The Fender Rhodes Documentary

[Ben Bove]

After many long years of complete dedication, my partner Gerald McCauley and I have completed the book and feature documentary on the Fender Rhodes electric piano:





Our mission was to bring together some of music's most respected recording artists, to discuss how this piano shaped the music they created, and how the Fender Rhodes was a major factor in the electronic instrument revolution.  The documentary is brought to life by inside stories and live performances of many keyboard greats, and through them a true historical testament to the Fender Rhodes is captured.  A special thanks to all the artists for their support and appearance on this film:

Michael Bearden    George Benson       Stanley Clarke      Chick Corea 
D'Angelo               Eumir Deodato       George Duke         Larry Dunn 
Donald Fagen        Ronnie Foster         Rodney Franklin    Dave Grusin 
Don Grusin            Ellis Hall                Herbie Hancock     Onaje Allan Gumbs
Lalah Hathaway     Rami Jaffee            Bob James            Quincy Jones 
Ramsey Lewis       Jeff Lorber              Robin Lumley        Ray Manzarek 
Les McCann           Marcus Miller          Steve Molitz          John Novello 
David Paich           Jerry Peters            Greg Phillinganes  James Poyser 
Patrice Rushen      Joe Sample             Lenny White         Maurice White 
Vince Wilburn Jr.   Allee Willis


The almost 300 page color book is published through Hal Leonard books, and is available in many retail outlets such as Barnes and Noble, as well as Amazon online.  It has many never-before-seen photographs of these artists as well as Rhodes history.  The book includes the exclusive Blu-Ray HD version of the documentary features film, while the standard DVD version is available on www.fenderrhodesstory.com separately.

A great thanks to everyone from CBS Musical Instruments who gave their time and input for the film including John McLaren Jr., John McLaren Sr., and Steve Grom.  I have to give a special thanks to Steve Woodyard, for being an invaluable resource, expert, and friend on everything Fender Rhodes.  The same thanks to Mike Peterson as well for his help and input.

My appreciation goes out to James Garfield and Freddan Adlers for pioneering Fender Rhodes history, and creating a community to gather enthusiasts at FenderRhodes.com.  Their work has been fundamental in keeping people connected and interested in Fender Rhodes pianos.

Thank you to Jim Wray and Mark Daniel for their contributions to the film.  Thank you to John Novello for providing his audio narration archives.  Thank you to Carol Rhodes-Rice and Patricia Rhodes.

We could not have imagined the overwhelming support from the music community on this project.  I can only hope this film can also educate and influence lives where we can share in this story together.  Please visit www.FenderRhodesStory.com to request a DVD copy or a digital MP4 download, and follow us on twitter / facebook for upcoming webisodes and other bonus material.  We appreciate the donation.

I hope that my contributions over the years on this forum and dedication to Fender Rhodes have played a small roll in keeping some of these pianos alive and well.  I also hope that this community remains connected so we can all continue the legacy of Harold Rhodes and his electric piano.  Thank you to everyone!

Sincerely,

Benjamin Bove
www.fenderrhodesstory.com





YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/FenderRhodesStory
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/fenderrhodes.story
Twitter - http://twitter.com/RhodesStory

[musomarc]

Hi,
What a find and great story!
Thankyou from a Rhodes lover in Australia! Great to see someone who has researched and compiled this great historical and informative story with pics and artists on a keyboard that has shaped music for over 50yrs.
Can't wait to get my copy and watch the DVD, and yes I have gladly contributed the suggested $ to cover costs!
Thanks again.
musomarc

[leon-]

Ben,
Happy to have paid the cover costs and look forward to getting the DVD.
All the best from England.
Leon

[Abraham]

Great! Payment done, cant wait to get my hands on this! I would love a link so I could stream it while it arrives

[pianotuner steveo]

This sounds excellent, Ben! payment sent. I can't wait!

[Dan Belcher]

Sent my donation in a few days ago. Can't wait to get my copy!

