“All My Loving” was a 1967 TV special on the BBC that scared some people – and it’s easy to see why.

For older folks tuned in, video of musical acts and other counterculture elements likely conjured up images of the apocalypse. Add photos from Vietnam, Holocaust victims, and other disturbing shots added by filmmaker Tony Palmer, and it made for a disturbing hour.

On this video and in a modern context, however, it’s captivating. Fascinating bits include comments from the likes Paul McCartney, Eric Burden, and Manfred Mann, who predicts the celebrity gossip culture in which we are awash today. There’s an interview with Donovan that makes it all too easy to understand why some can do nothing but make fun of the ’60s and its inhabitants.

“All My Loving” gave ample time to great bands of the time. Jimi Hendrix surely put the fear of God into those unfamiliar with him when they saw this on TV. There are also great cuts of Cream, replete with closeups of Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, and Clapton looking like musical madmen. A camera crew also manages to follow the Who around and we catch up with them in Peoria, Illinois (of all places!) in all their destructive glory. We also get the view of some older English performers. They don’t exactly “get” the new guys. The most humorous part is an ear specialist talking about how loud the new music is and wondering where it will all lead for the younger generation.

“All My Loving” is a fascinating document from a time when this was all new – and the viewer is allowed to derive their own viewpoint.