"Rock & Roll" series BBC/PBS 10 Hr Show

Around 1996-1997, PBS had premiered a 10 hour documentary on music called "Rock & Roll" produced in part by Steve Binder and a few other familiar people. Supposedly it was BBC's product, but you woulnd't know from watching it on PBS. The main sponsor for the show was the R&R Museum that was supposed to open in 1998. Radio Shack and Sam Adams joined in the sponsorship too.

There were 2 1Hr shows per day, for 5 days. It started with AM radio after the war, playing Honky Tonk & R&B played by white disc jokeys at WLAC, went on to other things like Elvis, the Beatles, Jerry Lee's scandal, the "plane crash" and went into Motown, California influences, FM radio, Glam and Punk Rock and even the beginnings of Rap.

I am trying to find out if this series is available on DVD before I spend sh*tloads of time trying to dump it in real time to VCD from a VCR.

In all documentaries I've seen, this is one I've turned to for commerical-free entertainment and insightful interviews and narration. I love this set, almost more than Beatles Anthology.

If anyone knows more about this series, please chime in. I still have the 5 JVC VCR tapes, and I'd have to get busy on them if this is NOT on DVD.

 

Great question; I'd like to know too! That was a fine series, given the time constraints. Like all docs, it tries to cover too many years in not enough time, but even so, some wonderful footage and recollections. Haven't watched it since it was first aired(the tapes are around here somewhere), but I don't remember thinking it was riddled with a lot of inaccuracies, as sometimes happens with generic rock docs. If it's not on DVD, it should be, and expanded, since there must have been more there it just wasn't possible to air.

ED

 

I have a ten laser disc set called "The History of Rock and Roll." I believe this is the same thing altho I'd have to check the credits. As to DVD, I dunno. This was a Time-Life/Warner issue. Maybe check the Time-Life webpage?

mud-

 

A book accompanied the BBC documentary. I was rather surprised that The Who got such short shrift - a coupla sentences IIRC.

Jim W.

 

Sckott, is this it? If so, VHS only. This is what I have on LD.

http://www.timelife.com/is-bin/INTE...X0583RbBdquUz96hZORwMmx1AF9Q=?ProductSKU=5599

mud-

 

NONONONONO! For the love of God, avoid the Time-Life set like the plague! I think it came out around the same time, but it pales in comparison to what Scott's talking about, which was done much better (not to mention much more thoroughly and accurately).

The Rock N' Roll Series Scott wants had the late, great Robert Palmer (one of my two or three favorite rock writers/critics/historians) as a consultant, and Palmer wrote a great companion book for the series as well.

Local PBS affiliates occasionally rerun the Rock N' Roll series Scott referred to; in Chicago, Channel 20 reran it about a year ago.

Here's a link to an old site for it:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/rocknroll/rnrtv.html

 

I forgot to mention, I haven't come across this series on video, either. PBS may have offered it during a pledge drive, but it may have been one of those one-time, PBS-only offerings.

 

Ok, Matt. Is it on DVD?

mud-

 

Sorry, it doesn't seem to be on DVD anywhere. I've never seen it in a local video store or library.

 

Matt's right. The WB set is boring and lame against the BBC video. I really wish you guys could see this. It's damn good. Makes the WB set look like a broadway act.

 

I have it in VHS, 2 SLP tapes but the music and commentary survives.

Perhaps you should do better that VCD. Or keep the ol' tapes for doing it all over again in DVD-R when you get one.

I need to get a video capture card for work purposes, any cheapo will do but am playing with the idea of getting one good enough for archiving my old tapes. Looking at a WinTV PVR 350. That plus a DVD burner would make me happy for a while. And it is for WORK!

 

Dittos here. That's what I will do too. Maybe wait....