[Dote]

Hi Ben,

thanks for all your effort making this docu happening. I sent my donation and look forward to watching the documentation.

Thanks again!

Domnik

[Fred]

Sent mine... Can't wait!

[kphlx2000]

Can't wait to get my copy of the DVD!

Kenneth

[Ben Bove]

Thanks for the support guys!

[kphlx2000]

Can't wait to get the DVD!

Kenneth

[Dan Belcher]

Well crap. I'm in the same boat as Kenneth! According to my computer's DVD player, the disc is blank.

Edit -- Already got replies from Ben and Gerald that they're sending me a new copy first thing today. That was quick!

[Ben Bove]

Hey guys thanks for the replies, our manufacturer said it's possible a few blanks or defective discs are created in a large production run.  If anyone has any problems with the disc please send me an email to benbove@hotmail.com and we'll immediately send you another copy.

Thanks very much!

[pianotuner steveo]

Wow! I got my copy yesterday. perfect timing,since my drummer and bass player came over last night, and we watched it together. This is very well done, Ben! One of the best documentaries I have ever seen.  I loved your ' Hitchcock moment' towards the end. It must have been awesome to interview all of your keyboard heroes. I have only met one of those artists that you interviewed and that was great, although a bit nerve wracking since I was his tech for a day.

Excellent job! Now you need to raise the price for non forum members and sell it on Amazon, etc.

Then, you need to work on a supplement (or a seperate documentary)  touching on Wurlitzers more, and Hohners, etc.!

[swenz]

Got mine yesterday and had no problems with it.  Very well done Ben, I'm very impressed with the number of famous artists that you interviewed.  Must have been a lot of fun to do.  I really enjoyed watching it and my 14 year old daughter enjoyed it as well.  Not too many 14 year old girls really appreciate the Rhodes but she does!

[pianotuner steveo]

I am also very impressed with how professionally put together this is, the audio quality, the video quality, the editing, fantastic!

[AfroNick]

Hi I'm new on this forum but if you don't mind a suggestion I would happily have a download link and pay some donation for bandwidth/server costs through paypal or whatever then its less effort than a DVD especially with some of the aforementioned issues people have posted -  it might even give the movie a wider audience! Don't worry if you have already considered and cant. I bought some music production tutorials like that cheaper in fact if not i will just take you up DVD offer :-D

[Ben Bove]

Thanks very much for the compliments!  It's been a long process and we made sure to do it right.  All the audio was captured direct from each Fender Rhodes so that we could eliminate any room noise etc. that might affect the performances.

As far as the digital download yes we have considered this avenue, though it's not currently available in this format.  We may figure this out for the future if enough people are requesting it.  Thanks again!

[parisiano]

Hi I just did my donation 

I'm looking forward to receiving it.

Have a good day

Vince from France

[kphlx2000]

Ben and Gerald, I received my DVD on Monday and WOW! This DVD is GREAT! The sound, video quality, concept, everything about this DVD is GREAT! Very well done guys and thank you for having the guts to develop and put out this DVD.

Kenneth

[Dan Belcher]

Finally got to watch it tonight. That was a very, very enjoyable two hours!! Unbelievably well done, and it really touched on so many key Rhodes moments through the years.

[pianotuner steveo]

I only wish that you miked the two people who sang along when they were playing. i forgot who it was, but the one guy did a Stevie impersonation, and it was awesome!

[Abraham]

I wish mine had arrived already... Im so jealeous of your comments

So what's the expected delivery time to Spain?

Last time I got a wurlie shipped from the states it took 5 days only, and that thing was big...

[David Aubke]

I only wish that you miked the two people who sang along when they were playing. i forgot who it was, but the one guy did a Stevie impersonation, and it was awesome!

The other was Patrice Rushen.

[David Aubke]

i forgot who it was, but the one guy did a Stevie impersonation, and it was awesome!

