PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records

Subject: PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records
From: Metchosin
Date: 04 Aug 05 - 11:44 AM

The American Masters series on Detroit PBS ran Good Rockin' Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records yesterday and I stayed up until 2:00AM to watch it.....twice. Wow!

The music that came out of that small independant studio/ lable is now the inspiration for two generations. Don't miss it if you have the opportunity, even if you were never a fan of early Elvis or Johnny Cash. It will be repeated on PBS Seattle at least 2 more times beginning August 7.

Also the same afternoon the American Masters documentary, Muddy Waters: Can't be Satisfied will also be repeated, another one to catch if you missed it like I did, the first time around.

Actually, I watched a lot of TV yesterday, there was also a repeat of Connie Calder's Woodriver Hall with Stringband. Great night on the idiot box, for a change.

Subject: RE: PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Aug 05 - 12:35 PM

HeyaMets! Saw it last night, too. WOW! Posted the folowing to this old thread. I'm glad you've started a thread about it.

Just watched "The Legacy of Sun Records" (probably a rerun) on "American Masters" on PBS this evening. It was a docu about how the founder of Atlantic Records got together a bunch of old Sun Records artists and those whom they inspired, in 2000, on the 50th anniversary of Sun Records, and cut covers and original artists of a lot of the songs which wound up bringing rock and roll to life.

Mark Knopfler was there as well as Paul McCartney, Matchbox Twenty and a band I'd not heard, but really liked, "Live." Of course, they had as many of the old artists as possible, including the above-mentioned Pittman, Riley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sam Phillips, himself, and many others.

If you haven't seen it, it's well worth the viewing, imo. Lots of old footage, old artists talking about how it was AND kicking up a storm still performing. It was inspiring and made my toes tap!

You may read more about it, plus watch some parts that weren't included by clicking here.

kat

Subject: RE: PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records
From: Metchosin
Date: 04 Aug 05 - 12:49 PM

"Live" was one of the bands that really did it for me too kat. They made I Walk The Line their own, a really tough undertaking. The only real bitch I had with the documentary was Sam Phillips talking over Narvel Felts at the end. I was also particularly taken too with the fellow from Paris and the Italian, whose names escape me now.

Subject: RE: PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Aug 05 - 02:24 PM

Yes! Sam Phillips, rightly so or not, was a bit full of himself.:-)

I forgot to mention Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, too! I thought the Italian and Frenchman were incredible, also, Mets> It took some looking but, here's a blurb I found, I couldn't remember their names, either:

The worldwide reach of the Sun legacy is evident in performances by Belgian-born French singing sensation Johnny Hallyday and Zucchero of Italy, who is joined by Mark Knopfler on guitar for Who Will the Next Fool Be - testament to Sun Records' continued influence throughout Europe.

More info on the program HERE.
Tks!

kat

Subject: RE: PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 05 Aug 05 - 12:32 AM

I, too, was really moved by Live's rendition of I Walk The line. Have they recorded it? I'd buy the CD just for that.

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records
From: Metchosin
Date: 05 Aug 05 - 02:45 AM

Chanteyranger, the DVD is available and a CD. From what I could see, the CD unfortunately doesn't include some of the more stellar performances from the documentary, noteably missing are Johnny Hallyday and Zucchero of Italy. There are a lot of others on the CD not in the documentary too, eg Dylan and Cheryl Crowe, but none of the old Sun "stars" seem to be on it doing their stuff from yesteryear either. Pity. Those old guys can still do it bigtime.

Live's version of I Walk the Line is on the CD though. I noticed it was panned as being off key by some reviewer. He obviously didn't get it, but then, he didn't seem to be able to tell the difference between off key and something in a minor key.

When I first turned the documentary on, I picked it up at the very beginning of Live's version and intially thought, "What the f*ck is that?" and then my reaction turned to "Holy Old Crow! that's chicken skin territory".

Subject: RE: PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records
From: PoppaGator
Date: 05 Aug 05 - 05:44 PM

I watched this wonderful program the night before last, and I too stayed up late to catch the second showing.

The Italian guy's singing voice was uncannily similar to Ray Charles'. I wouldn't have taken note of this myself, except that a friend called in from the next room "Who's that singing? Ray Charles?" I realized while watching the show for the second time that my buddy was right, the guy did sound just like Brother Ray.

I enjoyed almost all of the new-age reinterpretations of the Sun classics, but I must tell you that Kid Rock's honky hip-hop act left me cold. I actually enjoyed his backup band's opening verse or two, which was punkish and loud but still recognizably melodic, but was turned off as soon as the star attraction walked on stage running his mouth. Guess I'm just an old fogy...

I visited the Sun Studio in Memphis just two weeks or so ago, which gave the program a little extra resonance for me, having stood in that very room so recently.

Memphis Recording Service (Sun's corporate name) is still doing business there, by the way. You can plunk down a few dollars and get yourself recorded, just like Elvis did when he first walked in their door. Of course, now they give you a CD instead of a 78 vinyl disk, but it bears the same time-honored yellow-and-brown "label" (now screen-printed, not pasted on). Same room, same acoustics, same microphone, even (I'm pretty sure) the same sound engineer as back in the day. You just have to wait until evening to begin your session, when the museum-tours have ended for the day.

