A Life in the Death of Joe Meek
Encyclopedia
A Life in the Death of Joe Meek, an independent American documentary about Joe Meek
, by Howard S. Berger
and Susan Stahmann. Joe Meek
was one of Britain's premier independent record producers of the late fifties and early sixties. Meek was renowned for his pioneering recording techniques and for the futuristic sound of the records he produced, but notorious for his eccentric personality. His biggest success was the production of The Tornados
' 1962 worldwide #1 hit "Telstar
".
The Film premiered on 24 January 2008 on the Reel Music Film Festival (Portland, Oregon
).
The production, which began shooting in 2003, includes over 60 interviews with Meek's family, close friends, associates, musicians and pop culture movers and shakers such as Alex Kapranos
, Keith Strickland
, Edwyn Collins
, Liam Watson
, Huw Bunford
and Simon Napier-Bell
.
The film was shown at the 2008 Glasgow Film Festival. Sensoria Film Festival, Sheffield
: Saturday, April 12.
Joe Meek
Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....
, by Howard S. Berger
Howard S. Berger
Howard S. Berger is an avant garde filmmaker, co-winner of the "Best Screenplay" award for Love & Support , and winner of a Fantafestival film award for his film Original Sins....
and Susan Stahmann. Joe Meek
Joe Meek
Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....
was one of Britain's premier independent record producers of the late fifties and early sixties. Meek was renowned for his pioneering recording techniques and for the futuristic sound of the records he produced, but notorious for his eccentric personality. His biggest success was the production of The Tornados
The Tornados
The Tornados were an English instrumental group of the 1960s that acted as backing group for many of record producer Joe Meek's productions and also for singer Billy Fury. They enjoyed several chart hits in their own right, including the UK and U.S. Number One "Telstar" , the first U.S...
' 1962 worldwide #1 hit "Telstar
Telstar (song)
"Telstar" is a 1962 instrumental record performed by The Tornados. It was the first single by a British band to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and was also a number one hit in the UK. The record was named after the AT&T communications satellite Telstar, which went into orbit in...
".
The Film premiered on 24 January 2008 on the Reel Music Film Festival (Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
).
The production, which began shooting in 2003, includes over 60 interviews with Meek's family, close friends, associates, musicians and pop culture movers and shakers such as Alex Kapranos
Alex Kapranos
Alexander Paul Kapranos Huntley , commonly known as Alex Kapranos, is a United Kingdom-based musician who is the lead singer and the guitarist of the Glasgow band Franz Ferdinand.-Early life:...
, Keith Strickland
Keith Strickland
Julian Keith Strickland is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, and one of the founding members of the The B-52s. Originally the band's drummer, Strickland switched to guitar after the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson in 1985...
, Edwyn Collins
Edwyn Collins
Edwyn Stephen Collins is an Ivor Novello Award winning Scottish musician, playing mostly electric guitar-driven pop. Collins formed the musical group Nu-Sonics in 1976, which later became Orange Juice...
, Liam Watson
Liam Watson
Liam Watson is a Grammy Award-winning British record producer and owner of Toe Rag Studios. Watson is perhaps best known for his work engineering and mixing the White Stripes' Elephant, receiving the 2004 Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album...
, Huw Bunford
Huw Bunford
Huw "Bunf" Bunford is the guitarist in the rock band, Super Furry Animals.-Biography:...
and Simon Napier-Bell
Simon Napier-Bell
Simon Napier-Bell has undertaken many jobs in the music industry, including bandboy, manager, producer, songwriter, journalist and author and gourmet...
.
The film was shown at the 2008 Glasgow Film Festival. Sensoria Film Festival, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
: Saturday, April 12.
Interviewees
- John LeytonJohn LeytonJohn Leyton is an English actor and singer. As a singer he is best known for his hit song, "Johnny Remember Me" , which reached Number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in August 1961.-Career:Leyton went to Highgate School and after completing his national service, he...
(singer and actor) - Marc EvansMarc EvansMarc Evans is a Welsh-born film director, whose credits include the films House of America, Resurrection Man and My Little Eye.-Biography:Evans was born in 1963 in Carmarthen, Wales...
