure, and featured Rockpile on nine of its eleven tracks.

(from youtube upload notes)

The Fading Cajun Culture

This documentary covers over 300 years of history concerning the migration and development of modern day Cajuns. Our story starts in Poitou, France where persecution caused a group of French settlers to travel across the ocean to Nova Scotia, Canada. Here they established a new life for themselves and became known as the Acadians. Many years later as a result of English rule over the region, the Acadians were once again persecuted and forced to leave their homes and travel to many destinations. Several ended up in South Louisiana. Still known as Acadians, they thrived for many years in Louisiana until WWII. As a result of leaving the region to fight in the war, many for the first time met people outside of the Acadian community. The war galvanized the Acadians with Americanism. Now identified as Americans many returned home and slowly left the farms they were raised on to marry individuals outside of the Acadian culture. This led to the current race known as Cajuns. Although Cajuns are located throughout the world now, many still associate South Louisiana with the Cajun culture where the bulk continue to reside. This documentary in no way represents all of the events that helped shape the current Cajun culture. It is rather a synopsis of events that occurred which were part of the evolution of a culture which would become known as Cajun. I am sincerely appreciative to the three teams of multimedia students that contributed to this project. I would also like to thank the academic professionals, historians, trappers, and musicians that graciously contributed to this volume of work. Finally, I would like to thank the Target Corporation which provided the equipment to film and produce the film. My sincere hope is that you gain an appreciation of the Cajun people and that you come to understand the many aspects of the culture that are slowly fading such as; speaking French and living off the land as trappers, fisherman and farmers. --Ray Breaux

(via Olaf Jens)

Taylor Hackford documentary on Charles Bukowski from 1973.

Happy Birthday Charles Bukowski, born on this day in 1920.

Taylor Hackford documentary on Charles Bukowski from 1973. 
This is a 46 minute version of the film shown on PBS. 

Blues America

Woke up this Morning.
Series Producer & Director: Mick Gold

Blues is usually described as the sound of racial suffering 
and feeling sad, but this documentary argues that the 
blues began as a form of black pop music. First appearing 
in the Southern states of the USA around 1900, blues 
created by the poorest people in the richest nation on
earth took America by storm. The film look at the early 
years of the blues to discover how Bessie Smith, Blind 
Lemon Jefferson and Charlie Patton used the latest media 
to bring their music to the public. 
With contributions from Keith Richards, Taj Mahal and Chuck D.



Bright Lights, Big City.
Series Producer: Mick Gold
Producer/Director: Sam Bridger

After 1945, artists like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and 
John Lee Hooker rooted the blues firmly in the city, where 
it contributed to the musical desegregation of America by 
spawning rock'n' roll. As the blues conquered the world 
and the music moved from black to white audiences, 
arguments developed about what was the real authentic blues.
Robert Johnson returned from the dead to sell more
records than any other blues artist. By the 21st century,
the blues not only retained the earthiness of its roots 
but was also being celebrated in the White House. 
With contributions from Keith Richards, Bonnie Raitt, 
Seasick Steve and Buddy Guy.

For the first time you can view online Samuel Charters' 1963 documentary 'The Blues', featuring Furry Lewis, Gus Cannon, Sleepy John Estes and more. You can also download it at: http://blog.dinosaurdiscs.com/post/64727904411/blues-historian-samuel-b-charters-made-a-film

Samuel Charters - 'The Blues' (1963)

Scholar Samuel Barclay Charters shot the footage for 'The Blues' in the summer of 1962 in St. Louis, Memphis, Louisiana and South Carolina. The film features blues musicians J.D. Short, Pink Anderson and his son "Little Pink", Furry Lewis, Baby Tate, Memphis Willie B. with Gus Cannon, and 'Sleepy' John Estes.

I do not own the distribution rights to this film, but encourage any offended rightsholders to consider that the work has not been accessible since a print on U-matic videocassette in 1973. I think it's time to change that, but will respond to removal requests by rightsholders.

The audio for the film doesn't always sync perfectly with the performances, but I think this was an editing decision by the director or a fault of the recording equipment. The audio does match the beginning and ends of the scenes, so I believe this is how the film was originally presented.
--mvanderl

"SISTER ROSETTA THARPE The Godmother of Rock & Roll" - Produced & Directed by Mick Csaky - International version - 52 mins/2013

"SISTER ROSETTA THARPE The Godmother of Rock & Roll" - Produced & Directed by Mick Csaky - International version - 52 mins/2013 from Directors Cut Films on Vimeo.

