During the 1960s, the UK was the location for a vibrant social revolution. The post-war traditional jazz and folk revival movements produced the fertile ground for a new kind of blues music - entirely influenced by the authentic black blues of the US.

During the 1960s, the UK was the location for a vibrant social revolution. London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle all had their own music scenes. Musicians from Belfast and Glasgow moved to London to be part of the club scene there. The post-war traditional jazz and folk revival movements produced the fertile ground for a new kind of blues music - entirely influenced by the authentic black blues of the USA, a music that was, for the most part, entirely ignored by the good citizens of the U.S. New in the sense that certain key musicians took the blues and molded it in an entirely personal way to fit the new awareness of the UK in the 60s.
For the most part, they continued to pay homage to the originators of the music and to make a huge global audience aware of the likes of Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin'Wolf, Freddie King, etc.

Mike Figgis'film examines the circumstances of this vibrant period. Figgis himself participated, albeit in a minor way, in this period of history, playing a blues band with Bryan Ferry, a band that was the nucleus for the first Roxy Music. A series of musical interviews with the key players of the blues movement is augmented with a live session at the famous Abbey Road Beatles studio. Tom Jones, Jeff Beck, Van Morrison and Lulu all improvise around some classic blues standards  - they are accompanied by a superb band made up of younger and not so younger musicians. The results are electrifying.

Says Figgis, "I'm interested in why there was such excitement about this black music among Europeans. To that end, I've put together a group of these musicians, augmenting the line-up with some younger talent as well. Hopefully the resulting recording session of some blues
standards, and the discussions that follow, shine some light on why at a particular moment the blues was reinterpreted abroad and reintroduced in a new form that was universally embraced."

Film Credits
Directed by: Mike Figgis
Produced by: Louise Hammar, Shirani Sabratnam
Production Manager: Suzanne Doyle
Directors of Photography: Barry Ackroyd, Mike Eley, John Lynch, Patrick Stewart
Edited by: David Martin, Nigel Karikari
Interviews: Tom Jones, Jeff Beck, Van Morrison, John Porter, Humphrey Lyttelton, George Melly, Lonnie Donnegan, Chris Barber, Eric Clapton, John Mayall, B.B. King, Albert Lee, Chris Farlowe, Bert Jansch, Eric Burdon, Ramblin'Jack Elliott, Steve Winwood, Davey Graham, Georgie Fame, Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green
Featured Performers: Tom Jones, Jeff Beck, Van Morrison, Humphrey Lyttelton, Lonnie onnegan, B.B. King, Albert Lee, Chris Farlowe, Georgie Fame, Lulu
Archival Performances: Big Bill Broonzy, The Rolling Stones, Cream, Alexis Korner, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Muddy Waters, Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry