The Session Man (film review), the career of pianist Nicky Hopkins

1960s, 1970s, Beatles, classic rock, documentary, film, movie review, rock and roll, Rolling Stones, The Who, writing

The Session Man (film review), the career of pianist Nicky Hopkins

The Session Man is a pretty straightforward documentary film, no fancy effects or unusual storytelling. The story is the career of the late Nicky Hopkins, perhaps the greatest pianist of the 1960s-1970s period. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, you should checkout the top albums of that period, because his playing is all over…

Mike Miller

January 26, 2025

2–4 minutes

Nicky Hopkins, rock and roll pianist, She’s a Rainbow, The Session Man

The Session Man is a pretty straightforward documentary film, no fancy effects or unusual storytelling. The story is the career of the late Nicky Hopkins, perhaps the greatest pianist of the 1960s-1970s period.

If that name doesn’t ring a bell, you should checkout the top albums of that period, because his playing is all over them (even though the names of session musicians were not always listed back then). Thankfully, there are still plenty of musicians and producers from those days still alive to talk about Hopkins, many are interviewed for the film, and archival film exists of several interviews Hopkins did before his death.

The documentary traces Hopkins’ career in a mostly linear fashion, from his early classical music training to falling in with older blues and then rock and roll players.

Hopkins spent his early musical years in several bands before finding success playing on albums by the Kinks and The Rolling Stones. “Till the End of the Day”, “Village Green”, “David Watts”, “Sunny Afternoon” were some of the Kinks songs Hopkins played on, though the credits are less than accurate. For the Stones, Hopkins added his skill to “She’s a Rainbow” (inventing the dazzling piano intro), “Dandelion”, “We Love You”, “Honky Tonk Women”, “Street Fighting Man”, “Sympathy for the Devil”, “Gimme Shelter”, “Monkey Man”, “Fool to Cry”, “Sway”, and Their Satanic Majesties Request, Beggar’s Banquet, Exile on Main Street, most of Goat Head Soup, and a good portion of It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll, including the exquisite “Time Waits For No One.” Hopkins with the Stones during their “Classic” period. Hopkins also lent his magic to The Who, he joined them on their first album, My Generation, and then for The Song Is Over” and “Getting in Tune” from the 1971 Classic album, Who’s Next, and the album Who By Numbers.”

Hopkins would work with each Beatle individually, and can be heard on The Beatles’ single “Revolution” with his improvised electric piano solo overdub.

Directed by Mike Treen, The Session Man is pretty meat and potatoes, void of gimmicks and fancy art, which wasn’t a problem with me. The focus is on the interviews.

Interviewee are: Albert Lee, Antonia Cipollina, Arthur Rochester, Benmont Tench, Bill Wyman, Billy Nicholls, Bro Paul Brown, Chris Kimsey, Chris Welch, Chuck Leavell, Dave Davies, Glyn Johns, Graham Parker, Gray Levett, Greg Phillinganes, Harry Shearer, Helen O’Hara, Jack Casady, Jim Keltner, Joe Tansin, John Goddard, Jorma Kaukonen, Julian Dawson (Nicky’s biographer – author of And on Piano… Nicky Hopkins), Keith Richards, Merrell Fankhauser, Mick Jagger, Mike Hurst, Mike McCartney, Moira Hopkins (Nicky’s widow), Morgan Fisher, Nils Lofgren, Paddy Milner, Pete Edmonds, Pete Sears, Pete Townshend, Peter Frampton, PP Arnold, Rory Kaplan, Sarah Sleet (CEO of Crohn’s & Colitis UK), Shel Talmy, Slim Jim Phantom, Terry Reid and Tom Speight.

Hopkins was afflicted with Crohn’s disease, which caused him great distress, and ultimately led to his death at age 50. The documentary focuses on the impact of Crohn’s disease, especially the complications, especially for the life of a musician. Treatment has come a long way in recent decades, although there is still no cure, just various measures to best manage the symptoms of this chronic intestinal condition.