The Session Man, the recent documentary about lauded session keyboardist Nicky Hopkins, will be released as a digital video on November 5. It also will be available on DVD in December. The film looks at the late Hopkins’ prolific 30-year career, during which he played on recordings by many of the most famous rock artists on the planet.
An exclusive clip from the documentary focusing on Hopkins’ work with The Rolling Stones has been shared by Ultimate Classic Rock. The segment includes appearances by Keith Richards, Stones touring keyboardist Chuck Leavell, and This Is Spinal Tap actor Harry Shearer.
[RELATED: 5 Classic Songs Featuring Late Piano Hero Nicky Hopkins—With The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, & More]
The clip begins with narrator Bob Harris, the one-time host of the BBC’s live performance series Old Grey Whistle Test, talking about how Hopkins first crossed paths with The Stones during the band’s early days playing at the famed Marquee Club in London.
Harris notes, “For Nicky, The Rolling Stones would become a big part of his life.”
Shearer, Richards Discuss What Hopkins Brought to The Stones
Shearer then comments, “When Nicky came into the Rolling Stones scene … all of a sudden this guitar band had this whole other color to it, or a bunch of colors.”
The film then cuts to Richards, who explains how the band’s changing sound led them to look for another keyboardist to collaborate with outside of their longtime session pianist, Ian “Stu” Stewart. Stewart famously was only interested in playing on songs with a traditional blues or old-time rock ‘n’ roll feel.
“We were coming up with songs that [were] absolutely beyond Stu’s, let alone capabilities, dreams,” Richards points out. “He didn’t want to know. So, I think that Stu said the only guy that can handle this is Nicky Hopkins.”
About “She’s a Rainbow”
Paddy Milner, a session pianist known for his work with Tom Jones, then appears, and brings up the 1967 Stones tune “She’s a Rainbow.”
“[It’s an] absolutely classic Stones song with some beautiful piano from Nicky on it,” Milner says. “This great introduction literally sets up the song, and … [it’s a] hugely identifying part of the song.
About “Sympathy for the Devil”
We then see Leavell at a piano. He declares, “How can I not do justice by mentioning ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ and Nicky’s contribution to that.” Chuck demonstrates Hopkins’ part, pointing out the simple but cool chord progression Hopkins played on the classic tune.
About “Monkey Man”
Shearer then returns, and talks about how much he loves the 1969 Stones gem “Monkey Man,” which features Hopkins.
Producer Chris Kimsey, who worked as a studio engineer on several Stones albums, notes, “[Hopkins’] introduction on that song, it’s like … a great movie scene. The first shot you see, it’s like, ‘Wow, it’s just gonna be great.”
More About Hopkins’ Work with The Rolling Stones & Other Stars
Hopkins played on one or more tracks on nearly every Rolling Stones album from 1967 through 1981. Among the many other famous Stones tunes on which he’s featured are “Dandelion,” “Gimme Shelter,” “No Expectations,” “Sway,” “Angie,” “Fool to Cry,” and “Waiting on a Friend.”
Over the course of his career, Nicky played on more than 250 albums. Among the many other famous artists he collaborated with were The Kinks, The Who, The Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, Jeff Beck, David Bowie, Carly Simon, Joe Cocker, and Peter Frampton.
The Session Man also features appearances by The Who’s Pete Townshend, The Kinks’ Dave Davies, ex-Stones bassist Bill Wyman, Frampton, Nils Lofgren and more.
Hopkins died in November 1994 from complications of Crohn’s disease. He was just 50 years old.
For more details about the documentary, visit TheSessionManFilm.com.
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