Incidentally, I've forgotten who that guy was as well. I recall it being a bit unclear because the segment was about a certain player but just as that performance started, the narration was about Gerald McCauley. From the profile shot, I couldn't tell who was at the keys.

But nitpicking aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the production. Learned a little about the Rhodes that I haven't read anywhere else and was introduced to some players I was not previously familiar with.

[Ben Bove]

Thanks very much for the comments

Greg Phillinganes was playing, he was in Wonderlove as Stevie's keyboard player for a number of years, and says he was the actual Rhodes player on that song.  Take a look at his credit list:
http://allmusic.com/artist/greg-phillinganes-p114162/credits

Is one of the most significant keyboard session players, on many huge records: Songs in the Key of Life, Michael Jackson Off the Wall / Thriller, and hundreds of other records.

As far as shipping to Spain, let me know when it arrives interested to know how long it takes!  Thanks

[pianotuner steveo]

No wonder ( no pun intended) that his playing sounded exactly like the record, but his singing sounded like Stevie also.

I always assumed that Stevie did all of his own Keyboard tracks.

[Dan Belcher]

I too was surprised by how good Greg Phillinganes' Stevie Wonder voice sounded. I've heard him play for years on assorted things (love his work on the Rhodes on Donald Fagen's Nightfly album) and even saw him backing Boz Scaggs a couple years ago, but I hadn't heard him sing before.

No wonder ( no pun intended) that his playing sounded exactly like the record, but his singing sounded like Stevie also.

I always assumed that Stevie did all of his own Keyboard tracks.

Me too. Learn something new every day I suppose!

[Cormac Long]

He has an amazing voice.. he sang with Eric Clapton mid-80's and into the 90's. You'd see plenty of videos on Youtube with him, Clapton & Phil Collins.

He also toured last year with Herbie Hancock. I went to see them in the Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin. Herbie introduced Greg as his second piano player. He made a big deal of having managed to get Greg on tour with him because he is often in demand.

Of all the songs he sung that night.. his un-mic'd performance of Imagine was amazing.. what a set of pipes that man has!

[480]

Payment sent

Thanks to bjammerz for so many great article about the Fender Rhodes repair

Adrian
Denmark

[Alan Lenhoff]

Just watched mine tonight...

Ben, you did a fantastic job of capturing how this instrument engaged -- and inspired -- a generation of fabulous artists, and is being passed along to a new generation.  You could feel the love and joy as they sat down at the keyboard. There's really nothing like it.

I now have a long list of Rhodes albums to discover for the first time.

Thanks so much for sharing this with us.

Alan

[Cormac Long]

Just got my PAL-encoded DVD this morning.. worked like a treat Ben.

Well done guys.. beautifully put together and an absolute joy to watch.

I also loved the use of the Fender Rhodes style on the artist names... took me a while to notice it.. but a classy touch.

[Abraham]

Got my copy 2 days ago... I have watched this 2 times already! Plus I came back to replay some chapters again. I really enjoyed every second, I find this documentary itself to be a piece of the rhodes story also. I wish I could ever met some of the people interviewed. You can see on their faces they really enjoy being involved in such a project, as they really feel love and respect for these keyboards.

We already had that Miles documentary with Chick Corea and Herbie, we got George Duke involved with softwares emulating Rhodes Keyboards, but this film goes way beyond anything we could expect... Patrice Rushen was lovely, Greg Phillinganes was a discovering to me, Bob James was great, also the man playing "free" by Deneice Williams whose name I can't remember right now... I hooked up some songs & faces and I really enjoyed this.

If you don't have your copy already, don't miss this one. I found it so INSPIRING, so it was enough talk and I'm going back to PLAY MY RHODES!

[leon-]

Mine arrived in the post yesterday (UK). Ended up switching off the football match last night and watching the DVD.
Was not disspointed - its something that needs to be watched again and again.
Really good work Ben.

