Good Rockin' Tonight (2001) (TV)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Bruce Sinofsky

Release Date:

28 November 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Plot:

A history of Memphis' Sun Records, the legendary label that started the careers of such rock and country icons as Elvis Presley...

Plot Keywords:

Rock Music

Cast

Rayburn Anthony	...	Himself
Ben Folds Five	...	Themselves
Johnny Bragg	...	Himself
Sonny Burgess	...	Himself
Ace Cannon	...	Himself
Johnny Cash	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jack Clement	...	Himself
Richard Crowe	...	Scroggins
Ahmet Ertegun	...	Himself
Narvel Felts	...	Himself
Bryan Ferry	...	Himself
D.J. Fontana	...	Himself
Adam Gaynor	...	Himself (as Matchbox 20)
Rosco Gordon	...	Himself
Johnny Hallyday	...	Himself
Ray Harris	...	Himself
Jools Holland	...	Himself
W.S. Holland	...	Himself
Howling Diablos	...	Themselves
Kern Kennedy	...	Himself
Kid Rock	...	Himself
Mark Knopfler	...	Himself
Robin Le Mesurier	...	Himself (as Robin Lemesurier)
Jerry Lee Lewis	...	Himself
Live	...	Themselves
Carl Mann	...	Himself
Matchbox Twenty	...	Themselves
Paul McCartney	...	Himself
Little Milton	...	Himself
Scotty Moore	...	Himself
Jimmy Page	...	Himself
Carl Perkins	...	Himself (archive footage)
Sam Phillips	...	Himself
Barbara Pittman	...	Herself
Robert Plant	...	Himself
Elvis Presley	...	Himself (archive footage)
Billy Lee Riley	...	Himself
Jerry Smith	...	Himself (as Jerry 'Smoochie' Smith)
Chris Spedding	...	Himself
Third Eye Blind	...	Themselves
Rob Thomas	...	Himself
Rufus Thomas	...	Himself
J.M. Van Eaton	...	Himself
Malcolm Yelvington	...	Himself
Zucchero	...	Himself

Also Known As:

Good Rockin' Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records (USA) (video title)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Company:

Educational Broadcasting Corporation

Trivia:

Did not make the final edit: During the finale, shot in the tiny, crowded studio, Sam Phillips went wild when he saw Little Milton enter the room. He called out to Milton to PLEASE set the record straight and contradict what Rufus Thomas was saying about Phillips' lack of honesty: "Milton here knows the truth and he'll tell you. I never cheated my artists."

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: Roland Janes, the longtime engineer for Sam Phillips at his various recording studios, was the original smoking guitarist on many Sun hits, most notably Billy Lee Riley's "Flyin' Saucers Rock 'n Roll." Roland was sitting in the reception room of the old Sun Studio when Billy Lee took the mike to perform his old hits for the recording crew. Mr. Phillips came out and begged Roland to pick up the guitar and play that scorching opening. Roland was reluctant to do so, because he gave up the guitar some years ago, but Mr. Phillips kept after him. Roland finally agreed, entered the studio and started his blistering attack on the electric guitar. Inexplicably, Roland Janes' remarkable playing is nowhere to be seen.

Absolutely delightful!

I confess I was not around when Sun Records was in its hey-day, but watching this show is fantastic. While it primarily focus' on Sun recording artists and having active artists re-record some Sun classics, it is also a history lesson of the times, some names that aren't as familiar as perhaps they ought to be, and Sam Phillips. And it's not all good, either...there are a couple of artists who speak up about issues they had with their career tied mostly to Mr. Phillips.

The trivia and goofs section mentions a couple of scenes edited out, and it surprises me material of that sort didn't make it anywhere on the DVD, unless there is an easter egg I'm unaware of that has it. There are some fantastic performances/renditions to be heard...my personal recommendations are Jerry Lee Lewis recording "Lonely Weekend" with Matchbox 20; and Robert Plant/Jimmy Page recording Sonny Burgess' "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It". There are a couple of re-recordings I just cannot find much to appreciate in, but the behind the scenes of the recording and coming up with their rendition was still interesting.