Product Description

Atlantic Records: The House that Ahmet Built follows Ertegun's remarkable career and its impact on the evolution of the world's most popular musical genre while offering an insider's look at the recording industry. Featuring rare and private clips, performances, and studio sessions from Atlantic recording artists, this DVD is a music fan's paradise.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11235 in DVD
• Brand: Atlantic
• Released on: 2007-06-12
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

For once, something to watch on TV
I saw this entire 2-hour show on New York's PBS station last night and it was great. You can feel Ahmet's passion for music as he relates his childhood experiences in Turkey, his passion for America ("the land of cowboys, dancing girls and jazz") and explains the formation of Atlantic Records.

Rather than become a diplomat or a "civil servant like my father" (Ahmet's father was the Turkish ambassador to the U.S.), Ahmet and his brother created America's most important record company. The story of Atlantic Records is as much about racial integration and artistic integrity as it as about music.

It's also great to hear the musicians' side of the story. The very recent footage of conversations between Ahmet and Robert Plant, Ray Charles, Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Bette Midler really shows the respect and admiration all these great artists had for him.

Finally, this is an entertaining show, featuring some great laugh-out-loud moments. My favorite is when Ahmet tells of how, as a 12-year old, he hailed a cab in mid-town Manhattan and said to the driver "Take me to Harlem." All he wanted to do was hear some jazz and within a few minutes, he found himself at the Plantation Club and later, at a rent party rubbing elbows with musicians and dancing girls.

Having grown up listening to Atlantic artists like Led Zeppelin, the Stones, Crosby, Stills & Nash, etc., I found this show absolutely fascinating.

Great program - read his excellent book too
This program is enormously entertaining, with tons of great footage of the artists, interviews, and hilarious anecdotes. I worked at Atlantic for several years and can attest that this documentary delivers an informative survey of the man and the label (though i could argue about certain artist omissions), which produced so much great music covering every genre. If you're a serious pop/rock/R&B/jazz fan, you really owe it to yourself to see this, and if you want to learn more about Mr. Ertegun and Atlantic, i HIGHLY recommend the book he wrote several years ago, "What'd I Say", which has hundreds of stunning photos and commentary from him and the others (artists and executives) who made it all happen at Atlantic (the book is pricey, but totally worth the money - product link is below)

What'd I Say: The Atlantic Story

If you've loved music over the last 30-50 years, this is a must
I just got done being transfixed by this program on American Masters on PBS. Ahmet Ertegun's life was incredibly full, full of joy and music for many years. From the "race" records of the 40's to the British Invasion to Woodstock to Kid Rock, the fingers of Ahmet Ertegun and his brother were on the pulse of popular music on both sides of the Atlantic. I enjoyed this show so much I've pre-ordered two copies.