Gunpowder & Sky’s little-known music history series Drawn & Recorded, launched last month, has officially become Spotify’s most-viewed series to-date. On top of the warm digital distribution reception, the Kurt Cobain short Drawn & Recorded: Teen Spirit has made the official selection for the 2017 Sundance Film Festival in the Animated Short Films category.
Drawn & Recorded is a 10-episode series featuring 13-time Grammy-winning producer, artist and songwriter T Bone Burnett. Using animation to bring viewers into legendary stories and untold anecdotes from music history — sometimes hilarious, occasionally tragic, but always compelling. (T Bone is especially proud of the Blind Willie Johnson episode, saying it is the best thing he’s ever worked on.)
The series is animated by Drew Christie, with writing contributions by music journalist and producer Bill Flanagan, and produced by Von Toffler (former head of MTV/VH1 and CMT) for Gunpowder & Sky.
Drawn & Recorded is available to view on Spotify.
Episode descriptions:
Blind Willie Johnson: Blind Willie in Space
Blind Willie Johnson saw only darkness, darkness that he poured into music, the blues. Blind Willie Johnson lived a tragic life and died a young man. But at least one of Blind Willie’s recordings will live on forever… voyaging through the darkness of space. Into eternity.
ODB: Ol’ Dirty Hero
He might have been a “bastard” to many, but to one little girl in Brooklyn, Ol’ Dirty, was nothing short of a superhero, a guardian angel in grills.
Kurt Cobain: Teen Spirit
Find out how the scent of a woman inspired Kurt Cobain to write an anthem for the ages.
Louis Armstrong: Satchmo & Nixon
How did jazz legend, Louis Armstrong, make then-Vice President Richard Nixon his drug mule?
The Allman Brothers: Foot Shootin’ Party
With a little help from his brother Duane, Gregg Allman takes aim at an unpopular war but ends up shooting himself in the foot… literally.
Rolling Stones & Brian Jones: Death By Water
Brian Jones founded The Rolling Stones. But once fame and fortune visited upon the group, Brian had trouble keeping his head above water. Mick Jagger threw his friend and bandmate a lifeline. But could Brian Jones reach it?
Motorhead: Lemmy’s Revenge
A mutton-chopped bike-riding speed-freak is hell-bent on revenge. Motorhead is on the move… and it ain’t gonna be pretty.
Neil Young & Rick James: Neil Young’s First Supergroup
The Vietnam-era draft broke up one of rock and roll’s ultimate odd couples though after the split each would go on to become an icon in his own right.
Merle Haggard: The Lonesome Fugitive
When Johnny Cash played San Quentin, he inspired a prisoner in the audience… and another country legend was born.
T.I. & Creed: The Angel T.I.
When Creed frontman, Scott Stapp, fell hard, the rapper, T.I., grew wings and saved his life.
