“We were born in Liverpool but grew up in Hamburg” John Lennon. This feature documentary seeks to find the truth in those words. The long and winding road that the Beatles took to worldwide fame passed through Hamburg, Germany in the early 1960s. Only a couple of years before they became household names, the former “Quarrymen” were cutting their musical teeth on nightclub stages in Hamburg. In the 15 years after the end of WW2 Hamburg had become the vice capital of Europe. Its neon lit streets were home to sailors, prostitutes, drug dealers, gangs and low life. The group was still developing. At the time of their first Hamburg adventure, George Harrison, was only 17 years old. They were all still very young men, and their group was virtually unknown. By the time of their last German visit in 1966, the Beatles were a worldwide phenomenon.
Featuring never-before-seen footage of the band and the legions of young fans who helped fuel their ascendance, follow McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Starr as they land in New York City in February 1964 and solidify their status as the biggest band in the world.
John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Little Richard, The Doors, Chuck Berry, Alice Cooper, and other legendary musicians performed at the 1969 Toronto Rock and Roll Revival music festival. This behind-the-scenes look at “the second most important event in rock and roll history” culminates in John Lennon’s first public performance with The Plastic Ono Band, triggering his decision to leave the Beatles.
Little Richard can stake a claim on having invented rock 'n' roll. A black artist who grew up in the segregated south of the United States, Richard Penniman broke down barriers and took 1950s America by storm. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones supported him and drew inspiration from his musicianship and stagecraft. He went on to influence artists as diverse as David Bowie, Elton John, Michael Jackson and Prince. Yet Little Richard spent years feeling his contribution to music had been overlooked in favour of white rock 'n' roll stars like Elvis Presley and Pat Boone. On top of that, the inner conflict between his religious beliefs and the music style he pioneered – as well as his battles with his own sexuality – led him to quit rock 'n' roll not just once, but twice.
The story of the Black queer origins of rock n' roll. It explodes the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard's complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon's life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions.
Paul McCartney sits down for a rare in-depth one-on-one with legendary producer Rick Rubin to discuss his ground breaking work with The Beatles, the emblematic 70s arena rock of Wings and his 50 years and counting as a solo artist.
Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 - May 9, 2020), better known as Little Richard, was a flamboyant and groundbreaking American singer, songwriter and musician. Little Richard was a pioneering influence on the birth of Rock 'n' Roll.