First transmitted in 1964, Benjamin Britten's War Requiem is performed at the Royal Albert Hall. The Melos Ensemble is conducted by Benjamin Britten, and the performers include Heather Harper (soprano), Peter Pears (tenor), Thomas Hemsley (baritone) and Simon Preston (organ and chamber organ). Also featured are the BBC Chorus and Choral Society, Boys from Emanuel School, London Philharmonic Choir, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten in a programme of traditional English songs. including "The Foggy, Foggy Dew", "O Waly, Waly", "Sweet Polly Oliver", "Sally in Our Alley", "Tom Bowling", "The Lincolnshire Poacher", "The Ploughboy". An informal concert given to an audience of friends at the Riverside Studios, London.
A classic Ella Fitzgerald performance from 1965.
Songs from Georgie Fame and Alan Price with special guest Thelma Houston
The Carpenters presenting brother and sister Richard and Karen Carpenter who in a year have had a phenomenal rise to fame. With special guest Tony Joe White
On 18 March 1972, T. Rex played two shows at the Empire Pool, Wembley, which were filmed by Ringo Starr and his crew for Apple Films. A large part of the second show was included on Bolan's own rock film Born to Boogie, while bits and pieces of the first show can be seen throughout the film's end-credits
A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night starring Harry Nilsson and Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra leader JACK ROTHSTEIN. Harry Nilsson sings a selection of old favourites - like ' Lazy Moon ' and ' Somewhere over the rainbow ' specially arranged and conducted by Gordon Jenkins.
Tubular Bells Live Performance on BBC TV "BBC TV 2nd House Performance": live-in-the-studio performance for the BBC, filmed on 30 November 1973, originally broadcast on BBC2 on 5th January 1974, with a cast including Oldfield, his brother Terry (flute), Fred Frith (and other members of Henry Cow), Steve Hillage, Pierre Moerlen, Tom Newman, Mike Ratledge, Mick Taylor, Karl Jenkins and others. It includes a new part for oboe.
Recorded at Ronnie Scott's in London in 1974 and backed by the Tommy Flanagan Quartet, Ella Fitzgerald performs some of her most famous songs, including George Gershwin's The Man I Love.
Roy Orbison and featuring some of his biggest hits, including ' Only the lonely,' ' Running scared ' and ' Oh pretty woman.' Musical director ALAN PAINTER Director TONY HARRISON Producer PETER RIDSDALE SCOTT (Manchester) http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/96fbb0f460af4ff8856b1c0856c40afe
In 1975, the BBC produced a version of Fairport's “Babbacombe” Lee for television, entitling it The Man They Couldn't Hang. It was recorded on September 24, 1974 and broadcast on February 1, 1975. This featured narration by Melvin Bragg, broadsides by Martin Carthy, most of the songs from the record by an unusual Fairport line-up (Donahue / Nicol / Mattacks / Pegg / Swarbrick), and one song, sung by Sandy Denny (three verses) and Simon Nicol (last verse). Although the original record of “Babbacombe” Lee has no song titles, Breakfast in Mayfair was the working title for this song. It appeared as this on The History of Fairport Convention and in 2002 on the Fairport unConventioNal 4CD set and was added as bonus track to the 2004 CD reissue of “Babbacombe” Lee.
Karen and Richard Carpenter concluded their 1976 British tour with this specially-recorded programme. Songs include There's A Kind of Hush, I Need to be in Love, Close to You, Strike up the Band, Top of the World, Only Yesterday, I Won't Last a Day Without You, Hurting Each Other, Superstar, Goodbye to Love, We've Only Just Begun and Yesterday Once More.
As we prepare to celebrate the platinum jubilee, another opportunity to see the entertainment spectacular, originally broadcast on BBC One on New Year's Eve 1976, which looked back at the musical highlights of the first 25 years of the Queen's reign. A host of stars including Vera Lynn, Acker Bilk, Max Bygraves, Petula Clark, Ken Dodd, Val Doonican, Kathy Kirby, Lulu, Matt Monro, Cliff Richard and Helen Shapiro relive their own greatest moments, alongside performances by Norman Wisdom with The Young Generation and Alyn Ainsworth and His Orchestra.
A special concert recorded at the Royal Festival Hall in 1977, where 80 musicians played new arrangements of Glen Campbell's hit songs.
Making a very rare appearance on British television, this group perform tonight some of the beautiful music which has made them so popular throughout the world. Also featuring Michael Botts, Larry Knechtel, Dean Parks
The most distinctive new sound of the 70s-that's Kate Bush and in tonight's programme she sings some new songs written specially for the occasion. With special guest Peter Gabriel
ABBA star in their first European TV special, recorded on location in the Swiss Alps. Also featuring special guests Kate Bush and Roxy Music.
In Concert in Belfast For Stiff Little Fingers it was a 'home game'. Back to Belfast to play in front of the fans who had supported them from their early punk days in 1978. U2 are from Dublin. A polished and sophisticated rock band whose live performances are already becoming legendary within the music world. Tonight's gig, recorded at Queen's University in Belfast, combines the sounds of SLF and U2 with the energy of an enthusiastic Irish crowd.
Two stars of folk/rock music, Richard and Linda Thompson, sing songs about the night - songs romantic, ecstatic, sinister, compassionate and rousing. with musicians John Kirkpatrick, Dave Mattacks, Simon Nicol, Pete Zorn BBC Bristol Shown on BBC One London, 19 August 1981 at 23:10. See https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f5a54b64510043f78aea09191054c1f1
The Three Degrees line-up of Sheila Ferguson, Helen Scott and Valerie Holiday sing some of their greatest hits in a BBC TV special, first broadcast in 1982.
During a career which was originally designed to make him a classical pianist, the musical achievements and statistics of singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka have made him a compelling figure in contemporary music, with 600 songs written and 20 million records sold. The hits from his early rock 'n' roll days to his later, more lyrical age are all included in this special one-man show from the 1980s.
In April of this year Joni Mitchell returned to Britain for her first tour in nine years. BBCs Old Grey Whistle Test and Radio Is In Concert went to Wembley to record the last night of the tour and tonight's stereo simultaneous broadcast features highlights from that concert. Her concert included such favourites as 'Big yellow taxi', 'Free man in Paris', 'Case of you', 'Woodstock' and her hit of that year, 'Chinese cafe'.
Val Doonican performs with seasonal music and appearances from newsreader Jan Leeming, percussionist Evelyn Glennie, snooker's Dennis Taylor and the Arts Educational School Choir.
On four nights in the summer of 1985 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band filled to capacity the Los Angeles Coliseum, home of the 1984 Olympics. It was the culmination of a 16-month world tour, during which Born in the USA became the CBS label's biggest-selling album of all time. In this world-exclusive interview, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band talk to David Hepworth , with extracts from 14 previously unseen performances including 'Sandy' from Springsteen's English debut performance at the Hammersmith Odeon concert in 1975.
First of two programmes. Join the party as a host of stars celebrate the birthday of one of the world's greatest musicians. Tonight's programme features archive clips and interviews with special guests Paul Young , Tears For Fears and Junior Giscombe. The concert is a musical journey through Stevie's greatest hits, and includes new songs being performed for the first time.
The sounds of Motown keep rollin'. Part two of Stevie Wonder 's concert special builds up to the highlight of the evening when more than 15 international stars including Tears for Fears, Billy Ocean , Aswad, Cyndi Lauper , Chaka Khan and Junior Giscombe join him on stage to take part in the biggest pop birthday bash this year.
A selection of performances including Planxty, Paul Brady, Andy Irvine and Mary Black. The band list is: Planxty, Pumpkinhead, Midnight Well, Micheal O'Domhnaill, Arty McGlynn, Paul Brady, Geordie Hanna, Mary Black, Andy Irvine Mick Hanly, Christy Moore, The Bothy Band
Music from folk favouries such as David McWilliams, Midnight Well, Mick Hanly, and Arty McGlynn
Composer, conductor and one of the greatest pianists in the history of music, Rachmaninov seems to be the model of the essential romantic artist - sad, obsessed with death, isolated from homeland and culture. Yet at the same time he was a convivial friend and devoted family man. This portrait, written by British composer Gerard McBurney , presents the paradoxes and contrasts of a mysterious creative personality, drawing on previously unseen home movies of the composer. With pianists Howard Shelley and Hilary Macnamara.
In the late 19th century, the popular music tradition of operetta swept the world and found a permanent home in central Europe - Vienna and Budapest in particular. Mark Steyn traces the history of this musical form, from Johann Strauss , through Lehar, Kalman and Robert Stolz to the present day where its inheritors include the most popular figure in musical theatre, Andrew Lloyd Webber. Producer Simon Broughton says the film aims "to demonstrate that operetta is not as frothy and trivial as usually perceived, but does comment in its own way on the state of the world which created it". It questions whether popular contemporary musicals, such as Evita, Cats and Phantom of the Opera, are the new operettas of today.
Katia and Marielle Labeque are international concert pianists, who gave 140 concerts in 90 cities last year. They have helped to revitalise the piano duet as a concert medium and have fought to break down barriers to make all kinds of music accessible to all kinds of audiences. They play what they want to play - classical composers at rock concerts and modern music and jazz to their classical audiences. This film was shot on tour with the duo in Europe.
Amsterdam is still one of the most open and tolerant cities in Europe, a home to original creators from all over the world. Dutch composer Louis Andriessen is one of the most exciting artists to come out of the city since the war, and has collaborated with performance artist Robert Wilson and film-maker Peter Greenaway. In this film his former student, the controversial composer Steve Martland paints a portrait of a uniquely inventive and often anarchic figure.
Called "indispensable" by American composer John Cage , Satie (1866-1925) is for many simply the composer of the Gymnopedie used in countless advertisements, films and even sleep therapy. In this film, contemporary artists and composers tell the story of his life and work - among them Tom Phillips , Carla Bley , Philip Glass, Gavin Bryars , Joanna MacGregor and Kurt Schwertsik. After a period as a Montmartre bohemian, Satie became much sought-after and collaborated with artists like Picasso, Braque and Picabia, the photographer Man Ray and director Rene Clair. The programme contains performances of some of his most important works.
Session from Andy Irvine and Paul Brady, recorded in the seventies
Singer-songwriter Elvis Costello and the classical Brodsky Quartet have teamed up to compose and record a series of songs, The Juliet Letters, using the unlikely combination of voice and string quartet. This film tells the story of this surprising collaboration and includes live performances.
In a documentary that is almost as revealing as her dresses, Shirley Bassey talks about her work and the cost to her family life. "Success ruins your personal life and relationships, especially for a woman.... [it] broke up my marriage and it didn't help my children any," she says. She also talks about how, after the tragic death of her youngest daughter, she broke down on stage in front of an audience of 10,000 fans: "There was an anger there and a guilt and I didn't give myself time enough to grieve." Filmed in London, Cardiff and Monte Carlo the documentary includes interviews with some of the star's friends and associates including her daughter Sharon, her musical director and costume designer. It also gives viewers the chance to peek into the wardrobe at some of her most glittering and glamorous gowns.
A tribute to the humorist and musician Viv Stanshall , best known as a member of the 60s group the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, who died last month. The programme features a summary of his career and another showing of his last major work, Crank, first broadcast in 1991 on The Late Show. An autobiographical playlet, it combines monologue with six original songs and explores Stanshall's relationship with his father. Introduced by John Peel.
Dusty Springfield narrates a documentary profile of the songwriter who won an Oscar for the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid score, enjoyed stage success with Promises, Promises and whose classic songs continue to influence modern music. Featuring interviews with Dionne Warwick, Noel Gallager, Hal David, Herb Alpert, Elvis Costello, Cilla Black, Richard Carpenter, Carol Bayer Sager and Gillian Lynne.
Singer David Essex narrates a behind-the-scenes history of the nation's favourite radio station, from its 1967 launch by DJ Tony Blackburn to the present day.
