LOG LINE: 

Melody Makers chronicles the birth of music journalism, when rock was in its infancy and Melody Maker magazine, the world’s first music press, was revered as the bible of rock ’n’ roll – not just in the UK, but around the world. 

SHORT SYNOPSIS: 

Melody Makers captures the birth of rock ’n’ roll journalism, when Melody Maker magazine transitioned from being a weekly jazz musician’s trade paper – established in 1926 – into an internationally recognized “must read” for rock and roll fans and musicians alike by the mid-1960s. A forerunner to Rolling Stone magazine, Melody Maker was a pop culture phenomenon, and this was, to a great extent, due to its chief contributing photographer, Barrie Wentzell, and his black-and-white photos that blistered across the front cover. Legendary bands were formed from the back-page classified section, and musicians, their unreleased tracks in hand, hung out at the Melody Maker head office on Fleet Street, eager to be interviewed by Melody Maker's journalists during this evolutionary period in rock ’n’ roll – a pop culture phenomenon! 

LONG SYNOPSIS: Melody Makers 

Through the lens of rock photographer Barrie Wentzell, chief contributing photographer at Melody Maker magazine from 1965 to 1975, Melody Makers chronicles the cultural significance of the magazine, when rock was in its infancy and Melody Maker dominated the public’s perception of the new musicians and their music. Melody Maker was the primary source of exposure for up-and-coming musicians, and these ambitious young journalists shared a common passion: the music. In contrast to the adversarial relationship that would later evolve between artists and the press – this was pre-paparazzi and before media began picking on artists’ idiosyncrasies – Wentzell and the Melody Maker journalists were given free rein editorially and unprecedented access. 

Wentzell, unlike music photographers today, holds copyright to his photographs, which feature virtually every notable artist that emerged between 1965 and 1975, including The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, David Bowie, The Kinks, Marianne Faithfull, The Rolling Stones and Elton John, to name just a few. 

Melody Makers features candid interviews with original Melody Maker staff members, managers, PR reps, music legends Eric Burdon, Ian Anderson, Yes, Nazareth, and other notable musicians who offer new insight into the cultural significance of Melody Maker, which defined this dynamic and formative period in rock music history. 

This landmark documentary takes a fresh look at the changing landscape of music to highlight a style of music journalism that no longer exists today.