Trojan Records celebrates 50th Anniversary with a new documentary on how Jamaican music launched a multicultural revolution
‘This is the label that scored a shed load of chart hits and provided a soundtrack that united the youth, black and white on the dance-floor – I know I was one of them. Recognised by any fan of Jamaican music as a mark of quality Trojan holds a special place in the hearts, minds and feet of the people and will do for generations to come.’
Filmmaker, DJ, Radio Broadcaster and Trojan fan Don Letts
Trojan Records’ 50th anniversary celebrations continue with the announcement that RUDEBOY: THE STORY OF TROJAN RECORDS has been unveiled as part of the line-up for DOC NYC. The 2018 DOC NYC Festival will run Nov 8-15, 2018 – and the film’s US Premiere will take place on Wednesday, November 14. The film had its World Premiere on October 12 at the 62nd BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express®.
Financed and executive produced by BMG, the Pulse Films production, RUDEBOY: THE STORY OF TROJAN RECORDS documents the origins and the ongoing love affair between Jamaican and British Youth culture – all told through the prism of one the most iconic record labels in history, Trojan Records.
Directed by Nicolas Jack Davies, RUDEBOY: THE STORY OF TROJAN RECORDS charts the rise and impact of the legendary reggae, ska and rock steady label and its influence on music and subculture in Britain from the early ‘60s through to the late ‘70s. Defining a movement that brought cultures together through the power of music, the birth and journey of Trojan Records, and its wider impact on society, feels as vital as ever 50 years later.
Named after the flatbed truck that revered producer Duke Reid used to transport his soundsystem around Jamaica, Trojan was launched in 1968 by London based, Jamaican expats Lee Gopthal and Chris Blackwell. Growing rapidly during its’ early years - due in no small part to the development of the skinhead working class youth movement that embraced Jamaican music as part and parcel of its culture - the Trojan bandwagon quickly rolled into the 1970’s, with the likes of Desmond Dekker and The Maytals flying high in the UK Pop Charts.
This important story is effortlessly brought to life by director Nicolas Jack Davies with fascinating archive footage, alongside freshly shot drama and new interviews with legendary artists including Lee ‘Scratch' Perry, Toots Hibbert, Ken Boothe, Neville Staple, Marcia Griffiths, Dave Barker, Dandy Livingstone, Lloyd Coxsone, Pauline Black, Derrick Morgan and many more.
For more information about the film, visit the RUDEBOY website: https://trojanrecords.com/rudeboydocumentary/
For information about DOC NYC and screening tickets:
http://www.docnyc.net/film/rudeboy-the-story-of-trojan-records/
About Pulse Films
Pulse Films is an award-winning, modern-day studio encompassing the development, production, financing and distribution of content across multiple platforms and for audiences worldwide. Pulse Films was founded by Thomas Benski and Marisa Clifford in 2005, and is headquartered in London with outposts in Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Berlin.
Dedicated to creating moments of culture through innovative storytelling, the studio operates under the following divisions: Commercials, Non-Fiction and Scripted Film and TV. Pulse Films’ recent credits include feature films such as Andrea Arnold’s Cannes Jury Prize winner and BAFTA nominated AMERICAN HONEY, Sundance Award winners THE WITCH and ALL THESE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, and 2017’s London Film Festival Hit KINGDOM OF US an TROPHY. Recent TV projects include BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK (BBC Two) BILLION DOLLAR DEALS (BBC Two) and ROCK AND ROLL, a 10-part series for Sky.
Pulse Films’ music film credits include the 2012 documentary SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS, the BAFTA-nominated 20,000 DAYS ON EARTH and Beyoncé’s four-time EMMY-nominated LEMONADE.
Other recent Pulse Films projects include the feature documentary XY CHELSEA, executive produced by Oscar® winner Laura Poitras, recently picked up by Showtime for North American television distribution and is set to hit the film festival circuit later this year followed by a theatrical engagement.
The studio also recently announced the push into scripted TV led by Lucas Ochoa with the ambitious GANGS OF LONDON helmed by Gareth Evans (The Raid) for Sky Atlantic, Cinemax and HBO and ATOMIC BAZAAR helmed by Gregory Burke (’71, Entebbe). The Sundance film SKATE KITCHEN, produced by Pulse Films, will be released by Magnolia later this year.
In March 2016, VICE media acquired a majority stake in Pulse Films.
For more information see: http://www.pulsefilms.com/
About BMG
BMG is the new model music company founded by Bertelsmann in 2008, which brings together the traditionally separate businesses of music publishing and recordings under one roof and is increasingly building a presence in music related film and TV projects.
In records BMG represents artists ranging from BLONDIE, LIL DICKY, JASON ALDEAN, A PERFECT CIRCLE and JANET JACKSON to LENNY KRAVITZ, IRON MAIDEN, BLINK-182, REJJIE SNOW, THE PRODIGY and KYLIE MINOGUE. In music publishing BMG clients include ROGER WATERS, MICK JAGGER & KEITH RICHARDS, DJ KHALED, CHRISSIE HYNDE, BRUNO MARS, POO BEAR and BEBE REXHA.
Over the past four years, BMG’s endeavour into films projects yielded its first feature-length documentary BAD REPUTATION, a film on Joan Jett, making its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews. The film was recently acquired by Magnolia Pictures.
Additional BMG films slated to debut in 2018 include THE SHOW’S THE THING - a documentary about the legendary promoters and agents who built the rock concert business in the ‘60s through the explosive business of the ‘90s; THE CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION, a documentary film celebrating the music of T. Rex; and RUDEBOY: THE STORY OF TROJAN RECORDS, a celebration of the music, history and cultural legacy of the pioneering British record label now owned by BMG. Further projects will be announced shortly. Owned by international media, services and education company Bertelsmann, BMG is driven by its core values of fairness, transparency service. www.bmg.com