Most
of Chilton's best-known albums as a solo artist and with his two
groups: Big Star and The Box Tops. Also shown are a couple of the
posthumous releases to emerge as his work continues to be discovered
and rediscovered. (NOTE: ALL these records and more are offered in our
rewards as a one-time-only SUPER VINYL LP COLLECTOR'S DREAM PACKAGE).
Stills from some of our interviews. From top left: Ross Johnson
(Pantherburns), Jody Stephens (Big Star), Dan Penn (Box Tops), Elizabeth
Aldridge (Sister Lover), Tav Falco (Pantherburns), Marcia Clifton
(Klitz), Gary Talley (Box Tops), Francis MacDonald (Teenage Fanclub),
Ron Easley (Chilton solo bandmate), Swain Schaeffer (Box Tops), René
Coman (Chilton solo bandmate), Jon Auer (Big Star), Johnny Jay (produced
by Chilton), Doug Garrison (Chilton solo bandmate), Carl Marsh
(arranger - "Sister Lovers") & Davis Rogan (New Orleans bandmate).
Alex Chilton Rock & Roll Hero
A documentary about one of rock's most influential & least understood artists.
This feature length documentary explores the remarkable story of Alex Chilton, whose instant fame with a #1 hit record at age 16 was followed by a long and winding journey through works of neglected genius, darkness and obscurity before he was gradually discovered and rediscovered by fans, fellow musicians and critics. As the influence of his music continued to grow, he became a reluctant cult figure while staying true to his own eclectic and unpredictable muses.
His is the story of a true artist - one whose life and career plainly present us with the question: what is the difference between fame and success?
I was in a unique position to launch this project. Being from our shared hometown of Memphis (where I first got to know Alex when he was in his twenties, and I was in my teens) I knew where to start, who to interview and where to dig for archives. So I dove in, on a wing and a prayer and with no budget.
With the cooperation of his estate, and the help of many of his friends, I took it on as a personal project but it was never meant to be just another "fan" film or even a "friend" film. This is a serious documentary about a legendary, one-of-a-kind musician. A real film. A rare story. One of those stories that should inevitably become a film.
It might be the story behind a photo, or a complete song performed live - look here for changing selections throughout the campaign.
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A GREAT STORY WAITING TO BE TOLD
“Chilton remains the most inscrutable rock musician not named Bob Dylan” -John Lingan, NEW REPUBLIC
He is one of the most unique and influential artists in modern American music, yet Alex Chilton remains famous for not being famous, like a secret handshake among true music lovers.The sweep of his career is almost without parallel.
At age 16 he scored a #1 hit: "The Letter" on his very first recording session as lead singer of The Box Tops in his hometown of Memphis. He dropped out of school to become a pop star as the group shared concert bills with groups like The Doors and The Beach Boys and recorded more "blue-eyed soul" hits. After The Box Tops disbanded he joined and came to lead another Memphis group: Big Star, the fabled masters of "power-pop," in the early '70s. The group gave few live performances and their records were poorly distributed but became widely acclaimed over the years (all three L.P.s attributed to Big Star are listed among Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time"). Chilton created misunderstood masterpieces through the '70s with Sister Lovers/Big Star's Third and Like Flies on Sherbet while also becoming immersed in the New York punk rock scene and producing the first and greatest records by the legendary "psychobilly" ensemble: The Cramps.
He backed away from the microphone and became a guitar-slinging sideman in the ramshackle "art damage" group - the Pantherburns, and then retired from public performance altogether for awhile before rediscovering his chops by fronting the house band in a daquiri dive on New Orleans' infamous Bourbon Street. He reinvented himself as a solo performer and recording artist in the '80s and emerged as a hero of college radio - a pioneer of the "indie" music scene. As the popularity of his earlier recordings rose, he refused to sing most of those songs and became an interpreter of obscure tunes from most every genre - transitioning from the rebel who could scare your parents into the veteran who honored the music of the elders. His influence on younger musicians insured a growing cult status and brought tributes, kudos and covers from such artists as the Replacements, the Bangles, Cheap Trick, R.E.M., Counting Crows, Teenage Fanclub, Elliot Smith, Wilco and many more. He eventually relented to his own popularity and occasionally performed under the banners of his earlier groups - The Box Tops and Big Star. Ever the iconoclast of his own myths, his career had lasted long enough for him to become one of those elders worth honoring.