Subject: RE: PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records
From: GUEST,Steve Latimer
Date: 05 Aug 05 - 08:20 PM

I hope to see this and the Muddy Waters one. I'll have to watch for Rebroadcasts.

As far as Zucchero goes, I had never heard of him until a friend of mine loaned me this DVD. He blew me away. Great voice, neat musical ideas. The opening track is something else. He plays a recording of a Miles Davis Instrumental that he has written a song around, so he sings, the band plays, it's remarkably seamless. Does something similar with a John Lee Hooker tune. Apparently he is very well known in Europe as evidenced by the high profile guests including Brian May, the girl from the Cranberries, Eric Clapton (of course) and Pavarotti. I really enjoyed the whole DVD.

Zucchero, Royal Albert Hall

Subject: RE: PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records
From: Pauline L
Date: 05 Aug 05 - 08:43 PM

Help! I almost never watch TV and I'm not terribly well versed in finding PBS show listings online. I really want to see The Sun Legacy on American Masters. I live near Washingotn DC, and my PBS stations are WETA (26), MPTV (67), and WHUT (32). I can't find any listings for Sun Legacy. I see a lot of other American Masters listings which look good, including Bob Dylan: No Direction Home, Julia Child, and Alfred Steiglitz.

Subject: RE: PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Aug 05 - 09:21 PM

Pauline, you will probably have to keep watching for them to re-run it. Esp. around fundraising time.:-)

Hang on...THIS PAGE at WETA shows all of the air times for this program. It looks as though you should be able to catch it tomorrow! Good luck and enjoy.

Poppagator..me, too, re' kid rock!

Steve, thanks for the link! That guy is amazing.

kat

Subject: RE: PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records
From: CapriUni
Date: 05 Aug 05 - 10:35 PM

I, too, saw this the other night... the songs are still going through my head. I don't have a dvd (or vhs) player, but when I get one, this is one program that will be going into the permanent library...

I don't think I'd ever really understood the lyrics to "I walk the line" until I heard Live's reinterpretation...

This was so much better than a lot of PBS's most recent "music specials" (Pledge period syndications that are little more than dressed up infomercials), where all the Big Stars are paraded onto a stage, in a vain attempt to slavishly recreate the past; this showed the music as part of an ongoing, living tradition, and seeing these old guys discussing -- and still having fun with -- their music was sheer joy.

Subject: RE: PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records
From: GUEST,Sidewinder.
Date: 06 Aug 05 - 02:50 AM

I watched a 2 part profile of Sam Phillips a couple of years ago that had some fascinating anecdotes from patrons of Sun Records and the music was far more diverse than I initially was led to believe from compilations and articles released in the 1970s and 1980s. I was surprised to learn that Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Pop, Country, Soul, Rhythm and Blues, Rock and Roll, and Rockabilly (of course) co -existed within the tiled walls of that tiny studio on Union Avenue from its inception in 1952 to when Sam sold the Company to Shelby Singleton in the mid sixties.The list of legends who recorded some of their best works within this friendly environment is well known and even today bands and admirers cue up to experience the magic of Sun Records; a cornerstone and hub of American folklore and more importantly the place that attracted some of the greatest musicians of the twentieth century and allowed them to express themselves and influence generations that would follow."I ain't faking there's a whole lotta shakin' goin' on".

Regards.

Sidewinder.

Subject: RE: PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 06 Aug 05 - 12:08 PM

Thanks, Metchosin!

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records
From: Pauline L
Date: 06 Aug 05 - 12:47 PM

I've missed it this time ;-( It sounds so good. Did anyone who watched it tape it? I'd love to have a copy, and I['ll pay you for supplies and postage, gladly.

Subject: RE: PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records
From: Metchosin
Date: 07 Aug 05 - 01:21 PM

Repeat on PBS Seattle this afternoon

Subject: RE: PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 08 Aug 05 - 08:34 AM

I only got to see part of this show, but it was very good. I visited Sun Records maybe 10 years ago. It is amazing how much wonderful music came out of such a small space. Just a little reception area, a studio area (maybe 20 feet by 20 feet) and then an engineer's booth; that's it. I guess they had some office space upstairs. It was underwhelming.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records
From: CapriUni
Date: 08 Aug 05 - 12:48 PM

. Just a little reception area, a studio area (maybe 20 feet by 20 feet) and then an engineer's booth; that's it. I guess they had some office space upstairs.

It certainly looked small on my t.v. set. Doesn't surprise me he decided to get out of the biz when the big-name labels started covering Rock and Roll in depth...

Subject: RE: PBS: The Legacy of Sun Records
From: Tweed
Date: 09 Aug 05 - 06:36 AM

Sam Phillips was a pretty smart man. He changed the world of music, got done with Elvis and then started a small motel chain called Holiday Inn that he thought would go over well. An amazing person for sure.