Prog TV Shows or Documentaries

[tribalfusion]

Hi all,

Does anyone know what documentaries, tv shows and interview series have been made about both prog in general and specific bands? That could include things like BBC Rock Britannia or Romantic Warriors as well as specific docs about individual bands (preferably some of the less well known docs and bands).

I was wondering if Rick Wakeman's Face to Face were the only example of an actual show? Has there ever been anything perhaps more like That Metal Show for prog (Eddie Trunk has also interviewed Derek Shulman by the way) ?

I am also hoping that speakers of languages other than English might contribute here as well.

Thanks!

[progeezer]

Things to search on youtube: BBC Sessions, Rockpalast & Beat Club.

[tribalfusion]

Things to search on youtube: BBC Sessions, Rockpalast & Beat Club.

Right but I don't so much mean generic shows which have featured prog once in a while...

[Scrotum Scissor]

Does anyone know what documentaries, tv shows and interview series have been made about both prog in general and specific bands? That could include things like BBC Rock Britannia or Romantic Warriors as well as specific docs about individual bands (preferably some of the less well known docs and bands).

Those two, together with this one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnMhkkgWpG4 - actually cover the lot. Although not to an "academically" fulfilling degree. But there's the 60s/70s progressive rock as a more or less significant pop-cultural phenomenon (BBCRB), the various stylistic and geographical faccets of resurgence (Romantic W. vol.1), the avant-garde (R.W. vol.2 RiO) and Canterbury subcultural development (R.W. vol.3), and finally the one on Krautrock (as linked).

Are they satisfactory? Well, the Romantic Warriors series at least attempts to grasp at not only historiography and evolution but at etymologies and "prog discourse". But seeing as there's never been any such thing as an adequate actual writeup on the subject (although numerous "serious" studies indeed exist), it's no surprise that purported documentaries are somewhat lacking.

[rcarlberg]

Classic Rock Legends
The Underground Anthology
Progressive Rock: The Ultimate Collection
Caravan - Classic Rock Legends
Hawkwind - Classic Rock Legends
Hatfield & The North - Classic Rock Legends
Rick Wakeman - Classic Rock Legends
Keyboard Wizards - The Ultimate Anthology
More Classic Rock Legends

Romantic Warriors I, II & III

[GuitarGeek]

Classic Rock Legends
The Underground Anthology
Progressive Rock: The Ultimate Collection
Caravan - Classic Rock Legends
Hawkwind - Classic Rock Legends
Hatfield & The North - Classic Rock Legends
Rick Wakeman - Classic Rock Legends
Keyboard Wizards - The Ultimate Anthology
More Classic Rock Legends

Romantic Warriors I, II & III

Wasn't the "Classic Rock Legends" series a huge rip off? As I recall, it's mostly people not at all connected to the respective bands talking, with extremely short clips of the music, like under 10 seconds, so they wouldn't have to pay for using said cliips.

As for Romantic Warriors II, I can't put my finger on it, but I swear I recognize that guy near the beginning, the one in the Jeff Beck shirt, from some place.

[JKL2000]

Back in the 80s there was a documentary about prog rock on MTV which was basically a long interview with Ian Anderson, about prog in general. Not with Rick Wakeman. I used to have it on VHS and watched it often, but I can't remember the title or find it on YouTube.

EDIT: Found a promo for it, but not the full show - the series was called Rock Influences:

[interbellum]

Kenso: "Kenso's Guide To Making Progressive Rock Music"

[GuitarGeek]

Back in the 80s there was a documentary about prog rock on MTV which was basically a long interview with Ian Anderson, about prog in general. Not with Rick Wakeman. I used to have it on VHS and watched it often, but I can't remember the title or find it on YouTube.

EDIT: Found a promo for it, but not the full show - the series was called Rock Influences:

Without watching the video, I think that's the show that was hosted by Karla DeVito, who was otherwise a well known backup vocalist, probably most famous for appearing in the videos for Bat Out Of The Hell (she, Flo, and Eddie, can all be seen backing Todd Rundgren in the Bang The Drum All Day video).

As I recall, they did a whole series, but I'm not sure how long, and each episode focused on a particular subgenre. The one I remember the best was about "folk-rock", and had her interviewing Roger McGuinn who explains why he moved from Chicago to NYC to LA, in his pre-Byrds career. They also showed some clips from an all star concert that was held in NYC. You had McGuinn, Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko (I think), John Sebastian, and McGuinn (the only time I ever saw him playing a Rickenbacker that didn't have a Maple-glo finish, this one being Fire-glo) backing Jesse Colin Young on a version of Get Together. They also showed Richie Havens doing a great version of Here Comes The Sun/The End. Then thing kind of wrapped up with REM, I guess representing the "new generation of folk-rock bands" doing several songs, including Driver 8, South Central Rain, and a great cover of Pale Blue Eyes by The Velvet Underground. I had that one recorded on Betamax.

