MIKE JUDGE PRESENTS: TALES FROM THE TOUR BUS, chronicling the exploits of legendary music artists, begins its eight-episode second season FRIDAY, NOV. 2 (10:00?10:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on CINEMAX. While the first season of the show spotlighted country musicians, the new season focuses on funk music greats, including George Clinton, Rick James, James Brown and Bootsy Collins. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Parliament-Funkadelic founder Clinton serves as consulting producer and provides original music for the series.
Marking a return to his roots in animation and as a musician, Judge (?King of the Hill?; ?Beavis and Butt-Head?; Emmy nominee for HBO?s ?Silicon Valley?) co-created, narrates and serves as an executive producer on the series, which recounts the raucous adventures of these musicians, as told by those who knew them best.
TALES FROM THE TOUR BUS features animated interviews with former bandmates, friends and other erstwhile associates, who share uncensored anecdotes about the artists, brought to life by animated reenactments, and woven together with live-action archival performance footage and photos.
Upcoming episodes:
Episode #16 (season 2, episode 8): ?Betty Davis? (season finale)
Debut date: FRIDAY, DEC. 21 (10:00?10:30 p.m.)
Photo: Courtesy of Cinemax. Please note this is a promotional photo for press only.
The queen of funk, Betty Davis should have been a superstar. A small-town southern girl, she exploded onto the music scene in the early ?70s after launching a career in New York as a fashion model and playing muse to Miles Davis. Her brief marriage to the jazz legend helped launch her career as a performer. Betty Davis? uninhibited sexuality, marked by a raunchy stage presence and suggestive lyrics, made her brand of funk unforgettable, but she disappeared from music after being boycotted by religious groups, black political leaders and the NAACP.
Written by Mark Monroe; directed by Mike Judge.
Photos (all): Courtesy of Cinemax. Please note these are promotional photos for press only.
Episode #15 (season 2, episode 7): ?Morris Day and The Time?
Debut date: FRIDAY, DEC. 14 (10:00?10:30 p.m.)
Photo: Courtesy of Cinemax. Please note this is a promotional photo for press only.
One of the biggest characters in funk history, Morris Day was an aspiring drummer who became the embodiment of cool. The iconic frontman might have had a different life altogether, if not for childhood friend Prince Rogers Nelson, but he made a Faustian bargain with the future superstar, and the result was Morris Day and The Time. Though the band skyrocketed to the top with hits like ?Jungle Love,? resentment festered and the rivalry between the two singers reached a breaking point. Years later, a reunion show at Prince?s Minnesota mansion brought The Time back to the stage, allowing Day and Prince to make peace before the latter?s untimely death.
Written by Mark Monroe and Mike Judge; directed by Mike Judge.
Photos (all): Courtesy of Cinemax. Please note these are promotional photos for press only.
Episode #14 (season 2, episode 6): ?James Brown (Part 2)?
Debut date: FRIDAY, DEC. 7 (10:00?10:30 p.m. ET/PT)
Photo: Courtesy of Cinemax. Please note this is a promotional photo for press only.
At the height of his fame, James Brown reigned supreme as the king of funk, the first voice and innovator of a brand-new musical genre. Behind the scenes, he was a taskmaster, feuding with rivals as well as members of his own band. By the 1980s, the work ethic that propelled him to superstardom began to take its toll. Compromised by his own bad decisions, Brown was eclipsed by a new generation of stars trying to follow in his footsteps. But despite falling off the Billboard charts, the king of funk never lost the showmanship that made him a legend.
Written by Mark Monroe and Mike Judge; directed by Mike Judge.
Photos (all): Courtesy of Cinemax. Please note these are promotional photos for press only.
Episode #13 (season 2, episode 5): ?James Brown (Part 1)?
Debut date: FRIDAY, NOV. 30 (10:00?10:30 p.m.)
Photo: Courtesy of Cinemax. Please note this is a promotional photo for press only.
A lover of shotguns, gumbo and traveling to gigs on his private jet, James Brown ? nicknamed ?Mr. Dynamite? ? was renowned for his infectious voice and unbelievable dance moves, earning a reputation as the hardest-working man in show business. Between his womanizing ways, perfectionist attitude and daredevil style, he built an empire that went far beyond entertaining, often alienating musicians and business partners along the way. With hit singles like ?Say It Loud ? I?m Black and I?m Proud,? Brown reached new heights within the black community in the tumultuous 1960s, catching the attention of the FBI along the way.