[Cormac Long]

Anyone notice George Duke's Rhodes with what looked like a metal flat top and then a clavinet on top in a perspex case?

I wonder was this for interference purposes from the clav.

I also assume the clavinet was this one with the custom pitch bend.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kazeEqmd7Ss

[Ben Bove]

Thanks very much for the compliments, I'm glad to hear it's been meaningful for everyone because it sure was very meaningful for us to put it together!

[BlondeB3]

Really tasteful, informative and entertaining film Ben, major kudos to you and your collaborators!

Geoff in Australia

[quietmouse]

I just can't figure out how you were able to put together such a fantastic visual and sonic film, loaded with great interviews, edited perfectly, and not charge more than you do for it. I thoroughly enjoyed it. This film really fills a void.

Thank You

P.S. Thanks for the fast shipping too.

[Chris Carroll]

The Fender Rhodes story is truly a cool documentary and monumental milestone of Fender Rhodes History- It is smartly directed and produced. Hats off to you Ben- The only thing I would have liked to seen more of is the changes the piano went thru and any input the artists may have had on this. Questions to the artists like which years they preferred, stories of particular pianos and finally maybe some technical insight. It was a real joy to watch and I highly recommend it.

All the best with everything,

Chris

[Ben Bove]

Thanks!  Yes we did have more technical insight from the engineers, but most of the musicians didn't even remember which models they owned or from what years they came... i.e. one artist said he used the Rhodes on every session in the early 60s... and the Rhodes wasn't even around then so, we had to monitor the accuracy .  Generally when I asked them what their favorite Rhodes was, they would say "one that works."  So then there's that haha.  It was unanimous though that all the artists preferred the suitcase models.

I may put together a separate resource of the evolution of models, just because there are so many confusing cosmetic vs. internal changes. 

[tommy rhodes]

Hi.

Great! Payment done from Italy!

[The Real MC]

Got my DVD last night.  Incredible job on the project, superb sound and editing.  My guitar playing brother even watched some bits of it.  I've been playing rhodes since 1978 and there were some artists I had not heard before.  I love a good story, especially the one about George Duke borrowing Chick Corea's rhodes in the the early days before the two knew each other, and George loving the piano so much that he "pounded the bejeesus out of it" and returned it to Chick with half the tines busted.  I busted a gut when the editing went back to Chick's look of restrained disgust as he recalled that episode!

Well worth the price, every rhodes enthusiast should have a copy of this DVD!

[arX]

I finally got my issue of this.  Will be watching it soon and give my thoughts.

[Peacefrog35]

This is seriously a must have the the Rhodes enthusiast.  Thank you for doing this, it was done so well that I know I'll be watching it over and over!

[The Real MC]

Anyone notice George Duke's Rhodes with what looked like a metal flat top and then a clavinet on top in a perspex case?

I wonder was this for interference purposes from the clav.

I also assume the clavinet was this one with the custom pitch bend.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kazeEqmd7Ss

Yup that's the castlebar modification.  Not many around.

Anyone notice that when Ramsey Lewis is playing his Rhodes that the piano is NOT PLUGGED IN?

[drcarver]

Just submitted my donation.  Can't wait to see it!

[polyvoks]

just saw mine 
it's absolutely fantastic ; thousands congrats for that ,
no doubt that this documentary will be historic

greetings from france

olivier
http://olivier-grall.yusynth.net/

[drcarver]

Had the day off today, and finally got a chance to watch it.  REALLY great documentary!  Thanks a million for making this.

[Loukas]

Just order a copy . Greece is waiting for that. Thanks Ben for all your dedication to the Rhodes.

[Ben Bove]

Anyone notice that when Ramsey Lewis is playing his Rhodes that the piano is NOT PLUGGED IN?

Someone has a keen eye!  That piano was on location in a studio, and had an XLR output out of the back.  Very strange... I guess for a studio they wanted an XLR bypassing the preamp.  So it was direct to the board, out the back.

Thanks again everyone for the compliments