Documentary about the making of former Beatles' producer George Martin 's final album In My Life, featuring Beatles' songs performed by a host of actors, comics and musicians. Tracks include: Come Together - Robin Williams & Bobby McFerrin, A Hard Day's Night - Goldie Hawn, A Day In The Life - Jeff Beck, Here There & Everywhere - Celine Dion, Because - Vanessa Mae, I Am The Walrus - Jim Carrey, Here Comes The Sun - John Williams, Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite - Billy Connolly, The Pepperland Suite - George Martin, Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, the End - Phil Collins, Friends And Lovers - George Martin, In My Life - Sean Connery
A one hour documentary looking into the life and works of John Peel. This was first broadcast on BBC2 during John Peel's Night in 1999. The documentary includes rare archives from America, where John's voice can be heard from his days as a DJ in America. Also the programme interviews John at his home, in his car and also at his office, where he opens lots of mail, which includes CD's from unsigned bands/artists. Contributers in the programme include John Walters, his producer and many other broadcasters and recording artists.
Documentary charting the career of diva Dusty Springfield, who died in March, from Catholic schoolgirl to superstar. Springfield's trademark panda eyes and blonde beehive became famous around the world after hits such as You Don't Have to Say You Love Me and Son of a Preacher Man. Fellow musicians, including Elton John, Burt Bacharach, Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys, Lulu and Martha Reeves , join fans, friends and archive footage to paint a picture of the complex and vulnerable singer.
Documentary about one of Britain's greatest and best-loved bands. Slade scored six number ones in the 70s, a feat rivalled only by Abba. Formed in Wolverhampton and led by Noddy Holder, Slade sold over 50 million records worldwide during a 20-year career which saw them re-invent themselves as skinhead yobs, then mirror-hatted platform-shoe-pioneering glam gods, before finally re-emerging as hard rock heroes. Their poorly-spelled, self-written selection of terrace anthems included Cum on Feel the Noize, Coz I Luv You, Take Me Bak Ome, Mama Weer All Crazee Now and, unforgettably, Merry Xmas Everybody. Apart from Noddy and his bandmates - Dave Hill, Jim Lea and Don Powell - the cast here also includes Noel Gallagher of Oasis (who covered Cum On Feel the Noize), Status Quo, Toyah Wilcox, Suzi Quatro and Ozzy Osbourne.
A short compilation of clips from Fred Astaire's days at the RKO studio, where he formed an unforgettable partnership with Ginger Rogers. Includes Fred Astaire's definitive performance of the song and dance routine, as recorded in the late 1920s by Irving Berlin, and later featured in his 1946 musical Blue Skies.
The show includes the tracks Wild is the Wind, Ashes to Ashes, Fame and Let's Dance, and was performed in front of a few hundred fans at the BBC Radio Theatre in London's West End.
The Dixie Chicks present their European debut, live at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire. In an intimate setting, the country music stars perform some of their greatest hits, including There's Your Trouble and Wide Open Spaces.
Duran Duran came out of Birmingham and conquered the world during the 1980s. Originally a New Romantic band in full make-up and cossack pants, they rapidly became bedroom pin-ups for a generation of teenage girls. Led by Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and John Taylor, Duran Duran dominated the British and American charts in the mid-1980s with classic singles such as Rio, Save a Prayer and Wild Boys. Pioneers of the MTV-style promo video - from the X-rated Girls on Film to Raiders of the Lost Ark spoof Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran were the 80s equivalent of the Beatles in America and outsold Spandau Ballet and Wham! in their pomp. 60 million records later, Le Bon and Rhodes are seen touring America with their Pop Trash project from the early 2000s. The documentary reflects on the heady heights of Duran Duran's career, the cracks in their make-up plus the effects of sex, drugs and fame on ordinary boys from working class backgrounds. Apart from the key Durannies - Le Bon, Rhodes and John Taylor - the programme also features celebrity interviews with Debbie Harry, Yasmin Le Bon, Duran Duran managers Paul and Michael Berrow, Claudia Schiffer, Nile Rodgers and Lou Reed.
Nine years after his death from an Aids-related illness, and a quarter of a century after Bohemian Rhapsody first topped the singles charts, friends and relatives of Queen's flamboyant front man Freddie Mercury recall their memories in a frank portrait of his life. Featuring contributions from the singer's mother and sister, his former lovers, members of Queen, Elton John and opera star Montserrat Caballe.
The BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marin Alsop, performs UK premieres of three works by American composer Philip Glass at the Barbican Hall.In an interview with presenter Charles Hazlewood, Philip Glass discusses the influence of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on his work and explains why he is uncomfortable being referred to as a minimalist composer.Music includes the European premier of Concerto Fantasy for Two Timpanists & Orchestra with solo timpanists Jonathan Haas and John Chimes.
Culture Club, Spandau Ballet, Visage, Marilyn, Adam and the Ants, Duran Duran, ABC... At the dawn of the 80s, a whole host of strangely dressed men in make-up burst forth onto the music scene brandishing synthesisers and kicking against the visual ugliness of punk. They came mainly from the London club scene, led by gender-bending host Steve Strange and pioneering electronic DJ Rusty Egan, and conquered the charts with classic tracks such as Do You Really Want to Hurt Me, To Cut a Long Story Short, Kings of the Wild Frontier, Planet Earth, Fade to Grey, Calling Your Name and Poison Arrow.
First transmitted in 2001, Charles Hazlewood talks to Karlheinz Stockhausen about his life and work. The German composer is shown in rehearsal and performing his work.Known for his ground-breaking work in electronic music the ‘Papa of Techno’ discusses his influence on artists including Björk, Grateful Dead and Portishead. Stockhausen also reflects on the importance of dreams on his work and recalls the dream that led him to create one of his best-know pieces: Helikopter-Streichquartett. The composition requires the four members of a string quartet to each perform in a separate helicopter whilst circling in the sky.
Jamie Theakston presents the history of Britain's best-loved music show, spanning four decades of great music and including archive footage of classic performances and backstage antics. As well as interviews with former presenters, such as Jimmy Savile and John Peel, there are also contributions from artists who have appeared on the show, including Pan's People, Robin Gibb, Noddy Holder, Blondie, Holly Johnson, Suggs, Noel Gallagher, Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams.
Filmed over two years in India and the USA, Mark Kidel's award-winning documentary brings together archive footage spanning seven decades of Ravi Shankar's performing life, and provides a definitive account of the late sitar maestro's unique musical career.
As Madonna's first world tour since 1993 arrives in London tonight, this film examines her love affair with Great Britain. Friends and contemporaries, including Jean Paul Gaultier , Mel C , Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue and Hearsay, discuss her influence on British art, fashion and gender politics.
From 1970 to the mid 80s, When Rock Ruled The World celebrates the unavoidable appeal of the loudest, fastest, heaviest music on the planet, a time when everyone wanted to own an electric guitar, if only to turn the volume up to eleven. Featuring the extravagance of Led Zeppelin; the power of Deep Purple; the progressive indulgence of Hawkwind; the intensity of Black Sabbath and the band that defined 'excess all areas', Motley Crue. All the extremes of rock are here - the long hair, the air guitar, the leather, the cider and snakebite that were part of an age when rock pumped out an earth-quaking racket that blasted the dandruff from a thousand mullets. Interviewees include Alice Cooper, Lemmy of Motorhead, Vic Reeves, Ozzy Osbourne, Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue, Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden, Slash of Guns n Roses, Rob Halford of Judas Priest, Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi of Status Quo.
As seen through the blurred eyesight of the coolest cats of the sixties, When Hippies Ruled The World takes a trip back to the end of the psychedelic Sixties - the dreams, trips, movies, and music - to a time was love was all that was needed. From 1967 to 1970, the hippie revolution gave us great anthems, great events, great sex and great big afghan coats. The music was by The Doors; queen of the hippies Joni Mitchell; and the world was set alight by the number one hit Fire by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Hippies dropped out at the biggest festival, Woodstock, and were turned on by LSD and free love. The whole experience was literally set on film by Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda in Easy Rider while the hippest of all looked East and followed in the trail of the Beatles to India. Interviewees include singer Joni Mitchell - in her first ever British TV interview; Ray Manzarek of The Doors; musician Arthur Brown; actor Dennis Hopper; actress Susan George; Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills and Nash; Nigel Planer (Neil from The Young Ones); Alan Whicker; Hippies Wavy Gravy and Mick Farren; DJ John Peel.
Jimmy Page, Brad Pitt and Chrissie Hynde are among the contributors to this one-off documentary that looks at the talented singer and songwriter Jeff Buckley who drowned five years ago aged 30. The film explores what shaped Jeff Buckley, what he might have become and his personal and musical legacy.
Dolly Parton is one of the world's great superstars, feted for her figure as much as for her music. Platinum Blonde goes inside her world to discover the woman under the wigs as she returned to the concert stage in the UK in 2002 after an absence of 20 years. Born into grinding poverty in rural Tennessee, Dolly has risen to the top of her tree in music, films and as a businesswoman who owns her own theme park. Friends, family and colleagues - including Lily Tomlin, Kenny Rogers, Billy Connolly, Dabney Coleman and Alison Krauss - help tell her story, along with the full and frank views of Dolly herself. With cameo appearances from Sinead O'Connor, Norah Jones, Jonathan Ross and Terry Wogan.
A documentary about the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, responsible for creating some of the most memorable television and radio music in British popular culture, including "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and "Doctor Who" (1963).
Pianist Freddy Kempf plays Chopin's Etude in A minor, Op 25 No 1.
Profile of the great British contralto Kathleen Ferrier. Contributors include Janet Baker, George Christie, Evelyn Barbirolli and Ian Jack.
Elton John is among the stars celebrating the late, trailblazing pianist and singer.
The New York country star plays live at the Barbican, London on Friday 7th November 2003 for Way Beyond Nashville Festival. Broadcast on BBC 4 on 29 February 2004. Introduction When The Roses Bloom Again Early Years Rainy Boy Churches Off The Interstate All The same To You Mountain Fern Yonder Comes A Freight train
First transmitted in 2004, this concert from London's Barbican features the music of composer, writer, artist and mushroom expert John Cage, one of the most extraordinary artistic figures of the 20th Century.In this concert, performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra as part of its annual Composer Weekend, we hear music by some of the giants of American music including Aaron Copland, Charles Ives, William Schuman and Henry Cowell, who was a major influence on Cage.There are two pieces by Cage himself, The Seasons and the work for which he is infamous - the silent 4'33".
The full story behind the iconic song, featuring Brian May and Roger Taylor's return to Rockfield Studios, where they rerecord the guitar and drum parts, and tell the story of how the song came together. Narrated by Richard E Grant, the documentary includes exclusive rare recordings of Freddie Mercury performing the song in studio, Queen's first ever TV performance and the making of the video, as well as interviews with Mercury's friends and family, The Darkness and Bjorn Ulvaeus from Abba.
Documentary profiling the life of legendary country music star Johnny Cash, who died in 2003 shortly after completing the retrospective Unearthed, a five-CD set of the acoustic performances with which he resurrected his career in the last decade of his life, and after losing his wife, June Carter Cash. This first major retrospective of Cash's life, times and music features contributions from his daughter Rosanne Cash and son John Carter Cash, his longtime manager Lou Robin and fellow musicians including Little Richard, Cowboy Jack Clement, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard and Elvis Costello. Cash was the son of a poor sharecropper from Kingsland, Arkansas, who sang folk, spiritual and country songs to himself while picking cotton in the fields. In the 50s he signed to Sam Phillips' Sun Records, scored his first hits and was part of the 'Million Dollar Quartet' with Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. In the 60s, he created his famous 'Man in Black' persona, and became a huge country star with hits like Folsom Prison Blues, Ring of Fire, I Walk the Line and A Boy Named Sue, while torn between drug dependency, hellraising and a powerful spirituality. Cash had long since established himself as a man of the people with his prison concerts beginning with an incendiary performance at San Quentin in 1958. He ended the decade by finally marrying June Carter - a member of hugely influential US country dynasty the Carter Family - launching his own national TV series from Nashville, befriending the Native American movement and opposing the war in Vietnam while playing concerts for the soldiers in the field. After tough times in the 80s, Cash reignited his career with a new young audience in the 90s when he recorded with rap-rock producer Rick Rubin.
Between ensemble and solo performances, an insight into the practice of the string quartet. The Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival in Finland, is the perfect setting for directing a documentary on string quartets. String players from different quartets share their view on their musical practice and highlight the particularity of playing in such ensembles: how to reconcile 4 individuals with their own musical personalities. The documentary particularly follows the members of the British Lindsay Quartet during their stay in Kuhmo in 2004. They built their reputation on their recordings of the complete works for string quartets by Beethoven, Bartok and Haydn. We can attend their rehearsals and see how they negotiate their interpretation and reach a state of "synchronized individuality."
