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Private Notes
Robert Wyatt is one of the best-kept secrets of contemporary British music. Drummer and vocalist in Soft Machine which played with Hendrix and Pink Floyd in their heyday, he split from the group in the late 1960s and started recording solo albums. A fall from a window left Wyatt confined to a wheelchair, but he continued recording, even in hospital. His most well-known song is probably Shipbuilding, a protest against the Falklands war written for him by Elvis Costello, while his 1997 album Schleep won acclaim as one of the best albums of the past 10 years. In addition to performance footage of the famously retiring musician, the documentary contains interviews with John Peel, Brian Eno, Annie Whitehead, Alfie and Robert Wyatt himself.
The enigmatic and critically acclaimed British folk rock singer is explored in this profile. Contributors to the programme include Billy Connolly, Bonnie Raitt, ex-wife Linda Thompson, Harry Shearer (Spinal Tap's Derek Smalls) and Richard's wife Nancy Covey. As Thompson, hailed as one of Britain's finest songwriters, releases his first album in four years and tours the UK, this documentary films him at home in both London and Los Angeles - the first time such intimate access has been granted. Billy Connolly observes: "He's a quiet guy, he's almost an anorak our Richard, you wouldn't think he's the guy with the guitar shaking the town!" In the 1960s, while still a teenager, Thompson wrote generation defining songs like Meet on the Ledge. As founder member of Fairport Convention, as a duo, with then wife Linda and more recently as a solo artist, Thompson's unique mix of rock and traditional music has been massively influential. Ironically, he is now more popular in America than in the UK. When Fairport Convention were at the height of their success a motorway accident killed their engineer, drummer and Richard's girlfriend Jeannie Franklyn. The music they subsequently created was stark, adapting traditional songs for a young electric band and spearheading Folk Rock. Richard and Linda Thompson became Sufi Muslims in 1975 and spent three years building a religious community in England. Returning to mainstream music in 1978 the couple's musical partnership ended with the release of Shoot out the Lights in 1982. Their divorce coincided with a final US tour and this documentary contains footage recorded from this time which has never been seen on television before. Since then Richard's solo career has burgeoned, especially in America, with such songs like Vincent Black Lightening 1952 celebrating a classic British motorbike. The programme features powerful performances of songs such as The End of the Rainbow, A Heart Needs a Home, Solitary Life and Kidzz.
In 1966 John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers were acclaimed by music critics as the "most influential blues band in the Western world" after the release of their Bluesbreakers album featuring guitarist Eric Clapton.
This film probes beneath the surface of the man who, despite the ups and downs of his 40-year career, has remained true to the blues throughout.
It looks at the man and musician behind this influential new force in music, finding out where he came from, what his influences were, how he managed to attract so many top musicians to his Bluesbreakers band and what really led to his 'wilderness years' and subsequent relaunched solo career.
This documentary from Grammy-winning director Don Letts looks at the godfather of rap's significance to music and civil rights.
Scott-Heron's confrontational, no-nonsense street poetry and songwriting skills have inspired the modern Hip-Hop generation. He is perhaps best known for his two 1970s RnB flavored chart hits - The Bottle and Johannesburg - but his work includes more than 20 albums and two novels.
Gil has documented, and in many cases anticipated, the massive political and social changes in the United States with anger and integrity. This program features concert footage and contributions from disciples such as Chuck D and Mos Def.
Emmylou Harris's beautiful voice has made her the queen of country music for over 30 years. Following the tragic early death of her mentor, the cult singer Gram Parsons, Emmylou brought his unique vision of country with rock'n'roll attitude to the mainstream. She became a respected songwriter as well as harmony singer to the likes of Bob Dylan and Neil Young.
From a Deeper Well charts Emmylou Harris' development into one of country's biggest stars and her subsequent move in a more 'alternative' direction. As well as providing a comprehensive look at Emmylou's life, the programme examines the changing face of country music.
