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The Session Man

Play trailer 1:23 Poster for The Session Man 2023 1h 30m Documentary Music Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
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The Session Man, a 90-minute documentary feature film, tells the story of Nicky Hopkins, the highly gifted and prolific session pianist, and unsung hero. Nicky not only played with The Kinks, The Who, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, he also played on solo albums of all four members of the Beatles in the early part of a stellar career that spanned over 30 years. During that time, he contributed to over 250 albums and a vast number of single releases. Nicky's legendary piano riffs and wonderful musical motifs helped ordinary tracks become extraordinary and iconic. So many of them remain popular today. The generations that followed the Golden Era of Rock And Roll soon discover those iconic tracks that made Nicky Hopkins a legend amongst his peers -- tracks like Revolution by The Beatles, Like A Rainbow, Sympathy For The Devil and Angie by the Rolling Stones, Jealous Guy by John Lennon from his Imagine album and You Are So Beautiful by Joe Cocker.

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The Session Man

Critics Reviews

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Terry Sherwood Film Threat ...you get a wonderful story that perhaps you didn’t know when listening to music. Rated: 8/10 Nov 9, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Matthew N This is a film about the greatest unsung hero of Rock and Roll, Nicky Hopkins! Nicky played on more hit records than any other single musician living or dead. But to say that he just played on those records would be a gross understatement. The Session Man is a testament to Nicky's monumental contribution to the rock genre told by the rock stars who worked with and loved him. They tell us not only that he was a brilliant musician, but from a musicians perspective, why he was so brilliant and how his talent always made the music great. In interviews with many of the musicians who worked with, loved and admired Nicky, including Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Dave Davies, Peter Frampton, Pete Townsend and the list goes on, we get explanations of how and why Nicky's contributions always made the song brilliant. Through the interviews, especially those with his widow Moira, the film also paints a picture of a man who accomplished all of this in spite of his lifelong struggle with Crohn's disease. I had the pleasure of seeing this film as a guest of the film makers in New York City, but did not hesitate to buy it on Amazon Prime the day that it was released. Rock On Nicky! We love you and miss you! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/12/24 Full Review Meagan P Excellent movie on the life and music on remembering Nicky Hopkins Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/12/24 Full Review Nicholas A This was an excellent documentary! Growing up I would hear stories from my Aunt Dolly (Linda) about my Uncle Nicky and his time with the Rolling Stones and the Who. It was so cool to see archival footage of him. The joy of this documentary is in the extensive list of rock and roll legends whom all had such wonderful things to say about Nicky and his talents on the piano. Aside from his innovative skill it showcased the humble side and unfortunate difficult times in his life. I think the documentary paints my aunt in a very fair light and I am glad that the focus of the documentary is on his talent and contributions. The documentary does an amazing job of sectioning out his projects so that viewers can follow along easily. The recap list of works at the end of each section is a great bonus for anyone wanting to go revisit and listen to these works. There is plenty of material to cover when it comes to Nicky Hopkins and while this could be just the tip of the iceberg, it does an amazing job in compartmentalizing his career. The documentary also highlights how my Uncle Nicky inspires to this day many young piano players which I think is a testament to his legacy. While I would love to hear more stories about Woodstock, the documentary proves its point and that is working with Nicky Hopkins was in itself, making Rock and Roll History! Cheers to the Producers and all who collaborated and contributed to the Film! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/12/24 Full Review John V This is an incredible documentary on a most under appreciated musician of the 60s, 70s and 80s; Nicky Hopkins. An integral member of The Rolling Stones for numerous albums. Earlier a key contributor to music of the Kinks and the Who. Then out to the Western US. Here he contributed to Steve Miller, Jefferson Airplane and more. The film features rarely seen before interviews, as well as significant contributions from musicians who either played with Nicky, or recall him well. A must see for anyone who grew up on rock n roll. Extremely well produced. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/11/24 Full Review Rich D I've always enjoyed Nicky's playing on the music of my favorite artists over many decades. Was glad when Session Man was released and eager to watch. I found it interesting, inspiring and sad all at once. I wish it was longer with more music highlights, but will watch it again more than once. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/11/24 Full Review Harrison W Incredible watch! What a talent he was - fantastic to see Nicky Hopkins receive his much deserved recognition. Very well put together documentary. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/11/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis The Session Man, a 90-minute documentary feature film, tells the story of Nicky Hopkins, the highly gifted and prolific session pianist, and unsung hero. Nicky not only played with The Kinks, The Who, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, he also played on solo albums of all four members of the Beatles in the early part of a stellar career that spanned over 30 years. During that time, he contributed to over 250 albums and a vast number of single releases. Nicky's legendary piano riffs and wonderful musical motifs helped ordinary tracks become extraordinary and iconic. So many of them remain popular today. The generations that followed the Golden Era of Rock And Roll soon discover those iconic tracks that made Nicky Hopkins a legend amongst his peers -- tracks like Revolution by The Beatles, Like A Rainbow, Sympathy For The Devil and Angie by the Rolling Stones, Jealous Guy by John Lennon from his Imagine album and You Are So Beautiful by Joe Cocker.
Director
Michael Treen
Producer
Michael Treen
Screenwriter
Michael Treen
Distributor
Giant Pictures
Production Co
Lipsync Post
Genre
Documentary, Music, Biography
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 5, 2024
Runtime
1h 30m
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