London's late lamented Marquee Club was one of the main venues for new and developing talent in the late '60s and throughout the '70s and as such many artists and fans had a CBGB-like sentimentality towards the hall. English singer Dave Dee interviews some of those folks here; some who were involved with managing the club and some who played there like Kenny Jones, Phil Collins and Alexis Korner.
Filmed to celebrate the club's 25th anniversary in 1983, the reminiscences are interspersed with the musical performances, one song each from an odds-and-sods group that includes Wishbone Ash, Marillion and Status Quo. The variety is eclectic; it's hard to imagine that any particular viewer will like everything here. But like the "underground" radio format of the day this film offers an introduction to the unknown and unheard (Mezzoforte, anyone?)
One of the film's highlights comes right at the onset as Osibisa perform a joyous ode to marijuana, "Paper Match." Dr. John follows with "Little Liza Jane" and then the Climax Blues Band does a version of their hit "Couldn't Get it Right" that is not nearly as polished as the radio version. Nazareth and Ten Years After check in with their brands of boogie, Ian Matthews offers his "Lonely Hunter" and Korner lets loose with Willie Dixon's "Hootchie Kootchie Man."
Another surprising highlight comes from Cherry Bombz as they rip through a campy cover of Loverboy's "Hot Girls in Love." Every cut was filmed during the '80s with the exception of Status Quo's "Don't Waste My Time" which is vintage 1972.