Perhaps the only time Roni Size Delia Smith and John Humphries will appear on the same programme? Introduced by Jo Whiley. Interviewees include Phil Jupitus, Bejamin Zephaniah, Delia Smith, Roni Size, Nick Cave, Johnny Marr, Alan Hansen, John Humphries, Annie Nightingale
The brave new sound worlds of avant-garde composers such as John Cage, Steve Reich. Cornelius Cardew and Karlheinz Stockhausen.
A profile of folk musician Bob Copper, from his Sussex farming roots to world recognition.
A profile of one of England's truly unique and underrated bands, The Fall. One of the most enigmatic, idiosyncratic and chaotic garage bands of the last 30 years, The Fall are led by the belligerent and poetic Mark E Smith and grew out of the fringe of the Manchester punk scene. By 2005, they had released in excess of three dozen albums, toured relentlessly, inspired two successful stage plays, recorded 24 Peel Sessions, and performed with contemporary ballet dancer Michael Clark along with various spoken word events. All this has happened under the guidance of Smith with various line-ups totalling over 40 different members. They have never conformed to fashion or musical trends and when asked why they were his favourite band, John Peel replied 'they are always different, they are always the same'. This is the first time that Mark E Smith has agreed to the story being told on television and he along with many of the major players take us through this unique English rock 'n' roll story. It is told alongside footage of their most recent and sadly now last Peel Session recorded in August 2004 at the BBC Maida Vale studios, and there is also film of John playing out the session at Peel Acres a week later. Contributors include past and present band members such as Marc Riley, Una Baines, Steve Hanley, Ben Pritchard and Eleni Smith, plus thoughts from key fans/critics including Paul Morley, Tony Wilson, Stewart Lee, promoter Alan Wise, original Buzzcocks manager Richard Boon, and Franz Ferdinand.
Compilation which unlocks the BBC vaults to explore the burgeoning singer-songwriter genre that exploded at the dawn of the 1970s and became one of the definining styles of that decade. Featuring classic songs from Bobbie Gentry, Kris Kristofferson, Buffy Saint-Marie, Janis Ian, Gordon Lightfoot, John Martyn, Randy Newman, Linda Lewis, Joni Mitchell, Don McLean, Ralph McTell, Loudon Wainwright III, Don Williams and Paul Brady. Programme sources include The Old Grey Whistle Test, Top of the Pops, Sounds for Saturday, The Bobbie Gentry Show and One in Ten.
In August 1995 Blur and Oasis were engaged in a head-to-head chart battle which divided music fans and led to a wider argument about British pop music. John Harris, journalist and author of The Last Party - the definitive study of the entwinement of music and politics in the 1990s - presents a documentary charting the rise of Britpop, its brief romance with New Labour and the emergence of 'new lad' culture. Finally, as Britpop declines, he asks what legacy it has left.
This is the tragic story of Stuart Sutcliffe, the talented young artist who died at the age of 21 from a brain haemorrhage. Not only was he a painter whose work showed massive potential, he was also one one of the biggest influences on the Beatles, providing them with both their style and their name during his brief time as their bassist. With contributions from Stuart's fiancee, Astrid Kirschherr, and his sister Pauline.
Documentary which traces the story of Live Aid from its humble beginnings, a pop tune cobbled together in the back seat of a taxi, to the eve of the biggest televised event ever staged on both sides of the Atlantic.
All eight members of the Pogues return to the studio where their biggest hit - and one of the nation's favourite Christmas songs - was recorded. Fairytale of New York's producer Steve Lillywhite strips the song down to the basics, and video director Peter Dougherty reveals the tricks behind the making of the video - including how a cameo from Hollywood star Matt Dillon stopped the Pogues from almost being arrested.
They say that blood is thicker than water and this documentary puts that to the test by examining the brothers who have formed and fronted rock bands. From the Everlys to the Gallaghers via the Kinks and Spandau Ballet, it tells the stories of the bands of brothers who went from their bedrooms to become household names - often with a price to pay. With contributions from Martin Kemp, Matt Goss, Dave Davies, Phil Everly, David Knopfler and the Campbell brothers of UB40.
The music legend returns to Studio 2 at the famed recording venue in London where the Beatles produced most of their records. Along with producer Nigel Godrich , Sir Paul goes through his back catalogue and picks out a few numbers to perform in front of a selected audience of 64 people. Look out for re-workings of old favourites, a few songs not heard before and some great cover versions, all played on McCartney's own collection of vintage instruments. McCartney plays left-handed and right-handed guitars, drums, harmonium, double bass, Mellotron, and even wine glasses in a reworking of the Wings song "Band on the Run". He also reworks the Beatles' track "Lady Madonna", which he calls "Old Lady in New Clothes", with a much slower tempo and a swung melody line.
Pierre Boulez conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in a special concert from the Barbican, as part of the composer's 80th birthday celebrations.The programme contains two compositions by Debussy; Jeux and Trois ballades de Villon, as well as Daphnis et Chloé by Ravel, featuring soprano Elizabeth Atherton as soloist.Presenter Charles Hazlewood interviews Boulez and discusses the concert with guest Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.
The oldest music magazine in the world celebrates its 3,000th issue this August and, in this retrospective, Chrissie Hynde , Kaiser Chiefs, Tony Parsons , Paul Morley , Danny Baker and Steve Lamacq look back at the feuds and personalities that shaped our musical culture.
A legendary concert recorded especially for the BBC by Mahalia Jackson, one of the world’s greatest gospel singers, while on a flying visit to London in 1964. Her performance includes The Whole World in His Hands, Silent Night and Didn’t it Rain.
A radio favourite comes to Tv for the first time, with Roy Hudd joining the BBC Concert Orchestra. The condictor is John Wilson, guests include Janis Kelly and alisdair Malloy.09/10/2005
Documentary about a group of female singers whose voices make you weep, sang songs of heartbreak and betrayal, had lives that seem to mirror their music and deaths that came too soon and made myths of them all. Yet their voices triumph over tragedy and they became icons of the 20th century. Edith Piaf, the Urchin Queen, stood small but strong and became the voice of her nation and of everyone who ever made mistakes. Billie Holiday, the Jazz Queen, her voice full of pain and yearning. Judy Garland, Showbiz Queen, raised in the film studio that fed her addiction to pills and to fame. Maria Callas, Drama Queen, whose voice brought out the heartache in opera and whose life echoed the roles she played. And Janis Joplin, Wild Queen, who offered up a 'piece of her heart' and died of drug abuse at just 27. With contributions from Mickey Rooney, Charles Aznavour, Country Joe McDonald, KT Tunstall, Katie Melua and Corinne Bailey-Rae.
Compilation of performances from Later with Jools Holland, shown in 2006 as part of the "Folk Britainnia" strand.
This brilliant musical documentary tells the story of Ronnie Lane from his heyday with first the Small Faces and then the Faces, through the sixties and seventies, his experiments with a rural life and the touring musical circus that he dubbed The Passing Show. Finally it charts his latter days once he developed Multiple Sclerosis. Featuring numerous musical clips and interviews with family, friends and colleagues including Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, Ian McLagan, Kenney Jones, Glyn Johns, Henry McCullough, Joe Ely and many more. Includes clips from: April Fool, Debris, Whatcha Gonna Do About It?, Tin Soldier, Lazy Sunday, Itchycoo Park, Stay With Me, How Come, The Poacher, Tell Everyone, Annie, Kushty Rye, Ooh La La and many more...
Graham Norton profiles the leading ladies of the disco era, including Gloria Gaynor, Donna Summer, Grace Jones, Chaka Khan, Madonna and 'honorary disco queen' Sylvester. Includes contributions from the queens themselves, plus Antonio 'Huggy Bear' Fargas, choreographer Arlene Phillips, songwriters Ashford and Simpson, disco artists Verdine White from Earth, Wind and Fire, Bonnie Pointer of The Pointer Sisters and Nile Rodgers of Chic.
The talented English singer/ songwriter and actress is arguably best known for her 1964 hit Downtown, but she also found fame in America on Broadway, and across the English Channel with albums recorded in French.
Documentary series uncovering the stories behind famous songs. This edition looks at Pulp's Britpop anthem Common People. Jarvis Cocker goes back to St Martin's College, where he met the girl who would inspire him to write a song that examines class, politics and Britain in the 90s. Pulp are reunited back at their old rehearsal rooms above a pottery shop to reminisce about the song's success and what the track means to them.
Examining the career of Leeds troubadour Jake Thackray, which saw him perform his unique style of satirical but hauntingly romantic music and poetry on television and radio, and live on stage, making appearances on The Frost Report, That's Life! and The Braden Beat.
Profiling the bebop musician and saxophone virtuoso who changed the face of jazz for ever, all before his tragic death at the age of 34. Family members and friends mark the 50th anniversary of his passing and trace the key events in his turbulent life.
She won the prestigious BBC Young Musician competition in 2004 at the age of 16. Since then, Nicola Benedetti 's career as a solo violinist has developed at an extraordinary rate. This profile looks at the last six months, and features her New York recital debut, several concert engagements around the UK, and the build-up to the recording of her second album at Abbey Road studios. The film also explores the young woman behind the formidable talent and shows her at home with family and friends.
The absorbing story of New York's most successful and enduring female-fronted band, from their beginnings at punk club CBGBs in 1974 to their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. Includes exclusive footage from their recent UK tour plus in-depth interviews with current and ex-band members, and friends including Iggy Pop and Tommy Ramone. Mark Radcliffe narrates. For the legions of Blondie fans this is a real honey of a documentary, featuring interviews with all the band members and with musical luminaries such as Chris Frantz of Talking Heads, and Iggy Pop, as well as enough archive footage to give an old punk the CBGB's. It's both a fantastic snapshot of a particular period and a classic rock 'n' roll tale. Some myths are laid to rest, such as why Debbie Harry only dyed half her hair blonde (not, as was supposed, to make a statement about the two sides of her personality but because she couldn't reach the back), and there are some great quotes - such as Iggy's description of Debbie's performance as being like "Barbarella on speed". But when you listen to some of Blondie's horribly out-of-tune early demos (such as the unrecognisable one for Heart of Glass), you'll be astounded they got where they did.
A feel-good musical spectacular in which Robin Gibb, Ronan Keating, Andrea Bocelli , Girls Aloud, Lulu, Louise Redknapp and Cyndi Lauper perform celebrated songs from the movies, while special guest Shirley Bassey belts out a medley of her three famous James Bond themes. Hosted by Tess Daly.
Over the last five decades, the girl group formula has yielded hit after hit. But this classic pop template is also guaranteed to deliver high drama and backstage rows. This nostalgic documentary examines the phenomenon as it applies to six celebrated girl groups - the Supremes, the Three Degrees, Sister Sledge, Bananarama, the Bangles and the Spice Girls - with contributions from artists, managers and producers.
A profile of the Leeds troubadour who wrote and recorded seven albums of songs, poetry and stories.
Another chance to see a 23-year-old Amy Winehouse at Porchester Hall where, hot from her triumph at the 2007 Brits, she gave a special one-off concert. Crowned 2007's Best British Female, Amy performed songs from her Back to Black album and her 2003 Mercury Music Prize nominated album, Frank.
From the streets of New York City to the studios of the BBC comes the cream of the New York rock scene, including classic archive performances from the Ramones, New York Dolls, Television, Blondie, Lou Reed and many more.
Documentary looking at the music and mythology of a golden era in Californian culture, and telling the story of how Los Angeles changed from a kooky backwater in the early 1960s to become the artistic and industrial hub of the American music industry by the end of the 1970s. Alongside extensive and never before seen archive footage, the programme features comprehensive first-hand accounts of the key figures including musicians (David Crosby, Graham Nash, J. D. Souther, Bernie Leadon and Bonnie Raitt, music industry bosses (David Geffen, Jac Holzman, Ron Stone and Peter Asher) and legendary LA scenesters including Henry Diltz, Pamela Des Barres and Ned Doheny. The film explores how the socially-conscious folk rock of young hippies with acoustic guitars was transformed into the coked-out stadium excess of the late 1970s and the biggest selling album of all time.
