A new documentary called The Pedal Movie about the history of guitar-effects pedals has just been released and is available to purchase or rent via iTunes, Google Play and Vudu.
The film, which was produced by the online music-gear site Reverb.com, is described as “the story of effects pedals, told by the builders who make them and the artists who bring their sounds to life.” Among the many artists and other notable music figures who are interviewed in the movie are Peter Frampton, longtime Jimi Hendrix engineer Eddie Kramer, Motown session guitarist Dennis Coffey, Iggy Pop and Steve Vai.
“Over the years, effects pedals have shaped our favorite songs and, along the way, created an entire industry of mostly small businesses working alongside their musical heroes,” says the film’s co-director, Reverb’s Michael Lux, in a statement. “Despite the wide-reaching influence of these tiny boxes, the full story of how they were created and how they evolved alongside the music they shaped has been largely untold.”
He adds, “It’s a story of ingenuity that celebrates pedals as not just a tool, but a source of inspiration and income for countless music makers and fans.”
You can check out a trailer for the film at Reverb’s official YouTube channel. Frampton appears briefly in the promo, demonstrating the talk-box effect he famously used on some of his best-known songs.
Other musicians featured in the movie include The Smashing Pumpkins‘ Billy Corgan, Joe Bonamassa, The Black Keys‘ Patrick Carney, Dinosaur Jr.‘s J Mascis, Wilco‘s Nels Cline, Rolling Stone magazine journalist Ben Fong-Torres, Dweezil Zappa and Blur‘s Graham Coxon.
Reverb.com also has launched a section of its site where you can buy the various pedals profiled in the movie.
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