“Why wasn’t he (Chilton) everybody’s hero? ... I cry every time I hear it. It’s so simple. It blows away everything I’ll ever do.” Jeff Buckley speaking of Sister Lovers/Big Star'sThird.
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Finding Rare Archival Footage & PhotographsMy long approach to gathering material for the film has been rewarded with a collection of archival treasures. Alex almost never allowed himself to be filmed onstage, but I've found plenty of footage that captured rare glimpses of his brilliance as a performer.
Our video from the '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s includes appearances of Chilton solo and with his groups: The Box Tops, Big Star and The Panther Burns. Among the video contributors are:
Pat Rainer and Tav Falco, two of Memphis' first video artists, have allowed access to their original tapes from the '70s.
Both were exposed to the experimental video artistry of William Eggleston and Randall Lyon who led a local movement of pioneers with a distinctive style of verité in the earliest days of "portable" video.
Freeze frame from video of performance with Pantherburns at The Well - Memphis, 1979
Danny Graflund, Alex's friend and former "bodyguard", entrusted me with another treasured box of tapes that became "Big Star: Live in Memphis".
This 1994 performance may be the only complete concert Alex ever allowed to be filmed by a professional multi-camera crew - yet the tapes remained unedited for nearly 20 years. I assembled the footage to find Alex giving a fabulous performance song after song. The complete concert film already has a life of its own as Omnivore Records released a DVD from the edit as well as vinyl and cd soundtracks. We have access to both the final edit and the raw footage from that performance.
We have access to footage from this concert film that I edited and co-produced. It includes fantastic performances by Alex.
I've found photographs and other memorabilia from many sources including Chilton's family's photo albums and the work of many fine photographers - some famous and some unknown.
Pat Rainer's photographs are finding a life of their own after I spent four days scanning her negatives from the late '70s for this film and realized she should have a show. I contacted the Stax Museum of American Soul in Memphis and they gave her a solo exhibition!
Recording "Like Flies on Sherbet" at Phillips Recording in Memphis, 1978 - photo by Pat Rainer
“When I see these edits, my first thought is this is what a REAL documentary looks like. This is what a REAL film looks like. I was blown away with the attention you put into it. It was a joy to watch and a beautiful homage to Alex. Your passion can be felt in every single second.“ - David Godlis, NYC photographer who captured iconic images of the late ‘70s punk explosion.
Chilton in 1967 as lead singer of The Box Tops soon after recording their #1 hit: The Letter on his very first recording session. He dropped out of school to become a pop star at age 16.
After a self-imposed hiatus from music in the early '80s, Chilton reinvented himself as a solo artist and gradually found a way to accept his role as a cult figure and pioneer of the indie scene.
We will aim for the top and submit to the finest festivals - festivals where deals are made - with the goal of finding distribution. This is the challenge for most independent films: to find an outlet, or outlets, who will pay for the right to show our film. Chilton's reputation will surely open a few doors and a well-made documentary about him should easily find an audience beyond the festival circuit. It is a multilayered process but at the core of it we must simply make a good film.
To be perfectly clear, we do not expect our minimum Kickstarter budget to cover the cost of licensing all the music. A lot of material will come from friendly sources and we have allies in the music business who will help negotiate music clearances but we are proceeding with the plan that much of that cost should be covered through the film's distribution (broadcast, streaming, theatrical, etc.).
Of course, we'll LOVE it if the Kickstarter campaign exceeds our minimum goal and we can start to pay off those music licenses and make it easier for outlets to pick up the show for distribution in markets large and small. If we have a truly stellar success and double, or maybe triple, our goal to pay for all those clearances, it could guarantee the film will be offered to wider audiences.
Please show your support and donate as much as you can to the ultimate realization of the film.