A collection of some of the greatest soul performances from the BBC's archive, featuring Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Dusty Springfield, Isaac Hayes, Solomon Burke and Percy Sledge.
Lesley Joseph narrates a documentary about the unlikely pin-ups of the 1970s music scene, from Gilbert O'Sullivan and Barry White to Leo Sayer and Demis Roussos. These were men whose lyrics conjured up images of candle-lit dinners, red roses and cosy nights in with the man of your dreams. For millions of female fans their romantic music was the perfect soundtrack for dreams of escape from the day-to-day drudgery of life in 70s Britain.
The Manchester born singer-songwriter David Gray performs his biggests tracks including 'Babylon', 'Please Forgive Me', 'This Year's Love', 'The One I Love', 'The Other Side' and recent single 'You're The World To Me'. David is joined by his new four piece band and a string section. Another in the series of intimate and exclusive shows from LSO St Luke's church in East London.
How the squalid streets of '70s New York gave birth to music that would go on to conquer the world - punk, disco and hip hop. In the 1970s the Big Apple was rotten to the core, yet out of the grime, grit and low rent space emerged new music unlike anything that had gone before. Inspired by the Velvet Underground, a new wave of 'punk' rock emerged in lower Manhattan including The New York Dolls, The Ramones and the Patti Smith Group. Meanwhile, downtown loft parties held by gay New Yorkers heralded the birth of disco, which would eventually spawn the ultimate club for the privileged few: Studio 54. The swanky mid-town discos were out of bounds to black New York so in the Bronx DJs such as Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa created their own parties, heralding the birth of hip hop. With David Johansen, Patti Smith, John Cale, Richard Hell, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, Kool Herc, Nile Rodgers, Chuck D, Tommy Ramone, Chris Stein, Fab 5. Freddy, Lenny Kaye, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, Syl Sylvain, Nicky Siano, David Mancuso, DJ AJ, David Depino, Jayne County, Leee Childers, Nelson George, Victor Bokris and Vince Aletti.
Jo Brand narrates a profile which celebrates the life and times of the BBC's first flagship live music programme, The Old Grey Whistle Test, which ran from 1971 to 1987. It looks at the music, the presenters, the TV rivals, the sparse studio and the legacy, finds out why Bob Harris whispered, what Sid Vicious tried to do to him and what Camel did with a woodwind quartet and why. All these questions are answered and many more, followed by loving compilations of those early 70s years, the era that time forgot.
Documentary about the Debbie Harry-fronted New York band Blondie, who crossed pop with punk, reggae and rap and had no 1's in all styles, from their Bowery beginnings at CBGBs in 1974 to their controversial induction into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. With exclusive backstage and performance footage from their 2006 UK tour, plus in-depth interviews with current and ex-band members and friends Iggy Pop, Shirley Manson, Tommy Ramone, and Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads.
Legendary soul singer-songwriter Bill Withers, at the height of his powers in a live concert for the BBC from 1974, performing hits such as Lean on Me, Ain't No Sunshine and Grandma's Hands.
A compilation of BBC performances by artists who lived and worked in California in the 1970s. Featuring Jackson Browne, Little Feat, Ry Cooder, Judee Sill, Bonnie Raitt and a rare duet between James Taylor and Carly Simon.
Thirty years after his death, the glam rock star's rise to fame with T Rex is retold with a mixture of rare footage, home movies and contributions from friends and contemporaries, including Gloria Jones.
Castrati were the undisputed superstars of 18th-century musical culture, driving crowds wild with their intoxicatingly androgynous virtuoso voices. Nicholas Clapton, countertenor and castrato historian, analyses the anatomical mysteries of the castrato and the biological implications of castrato. He travels to Bologna, the adopted home of Farinelli, perhaps the most famous castrato. And for the first time in Britain, American male soprano Michael Maniaci, a young Baroque opera singer whose voice did not break at puberty, performs Mozart's Exultate Jubilate, a piece originally written for castrato Rauzzini.
Documentary about brother and sister duo The Carpenters, one of the biggest selling pop acts of the 1970s, but one with a destructive and complex secret that ended in tragedy with Karen Carpenter's untimely death at 32. Featuring behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Richard Carpenter, family and friends.
Forty years after Britain's foremost 'underground' band released their debut album, 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn', Pink Floyd remain one of the biggest brand names and best-loved bands in the world. This film features extended archive footage alongside original interviews with David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Richard Wright and Nick Mason, and traces the journey of a band that has only ever had five members, three of whom have lead the band at different stages of its evolution.
To mark the 40th anniversary of the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles, the album's engineer, Geoff Emerick, heads back to the studio with some of today's top artists to create new versions of the album's classic tracks. Will today's musicians succeed in recording their versions of the songs using the original studio equipment from 1967, and with only a day to record each song? The Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight and Bryan Adams are among those taking up the challenge
Documentary which looks at the Irish folk revival of the last 20 or 30 years. 60 years ago virtually unheard abroad and largely unloved at home, Irish music has given the world a sense of Ireland and Ireland a sense of itself, as the country has risen from an impoverished post-colonial upstart to a modern European power. Contributors include Christy Moore, Paddy Moloney of The Chieftains, Ronnie Drew of The Dubliners, Liam Clancy of The Clancy Brothers and Shane MacGowan of The Pogues.
A look at the colourful lifestyle and inspiring music and lyrics of Shane MacGowan, former lead singer of the Pogues. Featuring specially-recorded performances of MacGowan's songs.
Documentary celebrating the triumph, tragedy and human comedy that was Manchester record company, Factory. Started by the late Tony Wilson, Alan Erasmus, Peter Saville and Martin Hannett in the late 1970s, it became known as the home of Joy Divsion, New Order and Happy Mondays and for creating the Hacienda club. The label pioneered Britain's independent pop culture, creating a new Manchester and blowing a shed-load of money. Includes interviews with all the main players in the Factory story.
Documentary which goes in search of the colliding worlds of pop and kids' TV, including the embarrassing moments, strange kids and bizarre incidents that illuminated the many facets of the genre. With interviews from past programme makers, presenters, pop stars and record company executives, including Sarah Greene, Mike Read, Stephen Gately, Tommy Boyd, Searchers and Emma Forbes.
Should England have its own national anthem and should the song be Jerusalem? This documentary explores the enduring appeal of one of the nation's favourite hymns.
Classic concert filmed in Norway during the 1967 Stax tour featuring performances from the soul legends signed to this famous US record label. Includes live sets by Booker T & The MGs (Green Onions and Red Beans And Rice), Arthur Conley (Sweet Soul Music and In The Midnight Hour), Sam and Dave (Hold On and I'm Coming), Eddie Floyd (Raise Your Hand), the Mar-Keys (Philly Dog and Last Night) and a barnstorming, five-song set by Otis Redding that includes Try A Little Tenderness, (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, My Girl and Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song).
British band the Verve perform at BBC's Maida Vale Studios in London.
First broadcast in 1988 and filmed in black and white, this TV concert filmed at the Coconut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles features Roy Orbison performing his classic songs with friends like Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, kd lang, Jennifer Warnes and Bonnie Raitt. The TCB Band which backs all featured artists was Elvis Presley's band till his death in 1977 and includes James Burton, Glen D Hardin, Jerry Scheff and Ronnie Tutt with musical director T-Bone Burnett.
Legendary rock 'n' roller Chuck Berry performs at the BBC Television Theatre in 1972. Johnny B Goode, Roll Over Beethoven and Nadine are just some of the highlights of this concert, shown in an extended cut. This version includes, for the first time, an epic rendition of My Ding-a-Ling that carries all before it and raises innuendo to an art form.
Series of intimate performances by contemporary performers and musical legends. Backed by a string section and five-piece band, Duffy runs through songs from her chart-topping debut album, Rockferry. Hits include Mercy, Rockferry and Warwick Avenue.
Neil Young grants rare and unprecedented access to the BBC for a documentary in which he traces his musical journey in his own words. The film was made from three hours of interview shot in New York and California, and uses previously unseen performance footage from the star's own extensive archives. It also features cohorts Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Nils Lofgren and James Taylor.
Celebration of the magic of pop music and the skill and musical dexterity that goes into writing, performing and producing hit records. Conductor Charles Hazlewood explores the mechanics of pop songs such as Imagine, Tomorrow Never Knows and Back to Black by breaking them down into six key areas, aided by contributions from a cast of writers, producers and arrangers including Guy Chambers, Martin Fry, Steve Levine, Richard Niles, Nick Ingman, John Altman and Rob Davis.
The great American master of irony, singer-songwriter Randy Newman graces the stage at LSO St Luke's in London for an intimate concert. Balancing songs of scathing wit with affecting romantic ballads, he is joined by the strings of the BBC Concert Orchestra under the baton of Robert Ziegler. There is a selection from his critically-acclaimed album Harps and Angels, including the critique of the Bush administration A Few Words in Defence of Our Country, and Newman also cherrypicks songs such as Short People, I Think It's Going to Rain Today, Political Science and Marie from his impressive back catalogue.
A vintage collection of Nana Mouskouri's performances from the BBC archive, including her entry in the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest and musical collaborations with Michel Legrand, Charles Aznavour and Cliff Richard.
Coldplay perform an exclusive 45 minute gig at BBC Television Centre, with a set of material from their new album and some old classics. The performance takes place on a specially-built stage outside the iconic BBC building.
Harpist Catrin Finch takes a musical journey to discover the ancient and fascinating history of the harp in Wales and the world, with interviews and performances from internationally-renowned guests including Alan Stivell, Carlos Orosco, Alemu Aga, Isabelle Perrin and Elinor Bennett.
There could be nothing more sweet and sentimental than the sound of traditional carols performed by a velvet-voiced choir at Christmas. Or so you would think. Composer Howard Goodall uncovers the surprising and often secret history of the Christmas carol. Far from being accepted as part of the celebrations of Jesus' birth, over the centuries carols have been banned by both church and state. The carols we sing seem set in stone and yet they can have up to 400 regional variations. Individual carols have caused controversy - While Shepherds Watched had to be cleaned up by the Victorians for being too crude and there's a suspicion that O Come All Ye Faithful was a call to 18th century Jacobites to rebel. The documentary celebrates the enduring power of the carol with a variety of performances from folk singer Bella Hardy to the choir of Truro Cathedral.
Fifty years after his death, this musical and psychological portrait of Ralph Vaughan Williams explores the passions that drove a giant of 20th-century English music. It explores the enormous musical range of an energetic, red-blooded composer whose output extends well beyond the delicate pastoralism of his perhaps most famous piece, The Lark Ascending. The film tells the story of his long marriage to his increasingly disabled wife Adeline and his long affair with the woman who eventually became his second wife, Ursula. The effect of these complicated relationships on his music is demonstrated in performances of orchestral and choral works, specially filmed at Cadogan Hall, London by the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Richard Hickox and by the singers of Schola Cantorum of Oxford. Among the contributors is the late Ursula Vaughan Williams, who was interviewed shortly before she died at the age of 96.
Documentary which reveals how the humble mouth-organ has been bent to different forms of music-making, featuring interviews and demonstrations from the world's leading players. With over a billion sold, the harmonica, often dismissed as a toy, was the first great democratiser in music creation, and Rory McLeod, Will Galison, Paul Jones, Brendan Power and Charlie Leighton are among those highlighting the instrument's appeal.
Documentary charting the success of Scottish pop bands in the 1980's and 90's.Featuring acts such as; Orange juice, The Associates , The Bluebells and The Proclaimers
A compilation of BBC studio performances of some of the great Manchester bands from the 1960s to the present, including Freddie and the Dreamers, The Hollies, 10CC, the Buzzcocks, The Fall, Joy Division, James, M-People, Oasis and many more.
Profiling the leading men of the glam rock era, Lisa Tarbuck guides us through the glittering careers of Marc Bolan, David Bowie, Noddy Holder, Brian Ferry, Elton John and honorary glam king Suzi Quatro. Industry men including producer Tony Visconti, songwriter Mike Chapman and photographer Mick Rock give the insider angle to the work of these artists.
