Message to Love#Soundtrack

{{Infobox film

| name = Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival 1970

| image = Paul Rodgers Isle of Wight 1970.JPG

| caption = Paul Rodgers of the band Free during their performance of "All Right Now"

| director = Murray Lerner

| producer = Murray Lerner

| writer = Murray Lerner

| narrator =

| starring =

| music =

| cinematography =

| editing = {{Plainlist|

Greg Sheldon (performance sequences)
Stanley Warnow (as Stan Warnow)
Einar Westerlund

}}

| studio = Castle Music Pictures

| distributor = Strand Releasing

| released = {{Film date|1995|10|09|U.K.|1997|02|21|U.S.}}

| runtime = 127 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Message to Love is a feature documentary film of the Isle of Wight Festival 1970. Directed and produced by Murray Lerner, the film includes performances by popular rock acts, such as Jimi Hendrix, the Who, and the Doors, as well as folk and jazz artists, such as Joni Mitchell and Miles Davis. The title of the film is taken from a song by Hendrix.

Due to financial difficulties, Message to Love was not released until 1995 in the UK and 1997 in the US, after premiering at a San Jose film festival in 1995.{{cite web | title=The Wight Stuff{{snd}}Message to Love: Isle of Wight Festival | url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/1997-06-20/529141/ | last = Hernandez | first = Raoul | date = 20 June 1997 | website = The Austin Chronicle | access-date = 31 July 2020}} A soundtrack album was also issued by Castle Communications/Sony Legacy in 1997.

Background

The film often comically depicts the myriad problems associated with the chaotic festival{{snd}}the main program of which was held on 26–30 August 1970{{snd}}including gate-crashing, numerous crowd incursions onto the stage, Kris Kristofferson being booed offstage, and head promoter Rikki Farr's rants against the audience, which only intensified as the situation deteriorated: "We put this festival on, you bastards, with a lot of love! We worked for one year for you pigs! And you wanna break our walls down and you wanna destroy it? Well you go to hell!" In addition, several near-riots occurred over the price of tickets, as well as during several of the performances that took place over the weekend, especially Jimi Hendrix's last billed performance in England.{{cite book| last1 = Shapiro| first1 = Harry| author-link1 = Harry Shapiro (author)| last2 = Glebbeek| first2 = Cesar| title = Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy| publisher = St. Martin's Press| location = New York City| year = 1991| edition = 1st US| isbn = 0-312-05861-6| pages = 447–450, 465, 695–698}}

Production

The filming used eight cameras,{{cite news| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/murray-lerner-oscar-winning-documentarian-who-captured-rock-history-dies-at-90/2017/09/05/f4e00580-9247-11e7-aace-04b862b2b3f3_story.html| last = Schudel | first = Matt| title = Murray Lerner, Oscar-winning Documentarian Who Captured Rock History, Dies at 90| newspaper = The Washington Post| access-date = 31 July 2020}} and took 175 hours of 16mm and 35mm Ektachrome footage, which was later edited down to approximately 78 minutes of music and 41 minutes of interviews and announcements. All of the headliners were captured, only Sly Stone and Chicago refused permission to be filmed.Message to Love DVD liner notes, Michael Heatley

Release

The 1996 version of the film was given a certificate of 15, with the 1999 extended edition being rated 18 for nudity.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/message-love-isle-wight-music-festival-1970-1995|title=Message to Love – the Isle of Wight Music Festival 1970|website=www.bbfc.co.uk}}{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} BBC2 premiered the film for the 25th anniversary of the festival. The VHS was released a month later by Castle. The Region 1 DVD was released in 1997, with the Region 2 DVD being released in 2003 by Castle.

