Bob Smeaton
Classic Albums
The story of The Band and their classic album is told here in vivid words, pictures and music. Rock legends Eric Clapton and George Harrison, lyricist Bernie Taupin and musician producer Don Was pay tribute to The Band and give the reasons why this album is top of their classic album list.
Amazon Prime Video
Apple TV
Apple iTunes
Soul II Soul - Club Classics Vol. One (Classic Album)
The remarkable story of Soul II Soul, who went from sound system DJs to international recording superstars with their first attempts at song writing and producing. Their 1989 album topped the charts in the UK and the USA - featuring debut hit Fairplay and the singles that propelled them to unexpected world wide fame, Jazzie’s Groove, Keep on Movin’ and the global hit Back to Life. The film tells the very personal story of a black collective who against the odds and the backdrop of Thatcher’s Britain achieved what no other sound system had done before.
Apple TV
The Who - Sell Out (Classic Album)
The Who Sell Out successfully acknowledged the Who’s past while pointing to the future – not only for The Who, but for how rock and roll would be packaged and presented to the public. What is beyond doubt is that it represents the Who’s first truly great album and is deserving of its status as a Classic Album. In keeping with the spirit of the times the film will be a visual representation of the album’s concept as a pirate radio broadcast.
Apple TVThe Who - Sell Out (Classic Album)
The Who Sell Out successfully acknowledged the Who’s past while pointing to the future – not only for The Who, but for how rock and roll would be packaged and presented to the public. What is beyond doubt is that it represents the Who’s first truly great album and is deserving of its status as a Classic Album. In keeping with the spirit of the times the film will be a visual representation of the album’s concept as a pirate radio broadcast.
Apple TV
Simply Red - Stars (Classic Album)
Simply Red will go down in history as one of the UK’s biggest and most successful pop bands of the late eighties and early nineties. Formed in 1984, Mike Hucknall and co released their debut album Picture Book in 1985 which went platinum, making Simply Red one of that year’s major success stories. Their following albums, Men And Women and A New Flame continued this success but it was the arrival of Simply Red’s fourth album Stars, released in September 1991, that would change history forever. Stars would top the UK charts for nineteen weeks and become the biggest selling album of 1991 in the UK, making Simply Red a household name. They also achieved phenomenal success around the world with Stars spawning two top ten hits, For Your Babies and the title track Stars as well as three top forty hits, Something Got Me Started, Thrill Me and Your Mirror. Stars would go on and sell in excess of eight-and-a-half million copies by the middle of 1993.
Amazon Prime VideoApple TVApple iTunesSimply Red - Stars (Classic Album)
Simply Red will go down in history as one of the UK’s biggest and most successful pop bands of the late eighties and early nineties. Formed in 1984, Mike Hucknall and co released their debut album Picture Book in 1985 which went platinum, making Simply Red one of that year’s major success stories. Their following albums, Men And Women and A New Flame continued this success but it was the arrival of Simply Red’s fourth album Stars, released in September 1991, that would change history forever. Stars would top the UK charts for nineteen weeks and become the biggest selling album of 1991 in the UK, making Simply Red a household name. They also achieved phenomenal success around the world with Stars spawning two top ten hits, For Your Babies and the title track Stars as well as three top forty hits, Something Got Me Started, Thrill Me and Your Mirror. Stars would go on and sell in excess of eight-and-a-half million copies by the middle of 1993.
Apple TV
Queen: Is This the Real Life?
This is a documentary, featuring exclusive interviews and some previously unseen photographs. Footage of 'Liar' (Rainbow, 1974), early photos of Queen, and interviews with Mick Rock (photographer), Mary Austin (Freddie's former partner), Jer Bulsara (Freddie's mother), Freddie and Roger.
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The Doors - The Doors (Classic Album)
The Doors eponymous first album is universally regarded as their finest achievement and as one of the greatest debut albums in the history of rock music making it a worthy addition to the acclaimed Classic Albums series. The three surviving members of The Doors: Ray Manzarek, Robbie Krieger and John Densmore are all featured in new interviews along with original engineer Bruce Botnick, musicians Henry Rollins and Perry Farrell and executives Billy James (Columbia Records) and Jac Holzman (Elektra Records) plus many more. What emerges is the extraordinary story of the creation of a masterpiece.
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Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train a Comin'
Live fast, love hard, die young. Jimi Hendrix, perhaps the most talented and influential guitarist of the twentieth century, famously died at the age of just 27 in 1970. This documentary tells his life story from humbles beginnings in Seattle to his time gigging in Greenwich Village in New York to his ultimate rise to fame in swinging London of the 1960s.
Apple TVApple iTunesJimi Hendrix: Hear My Train a Comin'
The definitive documentary about the extraordinary life of the greatest guitarist of all time, now in high definition. This critically acclaimed film unveils new performance footage, home movies and an archive of newly unearthed primary documents.
Apple TV
The Who - Who's Next (Classic Album)
'Featuring interviews with Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle, this episode of the CLASSIC ALBUMS series is a vital companion piece to the album itself, which includes classics such as “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again”.
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Simply Red: Stars
This documentary looks a the classic songs from the album and includes specially recorded tracks plus archive footage and promotional clips. We learn of Mick Hucknall's musical vision and the inspiration behind the songs he wrote and recorded for what is considered to be the classic Simply Red album.
Amazon Prime VideoApple iTunes
Lou Reed - Transformer (Classic Album)
This episode of the CLASSIC ALBUMS series takes a track-by-track look at the making of the record with both Reed and his engineer Ken Scott poring over the original multi-tracks for the album. Additionally, there is archival footage of the Velvet Underground, an interview with the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart and a discussion with bassist Herbie Flowers about the origins of the famous bassline for “Walk on the Wild Side. ”
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Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Classic Album)
This episode of the CLASSIC ALBUMS series uses interviews with Sir Elton and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, archival footage of the demo sessions, and rare live performances to tell the story behind the canonical album.
Amazon Prime VideoApple TVApple iTunesQueen: Is This the Real Life?
Queen: Is This the Real Life? is an intimate documentary about the greatest rock band of all time. Featuring exclusive interviews and some previously unseen photographs, you’ll see Queen like you’ve never seen them before. Interviews include the legendary photographer Mick Rock, Freddie’s former partner, Mary Austin and Freddie’s mother, Jer Bulsara.
Apple TV
Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell (Classic Album)
The remarkable story of ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ is told here by its leading players including Meat Loaf himself, composer Jim Steinman, producer Todd Rundgren, and backing vocalists Ellen Foley and Karla De Vito who contributed to the album’s “Wall of Sound”.
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Nirvana - Nevermind (Classic Album)
There possibly isn’t an album in history that is as genre defining as Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’. Released in 1991, it single-handedly was responsible for the birth of what became to be known as grunge and has gone on to sell millions. ‘Nevermind’ was the second album from the Seattle trio and the first on the DGC label (its predecessor ‘Bleach’ was released on the Sub Pop label). It was produced by Butch Vig (also the drummer for the band Garbage) and mixed by Andy Wallace. Nirvana’s surviving members Krist Novoselic (bass) and Dave Grohl (drums) talk candidly about their past, the recording of ‘Nevermind’ and about Kurt Cobain and the legacy that he has left behind. Also featured are exclusive interviews with the likes of Garry Gersh (A&R DGC Records), Butch Vig, Jonathan Ponneman and Nils Bernstein (Sub Pop Records), Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Jack Endino and many more.
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