A journey back to the 1950s for a look at the wildest pop music of all time in a film that tells the stories of Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly, giants from an era when pop music really was mad, bad and dangerous to know. The programme features the artists themselves, alongside people like Bill Haley's original Comets, The Crickets, Buddy Holly's widow Maria Elena, Jerry Lee Lewis's former wife Myra Gail and his sister, Chuck Berry's son and many more, including June Juanico, Elvis's first serious girlfriend. Other contributors include Tom Jones, Jamie Callum, Paul McCartney, Cliff Richard, Joe Brown, Marty Wilde, Green Day, Minnie Driver, Jack White of The White Stripes, The Mavericks, Jools Holland, Hank Marvin, Fontella Bass, John Waters and more. Elvis's pelvis was just the start. Who had to change the lyrics to their biggest hit because the originals were too obscene? Who married their 13-year-old cousin? Who used lard to get their hair just right? And what happened on the day the music died?
David Hepworth chronicles the history of the disc jockey. The DJ has often been a neglected profession but today's globe-trotting jocks enjoy superstar status. Contributors include Pete Tong, Annie Nightingale, Johnnie Walker and Ranking Miss P.
Music writer and self-confessed pop addict Paul Morley journeys to the heart of his obsession. At 50, Morley is just about as old as pop music itself and he argues that pop has played a central role in the culture of the nation over the past half century. Featuring a diverse cast of fellow pop obsessives including poet Simon Armitage, artist Peter Blake, the Sugababes and Suggs, Morley's documentary explores and celebrates the beauty and mystery of the three-minute pop single.
Legendary blues guitarist BB King named Peter Green as one of the greatest exponents of the blues, and the 'only guitar player to make me sweat'. If Green had only written Black Magic Woman, his name would still have a place in blues rock history forever. His three short years leading Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac saw the band established as one of the biggest-selling groups of the 1960s. Yet at the height of their fame Green left the group, with his life spiralling into turmoil as drug-induced mental health issues took control. Rumours of his demise began to spread, and sightings of him became notorious. After years battling his mental illness, Green is writing and recording again. Featuring archive performances and interviews with Carlos Santana, Noel Gallagher, founding members of Fleetwood Mac and Green himself, this film tells the story of one of blues rock's living legends.
On Christmas Eve 1975, Queen crowned a glorious year with a special concert at London's Hammersmith Odeon. The final night of their triumphant UK tour, the show was broadcast live on BBC TV and radio, and has become a legendary event in Queen's history. Featuring stunning renditions of early hits Keep Yourself Alive, Liar and Now I'm Here alongside Brian May's epic guitar showcase Brighton Rock, a rip-roaring version of the then new Bohemian Rhapsody and the crowd-pleasing Rock 'n' Roll Medley, this hour-long concert shows Queen at an early peak and poised to conquer the world.
Recorded for the 40th anniversary of Abbey Road, the Beatles' final album, a journey through the classic and curious covers in the BBC archives. Featuring Sandie Shaw singing a sassy Day Tripper, Shirley Bassey belting out Something, a close-harmony Carpenters cover of Help!, Joe Cocker's chart-topping With a Little Help from My Friends, Oasis reinventing the Walrus and a little Lady Madonna from Macca himself. Plus, a few 'magical' moments from Candy Flip, the Korean Kittens and Su Pollard.
The story of two remarkable weeks in 1964, when Beatlemania first ignited in America. From airport to hotel to TV studio, the pioneering Maysles brothers were at the Beatles' shoulders on their first US visit. The siblings filmed them off guard and off duty, in nightclubs, at photo shoots, press conferences, in limos and on trains. The footage includes a performance on the Ed Sullivan Show, when they played to 73 million television viewers, and their concert at the Washington Coliseum.
BBC FOUR pays tribute to musical maverick John Martyn, who died at the age of 60 on 29th January 2009, with an intimate documentary portrait originally transmitted in 1994. This honest and often blackly hilarious film shows Martyn at home in Ireland, during the lead-up to and aftermath of an operation to have one of his legs amputated below the knee. Contributors include sometime collaborator and buddy Phil Collins, the late Robert Palmer, Ralph McTell, Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, fellow hellraiser bassist Danny Thompson, John's ex-wife Beverley Martyn and younger generation fan Beth Orton. We see a man incapable of compromising his creative vision, from his folk club roots in the Sixties, through a career of continuous musical experimentation. Along the way there is a surreal roll-call of accidents and incidents, including a collision with a cow.
Fleetwood Mac, one of the biggest-selling bands of all time, are back on the road again. Their story, told in their own words, is an epic tale of love and confrontation, of success and loss. Few bands have undergone such radical musical and personal change. The band evolved from the 60s British blues boom to perfect a US West Coast sound that saw them sell 40 million copies of the album Rumours. However, behind the scenes relationships were turbulent. The band went through multiple line-ups with six different lead guitarists. While working on Rumours, the two couples at the heart of the band separated, yet this heartache inspired the perfect pop record.
Documentary about progressive music and the generation of bands that were involved, from the international success stories of Yes, Genesis, ELP, King Crimson and Jethro Tull to the trials and tribulations of lesser-known bands such as Caravan and Egg. The film is structured in three parts, charting the birth, rise and decline of a movement famed for complex musical structures, weird time signatures, technical virtuosity and strange, and quintessentially English, literary influences. It looks at the psychedelic pop scene that gave birth to progressive rock in the late 1960s, the golden age of progressive music in the early 1970s, complete with drum solos and gatefold record sleeves, and the over-ambition, commercialisation and eventual fall from grace of this rarefied musical experiment at the hands of punk in 1977. Contributors include Robert Wyatt, Mike Oldfield, Pete Sinfield, Rick Wakeman, Phil Collins, Arthur Brown, Carl Palmer and Ian Anderson.
Documentary following a generation of post-punk musicians who took the synthesiser from the experimental fringes to the centre of the pop stage. In the late 1970s, small pockets of electronic artists including the Human League, Daniel Miller and Cabaret Volatire were inspired by Kraftwerk and JG Ballard, and they dreamt of the sound of the future against the backdrop of bleak, high-rise Britain. The crossover moment came in 1979 when Gary Numan's appearance on Top of the Pops with Tubeway Army's Are 'Friends' Electric? heralded the arrival of synthpop. Four lads from Basildon known as Depeche Mode would come to own the new sound, whilst post-punk bands like Ultravox, Soft Cell, OMD and Yazoo took the synth out of the pages of NME and onto the front page of Smash Hits. By 1983, acts like Pet Shop Boys and New Order were showing that the future of electronic music would lie in dance music. Contributors include Philip Oakey, Vince Clarke, Martin Gore, Bernard Sumner, Gary Numan and Neil Tennant.
With the Moogs turned up to 11, a 1970s and 80s journey through the BBC's synthpop archives from Roxy Music and Tubeway Army to New Order and Sparks.
A live studio performance from 1974 of Mike Oldfield's composition Tubular Bells, which had been acclaimed in the press as a unique achievement in popular music.
To mark the 50-year anniversary of Motown in 2009, a compilation of some of the iconic record label's greatest names filmed live in the BBC studios. Visitors from Hitsville USA over the years have included Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, the Four Tops and the Jackson 5.
Collection of performances by British and American blues artists on BBC programmes such as The Beat Room, A Whole Scene Going, The Old Grey Whistle Test and The Late Show. Includes the seminal slide guitar of Son House, the British R&B of the Kinks, the unmistakable electric sound of BB King and Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton and John Lee Hooker, as well as less-familiar material from the likes of Delaney and Bonnie, Freddie King and Long John Baldry.
Mariella Frostrup narrates this documentary taking viewers on a roller-coaster ride over five decades with tales of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll that shook middle England to its very foundations. With contributions from PJ Proby, Angie Bowie, Boy George, Adam Faith, Tim Westwood, the Moody Blues, Public Enemy's Chuck D and rap star and actor Ice-T.
Selected performances of Island Records artists at the BBC.
A look through the archives at some of the many artists who have come into BBC studios to sing their versions of Bob Dylan songs. Featured performers include Peter, Paul and Mary, Lulu, the Byrds, Joan Baez, Eric Clapton, Madeleine Peyroux, Bryan Ferry, UB40, Julie Felix, Manfred Mann, the Brian Auger Trinity and Pops Staples.
A collection of the original American Idol's greatest hits and special performances from his weekly variety show, broadcast in the United States on NBC between 1962 and 1971. Including classic tracks Moon River, Days of Wine and Roses and Music To Watch Girls By.
Documentary which looks at how a radical generation of musicians created a new German musical identity out of the cultural ruins of war. Between 1968 and 1977 bands like Neu!, Can, Faust and Kraftwerk would look beyond western rock and roll to create some of the most original and uncompromising music ever heard. They shared one common goal - a forward-looking desire to transcend Germany's gruesome past - but that didn't stop the music press in war-obsessed Britain from calling them Krautrock.
Filmed concert from the Hackney Empire consisting of a sustained music hall-style performance of Madness's acclaimed concept album The Liberty of Norton Folgate. The concert uses a vocal audience and some atmospheric interstitial pieces to camera with Suggs and Carl, filmed in the murky haunts of London around the Norton Folgate area, which explore the context of this most London of albums and bands.
A journey through Eric Clapton's performing life at the BBC and elsewhere, from his 60s blues days to his noughties blues days. Clapton has been described as the best guitarist in the world and has a life story and career that would make anyone's hair curl. By way of extensive BBC archive footage, the programme charts his varied and ever-changing career - from the beginnings with The Yardbirds until he left to join the purist blues of John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, to the dynamism and musical synchronisation with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce, which produced the turbulent Cream, to Clapton's collaboration with Stevie Winwood that would spawn Blind Faith, to his brief sojourn in the Plastic Ono Band and his unforgettable contribution to Lennon's heroin hell tribute Cold Turkey, to his low-profile spell with rootsy US act Delaney and Bonnie, to the band he formed with Bobby Whitlock, Derek and the Dominoes, that produced one of the most famous unrequited love songs in Layla, and on to his successful solo career since then. Along the way Clapton has successfully survived heroin and alcohol abuse, been accused of being a racist, stolen his best friend's wife, changed bands as often as his shirt, and lost a son in the most tragic of accidents. Through it all, he has produced some of the best music of the 20th century.
Choirmaster Gareth Malone joins forces with the BBC Singers to explore the styles and techniques that create a choir. He finds out why there are four sections, what is polyphony, what links Bach and the Beach Boys, what difference the venue makes and what is the choral combination that is guaranteed to touch an emotional chord.
Documentary telling the story of what happened to blues music on its journey from the southern states of America to the heart of British pop and rock culture, providing an in-depth look at what this music really meant to a generation of kids desperate for an antidote to their experiences of living in post-war suburban Britain. Narrated by Nigel Planer and structured in three parts, the first, Born Under a Bad Sign, focuses on the arrival of American blues in Britain in the late 50s and the first performances here by such legends as Muddy Waters, Sonnie Terry and Brownie McGhee. Part two, Sittin' on Top of the World, charts the birth of the first British blues boom in the early 60s, spearheaded by the Rolling Stones and groups such as the Yardbirds, Manfred Mann, the Animals and the Pretty Things. The final section, Crossroads, looks at the next, more hardcore British blues boom of the mid-to-late 60s, with guitarists Eric Clapton and Peter Green and the international dominance of their respective bands, Cream and Fleetwood Mac.
In 1962 an unknown group from Liverpool entered Abbey Road Studios to record their debut single. During the next eight years they created what is arguably regarded as the greatest collection of studio recordings of the 20th century. This film charts how The Beatles developed as musicians, matured as songwriters and created a body of work that sounds as fresh now as the time it was recorded.
Few musicals can claim to capture the mood of a historical period as well as the 1972 classic Cabaret. In this documentary, actor Alan Cumming explores the truths behind the fiction. He meets many of those closely involved with the original film, including Liza Minnelli, and talks to cabaret artists, among them acclaimed performer Ute Lemper.
