375:, writing that the film is "a well researched attempt to recover what is knowable about the historical Robert Johnson. It was well received by critics, as Emmy-winner Chris Hunt's documentaries on musical figures usually are." But Schroeder found that the film's documentary goals of objectivity and authenticity were partly undercut, first by the lavish praise heaped upon Johnson early in the film and Hammond's self-acknowledged "quest", and second because Hammond was featured prominently in the film playing long passages of several Johnson songs, and seeming to stand in for Johnson in sessions and in the re-enactment of
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Upon the Sony DVD's release in 2000, Ian Morris of
MichaelDVD.com rated the film itself at 4.5/5 stars, calling it "like manna from heaven for a music aficionado like myself," and "an almost essential purchase about one of the true legends of music," while faulting the DVD's video quality and lack of
297:
In the film, McCormick discloses that
Johnson's association with "satanic legends" started not merely as myth concocted by others, but had its roots in the death of Johnson's first wife during childbirth while he was away. Her family blamed Johnson, mainly for being an itinerant musician singing "the
258:
Hammond describes Johnny Shines arriving in Helena, Arkansas, hearing there was a guitar player who thought highly of himself, and going to meet him. Shines re-enacts, with
Hammond standing in for Johnson, the performance battle he had with Johnson on opposing street corners in Helena, where the two
346:
The film received positive reviews, especially from musicians and music critics. Upon its broadcast in 1992, UK producer and blues critic Neil Slaven, quoted later by
Schroeder, wrote that the film "encompasses a detective story overlaid with folk memory, its interviews succinctly to the point,
200:
to pursue topics such as
Johnson's birth date, place and parents, his early musical development, performances and travels, romances, his mythic "pact with the devil," his death in the late 1930s, the discovery of possible offspring, and the uncertainty over where Johnson is buried. Throughout,
355:
reviewer Bill Dahl's four-star review termed the film "fascinating" and summarised, "Questions remain about this blues legend who claimed he sold his soul to achieve musical immortality, but this exceptional video answers a great many of them." Prior to its showing on
American network
247:. Throughout the film, Hammond travels to locations where Johnson lived, performed, recorded, and purportedly where he died, and interviews two of Johnson's girlfriends and blues musicians who knew him, as well as two noted blues researchers. Locations include the "
275:
In the first documented interview with Claude
Johnson, son Gregory and grandson Richard, Claude's birth certificate is shown, as he describes that "Robert Lee Johnson" is his father. Claude was legally declared to be Robert Johnson's son in
338:, girlfriends Willie Mae Powell and 'Queen' Elizabeth, discovered son Claud Johnson, his son Gregory and grandson Richard, Greenwood Councillor David Jordan, and cemetery attendant Miller Carter were all interviewed for the film.
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discovered Robert
Johnson independently of his father, in the late 1950s, when he heard one of the bluesman's songs on a Folkways album compilation. 'He was my inspiration to want to play,' Hammond says of
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devil's music". McCormick asserts that
Johnson was condemned so severely for her death that he gradually "became that person", associating himself with the devil in his music.
294:
The film presents the first record of direct testimony by
Johnson researcher Robert "Mack" McCormick. McCormick had not published previous research under his own name.
351:, reviewing the released video for Entertainment Weekly, wrote of its "lucid narration," and gave the film an "A," satisfied that it stayed focused on the music.
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Robert Johnson's death certificate is shown in the documentary, "answering some questions, but prompting even more." It had been located by blues researcher
707:, p. 62 Note: on pp. 63–64, the description of audience movement is reversed, at least compared to the Bravo broadcast and 2006 DCDMedia DVD release.
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played and sang to pull away the other man's crowd of listeners. In the re-enactment scene, Shines gradually draws onlookers away from Hammond, "
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in 1968, and independently by McCormick, who also tracked down witnesses to events surrounding Johnson's poisoning and death.
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Johnson's music is both foreground and background, from recordings of Johnson and as performed on camera by Hammond,
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review described the film as "outstanding" and "a riveting combination of biography and American history."
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Interviewing Willie Mae Powell, once Johnson's girlfriend, Hammond plays for her Johnson's recording of "
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The film has been noted for its presentation of new evidence, at the time, about Johnson's life.
