Christmas is a time to spend time with the family and forget about work, or if you prefer, to watch some films about music so you can try (again) to convince your nearest and dearest that the fact that someone is singing into the wrong end of a microphone is both hilarious and important!
Here are a selection of our favourite films, series and documentaries about music and production to spend some of that valuable downtime with.
Get Back
What they say about it:
Directed by Peter Jackson, The Beatles: Get Back is a three-part documentary series that takes audiences back in time to the band’s intimate recording sessions. The documentary showcases the warmth, camaraderie and creative genius that defined the legacy of the iconic foursome, and is compiled from 60 hours of unseen footage shot in January 1969 (under the supervision of Michael Lindsay-Hogg and his director of photography Tony Richmond), and more than 150 hours of unheard audio, all of which has been brilliantly restored. Also featured — for the first time in its entirety — is The Beatles’ last live performance as a group — the unforgettable rooftop concert on London’s Savile Row — as well as other songs and classic compositions featured on the band’s final two albums, Abbey Road and Let It Be.
What We Think:
It’s long, some say too long. But die-hard Beatles fans won’t care. if you love the Beatles this is unmissable. If you don’t love the Beatles, why not?
The Defiant Ones
What they say about it:
`The Defiant Ones' tells of the unbreakable bond of trust and friendship between music legends Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre, two street-smart men from different worlds who together defied traditional wisdom and transformed contemporary culture in the process. Filmed over a three-year period by director Allen Hughes, the four-part documentary traces the rise of two tough kids - Iovine the son of a Brooklyn longshoreman, Dr. Dre straight out of the streets of Compton, California - through an unconventional business until their paths crossed in the late 1980s, leading to this unlikely duo brokering one of the biggest deals in music history. In addition to extensive, frank interviews with Iovine and Dr. Dre, the series includes comments by such music icons as Bono, David Geffen, Eminem, Ice Cube, Gwen Stefani, Jon Landau, Tom Petty, Snoop Dogg and Bruce Springsteen. Also featured is never-before-seen footage from a multitude of recording and writing sessions.
What we think:
This documentary is enthralling and entertaining on several levels. It shows how two men from very different backgrounds rose through the ranks in music production and formed an alliance that eventually led to the creation of one of the biggest headphone brands on the planet, Beats.
It’s worth watching for the story of producing Bruce Springsteen alone. The story will have you laughing and crying at the same time.
Hitsville: The Making Of Motown
What they say about it:
A look at the birth of Motown in Detroit in 1958 until its relocation to Los Angeles in the early 1970s. Featuring rare performances, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage offer insight into the history and cultural impact of Motown Records.
What we think:
This documentary will have you amazed by the huge amount of talent that flooded out of the unassuming studio in a house in Detroit.
There are some wonderful moments of recording history discussed and this documentary goes behind the scenes of some of the most iconic records of all time.
Hold on to your hats, the pace of records that came out of Motown is mind boggling.
Searching for Sugar Man
What they say about it:
Though he faded into obscurity in the US, an early 1970s musician known as Rodriguez became a huge hit in South Africa and was widely rumoured to have died. Two obsessed fans set out to learn the man's true fate.
What we think:
Part music documentary, part whodunnit, this is an astounding film about the musical career of one man. You may have never heard of Rodriguez, but after watching this you’ll never forget him. If you already know the end of the story but have never watched this then it’s one film you should watch before you die.
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
What they say:
Canadian heavy-metal band Anvil delivered a highly influential 1982 album that would inspire the likes of Anthrax and Metallica, and then dropped off the map to begin what would become decades of toiling in obscurity. Director and former roadie Sacha Gervasi follows guitarist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner as they stumble through a harrowing European tour and reflect on failure, friendship, resilience and the will to follow even the most impossible of dreams.
What we think:
If you’ve ever been in a band and tried to make it then this documentary will have you laughing and crying in equal measure. It’s hilariously heartbreaking.
If you thought Spinal Tap was far fetched then the story of Anvil will make you think again.
Unmissable.
Quincy
No, not the vivacious 1970s medical examiner, but the iconic musician, producer, and all round legend who is Quincy Jones.
What they say about it:
An intimate look at the extraordinary life of Quincy Jones, a music industry icon and the winner of 27 Grammys.
What we think:
Legend is an overused word, but this documentary proves why Quincy Jones deserves the title. It takes us right back to the start of his life and helps us understand the motivation that drives this extraordinary talent. There are bittersweet moments during the documentary that show Quincy struggling with ill health, but the sheer breadth of his work and those that feature in this film make it worth the price of admission.
If those six recommendations don’t offer something you’d like to see, try these:
Bohemian Rhapsody
It doesn’t matter the plot of this movie didn’t follow the actual timeline of the band. Nor does it matter it took over 12 years to produce. What makes Bohemian Rhapsody an excellent film for music producers to watch are the detailed studio scenes filled with vintage gear porn. These moments in the movie provide a cool insight into how Queen recorded many of their top hits.
