Ahmet Ertegün

An unflinching and deeply personal journey into the life and work of guitarist Eric Clapton told through his own words and songs.

This American Masters episode showcases the wonderful influence of Ahmet Ertegun, the founder of Atlantic Records. Since the label's founding in 1947, some of the most popular Rhythm and Blues and Rock 'n' Roll artists have worked for Atlantic. Among them: first artist Ruth Brown, Big Joe Turner, Ray Charles, Bobby Darin, The Coasters, Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Phil Collins and many more. Also covered are many of the Atlantic crew like engineer Tom Dowd, producer Jerry Wexler, and songwriters Mike Lieber and Jerry Stoller.

This addition of Disraeli Gears to the acclaimed Classic Albums series features brand new interviews with Clapton, Baker and Bruce, along with lyricist Pete Brown, Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, John Mayall and Manfred Mann. Also included on the DVDare acoustic performances, original studio tracks and archival live footage. Included are additional interviews and analysis of the tracks, Exclusive acoustic performances, exclusive solo piano performance and previously unreleased full live performances. Though they were only together for two brief years (1966-1968), the London-based power trio Cream changed the face of rock with their jazz-schooled psychedelic blues--and never more so than on their 1967 classic DISRAELI GEARS. This program offers a critical review of the landmark album through archival footage, rare live performance clips, and interviews with rock critics, musicologists, and band members.

In the 1970s the North American Soccer League marked the first attempt to introduce soccer to American sports fans. While most teams had only limited success at best, one managed to break through to genuine mainstream popularity - the New York Cosmos. The brainchild of Steve Ross (Major executive at Warner Communications) and the Ertegun brothers (Founders of Atlantic Records), the Cosmos got off to a rocky start in 1971, but things changed in 1975 when the world's most celebrated soccer star, the Brazilian champion Pele, signed with the Cosmos for a five-million-dollar payday. With the arrival of Pele, the Cosmos became a hit and the players became the toast of the town, earning their own private table at Studio 54. A number of other international soccer stars were soon lured to the Cosmos, including Franz Beckenbauer, Rodney Marsh, and Carlos Alberto, but with the turn of the decade, the team began losing favor with fans and folded in 1985.

Documentary about the gender-bending San Francisco performance group who became a pop culture phenomenon in the early 1970s.

A rare and welcome insight into Phil Collins' prodigious musical talent and the fascinating story of his first solo record. Collins first enjoyed international success as the drummer of Genesis and then as lead singer after Peter Gabriel left the band. In 1981, however, Face Value launched him as a solo artist and remains, in many ways, his most exciting and unusual music offering. Face Value was immediately a worldwide hit, entering the British charts at Number 1, spending almost six years in the Top 75, and selling in excess of 12 million copies. The album went on to make the U.S. Top 10, earning a gold record. This documentary includes several previously unseen performances, as well as rare home movies, unique photographs and documents from Phil's own private archives, and insights into the music from an eclectic range of musicians who worked on the album.