Given the five thousand things Martin Scorsese is doing at any given moment, we kind of forgot about this project, a music drama with his long time Rolling Stones bud Mick Jagger, that was set up last summer over at HBO. Penned by “Boardwalk Empire” (on which Scorsese serves as executive producer) and “The Sopranos” writer Terence Winter, it was first announced under the working title “History Of Music,” and was initially envisioned by Jagger as a feature film that followed two friends who work in the music industry across 40 years. William Monahan had actually penned a script over at Paramount where it was going under the title “The Long Play” that Scorsese was eyeing to direct. But now that it’s over at the cable channel, it has changed focus, though it’s no less exciting.
THR reports that the suits over at HBO are in a lather over a script Winter has recently turned in, for what would now be an hour long drama, following a cocaine-addled music executive during the heady year of 1977, at the crossroads of punk, disco, hip-hop and new wave. That actually sounds like it could be great, and just the music of 1977 alone could fuel half a dozen soundtracks, and given the weight that Marty throws around, we’re sure he could license whatever the hell he wanted. Just what were some of the albums that came out that year? David Bowie Low, Buzzcocks Spiral Scratch, Fleetwood Mac Rumors, Television Marquee Moon, AC/DC Let There Be Rock, Kraftwerk Trans Europe Express, Bob Marley & The Wailers Exodus, Elvis Costello My Aim Is True, Iggy Pop Lust For Life, Talking Heads Talking Heads: 77, Motorhead Motorhead, Sex Pistols Never Mind The Bollocks, Meat Loaf Bat Out Of Hell, Wire Pink Flag and even more. It was a pretty insane year for music.
And that’s not all. 1977 marked the year Elvis Presley and T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan died, The Clash headlined the Roxy, B-52s played their first show, and bands like The Cars, Devo and The Police all signed record contracts. The two biggest singles of that year were “Hotel California” by The Eagles and “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer. You can see the drama in this thing already.
No word yet on when this might head into production, but with Showtime getting their own music-centered drama “Vinyl” ready as well, we’re sure HBO won’t want to be playing second fiddle. With the trio of Scorsese/Jagger/Winter behind this thing, you can probably expect another high profile batch of talent eyeing this one if “Boardwalk Empire” is anything to go by. With the massive success of that show, we doubt HBO will be sparing any expense, and we’re definitely excited to see how this comes together.