Performances in order of appearance in the film

Jimi Hendrix: "Message to Love" (Sunday) †
The Who: "Young Man Blues" (Saturday)
Free: "All Right Now" (Sunday)
Taste: "Sinner Boy" (Friday)
Tiny Tim: "There'll Always Be an England" (Saturday)
John Sebastian: "Red Eye Express" (Saturday)
Donovan: "Catch the Wind" (Sunday) snippet
Ten Years After: "I Can't Keep from Crying Sometimes" (Saturday)
The Doors: "When the Music's Over" (Saturday)
The Moody Blues: "Nights in White Satin" (Sunday)
Kris Kristofferson: "Me and Bobby McGee" (Wednesday)
Joni Mitchell: "Woodstock" (Saturday)
Mitchell: "Big Yellow Taxi"
Miles Davis: "Call It Anything" (Saturday)
Leonard Cohen: "Suzanne" (Sunday)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: "Pictures at an Exhibition" (Saturday)
Hendrix: "Machine Gun" †
Hendrix: "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"
Joan Baez: "Let It Be" (Sunday)
Jethro Tull: "My Sunday Feeling" (Sunday)
The Doors: "The End" (Saturday) †
Great Awakening: "Amazing Grace"
Hendrix: "Foxy Lady"
The Who: "Naked Eye"
Bob Dylan: "Desolation Row" (studio version played over the end credits)

" † " indicates songs that are not included on the CD.

Reception

{{Music ratings|title=Message to Love

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r233269|first=Richie|last=Unterberger}}

| rev2 = Rotten Tomatoes

| rev2Score = 100%{{cite web |title=Message to Love |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/isle_of_wight_festival_message_to_love_1970_1970 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=July 19, 2024}}

| rev3 = TV Guide

| rev3Score = {{Rating|3|4}}

}}

Time Out magazine said "The music is exemplary stuff to anyone who heard it the first time around{{snd}}the Doors, Free, Kris Kristofferson (who eventually stormed off stage), the Who, Miles Davis (silhouetted against the dusk), Jethro Tull{{snd}}but it's the hilarity of the sound-bites that makes this really worth catching."{{Cite web|url=https://www.timeout.com/en_gb/film/message-to-love-the-isle-of-wight-festival|title=Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival|website=Time Out Worldwide|date=10 September 2012 |access-date=Jul 31, 2020}}

TV Guide said "Lerner's sharp, devastingly funny film, which was to be financed by the profits, remained one of its greatest casualties{{snd}}until now. Lerner managed to capture all the hilarious backstage wheeling and dealing, as well as some of the era's best live music."{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/message-to-love-the-isle-of-wight-festival/review/131961|title=Message To Love: The Isle Of Wight Festival | TV Guide|website=TV Guide|access-date=31 Jul 2020}}

The Austin Chronicle said "because Message to Love does such a fine job of underscoring the ideology of a generation in conflict with the commercialism of festivals like Wight, it's easy to forget about the quality performances captured by Lerner over the five days that the festival raged".

Deseret News said "Though the performances are great, the 'warts-and-all' approach the film takes elevates it from being just a good music documentary to a great one."{{Cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/1997/4/4/20088121/film-review-message-to-love-the-isle-of-wight-festival|title=Film review: Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival|first=Jeff|last=Vice|date=4 April 1997|website=Deseret News|access-date=31 Jul 2020}} The Independent suggested the film was "twice as entertaining if you fast- forwarded through the music".{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/review-1598445.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220512/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/review-1598445.html |archive-date=12 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=review|date=28 August 1995|website=The Independent|access-date=31 July 2020}}

Variety magazine said this expertly-edited film had "a far deeper historical insight than similar pics from its original era", adding "images are in good shape, and sound quality is excellent."{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/message-to-love-1200445052/|title=Message to Love|author=|work=Variety|date=12 February 1996|access-date=31 July 2020}} At the Boston Society of Film Critics Awards in 1997, the film was nominated for Best Documentary. Rolling Stone placed it at number 21 in their list of the greatest rock documentaries.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-lists/40-greatest-rock-documentaries-24757/|title=40 Greatest Rock Documentaries|author1=Tim Grierson|author2= Sam Adams|author3= Eric Hynes|author4= David Fear|author5= Jason Newman|author6 = Kory Grow|magazine=Rolling Stone |date=15 August 2014|access-date=31 July 2020}} Vulture.com included the film at number 37 on their list of the best music documentaries of all time.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/best-music-documentaries-ever.html|title=The 50 Best Music Documentaries of All Time|first=Noel|last=Murray|date=17 April 2019|website=Vulture|access-date=31 July 2020}} Musicoholics had it at number 37 on their list of Legendary Music Documentaries.{{Cite web|url=https://wpa.musicoholics.com/best-of-the-best/legendary-music-captured-on-film-the-best-music-documentaries-ranked/|title=Legendary Music Captured on Film: The Best Music Documentaries Ranked|first=Hadar|last=Gerlitz|date=29 October 2019|website=Musicoholics|access-date=31 July 2020}} It was listed at number five on the list of Top 10 Music Festival Documentaries.{{Cite web|url=https://www.festicket.com/magazine/features/top-10-music-festival-documentaries/|title=Top 10 Music Festival Documentaries |first=Thomas|last=Cutris-Horsfall|date=18 March 2020|website=Festicket|access-date=31 July 2020}}

