Phil Ochs' bio on PBS - a 'must-see'

[LPJim]

Last night I watched a 90-minute documentary on the life of Phil Ochs on PBS' Master Series. I'm assuming it will be run again, so none of you should miss this.

The high point for me was hearing an ageing Pianist Lincoln Mayorga playing his ragtime background from "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends." Interviews with Producer Larry Marks and Jerry Moss are featured.

Here's a preview video from the network's site
http://video.pbs.org/video/2178721070


Hope all of you will enjoy this as much as I did. There's so much history here.

JB

 

[Captain Bacardi]

I caught some of the end of that show last night while surfing channels. I don't own any of Ochs' albums but this did peak my interest. One thing I did notice is how they pronounced his last name. I thought it was like "Ox" but it's more like "Oaks". Go figure....

 

[Harry]

Always knew it was pronounced like "oaks" and I ignored his stuff for years, thinking it wasn't for me. Then when I was making an attempt at a FAMILY PORTRAIT-type CD-R, I began to really appreciate the song "Cross My Heart", which led me to his first A&M album, PLEASURES OF THE HARBOR. When I finally got the Collectors Choice issue of that on CD, I found it delightful.

There's something I like about the rock-solid structure of his songs. Like Mr. Bill, I don't agree much with his politics, but I still love his songwriting, and the arrangements of same on his A&M albums. The big orchestrations are a treat for me.

Harry

 

[Dave]

Well, anyone w/ any info on when this will be run again, please let us know! I'm a Phil Phan, myself, so I would love to see it!


-- Dave

 

[Captain Bacardi]

You can watch it at the PBS website:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmas...-for-fortune-watch-the-full-documentary/1962/


Capt. Bacardi

 

[Harry]

Or, go to an online TV listing service like Zap2It.com or TVGuide.com, key in your zip code and TV service, then use the search engine within to search for AMERICAN MASTERS for upcoming times in your area.

Harry

 

[Dave]

Well, I went to Capt. Bacardi's PBS link so I could watch it here...

I accidentally turned it off, when there was abut a half-hour to go, as the picture went out, 'cause I forgot how my screen saver automatically goes on, but luckily watching it a second time, I could catch a few details I didn't see the first time... (And I was more awake then, too!)

Anyway, a thoroughly worth-while documentary, well-researched right down to Phil's unfortunate death from a self-inflicted hanging on Apr. 9, 1976...

And somehow the Sean Penn appearance, very much resembling Mr. Ochs, suggests how something on film in theaters would be a good idea, but this nutshell TV presentation works well enough...

Certainly recommend seeing along w/ some of the other big names on the PBS AMERICAN MASTERS heading (such as Cab Calloway & David Geffen; would love to see doc's on them, too...!)

Thanks to all...!


-- Dave

 

[Rudy]

Geffen is a colorful fellow, to say the least...his would definitely be an interesting documentary! I'll have to see if they still have that one available for viewing.

 

[Mr Bill]

At one point back in the 80s Sean Penn had the film rights to do a biopic on Ochs with the assumption that Penn would playe the troubled troubidor. Penn even had Ochs' daughter working as his personal assistnet for a time (and they were rumored to be dating as well). Alas, nothing panned out.

 

[teevoz]

It's also available via Netflix - as livestream or for rent. And you can buy the DVD. @Dave, this film was originally shown in theaters and as a fan of Ochs from his lifetime, who saw him perform many times in large and small venues, up close and ant rallies - I can't tell you what a thrill it was to see his name again on a marquee and to see this on the big screen. I highly recommend it - and Jerry Moss, interviewed in the film, comes across as one of the heroes in Ochs' career. He let him go in his own direction, and wasn't focusing on counting the dollars or cutting him off if his records weren't mega hits. Phil put out some great albums on A&M, that complemented his Electra records. Thanks go to Jerry. See the film if you want to know more about Phil, or to better understand the 60s. It's a brilliant labor of love by Kenneth Bowser, with cooperation from the Ochs family, which make it the definitive bio.

 

[teevoz]

And @Dave - you're right that it is even better the second time around - in fact, I have seen the film four times now: once in an advance press screening with my music journalist son, once on opening night in NYC's Greenwich Village with many luminaries present and a wonderful q&a with Michael Ochs and Ken Bowser, once through Netflix and once on PBS. And each time I got something new from it. Yes, I am a fan!

 

[CherryStreet]

I would highly recommend trying to track down the original version of this fine documentary from S2BN that was shown in LA & NYC last year.
PBS slashed about 12 minutes and re edited it.
Not to mention, the original version starts with a much more touching & moving early video tape of Phil Ochs talking directly to the camera.
Here is 6 minutes of the late great author and journalist Christopher Hitchens when he sat for an interview for Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune.
Hitchens offered his viewpoint on the music of Ochs, the United States involvement in Chile, how the modern documentaries have replaced folk music in activism, and more:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmas...-fortune/interview-christopher-hitchens/1956/

PBS also has a nice interview with the projects director Kenneth Bowser if anyone missed it:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmas...rtune/interview-director-kenneth-bowser/1960/

If I could pitch this great story to a movie studio and secure the rights -

Jake Gyllenhaal IS Phil Ochs in my pitch......

 

[teevoz]

@CherryStreet yes! I meant to say that - you are absolutely right. The original film as screened in theaters, and the Netflix/dvd I believe, was longer and better - the opening and closing were different, with the original significantly better.

 

[teevoz]

Also, forgot to say that PBS censored the language, bleeping words that might offend someone - which is absurd.