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PrideandJoyTheStoryofAlligatorRecordsSynopsis:

  • In 1971, Bruce Iglauer founded Alligator Records, an independent record company which, in the decades since, has proven to be the most successful modern blues label. In early 1992, Iglauer staged the Alligator Records 20th Anniversary Tour starring Koko Taylor and her Blues Machine, Elvin Bishop, Katie Webster, the Lonnie Brooks Blues Band (featuring Lonnie’s son Ronnie Baker Brooks), and Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials. Director Robert Mugge, having recently made the film DEEP BLUES (1991) about the blues traditions of Mississippi, decided to follow up with a tribute to Alligator and its roster of top contemporary blues artists from Chicago and elsewhere.
  • The resulting film, PRIDE AND JOY: THE STORY OF ALLIGATOR RECORDS, presents musical highlights from one of the 4-plus-hour concerts (March 12th at Philadelphia’s Chestnut Cabaret) that made up the tour, glimpses of Alligator’s Chicago offices, and profiles of key performers and staff members. The pride and joy on display are not only that of fine musical artists plying their trades, but also that of a passionate and highly principled entrepreneur succeeding in a business mostly controlled by corporate giants and littered with the wreckage of countless small, independent labels. Songs in the film include Pride and Joy and Ed’s Boogie (Lil’ Ed), Pussycat Moan and Lord, I Wonder (Katie Webster), El-Bo and Beer Drinking Woman (Elvin Bishop), I’d Rather Go Blind (Koko Taylor), Wife For Tonight and I Want All My Money Back (Lonnie Brooks), It’s A Dirty Job (Koko Taylor with Lonnie Brooks), and Sweet Home Chicago (final joint encore).Transferred to HD from the original 16mm film and lovingly restored.

What We Thought:

  • I wasn’t familiar with Alligator Records, but I do like some blues music. Pride and Joy: The Story of Alligator Records was all new to me, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.
  • If you are familiar with the privately owned record label and their artists, this is totally for you. Even if you aren’t, but you like the blues, you’ll like this as well.
  • I really liked the live performance part of the documentary. The film mixes interviews with Bruce Iglauer, the founder of the company, and his employees with live concert footage showcasing some of the artists of Alligator Records.
  • I liked Lonnie Brooks and his son a lot. I listened to some of his music online after watching this. He’s really good. The others were pretty solid, but his dueling guitar with his son Ronnie stood out to me.
  • The interview part of the documentary is your standard rock doc. It talks about Bruce’s early years and how he got involved in Chicago’s music scene. He couldn’t play so he started a record label. It talks about trying to stay alive and be independent and getting their albums played on the radio especially black oriented radio. The blues for some reason always has a big white consumer basis and most of Alligator’s sales went to white folk.
  • It is an older film, but I liked that it shows compact discs, cassettes and vinyl. They did a pretty good mail order delivery and everything back then was physical media. Man do I miss physical media.
  • If you know about Alligator Records or own any of their products, definitely check out Pride and Joy: The Story of Alligator Records. If you like music documentaries especially with live concert footage, you’ll enjoy it as well. It made me look up some of the musicians afterwards so it definitely did what it was supposed to do!

RECOMMENDED FOR MUSIC/BLUES FANS!

Bonus Features:

  • Featuring Bonus Audio of the 10 Additional Performances from the Alligator Records 20th Anniversary Tour

Cast & Crew:

  • Lonnie Brooks
  • Koko Taylor
  • Elvin Bishop
  • Katie Webster

Recommended If You Like:

  • Take Me to the River
  • Blues Music
  • Rock Docs

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