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containing humor, superstition, and contextural information in equal parts." Folk singer
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Slaven, Neil (June 1992). "From Channel 4 Till Late: (Or Where Do We Go from LaVere?)".
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Blues musician and "keeper of the flame" John Hammond described his journey into the
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as "the quest of a lifetime". His father, record producer and jazz impresario
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DVD: Sony Music. 72 minutes. 31 October 2000 ASIN: B000050IKX UPC: 007464491139
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The film is loosely organised around field work by Johnson researcher
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In 2004, author Patricia R. Schroeder analysed the film in depth in
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Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues
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982:"Television Review; A British Perspective on Two Blues Legends"
236:, had planned and advertised for Robert Johnson to perform at
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Robert Johnson, mythmaking, and contemporary American culture
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Robert Johnson, Mythmaking, and Contemporary American Culture
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where he says Johnson died. This location was mapped in the
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John Hammond Jr. (Host), David Hunt (Prod., Dir.) (1991).
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photographic documentary project "Trail of the Hellhound".
856:
Afterlife as afterimage: understanding posthumous fame
570:"Portrait of a Phantom – Searching for Robert Johnson"
368:
closed captions, for an aggregate score of 4/5 stars.
437:
Rock and pop dvds > The Search For Robert Johnson
279:
David Honeyboy Edwards, riding with Hammond through
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775:, VA. p. J-3. Pqarchiver. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
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DVD: Digital Classics. 8 May 2006. ASIN: B000EU1LOA
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1489:Documentary films about blues music and musicians
495:Chasin' That Devil Music: Searching for the Blues
395:VHS: Sony Music Video 49113. 1992. 72 minutes.
1187:
8:
769:"Johnson's Short Life, Big Talent Revisited"
660:Pearson, Barry Lee; McCulloch, Bill (2003).
443:, DCD Media. (UK). Retrieved 11 August 2010.
606:Rock and roll is here to stay: an anthology
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1172:
1159:. Vol. 104, no. 33. p. 62.
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1074:hosted at ClassicalTV.com. Archived from
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610:. W. W. Norton and Company, Inc. p.
240:, but Johnson died prior to the concert.
1427:Me and Mr. Johnson/Sessions for Robert J
1225:King of the Delta Blues Singers, Vol. II
668:. University of Illinois Press. p.
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449:
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859:. Peter Lang Publishing. p. 217.
825:Trail of the Hellhound: Robert Johnson
158:53 minutes (TV). 72 minutes (VHS, DVD)
1375:If I Had Possession over Judgment Day
767:Bustard, Clarke (20 September 1992).
263:," as described by Barbara Schroeder.
7:
1474:British documentary television films
932:Blues & Rhythm, the Gospel Truth
853:Jones, Steve; Jensen, Joli (2005).
1148:Steve Garbarino (15 August 1992).
980:O'Connor, John J. (18 July 1994).
568:DiGiacomo, Frank (November 2008).
14:
1509:British musical documentary films
216:, the documentary first aired on
525:Van Ronk, Dave (7 August 1992).
1218:King of the Delta Blues Singers
1150:"The Search for Robert Johnson"
1086:Schroeder, Patricia R. (2004).
951:"The Search for Robert Johnson"
949:Dahl, Bill (26 November 1992).
527:"The Search for Robert Johnson"
422:Search for Robert Johnson (VHS)
664:Robert Johnson: Lost and Found
1:
1412:The Search for Robert Johnson
1138:The Search for Robert Johnson
1127:The Search for Robert Johnson
1060:The Search for Robert Johnson
914:The Search for Robert Johnson
893:The Search for Robert Johnson
880:The Search for Robert Johnson
841:The Search for Robert Johnson
812:The Search for Robert Johnson
787:"Bluesman's Son Gets His Due"
756:The Search for Robert Johnson
744:The Search for Robert Johnson
717:The Search for Robert Johnson
693:The Search for Robert Johnson
556:The Search for Robert Johnson
462:The Search for Robert Johnson
174:The Search for Robert Johnson
24:The Search for Robert Johnson
1274:I Believe I'll Dust My Broom
1094:University of Illinois Press
785:Barry, Ellen (2 June 2004).
