10cc (BBC Documentary)
Even if you think you know more than the average bear about UK mid-70's hit machine 10cc, this jam-packed hour on 10cc is eye-opening stuff. While you might even be aware that Graham Gouldman may have "penned a few hits" prior to 10cc, here the whole story is told of how he came to write "For Your Love" and "Heart Full of Soul" for the Yardbirsd, "Bus Stop" for the Hollies, and "Listen People" for Herman's Hermits, among others.
The foursome of Lol Creme, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Graham Gouldman first came together when Gouldman told the publisher for whom he was writing teeny-bop pop songs that they could record all of the songs he'd written at a fraction of the cost of hiring actual session musicians. They would also act as studio band for Neil Sedaka before officially deciding to be a band.
The rest of the story is just as interesting.
The Jam "Making of All Mod Cons"
When I realized that there was a documentary on the making of what I have long felt was The Jam's best album, it was as if the musical gods had answered my prayers. For ages, I'd been pleading "Come on, make a documentary about an album I care about, dammit"
While there is very little actual in-the-studio footage, you get a lot of fresh interview footage from all three members of the band and the pacing truly captures the excitement of the time. It also leaves you wondering why Weller has yet to entertain the idea of Jam reunion, seeing as how what he's doing these days isn't all that far removed from what the trio had been doing.
Ah, one can dream.
OMD Reunion Documentary
I've long adored OMD's early work, but, to be honest, I didn't really know a lot about Andy McClusky and Paul Humphreys beyond what I'd seen in their videos. This documentary captures the duo (well, foursome if you wish to be technical) as they embark on their first real reunion and take their first serious look back at their own musical legacy.
Miles Davis Celebrating A Masterpiece ("Kind Of Blue")
Whether you dig jazz or not, there are few albums, or documentaries, that so accurately capture a certain time and place than this. Miles Davis took "your parents' jazz" and turned it on its ear, making it the hippest, coolest sound of the time.
While Miles alone is worth the price of admission, the he had assembled a virtual "Justice League of Jazz"sextet featuring Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderly, and John Coltrane.
Mike Oldfield - The Making Of "Tubular Bells"
Whatever you think you might know about "Tubular Bells" (aka the chilling theme from "The Exorcist") cannot prepare you for the hellish journey to discovery that momentarily drove the reclusive teenage multi-instrumentalist Oldfield mentally insane.
That such an unusual song would be the debut release by an unknown artist, also the first release by an unknown record label, Virgin Records, and go on to such monumental success seems like such a sound win for the good guys, but that doiesn't begin to describe the half of it/,