PETER ASHER: EVERYWHERE MAN: 3 ½ STARS. “filled with bold-faced names.”
SYNOPSIS: The documentary “Peter Asher: Everywhere Man” details musician, manager and producer Asher’s impact on popular culture from the 1960s to today.
CAST: Peter Asher, Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Carole King, Steve Martin, John Lennon, Eric Idle, Twiggy, Pattie Boyd, Yoko Ono. Directed by Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine.
REVIEW: Dripping with nostalgia, “Peter Asher: Everywhere Man” is an appealing time capsule of twentieth century popular music, from the point of view of one of the people who shaped era defining sounds.
Fans of British Invasion period act Peter & Gordon and folks who read album liner notes will likely be familiar with Peter Asher. Others, less so. An influential but shadowy character, the documentary shines a light on his lifetime of success.
Son of a doctor and music professor, brother to actress Jane Asher (who dated Paul McCartney as Beatlemania took hold), child actor, pop star whose song “A World Without Love” went to number one around the world, head of Apple Studio’s A&R department and producer of singer-songwriters like James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt and Bonnie Raitt, his impact on pop culture is undeniable.
His life hasn’t been as documented as his famous friends, like Paul McCartney (who wrote four Peter & Gordon chart toppers), James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, so this guided tour through his Zelig-like life offers up much previously unearthed material.
Hung around the framework of one of Asher’s live storytelling and music shows, directors Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine intercut the new material and interviews with rare archival footage to create an entertaining but buy by-the-numbers biography.
We learn that McCartney gave “A World Without Love” to Peter & Gordon because John Lennon didn’t think it was strong enough for The Beatles. That his father was the doctor who identified and named Munchausen syndrome, and how he owned the gallery where John Lennon first met Yoko Ono. He introduced Marianne Faithfull to Mick Jagger and signed the unknown James Taylor to Apple Records.
He was at the spearhead of the British Invasion, and later, massaged and shaped the LA singer-songwriter sound through a mix of determination, great timing and an ability to grab opportunities as they presented themselves.
The show biz stories are fun and filled with bold-faced names, but the film skims the surface of its subject, content to let his cultural legacy stand front and center. A bit more insight as to why things happened rather than a chronological list of how they happened would have deepened the story and the appreciation for Asher’s accomplishments. Still, as a tribute film, it’s a snappy, if superficial, look at a remarkable career.
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