- Keith StricklandKeith StricklandJulian Keith Strickland is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, and one of the founding members of the The B-52s. Originally the band's drummer, Strickland switched to guitar after the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson in 1985...
- Mike Berry
- Steve HoweSteve Howe (guitarist)Stephen James "Steve" Howe is an English guitarist, known for his work with the progressive rock group Yes...
- Edwyn CollinsEdwyn CollinsEdwyn Stephen Collins is an Ivor Novello Award winning Scottish musician, playing mostly electric guitar-driven pop. Collins formed the musical group Nu-Sonics in 1976, which later became Orange Juice...
- Alex KapranosAlex KapranosAlexander Paul Kapranos Huntley , commonly known as Alex Kapranos, is a United Kingdom-based musician who is the lead singer and the guitarist of the Glasgow band Franz Ferdinand.-Early life:...
- Jake ArnottJake ArnottJake Arnott is a British novelist, author of The Long Firm and other novels. Most of his works are crime novels, and include homosexual characters...
- Honey Lantree (The HoneycombsThe HoneycombsThe Honeycombs were an English beat/pop group, founded in 1963 in North London. The group had one chart-topping hit, the million selling "Have I the Right?", in 1964. After that song the interest in the group ebbed away, and they split up in late 1966...
) - Humphrey LytteltonHumphrey LytteltonHumphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton , also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster, and chairman of the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue...
- Chas HodgesChas HodgesChas Hodges is an English musician and singer, probably best known for being one half, and lead vocalist, of the English musical duo, Chas & Dave....
- Charles Blackwell
- Big Jim SullivanBig Jim SullivanBig Jim Sullivan is an English musician, whose career started in 1959. He is best known as a session guitarist. In the 1960s and 1970s, Sullivan was one of the most "in-demand" studio musicians in the UK, and performed in more than one thousand charting singles over his career...
- Roger LaVern (The TornadosThe TornadosThe Tornados were an English instrumental group of the 1960s that acted as backing group for many of record producer Joe Meek's productions and also for singer Billy Fury. They enjoyed several chart hits in their own right, including the UK and U.S. Number One "Telstar" , the first U.S...
) - Huw BunfordHuw BunfordHuw "Bunf" Bunford is the guitarist in the rock band, Super Furry Animals.-Biography:...
(guitarist with Super Furry AnimalsSuper Furry AnimalsSuper Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band that lean towards psychedelic rock and electronic experimentation. Since their formation in Cardiff, Wales in 1993, the band has consisted of Gruff Rhys , Huw Bunford , Guto Pryce , Cian Ciaran and Dafydd Ieuan Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band...
) - Dennis D'Ell (The HoneycombsThe HoneycombsThe Honeycombs were an English beat/pop group, founded in 1963 in North London. The group had one chart-topping hit, the million selling "Have I the Right?", in 1964. After that song the interest in the group ebbed away, and they split up in late 1966...
) - Bobby GrahamBobby GrahamBobby Graham was an English session drummer, composer, arranger and record producer. Shel Talmy, who produced The Kinks, David Bowie and The Who, described Graham as "the greatest drummer the UK has ever produced."...
(session drummer) - Alec Palao
- John Lantree
- Robbie Duke
- John Repsch
- Adrian Kerridge
- Simon Napier-BellSimon Napier-BellSimon Napier-Bell has undertaken many jobs in the music industry, including bandboy, manager, producer, songwriter, journalist and author and gourmet...
- Clem CattiniClem CattiniClem Cattini , is an English rock and roll drummer who was a member of The Tornados before becoming well known for his work as a session musician...
Literature
- "Cult VIP: Joe Meek", Dazed and ConfusedDazed & Confused (magazine)Dazed & Confused is a British style magazine, that was set up in 1992 and published monthly. Its founding editors were Jefferson Hack and Rankin...
January 2008 (Vol.2, Issue 57)
External links
- s1play.com Review by Alison Rowat