1959 was the seismic year jazz broke away from complex bebop music to new forms, allowing soloists unprecedented freedom to explore and express. It was also a pivotal year for America: the nation was finding its groove, enjoying undreamt-of freedom and wealth; social, racial and upheavals were just around the corner; and jazz was ahead of the curve. Four major jazz albums were made, each a high watermark for the artists and a powerful reflection of the times. Each opened up dramatic new possibilities for jazz which continue to be felt: Miles Davis, Kind of Blue; Dave Brubeck, Time Out; Charles Mingus, Mingus Ah Um; and Ornette Coleman, The Shape of Jazz to Come. Rarely seen archive performances help vibrantly bring the era to life and explore what made these albums vital both in 1959 and the 50 years since. The programme contains interviews with Lou Reed, Dave Brubeck, Ornette Coleman, Charlie Haden, Herbie Hancock, Joe Morello (Brubeck's drummer) and Jimmy Cobb (the only surviving member of Miles' band), along with a host of jazz movers and shakers from the 50s and beyond.
Felix Mendelssohn was a passionate Christian. He was also born a Jew. This film, marking the 200th anniversary of his birth, tells the extraordinary story of what happened, generations later, both to Mendelssohn's family and to his music, when the Nazis remembered the Jewish roots of Germany's most celebrated composer. It also examines how the influences of both Judaism and Christianity affected Mendelssohn's music and was made by documentary-maker Sheila Hayman, Mendelssohn's great-great-great-great niece.
Documentary which joins former hobo and festival favourite bluesman Seasick Steve on a trip back to his old stomping grounds in America's Deep South. Filmed in Mississippi and Tennessee, the programme follows the musician into his natural habitat of run-down juke joints, roadside diners and freight-train yards, as he reflects on his past life and recent rise to fame. In addition to Steve's raw, stomping tunes, the soundtrack features Mississippi Fred McDowell, Robert Johnson, RL Burnside and BB King.
To mark Previn's 80th birthday, this profile of the celebrated pianist, conductor and composer follows his long journey from escaping Nazi Germany to the studios of Hollywood and fame.
BBC Four celebrates merry midwinter in unique style, with an exhilarating blend of folk tradition and burlesque fun. Energetic 11-piece Bellowhead and Mercury-nominated alternative folkies The Unthanks get together with the impressive young singers Thea Gilmore and Lisa Knapp, plus other special guests. Steered by genial host Paul Sartin, the assembled artists perform seasonal songs of their own alongside yuletide favourites, ranging from folk ballads and carols to parlour songs and carousing dance numbers, with everyone coming together for a final knees-up. Filmed at the atmospheric Shoreditch Town Hall, the setting evokes an old music hall combined with a festive Victorian family parlour, bedecked with garlands, period lamps and fireplace. Even the audience are dressed up in old-fashioned finery and prove themselves ready to kick up their heels.
Damian Lewis-narrated documentary telling the colourful story of Island Records, the Jamaican-founded record label built by maverick boss Chris Blackwell which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009. The film features a rare, in-depth interview with Blackwell alongside contributions from former Island artists Grace Jones, Toots Hibbert, Amy Winehouse, Sly and Robbie, PJ Harvey, U2, Brian Eno, Spencer Davis, Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens, the B52s, Kid Creole, Greg Lake, Ian Anderson, Trevor Horn, Paul Weller, Richard Thompson and Keane. News archive and rare performance footage are used to tell the story of the label - its part in bringing reggae music into the world; its expansion into progressive rock in the late 1960s; the rise of Bob Marley into a global star; and the label's reputation for consistently signing, producing and championing innovative acts from the UK and all over the world.
1979 Christmas special featuring Kate Bush. She performs Gymnopedie No 1, Symphony in Blue, Them Heavy People, Madrigal, December, Wedding List, Egypt, Ran Tan Waltz, Man with the Child in His Eyes and Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbreak. Guest star Peter Gabriel sings Here Comes the Flood and duets with Kate on Another Day.
The Rough Trade story begins more than thirty years ago on 20th February 1976. Britain was in the grip of an IRA bombing campaign; a future prime minister was beginning to make her mark on a middle England in which punk was yet to run amok; and a young Cambridge graduate called Geoff Travis opened a new shop at 202 Kensington Park Road, just off Ladbroke Grove in west London. The Rough Trade shop sold obscure and challenging records by bands like American art-rockers Pere Ubu, offering an alternative to the middle-of-the-road rock music that dominated the music business. In January 1977, when a record by Manchester punk band Buzzcocks appeared in the shop, Rough Trade found itself in the right place at the right time to make an impact far beyond that of a neighbourhood music store. When Spiral Scratch was released in 1977, the idea of putting out a single without the support of an established record company was incredible. But Rough Trade was to become the headquarters of a revolt against this corporate monopoly - it was stocking records by bands inspired by the idea that they could do it themselves. But selling a few independent records over the counter was not going to change the world. Early independent labels had to hand over their distribution to the likes of EMI or CBS. But one man at Rough Trade challenged that monopoly. Richard Scott joined Rough Trade in 1977 and became the architect of a grand scheme that was nothing short of revolutionary: independent nationwide distribution. The shop could now offer experimental musicians the chance to sell records nationwide and so it was inevitable that Rough Trade became a record label in its own right. In 1978 the Rough Trade label was born and by the end of the year it had released a dozen singles by an eclectic mix of post-punk artists and become not just an alternative ideological force, but genuine competitors in the commercial music world.
Since 1978, indie label Rough Trade has been backing ground-breaking artists of every sensibility. From the post-punk girls who sound like they've been overheard singing to themselves at a bus stop, to the raw rock'n'roll of the Strokes and the Libertines, this compilation of BBC performances draws together some of the music that has made Rough Trade the institution it is. Includes the Smiths, Robert Wyatt, Violent Femmes, Pulp and Antony and the Johnsons.
Elton John's career tracked in archive from performances, interviews and news clips.
Filmed at the Barbican in January 2010 and curated by Joe Boyd, producer and general champion of Nick Drake, 90 minutes of performance highlights from a diverse but renowned cast of modern day troubadours. Presenting their own interpretations of Drake's songs are Vashti Bunyan, Green Gartside, Lisa Hannigan, Scott Matthews, Teddy Thompson, Krystle Warren, Robyn Hitchcock, Kirsty Almeida and Harper Simon. A celebration of the songs of Nick Drake, the concert features the original orchestrations of Nick's friend, the late Robert Kirby. It includes a house band anchored by Danny Thompson, the legendary bassist who played on Drake's first two albums. Highlights include Teddy Thompson's version of the timeless River Man, Lisa Hannigan's haunting and compelling version of Black Eyed Dog, Krystle Warren's bluesy take on Time Has Told Me, Robyn Hitchcock's psychedelic spin on Parasite and Neil MacColl's accomplished rendition of the classic Northern Sky. During his lifetime Nick Drake found little mainstream success, but since his death at the untimely age of 26 in 1974 he has been revered as one of the most influential and important English songwriters of his era.
An archive celebration of Tom Jones's performances at the BBC from the start of his pop career in the mid-60s to Later...with Jools Holland in 2010 and all points in between, including Top of the Pops and the Dusty Springfield Show. A chronological celebration of Sir Tom through the years that is also a history of music TV at the BBC over most of the past 50 years.
Presenting the best and most eclectic performances on the BBC from the world's best known artists performing their interpretations of classic tracks from The Great American Songbook. In chronological order this programme takes us through a myriad of BBC studio performances from Dame Shirley Bassey in 1966 performing The Lady is A Tramp to Bryan Ferry in 1974 on Twiggy's BBC primetime show performing Smoke Gets in Your Eyes to Captain Sensible on Top of the Pops in 1982 with his number 1 hit version of Happy Talk through to Kirsty MacColl singing Miss Otis Regrets in 1994 to Jamie Cullum with his version of I Get a Kick Out Of You on Parkinson in 2004 and bang up to date with Brit winner Florence from Florence and the Machine performing My Baby Just Cares for Me with Jools Holland on his Annual Hootenanny at the end of 2009. The Great American Songbook can best be described as the music and popular songs of the famous and prolific American composers of the 1920s and onwards. Composers such as Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Rodgers and Hammerstein and Hoagy Carmichael to name but a few... songwriters who wrote the tunes of Broadway theatre and Hollywood musicals that earned enduring popularity before the dawning of rock n roll. These famous songwriters have penned songs which have entered the general consciousness and which are now best described as standards - tunes which every musician and singer aspires to include in their repertoire
Robert Plant discusses his musical journey from Stourbridge, the British blues boom, superstardom with Led Zeppelin in the 70s, to the Band of Joy album. He also looks at his work with the Honeydrippers and North African musicians, his reunion with Jimmy Page and his pairing with Alison Krauss.
Documentary which looks at how rock 'n' roll has had to deal with the unthinkable - namely growing up and growing old, from its roots in the 50s as a music made by young people for young people to the 21st-century phenomena of the revival and the comeback. Despite the mantra of 'live fast, die young', Britain's first rock 'n' roll generations are now enjoying old age. What was once about youth and taking risks is now about longevity, survival, nostalgia and refusing to grow up, give up or shut up. But what happens when the music refuses to die and its performers refuse to leave the stage? What happens when rock's youthful rebelliousness is delivered wrapped in wrinkles? Featuring the late Lemmy, Iggy Pop, Peter Noone, Rick Wakeman, Paul Jones, Richard Thompson, Suggs, Eric Burdon, Bruce Welch, Robert Wyatt, Gary Brooker, Joe Brown, Chris Dreja of the Yardbirds, Alison Moyet, Robyn Hitchcock, writers Rosie Boycott and Nick Kent and producer Joe Boyd.
Nigel Planer narrates a documentary which traces the origins and development of British heavy metal from its humble beginnings in the industrialised Midlands to its proud international triumph. In the late 60s a number of British bands were forging a new kind of sound. Known as hard rock, it was loud, tough, energetic and sometimes dark in outlook. They didn't know it, but Deep Purple, Uriah Heep and, most significantly, Black Sabbath were defining what first became heavy rock and then eventually heavy metal. Inspired by blues rock, progressive rock, classical music and high energy American rock, they synthesised the sound that would inspire bands like Judas Priest to take metal even further during the 70s. By the 80s its originators had fallen foul of punk rock, creative stasis or drug and alcohol abuse. But a new wave of British heavy metal was ready to take up the crusade. With the success of bands like Iron Maiden, it went global. Contributors include Lemmy from Motorhead, Sabbath's Tony Iommi, Ian Gillan from Deep Purple, Judas Priest singer Rob Halford, Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden and Saxon's Biff Byford.
Compilation of memorable heavy metal performances from BBC TV shows, including Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Motorhead.
A 60-minute documentary including an interview and exclusive location filming with Neil Diamond in New York and Los Angeles. Robbie Robertson, Jeff Barry, Mickey Dolenz and other contributors track Neil from his childhood in Brooklyn to his early days in the Brill Building, his nascent solo career and superstardom in the early 70s, the lean years of the 80s, his career reboot via Rick Rubin in the noughties and his Glastonbury success.
To mark the 75th anniversary of Elvis Presley's birth in 2011, a host of performances by artists covering the King's classic songs culled from the BBC archives. Some of Britain's biggest stars were introduced to rock n roll as teenagers via their idol Elvis, and Cliff Richard, Paul McCartney, Tom Jones and John Cale all pay their tribute. The original songwriters of some of Elvis's greatest hits perform their own versions of classic tracks, including Carl Perkins singing Blue Suede Shoes and Mac Davis doing In the Ghetto. Other artists paying homage from across five decades include the Deep River Boys, the Stylistics, Boy George, Alison Moyet, the Pet Shop Boys and Robbie Williams. There will be jumpsuits, pelvic thrusts, brilliant tunes ... and Glen Campbell's Elvis impersonation.
Before Paolo Nutini recorded his In Concert gig in Paisley Town Hall, he gave presenter Jo Whiley a tour around his hometown. Here Paolo opens the door to his favourite haunts from his childhood and some of the town's infamous spots. 10/10,Alloway Grove,High Hopes,These Streets,Bear Me in Mind,Growing Up Beside You,Candy,Worried Man,Riding for a Fall,Coming Up Easy,Funky Cigarette,Pencil Full of Lead,Sleepwalking,New Shoes,No Other Way,Jenny Don't Be Hasty,Encore: Tricks of the Trade,Time to Pretend (MGMT cover),Last Request,Dirty Old Town (Ewan MacColl cover).
