Love - Love Story

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 11 / 11 / 2006

intro

Love Story’ is a new film documentary which tells of the rise of the band Love from its earliest roots in 60’s Los Angeles until frontman Arthur Lee's death earlier this year. Anthony Strutt attends one of its two London screenings

‘Love Story’ is a 110 minute documentary film which was shown on the 27th October at this year’s London Film Festival, which was good planning as the directors told me at the following Sunday’s showing at the National film Theatre that they hadn’t finished the final cut of the film until the night before. ‘Love Story’ is a film documentary which tells of the rise of the band Love from its earliest roots in 60’s Los Angeles as seen through the eyes of those around the band and in the band itself. There are some old interviews, but it features mostly new interviews including the last ever filmed shots of Love’s frontman, the late great Arthur Lee. It was filmed over a number of years by first time directors and Love fans, Mike Kerry and Chris Hall. They do a fine job and leave no stone unturned. There are interviews with many of the band’s original members including several that have now passed away, but if anything the show belongs to the band’s two main players Arthur Lee and guitarist Johnny Echols, the latter of whom attended both of the London screenings. Many long time fans and associates have their say with Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie making an early appearance in the film. The Doors John Densmore adds a lot to the story. If it wasn’t for Love apparently, the Doors may well have just given up. Doors producer and engineer Bruce Botnick and Elektra label boss Jac Holzman tell of the part they played in the making of the first three Love albums, ‘Love’ (1966), ‘Da Capo’ (1967) and ‘Forever Changes’ (1967). The film tells of the years that people went mad for this multi-cultured mixed race band from the sunny state of California. It also features in very variable quality pretty much every findable filmed clip of the band on TV shows from the time. Arthur Lee comes over very well considering that at the time much of the newer footage was shot he was dying of leukemia. He even shows Kerry and Hall around the mansion that the band lived in in the mid 60s’ which now refuses film crews in it. The film is brought right up to date with some short interviews with Liverpool band, Shack, who were ‘Love’, Arthur’s backing band when I first saw them in 1992, and with all of LA band Baby Lemonade whom were Love from 1996 until recently. This film is a treat, and, with Mike Kerry and Chris Hall currently looking for a distribution deal for it , it is worth checking out if you only get a chance. More information can be found at www.myspace.com/lovestorydocumentary.

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