Brian May is known for being very particular about details. Along with Queen's drummer Roger Taylor, Brian played a significant role in producing this movie. It is safe to say that each of the studio scenes in Bohemian Rhapsody captures what the band went through while working together in the studio.
Available to watch on Amazon Prime
Making Waves - The Art of Cinematic Sound
We go to the cinema to be entertained and to be emotionally moved, with some education and expanding one’s world view thrown in occasionally. Even though most recognise that the cinema is a multi-sensory experience, few tend to recognise how much of that experience is created specifically by sound ... or why that is, or how it happens. MAKING WAVES: The Art of Cinematic Sound is a feature-length documentary exploring the history, artistry, and emotional power of cinema sound, as revealed by legendary sound designers and visionary directors, via interviews, clips from movies, and a look at their actual process of creation and discovery.
You can read more about this film in our article Making Waves - The Art of Cinematic Sound Documentary Film Finally Coming To A Cinema Near You From October 25th 2019 and our article Would You Like To Support The Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound Movie Kickstarter Project?
You can now get the DVD from Amazon.
Sound City
This documentary tells the story and history behind Sound City Studios in Van Nuys LA and was produced by Dave Grohl. It was at Sound City Studios where Nirvana recorded Nevermind. Many other artists regarded Sound City as one of the best places for recording drums.
The studio sadly closed in 2011. Around the time of the closure, Dave purchased several items from the studio, including a Neve console and was inspired to produce this documentary with Trent Reznor, Tom Petty and Mick Fleetwood amongst many other artists making an appearance. It's a must-watch for lovers of music production.
Sonic Highways
If a film like Sound City needs a sequel, Sonic Highways is about a close as you are going to get. It is the story of the making of The Foo Fighters 8th studio album. But to call Sonic Highways a making of a studio album documentary would somewhat be missing the point. Dave Grohl, Butch Vig and the band take us on a journey, not only of music but also of music history and showcase some of the most important music venues and performance spaces across the USA.
There is plenty in Sound Highways for us techies to get excited about but one of the best bits of each of the eight one hour episodes is where you see the band and crew set up to record. Choices and concessions have to be made. This is real life record-making in real-world situations.
The Art Of Recording A Big Band
Filmed over a weekend at Capitol Studios back in 2015, The Art Of Recording A Big Band by Al Schmitt and Steve Genewick is music and recording film that without a doubt you all need to see. Al and Steve are true masters of this musical genre and short of being in the studio with them, this is as close as it gets to witnessing recording genius at work.
The concept for the project was simple. Record a live big band, film it and at the same time have some paying guests in the studio control room to ask questions and get Al to give up some of the tips and tricks that have made him a 23 time Grammy Award winner. Al and Steve decided to open the session up to some paying guests. One of the first to sign up was Andrew Scheps, later to be joined by Dave Pensado and Ryan Hewitt to name but a few.
The film is available online via Groove 3.
The Last Waltz
The Last Waltz was actually the name given to the final farewell concert given by Canadian-American rock group The Band. It was held on the 25th of November 1976 (thanksgiving day), at the Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco. The concert saw The Band joined by more than a dozen special guests including Ronnie Hawkins, Bob Dylan, Paul Butterfield, Bobby Charles, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Dr. John, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr, Muddy Waters, Ronnie Wood, and Neil Young. Names that don’t get much bigger in that era of popular music.
The event was filmed by director Martin Scorsese and made into a documentary of the same title, released in 1978.
The Last Waltz is now only available on DVD.
Classic Albums 1997
Over a span of 21 years and 42 episodes, music broadcasters VH1 and Isis Productions produced the Classic Albums series. Starting with Paul Simon’s 1986 album Graceland and finishing with Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black this series took you behind the scenes of the making of some of the most important albums in popular music history. But not only did you get to see and hear the artist in the studio during the making of the albums you got to see and hear the artists and producers dissecting the work in front of the console with the multi-tracks years after the album’s release. There is a fantastic section in the Dark Side Of The Moon episode where you see and hear Dave Gilmore mute all the reverb during the guitar solo in Money. The effect was so easy to achieve but had an amazing effect on the track.
This Is Spinal Tap
It has come to our attention that there are some people who have yet to see the 1984 mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap”. If that is you then you owe it to yourself to get a copy and watch it. Without this you’ll never understand why you don’t do heavy metal in Dobly, how much more black an album cover can be or why you can’t just make ten one louder.
Watch it and enjoy it, if you don’t like it just remember, there’s such a fine line between stupid and clever…
This Is Spinal Tap is available on DVD and to rent or buy on Amazon Prime
What Have We Missed?
We’ll have missed a lot of other great documentaries and movies based around making and producing music, what would have been on your list?