Soundtrack

{{Infobox album

| name = Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival 1970

| type = live

| artist = Various artists

| cover =

| alt =

| released = {{Start date|1996|10|29|df=y}}

| recorded = 26–30 August 1970

| venue = Afton Down Farm, Isle of Wight

| genre = Rock, Folk, Jazz

| length = 144:00

| label = Sony Music

| producer = Jon Astley

}}

The Message to Love soundtrack album was released as a 2-CD set in 1997. It also includes dialogue from the film placed in between some of the tracks.

=Track listing=

Disc one

Free – "All Right Now" – 4:54
Jethro Tull – "My Sunday Feeling" – 4:24
Leonard Cohen – "Suzanne" – 4:27
Jimi Hendrix – "Foxy Lady" – 5:31
Jimi Hendrix – "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" – 8:56
Ten Years After – "Can't Keep from Cryin'/Extension on One Chord" – 11:50
Kris Kristofferson – "Me and Bobby McGee" – 5:44
Joni Mitchell – "Big Yellow Taxi" – 3:46
Joni Mitchell – "Woodstock" – 4:04
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – "Blue Rondo à la Turk/Pictures at an Exhibition/Drum Solo" – 7:35
The Doors – "When the Music's Over" – 11:46

Disc two

The Who – "Young Man Blues" – 5:54
The Who – "Naked Eye" – 6:23
Tiny Tim – "There'll Always Be an England" – 1:15
Taste – "Sinner Boy" – 5:11
Joan Baez – "Let It Be" – 3:53
The Moody Blues – "Nights in White Satin" – 5:23
Donovan – "Catch the Wind" – 3:51
Family – "Weaver's Answer" – 7:22 (not in the film)
John Sebastian – "Red Eye Express" – 3:58
Miles Davis – "Call It Anything" – 14:56
Great Awakening – "Amazing Grace" – 3:47
Bob Dylan – "Desolation Row" – 11:43

Legacy

In recent years, Lerner's copious 16mm concert footage has been repurposed to create a wealth of complete-performance DVD releases:

Hendrix{{snd}}Blue Wild Angel (2002)
Miles Davis{{snd}}Miles Electric{{snd}}A Different Kind of Blue (2004)
The Who{{snd}}Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 (1998)
Jethro Tull{{snd}}Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 (2005)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer{{snd}}The Birth of a Band: Isle of Wight 1970 (2006)
Free{{snd}}Free Forever DVD (2006)
The Moody Blues{{snd}}Threshold of a Dream: Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 (2008)
Leonard Cohen{{snd}}Leonard Cohen Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 (2009)
Taste{{snd}}Live at the Isle of Wight (2015)
The Doors{{snd}}Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 (2018)
Joni Mitchell{{snd}}Both Sides Now: Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 (2018)

The quote "We put this festival on, you bastards, with a lot of love! We worked for one year for you pigs! And you wanna break our walls down and you wanna destroy it? Well you go to hell!" said towards the crowd by the festival's MC Rikki Farr, was used as the intro for the song Fuckin’ in the Bushes, the first song on Oasis’ 2000 album Standing on the Shoulder of Giants{{cite web |last1=Hackett |first1=Dan |title=Song Lore: Fuckin' in the Bushes by Oasis |date=13 January 2020 |url=https://no-taste.com/song-lore/song-lore-in-the-bushes-oasis-1597/ |access-date=17 April 2025 }}{{cite web |last1=Pearson |first1=Keren |title=MIXTAPE: Keren Pearson |url=https://narcmagazine.com/mixtape-keren-pearson/ |website=narcmagazine.com |access-date= 17 April 2025}}