This is the story of the band, the city and the album that gave birth to the UK electronic pop movement in late 70s Sheffield. Against a backdrop of economic decline, art students Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh experimented with early synthesisers to create sounds which would inspire a new generation of pop music with their first band The Human League. When this fractured, Ian and Martyn recruited singer and old friend Glenn Gregory to form Heaven 17. Penthouse and Pavement, their first album, was released in 1980 and was a landmark in UK pop history, combining electronica with pop hooks. Due to technological constraints the band were unable to perform the album live, but to celebrate its 30th anniversary the film also charts the band's troubled attempts to perform the album entirely live for the very first time.
Snow Patrol return to Ward Park in their hometown, Bangor, to play one of the biggest ever live concerts to be staged in Northern Ireland. Regarded as our most successful rock act, they are behind such worldwide hits as Run, Chasing Cars and Chocolate. Presented by Rigsy.
A compilation from the BBC archive of performances featuring songs written by, or associated with, Neil Diamond. Featuring Lulu, UB40, Vince Hill, Robert Wyatt, Gladys Knight, Urge Overkill, Lena Zavaroni, The Hollies and a duet by Neil Diamond and Shirley Bassey.
With an introduction from his widow Dame Cleo Laine, this programme pays tribute to Sir John Dankworth, jazz musician, big band leader and composer for TV and film. Featuring a wide variety of performances from the BBC archive, it includes John playing saxophone in the company of his hero Duke Ellington from Monitor 1958, an appearance with his orchestra at the Royal Variety Performance 1962, classic tracks from the series Jazz 625 including John's band accompanying Cleo Laine, and Cleo and John's 2007 performance on Later with Jools Holland.
The two tone legends go One Step Beyond as they bring T to a close on the second biggest stage. A set packed with sing-a-long anthems from their 30 year history.
Michael Parkinson presents the sensational John Wilson Orchestra in a celebration of festive musical treats from the golden age of swing, with soloists Seth MacFarlane, Anna-Jane Casey and special guest Curtis Stigers. The Christmas classics include Winter Wonderland, Baby It's Cold Outside, Let It Snow and White Christmas.
Franz Schubert was undervalued in his own lifetime and for at least the next century because he died young and, for all the appreciation of his intimate circle of friends, he failed to achieve public recognition and financial success. He was the first great composer in western music to live by his art alone, without patronage, but he enjoyed only one public concert of his music in his lifetime. Christopher Nupen's documentary uses Schubert's words and music to help us feel closer to what the composer himself was trying to say. The film begins with the funeral of Beethoven, at which Schubert was a torch bearer, and the story is told almost entirely in music that Schubert wrote between then and his death.
Stephen Fry explores his passion for controversial composer Richard Wagner. Can he salvage the music he loves from its dark association with Hitler's Nazi regime? His journey takes him to Germany, Switzerland and Russia as he pieces together the story of the composer's turbulent career. Along the way he plays Wagner's piano, meets the composer's descendants and eavesdrops on rehearsals for the legendary Bayreuth Festival, the annual extravaganza of Wagner's music held in a theatre designed by the composer himself.
In the first of two films exploring the life and music of Jean Sibelius, celebrated filmmaker Christopher Nupen looks at the Finnish composer's development from his beginnings to the time of his third symphony. At the peak of his career Sibelius was hailed by almost every leading critic and composer in England as the greatest symphonist of the twentieth century. The Americans went even further, with a survey by the New York Philharmonic Society in 1935 showing his music to be more popular with their concert-goers than that of any other composer in the history of music - a degree of recognition in his own lifetime unequalled in Western music. The film offers an intimate account, using archive footage and Sibelius's music and words, of a great artist's struggle with his medium, with the world and with himself.
In the second of two films exploring the life and music of Jean Sibelius, celebrated filmmaker Christopher Nupen covers the period from the fourth symphony to the unfinished eighth. At the peak of his career Sibelius was hailed by almost every leading critic and composer in England as the greatest symphonist of the twentieth century. The words are provided almost entirely by Sibelius himself and his wife Aino and the music by Vladimir Ashkenazy, Elisabeth Soderstrom and Boris Belkin with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy.
Les Miserables is the world's best-loved musical. It's been seen by 57 million people and in 2010 celebrated its 25th anniversary with its two largest ever productions at London's O2 Arena. Matt Lucas, a life-long fan of 'Les Mis', was invited to fulfil his dream of performing in these shows alongside more than 300 stalwarts from previous productions. This documentary tells the story of a musical that many thought would fail but which become a worldwide phenomenon with unforgettable songs like 'I Dreamed A Dream'. We follow Matt Lucas as he prepares for the performance of a lifetime, we hear from those involved with the show's creation including Cameron Mackintosh and Michael Ball, and of course we enjoy wonderful moments from the show itself.
Documentary exploring Elton John's childhood, apprenticeship in the British music business, sudden stardom in the US at the dawn of the 70s, and his musical heyday. Plus the backstory to the new album reuniting him with Leon Russell, his American mentor. Features extensive exclusive interviews with Elton, plus colleagues and collaborators including Bernie Taupin, Leon Russell and more.
Documentary about the life of the great pianist and composer Chopin and the story of the women whose voices inspired his music. It is undeniable that Chopin revolutionised the nature of music composed for the piano both technically and emotionally. What is less well known is that the actual musical instrument that provided his greatest source of inspiration was the female voice. To mark the 200th anniversary of Chopin's birth, this film follows young pianist James Rhodes on a journey to Warsaw, Paris and London to discover the real women who had such a powerful influence on the composer.
Chicago's Chess Records was one of the greatest labels of the post-war era, ranking alongside other mighty independents like Atlantic, Stax and Sun. From 1950 till its demise at the end of the 60s, Chess released a myriad of electric blues, rock 'n' roll and soul classics that helped change the landscape of black and white popular music. Chess was the label that gave the world such sonic adventurers as Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf and Etta James. In this documentary to mark the label's 60th anniversary, the likes of Jimmy Page, Mick Hucknall, Public Enemy's Chuck D, Paul Jones and Little Steven, as well as those attached to the label such as founder's son Marshall Chess, pay tribute to its extraordinary music and influence. The film reveals how two Polish immigrants, Leonard and Phil Chess, forged friendships with black musicians in late 1940s Chicago, shrewdly building a speciality blues label into a huge independent worth millions by the end of the 1960s. Full of vivid period detail, it places the Chess story within a wider social and historical context - as well as being about some of the greatest music ever recorded, it is, inevitably, about race in America during these tumultuous times.
Tony Palmer's film, thought lost for almost 40 years, about Leonard Cohen's 1972 European tour, has now been pieced together from almost 3,000 fragments and restored to its former glory. A unique record of a major poet and singer/songwriter at the height of his powers.
To celebrate BBC Wales's 50th anniversary, this is another chance to see Tom Jones - a living pop legend and international superstar. After over half a century at the top of the entertainment industry, everyone thinks they know the singing icon Sir Tom Jones, but only those closest to the boy from Ponty know the real story. Still recording, touring and performing, Wales's great export shows no sign of stopping. With contributions from Jools Holland and James Dean Bradfield.
Continuing the critically acclaimed Britannia music series for BBC Four, this documentary tells the story of the emergence and evolution of the British music festival through the mavericks, dreamers and dropouts who have produced, enjoyed and sometimes fought for them over the last 50 years. The film traces the ebb and flow of British festival culture from jazz beginnings at Beaulieu in the late 50s through to the Isle of Wight festivals at the end of the 60s, early Glastonbury and one-off commercial festivals like 1972's Bickershaw, the free festivals of the 70s and 80s and on through the extended rave at Castlemorton in 1992 to the contemporary resurgence in festivals like Glastonbury, Isle of Wight and Reading in the last decade. Sam Bridger's film explores the central tension between the people's desire to come together, dance to the music and build temporary communities and the desire of the state, the councils and the locals to police these often unruly gatherings. At the heart of the documentary is an ongoing argument about British freedom and shifts in the political, musical and cultural landscape set to a wonderful soundtrack of 50 years of great popular music which takes in trad jazz, Traffic, Roy Harper, the Grateful Dead, Hawkwind, Orbital and much more. Featuring rare archive and interviews with Michael Eavis, Richard Thompson, Acker Bilk, Terry Reid, the Levellers, Billy Bragg, John Giddings, Melvin Benn, Roy Harper, Nik Turner, Peter Jenner, Orbital, amongst others.
Compilation of memorable songs from the Great American Songbook sung by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in their films. Includes songs written by George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields, and Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer.
The music Brian Eno has been involved in making ranges from the experimental to the massively popular. Paul Morley talks about some of Eno's hit tracks, including Heroes, Once in a Lifetime, With or Without You and Viva La Vida.
One of the most successful musicians and flamboyant showmen of all time, Elton John has won a multitude of awards from Brits, Grammys, Golden Globes to Oscars. For this special event two pianos took centre stage. One for Elton, and the other, for an artist who inspired Elton as a young musician; singer songwriter Leon Russell. Leon has written classic songs such as This Masquerade and Delta Lady, as well as working with legends of popular music like The Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, Frank Sinatra and The Rolling Stones. Russell and Elton first worked together and toured the US in the early 1970s, but lost touch for many years. Then last November Elton, Leon, Bernie Taupin and producer T Bone Burnett started collaborating in an L.A. studio on a new album, The Union. Making the new record, Elton told Mojo magazine in August, "made me fall in love with a guy I fell in love with years ago,all over again". As well as looking back at his roots, Elton's looked ahead by bringing on board two exciting new names, Plan B and Rumer to perform alongside him. The show was broadcast live on BBC Radio 2 at 20:00 and then shown on BBC Two on Saturday 30 October, together with an exclusive documentary about his music and life.
The television premiere of the hit opera based on the life of the young American Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith, who was thrust into the global media spotlight when she married an octogenarian billionaire, became a reality TV star and, after a drug overdose, died tragically early. Composer Mark-Anthony Turnage and librettist Richard Thomas have created a darkly comic work for the Royal Opera which satirises celebrity and consumer culture. Eva-Maria Westbroek sings the challenging and complex title role, and the two central men in her life, her billionaire husband and her lawyer, are sung by Alan Oke and Gerald Finley. Musical director Antonio Pappano conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House.
To honour what would have been Roy Orbison's 75th birthday on April 23rd, a celebration of the legend of the quiet Texan with the soaring voice who toured with the Beatles, sang some of the defining hits of the early 60s and brilliantly revived his career as a solo artist and member of the supergroup the Travelling Wilburys in the mid-80s. Filmed in black and white in Holland in 1965, this short concert features the Big O performing hits from the classic catalogue of songs he recorded for the American independent label Monument in the early 60s. Filmed in what appears to be a gym or school hall in front of an appreciative but respectful audience, Orbison performs Only the Lonely, Running Scared, It's Over, Oh Pretty Woman and more.
BBC archive compilation exploring 1991's fellow travellers from the British indie guitar and dance scenes that accompanied Primal Scream's breakthough Screamadelica album, which went on to win the inaugaural 1992 Mercury Prize. In the interim between Madchester and Britpop, a new British indie pop flourished that included dance-influenced guitar bands, indie-influenced dance outfits and the gearchanging hits of both the grunge spearhead that was Nirvana and those American alternative rockers REM. Alongside Primal Scream's Movin' On Up are performances from The Late Show, Top of the Pops and other shows by the likes of Ride, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, Pop Will Eat Itself, KLF, Massive Attack, Nirvana and REM, alongside many other intriguing moments from what was once called the 'shoegazing' era.
The Carpenters' debut BBC concert, recorded on their first British tour in September 1971. They perform hits including Close to You, Superstar and We've Only Just Begun, together with the odd Beatles' tune and a Bacharach/David medley. Karen's drumming and Richard's keyboards get instrumental support from their five-piece touring band and a 26-piece orchestra conducted by Johnny Pearson.
Compilation of easy listening tracks that offers the perfect soundtrack for your cocktail party. There's music to please every lounge lizard, with unique performances from the greatest easy listening artists of the 60s and 70s, including Burt Bacharach, Andy Williams, Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66, the Carpenters and many more.