Written by Mark Monroe and Mike Judge; directed by Mike Judge.
Photos (all): Courtesy of Cinemax. Please note these are promotional photos for press only.
Episode #12 (season 2, episode 4): ?Bootsy Collins?
Debut date: FRIDAY, NOV. 23 (10:00?10:30 p.m. ET/PT)
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Cinemax. Please note this is a promotional photo for press only.
One of music?s most notable bassists, Bootsy Collins went from rocking out in Ohio to working with the notorious James Brown, who taught him ?The One? funk basics. But it was when Bootsy met George Clinton that he created his larger-than-life persona and became the backbone of the P-Funk empire. As the frontman of Bootsy?s Rubber Band, he quickly achieved solo stardom before realizing that what he loved most about music was the joy of just being part of a group.
Written by Mark Monroe and Mike Judge; directed by Mike Judge.
Photos (all): Courtesy of HBO. Please note these are promotional photos for press only.
Episode #11 (season 2, episode 3): ?Rick James Pt. 2?
Debut date: FRIDAY, NOV. 16 (10:00?10:30 p.m. ET/PT)
Photo: Courtesy of Cinemax. Please note this is a promotional photo for press only.
In the mid-?80s, funk star Rick James was riding high on top of the music world. But between his rivalry with Prince, crusade against MTV and run-ins with the law, he fell further under the influence of cocaine. Even a shot at a comeback, when M.C. Hammer sampled his greatest hit, couldn?t pull James back from the brink.Written by Mark Monroe and Mike Judge; directed by Mike Judge.
Photos (all): Courtesy of Cinemax. Please note these are promotional photos for press only.
Episode #10 (season 2, episode 2): ?Rick James Pt. 1?
Debut date: FRIDAY, NOV. 9 (10:00?10:30 p.m. ET/PT)
Photo: Courtesy of Cinemax. Please note this is a promotional photo for press only.
The self-proclaimed ?King of Punk Funk,? Rick James came from humble beginnings in Buffalo before hooking up with Neil Young while dodging the draft in Canada. With a penchant for pyrotechnics, glitter, custom boots and marijuana, his quest to become a black rock star reached its apex when a throwaway song, ?Super Freak,? topped the charts and gave him the fame he?d dreamed of.Written by Mark Monroe and Mike Judge; directed by Mike Judge.
Photos (both): Courtesy of Cinemax. Please note these are promotional photos for press only.
Episode #9 (season 2, episode 1): ?George Clinton?Debut date: FRIDAY, NOV. 2 (10:00?10:30 p.m. ET/PT)
Photo: Courtesy of Cinemax. Please note this is a promotional photo for press only.
A cornerstone figure in funk music, George Clinton went from singing a capella in a barbershop to chasing Motown glory in Detroit with his band, The Parliaments. But the introduction of LSD took him to the next level, as he built a funk empire with outrageous costumes, frequent band-name changes and an occasional bit of nudity. From his first hit, ?(I Wanna) Testify,? to the smash anthem ?Tear the Roof Off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk),? Clinton forged a lasting sound that went on to fuel a whole new genre: hip-hop.Written by Mark Monroe and Mike Judge; directed by Mike Judge.
Photos (all): Courtesy of Cinemax. Please note these are promotional photos for press only.
Returning for season two are executive producers Glen Zipper and Sean Stuart, along with writer and co-executive producer Mark Monroe. Joining the show is veteran music journalist Nelson George (?Finding the Funk,? HBO?s ?Life Support?) as consulting producer.
Debuting on CINEMAX in Sept. 2017, the first season of TALES FROM THE TOUR BUS spotlighted country music legends, including Johnny Paycheck, Jerry Lee Lewis, George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Billy Joe Shaver, Waylon Jennings and Blaze Foley.
The Los Angeles Times described the series as ?addictive,? while Decider called the show ?unlike anything you?ve ever seen before,? Rolling Stone hailed it as ?informative as it is hilariously raw? and A.V. Club termed the series ?storytelling gold.?
MIKE JUDGE PRESENTS: TALES FROM THE TOUR BUS was created by Mike Judge, Richard Mullins and Dub Cornett; executive produced by Mike Judge, Glen Zipper and Sean Stuart; composer, John Frizzell.
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