Watch an Exclusive Clip From ‘The Session Man: Nicky Hopkins’

Keyboardist Nicky Hopkins is the topic of a documentary popping out in November. Session Man: Nicky Hopkins options interviews with many artists Hopkins labored with over 30 years beginning within the mid-’60s.

The film displays on the life and profession of the late keyboardist, who appeared on greater than 250 albums by the Beatles, the Kinks, Rod Stewart, the Who and plenty of others, together with the Rolling Stones, who share their ideas on Hopkins in an unique clip.

In it, Keith Richards remembers how the band’s longtime keyboardist, Ian Stewart, beneficial Hopkins to the Stones. Hopkins started an affiliation with the Rolling Stones in 1967 that lasted from Their Satanic Majesties Request via Tattoo You, showing on virtually all of their albums throughout this era.

READ MORE: The Kinks Albums Ranked

“We had been developing with songs [that were] completely past Stew’s stage of functionality,” Richard says. “Stew known as and mentioned, ‘The one man that may deal with that is Nicky Hopkins.” Session pianist Paddy Milner then notes the “nice” introduction to “She’s a Rainbow.” “It units up the track, massively figuring out [it],” he says.

You may watch the unique clip under.

The Session Man: Nicky Hopkins will arrive on Nov. 5 as a digital launch; a DVD will comply with in December. The movie consists of interviews with Peter Frampton, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend and different musicians Hopkins performed with.

“What began because the germs of an concept for a movie shortly grew to become a piece of ardour that has taken simply over 5 years to succeed in this level,” director Mike Treen tells UCR. “Such was the persevering with attraction of the Nicky Hopkins story. Fairly merely, he was a virtuoso pianist, residing with a debilitating continual sickness, who performed with a few of rock ‘n’ roll’s best bands and solo artists.

“Over a 30-year interval, the harmonic richness and melodic aptitude he dropped at recording classes meant that he would go on to contribute on over 250 albums. His distinctive piano riffs and musical motifs could be discovered on a number of the most iconic and memorable tracks of that period.”

What Information Did Nicky Hopkins Play On?

Due to medical points, the Middlesex, England-born Hopkins couldn’t tour a lot, so he spent most of his profession as a session pianist and organist. After a stint with British blues pioneer Cyril Davies, Hopkins performed on the Who’s 1965 debut album, My Era, and labored with the Kinks across the similar time.

For the following three many years, he performed on lots of rock’s finest data, together with dates with the Beatles (that is him on “Revolution”) and, after their breakup, on solo albums by all 4 members.

Through the years he performed with Jefferson Airplane (he additionally carried out onstage with them at Woodstock), Badfinger, Joe Cocker, Donovan, the Hollies, Harry Nilsson, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Carly Simon, Cat Stevens, Joe Walsh and dozens of different artists.

Hopkins died at age 50 in 1994 from problems ensuing from Crohn’s illness.