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Once upon a time, Denmark Street was the rugged, beating heart of the UK's music scene. It's where NME's was based, it's where Bob Marley bought his first guitar and it's where David Bowie parked up his camper van. The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, Elton John and Jimi Hendrix all laid their tracks down at Tin Pan Alley's recording studios and now a crowdfunding campaign has launched to help fund a new film entitled 'Tin Pan Alley Tales', telling the history of the famous musical street.
Filmmaker and founder of the Save Tin Pan Alley campaign Henry Scott-Irvine hopes to raise funds in order to tell the story of an area that's slowly being transformed by Crossrail. (Since 2012, at least 15 music businesses have closed their doors, including The 12 Bar Club, Enterprise Rehearsal Studios and a number of guitar shops.) He says the film will be 'a modern-day Canterbury Tale' told by ten people who have lived and worked in the street over the past century, with rarely-seen archival footage featured alongside their stories.
On the bill so far are former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock, who lived and rehearsed at number six, 1950s British skiffle musician Chas McDevitt, who had an office on the street in its music publisher heyday, and author Will Self, with rumours that Ozzy Osborne and Keith Richards could also be making an appearance. The Rolling Stones and Black Sabbath famously both recorded their first albums at Regent Sounds Studio. Scott-Irvine says the film will give a voice to 'both the famous and the unsung heroes of Denmark Street – these will be their tales, their memories, their passions.'
The aim is to raise at least £25,000 in a six-week period to cover copyright clearance costs for the archival footage, music clearances and post-production costs. In exchange for your support, funders will receive a range of reward bundles, including limited-edition guitar-shaped enamel badges, t-shirts, posters and tickets to concerts and screenings.
The crowdfunding campaign will go live on phundee.com from September 1. Sign up here to receive details on how to make a donation.