"GOD'S ANGRY MAN," BY WERNER HERZOG

God's Angry Man - Werner Herzog's documentary on Dr. Gene Scott. 

Here is Dr. Gene Scott's Wikipedia entry. A quotation:

"In 1975, Scott began nightly live broadcasts, and eventually satellite broadcasts extended his services and talk shows to many countries.

"Scott became known as much for his stage persona as he was for his preaching skills. He would fill chalkboards with scriptural passages in the original Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic during his exegeses as to their meaning.

"During his live fundraising broadcasts, Scott would typically stare into the camera and tell his viewers to get on the telephone and give if you feel as though the spirit calls for it, often wearing a variety of hats including an English pith helmet or a sombrero.

"Scott showed disdain for other religious broadcasters like Jerry Falwell and Jimmy Swaggart and bristled when people referred to him as a "televangelist," preferring to be regarded as a teacher and pastor.

The word of Dr. Gene Scott continues through the work of his daughter, Pastor Elizabeth Scott. This official site includes a biography.

http://www.rogerebert.com/balder-and-dash/gods-angry-man-by-werner-herzog

The Legend Of Bo Diddley (1966)

A documentary of Bo Diddley playing his songs.
Director:Gary Sherman
1966

The Confessions of Robert Crumb

Excerpts from the 1987 documentary, The Confessions of Robert Crumb. Part 1 of 3 - Introduction and sexual deviations.


Excerpts from the 1987 documentary, The Confessions of Robert Crumb. Part 2 of 3 - Marriage, Drugs & Hippie Culture.


Excerpts from the 1987 documentary, The Confessions of Robert Crumb. Part 3 of 3 - Dealing with fame & Fritz the cat.



Uploaded by: guitarded71
"Here's a 55 minute long BBC documentary about my favorite cartoonist. This precedes the Terry Zwigoff film bio "Crumb" by 7 years. Nowhere near as in-depth or powerful as the Zwigoff film, but probably an enjoyable view for fellow R. Crumb devotees nonetheless."

In 1987, Robert Crumb presents himself: raised by a Marine father, educated in Catholic schools, married at 21 in Cleveland where he worked for a greeting card company, dropping acid in 1965, heading to San Francisco and getting in on the formation of Zap Comix, gaining celebrity, loving old time jazz, starting a band, living in a commune, meeting Aline Kominsky who became his second wife and his partner in art, having a daughter, and developing a more realistic drawing style. The confessions include his loneliness, his obsessions with women, his bewilderment by fame, his sense of the disintegration of Sixties’ subculture, his nervous breakdown in 1973, and his peace now.Written by  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0255902/ 

The Passing Show: Documentary about Ronnie Lane + 1989 Interview + 1983 Dutch Radio Interview

The life and music of Ronnie Lane from the Small Faces/The Faces & Slim Chance heres "The passing show" 2006 in 3 parts...

The Passing Show: Documentary about Ronnie Lane

RONNIE LANE Interview by Kent Benjamin March 3, 1989

DaveTV brings you RONNIE LANE Interview by Kent Benjamin March 3, 1989

How Ronnie Lane met Steve Marriott

From a radio interview June 23, 1983, in the Dutch program "Poster", in which Ronnie explains how he met Steve who was working as a temporary employee in a music store where Ronnie walked in looking for a guitar.

The Small Faces: Ronnie Lane talks about their first record...

Ronnie Lane tells us about songwriting with Steve Marriott, how he hated their name "The Small Faces" and how they met Don Arden and through him Sammy Samuels which led to their first record: Whatcha Gonna Do About It.
From an interview with Ronnie Plonk Lane for the Dutch radio program "Poster"June 1983.

Ronnie Lane talking about Mods, Beatles and sound going "out of phase"

In this radio interview from June 1983 for the Dutch radio program 'Poster" Ronnie "Plonk"Lane tells us about being Mods, his appreciation for The Beatles and background details of their sound going out of phase for the first time in Itchycoo Park. An effect which was used by many of their fellow bands on the label Immediate i.e. Emerson, Lake and Palmer

Ronnie Lane talking about Itchycoo Park

In a radio interview from the Dutch program "Poster" in June 1983, Ronnie Lane tells us about the origins of their great hit "Itchycoo Park", where the melody stems from (the hymn God be in my heart and in my understanding), the real location of the park and why they changed the name in Itchycoo.