458:Morris, Ian (1 April 1991).
1434:The Robert Johnson Songbook
1525:
1382:When You Got a Good Friend
1406:Robert Johnson recordings
1389:Traveling Riverside Blues
1070:(Television production).
831:. Retrieved 4 April 2006.
640:Vanguard Records VAN70169
636:"From Spiritual to Swing"
28:
1343:Stop Breakin' Down Blues
1267:Last Fair Deal Gone Down
1256:Kind Hearted Woman Blues
602:McKeen, William (2000).
203:David "Honeyboy" Edwards
1232:The Complete Recordings
773:Richmond Times-Dispatch
328:Robert "Mack" McCormick
245:Robert "Mack" McCormick
1484:1991 documentary films
1419:Me and the Devil Blues
1350:Me and the Devil Blues
332:David Honeyboy Edwards
283:, points out a yellow
281:Greenwood, Mississippi
62:David Honeyboy Edwards
1499:1991 television films
1318:Hellhound on My Trail
1296:Come On in My Kitchen
1242:Original 78 rpms
1026:Amistad/HarperCollins
1018:Wald, Elijah (2004).
829:National Park Service
823:Styles, Sean (2001).
322:, blues researchers
289:National Park Service
1336:Stones in My Passway
1329:Milkcow's Calf Blues
1322:From Four Until Late
1079:(Flash video, 54:01)
531:Entertainment Weekly
470:. Michael Demtschyna
441:Digital Classics DVD
81:Paul Bond, Ken Morse
1504:1990s British films
1289:Ramblin' on My Mind
900:14 May 2011 at the
746:, 1992, 10:00–12:30
537:on 4 September 2008
501:. pp. xi–xii.
491:Wardlow, Gayle Dean
184:about the American
1357:Love in Vain Blues
1307:Sweet Home Chicago
1067:Iambic Productions
986:The New York Times
324:Gayle Dean Wardlow
303:Gayle Dean Wardlow
214:Iambic Productions
177:is a 1992 British
113:Iambic Productions
1456:
1455:
1440:Johnson's guitars
1278:Dead Shrimp Blues
1103:978-0-252-02915-8
866:978-0-8204-6365-0
791:Los Angeles Times
679:978-0-252-02835-9
621:978-0-393-04700-4
170:
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18:1992 British film
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1252:Terraplane Blues
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535:the original
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320:Eric Clapton
313:
310:Interviewees
269:Love in Vain
267:
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227:
212:Produced by
211:
194:John Hammond
192:, hosted by
173:
172:
171:
154:Running time
131:Release date
15:
1448:(1986 film)
1263:32-20 Blues
574:Vanity Fair
377:headcutting
314:Guitarists
224:Documentary
186:Delta blues
68:Narrated by
46:Produced by
38:Directed by
1479:1991 films
1469:1992 films
1463:Categories
1446:Crossroads
406:References
198:Deep South
179:television
105:Production
49:Chris Hunt
41:Chris Hunt
1165:0006-2510
1157:Billboard
1153:(Preview)
1109:11 August
1072:Channel 4
1041:11 August
991:11 August
965:11 August
935:(70): 22.
797:11 August
579:16 August
541:11 August
474:11 August
390:Channel 4
360:, a 1994
342:Reception
218:Channel 4
188:musician
124:Channel 4
86:Edited by
1143:AllMovie
898:Archived
590:Johnson.
585:Hammond
493:(1998).
383:Releases
94:Music by
54:Starring
1421:(manga)
1399:Related
916:, 1992.
827:, U.S.
480:Review.
424:Amazon.
392:, 1992.
388:TV: UK
163:Country
140: (
107:company
1210:Albums
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334:and
205:, and
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358:Bravo
318:and
276:1998.
249:Delta
1161:ISSN
1132:IMDb
1111:2010
1098:ISBN
1043:2010
1030:ISBN
993:2010
967:2010
861:ISBN
799:2010
674:ISBN
616:ISBN
587:fils
581:2010
543:2010
503:ISBN
476:2010
326:and
142:1992
138:1992
1141:at
1130:at
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