Love Story

A chance meeting with John Lennon on the streets of New York prompted filmmaker Tony Palmer to embark on what was to become one of the most ambitious and definitive television series ever to portray popular music as an art form worthy of serious critical consideration.

The Beatles had been hugely impressed by All My Loving, a one-hour film Palmer made for the BBC in 1968, which gave the likes of Mick Jagger, Frank Zappa and Jimi Hendrix a small screen platform not just for their music, but for their opinions and motivations. Nothing like it had ever been seen in the sitting rooms of Britain, but Lennon knew there was a broader, more detailed picture, and Palmer was just the man for the job.

Having one of the most famous musicians in the world fighting your corner must have been a great boost, but All You Need Is Love, the landmark 1976 series which has finally made it to DVD, was a monumental achievement that even Lennon couldn’t have envisaged. Palmer spent six months travelling the globe with a film crew, turning over every musical stone in his path to compile a 17-hour chronological study of every aspect of modern music.

Elton John, David Bowie, The Doors, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Bob Dylan are all represented, as you would expect, but Palmer also turned his camera towards Woody Guthrie, Benny …

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