Ever wonder why there isn't a serious comprehensive documentary about the '60s Garage/Punk explosion?

[Patrick]

I am just curious as to why no one has undertaken the task of archiving and documenting this grossly overlooked and significant part of Rock n' Roll history.  I have been collecting music from this scene from all kinds of compilations (Pebbles,BFTG, Teenage Shutdown, Highs in the mid-sixties, Quagmire, Gravel, etc.), and even though there is a sizable amount of mediocrity due to the compiler's need to use substandard filler material to extend these series for monetary gain, a significant amount of the material within these collections are surprisingly fresh in their originality despite the only availability of crude audio sources and recording technologies of the time. I also have been surprised to see video of some of these obscure bands on You Tube which I think could be used in such a project. I think they could also hunt down some of the members of these bands for interviews and give them the opportunity for exposure and royalties from the project.

The only reasons that I can think of why this has not happened, is royalties, legalities, public domain issues, civil agreement among all contributors, niche market due to non exposure, and just the amount of money, time, research etc....  But I do think it's a shame that the general public only know "one side" of sixties rock, and the other hundreds of regional rock bands have no exposure, due to the fact they had to compete with the HUGE successes of the Beatles, Stones, Who, Doors, Kinks, Hendrix etc... and had to undergo maybe some marketing censorship in some cases. One can only imagine how interesting and enlightening a comprehensive documentary paying tribute to those regional garage bands that had a unique talent, but didn't have the right managers, promoters, record deals or timing to make it big at that time, could be.

I think we could only hope that one entrepreneur with the right vision and financial backing, support, industry connections and attention to detail, could pull this off in our lifetime!

One last thing... I did buy one documentary on garage rock but it was sort of cheaply made, and had almost no performance footage and just glossed over the topic by focusing on a few bands.

[John Battles]

 Yeah , "Teen - A - Go -Go" comes highly recommended. The FT. WORTH SCENE WAS HUGE , BUT , THEY MANAGED TO BOIL IT DOWN TO A SINGLE SHOT. The Dallas bands are largely cross referenced , only because they had to be , being so close to Ft. Worth (About 90 MINS. OR LESS.). tHERE'S EXCELLENT COLOR FOOTAGE OF DALLAS' PRIDE , THE FIVE AMERICANS.