Ronnie Lane Talks About Lazy Sunday

In the radio programme "Poster", July 1983, Ronnie Lane tells us about the origins of Lazy Sunday, a number written by Steve Marriott.

Ronnie Lane about The Universal

In a Dutch radio program, Poster, in July 1983, Ronnie Lane talks about the origins of the Small Faces last original single record: The Universal.

The Small Faces - Song Of A Baker - Colour Me Pop (1968)

The Small Faces at there best a fusion of rock and pop, Marriotts voice was amazing, it took Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood to replace him when the Faces were formed...

Lester Bangs, A BOX FULL OF ROCKS

Photograph by Roberta Bayley, 1976.

This film looks at the adolescent years and young adulthood of legendary music journalist Lester Bangs. From age 11 in 1960 to 1971, when he moved to the Creem house in Detroit, Lester Bangs grew up and lived in El Cajon, a Southern California suburb 15 miles east of San Diego. It was in El Cajon that he became a writer.


Lester's high school friends Gary Rachac, Milt Wyatt, Jerry Raney, and Jack Butler (appearing in that order) discuss the music scene in El Cajon in the mid-60s. At this time, Lester would sit in with Jerry and Jack's Thee Dark Ages at El Cajon's Hi Ho Club, the biggest, most popular teenage nightclub in all of San Diego county.


In this clip from the film A BOX FULL OF ROCKS, Mike Stax of Ugly Things magazine cites Greg Shaw of Who Put the Bomp and discusses Lester's approach to writing. The "avalanche of words" observation is quite poignant.


We are starting to experiment with transitions to link together the various sections of the film A Box Full of Rocks:The El Cajon Years of Lester Bangs. Here is a montage of photos set to the song "Where is the poet Christ?" by the Flying Sandolini. Let us know what you think!!!


Lester's high school friend and fellow Beat, Rob Houghton discusses their experimentation with recreational chemicals and Lester's almost analytical approach to drug taking. This series of short clips comes from a longer 20-minute section of the film.

Please visit us at kickstarter...
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1...


Here, Lester's biographer Jim Derogatis discusses the role of the critic in Art and why Lester's legacy (and music journalism in general) is so important. A special thanks to Michael Fennelly for the photo of Lester with girlfriend Andy and Michael's band Crabby Appleton.


In this clip from the film, Lester's friend Milt Wyatt talks about a day when Lester's mom Norma drove the kids to the beach. Milt was also from a Jehovah Witness family. For years, he and Lester would hang out in Lester's room, listening to records and talking music, before and after the weekly Jehovah Witness meetings held at Norma's house.


Lester Bangs grew up in apartments. He lived in rented, attached housing virtually his entire life. Here, El Cajon writer Mindy Solis discusses the culture that rises out of the endless maze of El Cajon apartments. The street footage follows First Street north toward Madison. NOTE: The footage stops right below Lester's apartment window.


In this rough clip form the film, Grossmont College professor Sydney Brown explains some of the ways Lester Bangs is being honored today in El Cajon, CA, his hometown. The footage comes from the 2012 Lester Bangs Memorial Reading, which was attended by a couple hundred people.

Kevin Ayers - Musical Express (1980)

via: http://wyattandstuff.blogspot.com/2012/06/kevin-ayers-musical-express.html


"...here is the full portrait of Kevin Ayers, from the Spanish series "Musical Express"... 
with Andy Summers, John Cale and Ollie Halsall..."

This is an hour-long & the interviews are in Spanish, but it's worth the time & Ollie Halsall is crazy...

JOE MEEK - ARENA - BBC DOCUMENTARY - in 7 Parts + more...

Referral from The Hound: "Joe Meek, gone 45 years ago today...."





 JOE MEEK 
- ARENA - BBC DOCUMENTARY

A Life In The Death of JOE MEEK

Clip from the forhtcoming documentary about British record producer JOE MEEK. Great reason for no release -- it's not done!:) Screenings were work-in-progress only to secure needed support. Great response so far. But the really great news is that we've now have Jimmy Page interviewed!!! Worth the wait. Check us out on Facebook and in the very near future we will be announcing an official website and fundraiser to assist with desperately needed finishing costs. Thanks for all the demand and encouragement. Fear not, Joe's on his way! :)

JOE MEEK - RETURN TO HOLLOWAY ROAD

JOE MEEK - PATRICK PINK - TRUE TO YOU unreleased

possibly one of the last recordings by joe , patrick pink was joe's assistant
( robbie duke) this track was also recorded by jason eddie...





JOE MEEK - ANSWER PHONE MESSAGE