Storyline
Danny Says is a documentary on the life and times of Danny Fields. Since 1966, Danny Fields has played a pivotal role in music and "culture" of the late 20th century: working for the Doors, Cream, Lou Reed, Nico, Judy Collins and managing groundbreaking artists like the Stooges, the MC5 and the Ramones. Danny Says follows Fields from Phi Beta Kappa whiz-kid, to Harvard Law dropout, to the Warhol Silver Factory, to Director of Publicity at Elektra Records, to "punk pioneer" and beyond. Danny's taste and opinion, once deemed defiant and radical, has turned out to have been prescient. Danny Says is a story of marginal turning mainstream, avant garde turning prophetic, as Fields looks to the next generation.
Cast: Justin Bond -
Mx Justin Vivian Bond -
Justin Vivian Bond
Judy Collins -
Alice Cooper -
Danny Fields -
Danny Fields
Danny Goldberg -
Danny Goldberg
Steve Harris -
Fayette Hauser -
Jac Holzman -
Billy James -
Billy James
Lenny Kaye -
Wayne Kramer -
Wayne Kramer -
Wayne Kramer
Gary Lucas -
Gary Lucas
John Cameron Mitchell -
Taglines:
When the mode of the music changes, the walls of the city shake.
Greetings again from the darkness. Tying in nicely with the repertory
showing of Rock 'n Roll High School (1979) at the Oak Cliff Film
Festival, this documentary from Brendan Toller aims to give credit to
one of the unsung (and mostly unknown) influencers of cultural and
music changes in the 1960's and 1970's. Danny Fields was the
behind-the-scenes "mover and shaker" who helped shine the light on
bands such as The Doors, Velvet Underground, The Stooges, MC5 and The
Ramones.
Fields is described as having his pulse on the underground music scene,
and this is meant to be a compliment … he knew what the "cool" people
were listening to. More than just a keen social observer, Fields
finished 6th in his class at Penn – as the youngest graduate - and went
on to drop out of Harvard Law School in order to be on the front line
of the cultural changes occurring in the 60's.
Director Toller's respect and admiration for Fields is on full display,
and we are treated to interviews from the likes of Alice Cooper and
Iggy Pop, to multiple sit downs with Fields himself … the highlights of
the film. The stories about "16" Magazine, Jim Morrison, Nico and Edie
Sedgwick are all interesting, but it's watching as Fields personally
recalls his involvement that offer us something we've never before
seen.
Fields' time at Elektra Records is chronicled, as is his fallout with
The Ramones … whose song provides the title of the movie (also covered
by Tom Waits and Foo Fighters). It's also noted that Fields decision to
take The Ramones on a UK tour, helped drive the popularity of The Sex
Pistols and The Clash … the foundation of the new Punk era. It's always
refreshing when accolades and credit find the proper target – even when
delayed by a few decades.
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