I vaguely remember the Prog Roc special, so I must have seen it when it originally aired, but I dont' think I recorded it, and it's quite likely I fell asleep before it was over (I was 12 years old, staying up to midnight to watch this stuff).

[interbellum]

Although not specific on prog, the documentaries Mellodrama: The Mellotron Movie by Dianna Dilworth and Moog by Hans Fjellestad are well worth watching.

[SteveSly]

The "Romantic Warriors" films are well worth checking out. There are 3 of them so far. Many people on this board are featured in them. I even make a brief interview appearance in the first one

Here is the youtube trailer for the first film:

[rcarlberg]

Wasn't the "Classic Rock Legends" series a huge rip off? As I recall, it's mostly people not at all connected to the respective bands talking, with extremely short clips of the music, like under 10 seconds, so they wouldn't have to pay for using said cliips.

No I don't think so. I just threw the "Underground Anthology" disc into my computer and here are the timings:
1. ELP - Knife Edge (1972) 0:00 - 6:49
2. Caravan - For Richard (2002) 6:54 - 21:08
3. Nektar - A Tab in the Ocean (2002) 21:12 - 35:00
4. Curved Air - Melinda More Or Less (1971) 35:06 - 37:37
5. Atomic Rooster - Breakthrough (1971) 37:44 - 44:44
6. Family Part of the Load (1971) 44:50 - 48:07
7. Hawkwind - Night of the Hawks (1991) 48:14 - 55:28
8. Gong - Radio Gnome (1991) 55:33 - 57:28
9. Hatfield & The North - Halfway Between Heven and Earth (1991) 57:36 - 1:06:12
10. Uriah Heep - I'll Keep On Trying (2002) 1:06:19 - 1:10:41

It's all performance footage (not all of it vintage unfortunately), no interviews.

[rcarlberg]

The "Romantic Warriors" films are well worth checking out. There are 3 of them so far.

4th one on Krautrock is in the final editing stages I understand.

[JKL2000]

Hey, I was just watching the first part of BBC Britannia, and they show The Beatles in the studio playing the beginning of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and it sounds more immediate and kickass than the studio version I know (from the stereo cassette). What version is that? I need to hear more of it.

[moecurlythanu]

White Light, White Heat from the Beeb. Extremely cursory.

Edit: iirc, it credits The Velvet Underground as a prime mover in the birth of Prog-Rock.

[interbellum]

The "Romantic Warriors" films are well worth checking out. There are 3 of them so far. Many people on this board are featured in them. I even make a brief interview appearance in the first one

You could say there are four of them so far; Romantic Warriors III also has a Special Features DVD, which is being sold seperately.

[rcarlberg]

You could say there are four of them so far; Romantic Warriors III also has a Special Features DVD, which is being sold seperately.

Make it five then. RWII does too. They contain additional performance & interview footage.

[rcarlberg]

Edit: iirc, it credits The Velvet Underground as a prime mover in the birth of Prog-Rock.

Hoo-boy. Worms come in a can.

[JKL2000]

White Light, White Heat from the Beeb. Extremely cursory.

Edit: iirc, it credits The Velvet Underground as a prime mover in the birth of Prog-Rock.

Hoo-boy. Worms come in a can.

You couldn't keep Lou away from the 'tron!

[chalkpie]

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnMhkkgWpG4 -

The crazy scrotum viking beat me to the punch, but I concur, this is an AMAZING doc. Remember, if it ain't Krautrock, its Krap!!!!!!!!!

[Yellow Jester]

Hi all,

Does anyone know what documentaries, tv shows and interview series have been made about both prog in general and specific bands? That could include things like BBC Rock Britannia or Romantic Warriors as well as specific docs about individual bands (preferably some of the less well known docs and bands).

I was wondering if Rick Wakeman's Face to Face were the only example of an actual show? Has there ever been anything perhaps more like That Metal Show for prog (Eddie Trunk has also interviewed Derek Shulman by the way) ?

I am also hoping that speakers of languages other than English might contribute here as well.

Thanks!

The only TV documentary on Prog Music that works for me is the BBC Rock Britannia. I haven't see any of the Romantic Warriors docs so I comment on them.

[interbellum]

Make it five then. RWII does too. They contain additional performance & interview footage.

All info on those DVD's: https://www.progdocs.com/

[rcarlberg]

I haven't see any of the Romantic Warriors docs so I comment on them.

You have some amazing discoveries ahead of you!

[JKL2000]

I haven't see any of the Romantic Warriors docs so I comment on them.

That's the PE way!

[SteveSly]

4th one on Krautrock is in the final editing stages I understand.

Cool, I thought they were working on another one, but could not remember for sure.