Sid Bernstein Presents
Encyclopedia
Sid Bernstein Presents... is a 2010 feature-length documentary film by directors Jason Ressler and Evan Strome about music promoter Sid Bernstein
. The film, which stars Lenny Kravitz
, Tito Puente
, Dick Clark, The Rascals
, Paul Anka
, Shirley McClaine, and The Moody Blues
, chronicles the life of Bernstein in a narrative that Ressler has described as "a film about the American Dream [seen] through the eyes of one of the greatest promoters in modern history." Bernstein is credited with bringing The Beatles
, The Rolling Stones
, Herman's Hermits
, The Rascals
and a number of other prominent bands of the British Invasion
to America. Bernstein also promoted musicians James Brown
, Tito Puente
, Ray Charles
, The Dave Clark Five
, Nina Simone
, Jethro Tull
and a number of other leading rock 'n roll, blues, jazz, and Latin artists.
According to director Jason Ressler, he and co-director Evan Strome decided to begin the documentary project when they discovered in 2000 that Bernstein, then age 81, was being threatened with eviction from his New York apartment. Looking further into the story behind Bernstein, Ressler and Strome found that despite a massive contribution to music, which included Bernstein's invention of the stadium concert with the 1965 Shea Stadium Concert, the benefit concert
, multiple Beatles reunion attempts, and his organizing of some of the first mixed-race rock concerts in America, Bernstein had been left virtually broke.
Sid Bernstein Presents... includes interviews with Lenny Kravitz, Dick Clark, Shirley Maclaine, Paul Anka, Eric Burdon, The Rascals, and The Moody Blues. The film's interviews with mambo star Tito Puente and soul music
great James Brown are reported to have been the last-recorded film interviews of both musicians before their respective deaths.
Sid Bernstein Presents... made its world premiere at the DocNZ film festival in Auckland
, New Zealand
in February 2010.
Sid Bernstein
Sid Bernstein is an American music producer and promoter. Bernstein changed the American music scene in the 1960s by bringing The Rolling Stones, Herman's Hermits, The Moody Blues, The Kinks and The Beatles to America. He was the first impresario to organize rock concerts at sports stadiums.-...
. The film, which stars Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
, Tito Puente
Tito Puente
Tito Puente, , born Ernesto Antonio Puente, was a Latin jazz and Salsa musician. The son of native Puerto Ricans Ernest and Ercilia Puente, of Spanish Harlem in New York City, Puente is often credited as "El Rey de los Timbales" and "The King of Latin Music"...
, Dick Clark, The Rascals
The Rascals
The Rascals were an American blue-eyed soul group initially active during the years 1965–72. The band released numerous top ten singles in North America during the mid- and late-1960s, including the U.S. #1 hits "Good Lovin'" , "Groovin'" , and "People Got to Be Free"...
, Paul Anka
Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
, Shirley McClaine, and The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
, chronicles the life of Bernstein in a narrative that Ressler has described as "a film about the American Dream [seen] through the eyes of one of the greatest promoters in modern history." Bernstein is credited with bringing The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits are an English beat band, formed in Manchester in 1963 as Herman & The Hermits. The group's record producer, Mickie Most , emphasized a simple, non-threatening, clean-cut image, although the band originally played R&B numbers...
, The Rascals
The Rascals
The Rascals were an American blue-eyed soul group initially active during the years 1965–72. The band released numerous top ten singles in North America during the mid- and late-1960s, including the U.S. #1 hits "Good Lovin'" , "Groovin'" , and "People Got to Be Free"...
and a number of other prominent bands of the British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
to America. Bernstein also promoted musicians James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, Tito Puente
Tito Puente
Tito Puente, , born Ernesto Antonio Puente, was a Latin jazz and Salsa musician. The son of native Puerto Ricans Ernest and Ercilia Puente, of Spanish Harlem in New York City, Puente is often credited as "El Rey de los Timbales" and "The King of Latin Music"...
, Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, The Dave Clark Five
The Dave Clark Five
The Dave Clark Five were an English pop rock group. Their single "Glad All Over" knocked The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" off the top of the UK singles charts in January 1964: it eventually peaked at No.6 in the United States in April 1964.They were the second group of the British Invasion,...
, Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
, Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
and a number of other leading rock 'n roll, blues, jazz, and Latin artists.
According to director Jason Ressler, he and co-director Evan Strome decided to begin the documentary project when they discovered in 2000 that Bernstein, then age 81, was being threatened with eviction from his New York apartment. Looking further into the story behind Bernstein, Ressler and Strome found that despite a massive contribution to music, which included Bernstein's invention of the stadium concert with the 1965 Shea Stadium Concert, the benefit concert
Benefit concert
A benefit concert or charity concert is a concert, show or gala featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate humanitarian crisis. Such events raise both funds and public awareness to address the cause at...
, multiple Beatles reunion attempts, and his organizing of some of the first mixed-race rock concerts in America, Bernstein had been left virtually broke.
Sid Bernstein Presents... includes interviews with Lenny Kravitz, Dick Clark, Shirley Maclaine, Paul Anka, Eric Burdon, The Rascals, and The Moody Blues. The film's interviews with mambo star Tito Puente and soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
great James Brown are reported to have been the last-recorded film interviews of both musicians before their respective deaths.
Sid Bernstein Presents... made its world premiere at the DocNZ film festival in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in February 2010.