Jools Holland presents a collection of Amy Winehouse's performances on Later, the Hootenanny and at the Mercury Prize between 2003 and 2007. Winehouse made her TV debut on Later in 2003 with songs from her debut album Frank. Like Jools, she loved classic jazz and blues singers like Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan, and the two Londoners hit it off. Amy returned to play with Jools's Orchestra at that year's Hootenanny, to Later in 2006 for the launch of Back to Black and to that year's Hootenanny to perform Toots's Monkey Man and duet with Paul Weller. Back to Black was nominated for the 2007 Mercury Prize and Winehouse performed a heartrending version of Love's Just a Losing Game accompanied only by her guitarist - a fitting end to this celebration of the mercurial, brilliant and troubled singer in her prime.
A compilation of rarely screened Pink Floyd videos and performances, beginning with the Arnold Layne promo from 1967 and culminating with the reunited band's performance at Live 8 in 2005.
Filmmaker and former Python Terry Gilliam's smash-hit production of Berlioz's Damnation of Faust for English National Opera has been one of the operatic highlights of 2011. Peter Hoare stars as Faust, with Christopher Purves as Mephistopheles, who propels him on a rollercoaster ride through German history, ending with the rise of Hitler and Faust's inevitable damnation. Edward Gardner conducts the ENO Chorus and Orchestra.
A selection of some of the best performances by African-American artists of the 1980s from the BBC archives.
Hip hop through the decades from the BBC archives, including the Sugarhill Gang in 1979, Run DMC, LL Cool J and Eric B & Rakim in the 80s, Ice T, Monie Love, Fugees and the Roots in the 90s and concluding with Dr Dre & Eminem, Dizzee Rascal and Jay-Z.
Recapture the mellow vibe of your favourite easy listening shows from the 60s and 70s with this festive feast of classics old and new. All-time great Carole King plays songs from her recent seasonal album, including Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and Sheffield crooner Richard Hawley mixes self-penned songs with his own take on Silent Night. An imaginative bill is completed by the perky vocal harmonies of the Puppini Sisters doing Let It Snow, the dreamy widescreen sound of Brighton outfit the Mummers performing White Christmas and the velvet tones of latter day Nat King Cole, Brooklyn-based jazz vocalist Gregory Porter, crooning the Christmas Song. Choose between your best cardigan or Rat Pack tuxedo, pour yourself an eggnog, get the chestnuts roasting, put your feet up and join the party!
Puccini's ever popular Tosca from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, with a star-studded cast - Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu as Floria Tosca, Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel as Chief of Police, Baron Scarpia, and tenor Jonas Kaufmann as the liberal revolutionary Cavaradossi. The production is by Jonathan Kent with the Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House under the baton of Music Director Antonio Pappano. The action takes place at precise locations in Rome and spans a single day - 17th June 1800, the day Napoleon invaded Italy.
Compilation of international hits from the BBC archives that paint exotic musical portraits of far away countries or instantly conjure up memories of holidays abroad. This smorgasbord of foreign pop delights includes performances by Demis Roussos, Vanessa Paradis, Gheorghe Zamfir and Sylvia, amongst many others.
Grab your partner by the hand - the BBC have raided their archive and brought to light glittering performances by country artists over the last four decades. Star appearances include Tammy Wynette, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash and, of course, Dolly Parton. All the greats have performed for the BBC at some point - on entertainment shows, in concert and at the BBC studios. Some of the rhinestones revealed are Charley Pride's Crystal Chandeliers from the Lulu Show, Emmylou Harris singing Together Again on the Old Grey Whistle Test and Billie Jo Spears's Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad from the Val Doonican Music Show. We're brought up to date with modern country hits by kd lang, Garth Brooks, Alison Krauss and Taylor Swift, plus a special un-broadcast performance from Later...with Jools Holland by Willie Nelson.
The story of The Kinks, one of the UK's most important and influential bands, as told from the vaults of the BBC archive. From their humble beginnings in north London, brothers Ray and Dave Davies, school friend Pete Quaife and local drummer Mick Avory exploded onto the music scene of early 1960s London. From this series of unique archive performances we learn that blues was their first love and Dave's signature guitar sound would go on to influence a generation of guitar players. As Ray's uniquely English songwriting style developed, the spectre of Ray and Dave's rocky fraternal relationship continually loomed in the background through concerts for the Old Grey Whistle Test in the 1970s to appearances on Top of the Pops in the 1980s. The inevitable band split came in 1996 and the BBC archive continues with Ray's reinvention as a solo artist with performances on the Electric Proms and up to the present day on Later with Jools Holland. All the while the brothers continue to tease and goad the press - and one another - with talk of a Kinks reunion.
DURATION: 1 HOUR The cliché of classic rock guitar is one of riffs, solos and noise. But write a list of great guitarists and their finest moments and a quieter, more intense playing comes to the fore. The acoustic guitar is the secret weapon in the armoury of the guitar hero, when paradoxically they get more attention by playing quietly than being loud. This documentary takes an insightful and occasionally irreverent look at the love affair between rock and the humble acoustic guitar. Exploring a much less celebrated, yet crucial part of the rock musician's arsenal, contributors including Johnny Marr, Keith Richards, Ray Davies, James Dean Bradfield, Biffy Clyro, Joan Armatrading, Donovan and Roger McGuinn discuss why an instrument favoured by medieval minstrels and singing nuns is as important to rock 'n' roll as the drums, bass and its noisy sister, the electric guitar.
DURATION: 1 HOUR A journey through some of the finest moments of acoustic guitar performances from the BBC archives, from Jimmy Page's television debut in 1958 to Oasis and Biffy Clyro. Other highlights include Neil Young's Heart of Gold, David Bowie's Starman, Donovan's Mellow Yellow, Joan Armatrading's Woncha Come on Home, Bert Jansch, Johnny Marr and Bernard Butler, and Joni Mitchell's Chelsea Morning.
The Old Grey Whistle Test was launched on 21st September 1971 from a tiny studio tucked behind a lift shaft on the fourth floor of BBC Television Centre. From humble beginnings it has gone on to provide some of the best and most treasured music archive that the BBC has to offer. In its 40th anniversary year, this programme takes us on a journey and celebrates the musically mixed-up decade that was the 1970s and which is reflected in the OGWT archive. There are classic performances from the glam era by Elton John and David Bowie, an early UK TV appearance from Curtis Mayfield, the beginnings of heavy metal with Steppenwolf's iconic Born to be Wild anthem and the early punk machinations of the 'mock rock' New York Dolls. 1973 being the pinnacle year sees archive from Roxy Music, the Wailers and Vinegar Joe. The programme's finale celebrates the advent of punk and new wave with unforgettable performances from Patti Smith, Blondie, Iggy Pop and The Jam. Artists featured: Elton John, Lindisfarne, David Bowie, Curtis Mayfield, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Steppenwolf, Vinegar Joe, Brinsley Schwarz, New York Dolls, Argent, Bob Marley & the Wailers, Captain Beefheart, Johnny Winter, Dr Feelgood, Gil Scott Heron, Patti Smith, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Cher & Greg Allman, Talking Heads, the Jam, Blondie, Iggy Pop and the Specials.
The acclaimed BBC Four Britannia series moves into the world of British reggae. Showing how it came from Jamaica in the 1960s to influence, over the next 20 years, both British music and society, the programme includes major artists and performances from that era, including Big Youth, Max Romeo, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Jerry Dammers and The Specials, The Police, UB40, Dennis Bovell, lovers rock performers Carroll Thompson and Janet Kay, bands like Aswad and Steel Pulse and reggae admirers such as Boy George and Paul Weller. The programme celebrates the impact of reggae, the changes it brought about and its lasting musical legacy
On Halloween 1991, Nirvana played live at the Paramount Theater in Seattle. Songs from both albums, "Bleach" and "Nevermind", were performed.
It's a time for guilty pleasures, for courtship, for declarations of love, for looking someone in the eye and whispering sweet nothings, accompanied by a compilation of some of the greatest and squishiest love songs from the likes of Celine Dion, Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes, Jason and Kylie, 10cc and Lionel Richie, all from the Top of the Pops era. If Hot Chocolate and Chaka Khan don't get the temperatures rising, then nothing will.
During the 1940s, 50s and 60s, Sister Rosetta Tharpe played a highly significant role in the creation of rock & roll, inspiring musicians like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Little Richard and Chuck Berry. She may not be a household name, but this flamboyant African-American gospel singing superstar, with her spectacular virtuosity on the newly-electrified guitar, was one of the most influential popular musicians of the 20th century. Tharpe was born in 1915, close to the Mississippi in Cotton Plant, Arkansas. At the age of six she was taken by her evangelist mother Katie Bell to Chicago to join Roberts Temple, Church of God in Christ, where she developed her distinctive style of singing and guitar playing. At the age of 23 she left the church and went to New York to join the world of show business, signing with Decca Records. For the following 30 years she performed extensively to packed houses in the USA and subsequently Europe, before her death in 1973. In 2008 the state governor of Pennsylvania declared that henceforth January 11th will be Sister Rosetta Tharpe Day in recognition of her remarkable musical legacy
In-depth documentary investigation into the story of a popular music genre that is often said to be made to be heard but not listened to. The film looks at easy listening's architects and practitioners, its dangers and delights, and the mark it has left on modern life. From its emergence in the 50s to its heyday in the 60s, through its survival in the 70s and 80s and its revival in the 90s and beyond, the film traces the hidden history of a music that has reflected society every bit as much as pop and rock - just in a more relaxed way. Invented at the dawn of rock 'n' roll, easy listening has shadowed pop music and the emerging teenage market since the mid-50s. It is a genre that equally soundtracks our modern age, but perhaps for a rather more 'mature' generation and therefore with its own distinct purpose and aesthetic.
The British have a love-hate relationship with the foreign pop song. For years they were frequent visitors to the charts and were bought in their millions. Once heard never forgotten, these international hits conjure instant memories of a holiday abroad, musical portraits of countries far away. This documentary tells the story of these musical imports from the Second World War to the present day. It reveals surprising stories behind some of the songs and asks what made them so popular.
Morgan Neville's full-length documentary is James Taylor and Carole King's first-hand account of the genesis and blossoming of the 1970s singer-songwriter culture in LA, focusing on the backgrounds and emerging collaboration between Taylor, King and the Troubadour, the famed West Hollywood club that nurtured a community of gifted young artists and singer-songwriters. Taylor and King first performed together at the Troubadour in November 1970, and the film explores their coming together and the growth of a new, personal voice in songwriting pioneered by a small group of fledgling artists around the club. Contributors include Taylor, King, David Crosby, Roger McGuinn, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, JD Souther, Peter Asher, Cheech & Chong, Steve Martin and Elton John.
Film which explores how Prince - showman, artist, enigma - revolutionised the perception of black music in the 1980s with worldwide hits such as 1999, Kiss, Raspberry Beret and Alphabet Street. He became a global sensation with the release of the Oscar-winning, semi-autobiographical movie Purple Rain in 1984, embarking on an incredible journey of musical self-discovery that continued right up to his passing in April 2016, aged 57. From the psychedelic Around the World in a Day to his masterpiece album Sign O' the Times and experiments with hip-hop and jazz, Prince was one of most ambitious and prolific songwriters of his generation. He tested the boundaries of taste and decency with explicit sexual lyrics and stage shows during his early career and in the 1990s fought for ownership of his name and control of his music, played out in a public battle with his former label, Warner. Highly regarded as one of the most flamboyant live performers ever, Prince was a controversial and famously elusive creative force. Contributors include Revolution guitarist Dez Dickerson, Paisley Park label president Alan Leeds, hip-hop legend Chuck D and Prince 'Mastermind' and UK soul star Beverley Knight.
It's over 40 years since Annie Nightingale's very first show on Radio 1 - she was the station's first female DJ and is its longest-serving broadcaster. A lifelong champion of new music, first with punk, then new wave, acid house and dubstep, Annie is still at the cutting edge in her current incarnation as the 'Queen of the Breaks'. In this film Annie takes us on a counter-cultural journey through the events, people and sounds that have inspired her career. Full of insightful anecdotes about her sonic adventures and the numerous pop-cultural shifts that have helped shape her idiosyncratic outlook and tastes, the film features exclusive contributions from some of the many artists Annie has worked with and admired, including Sir Paul McCartney and Mick Jones of the Clash. We also hear from the new generation of artists who confirm that she's an icon of the British music scene.
On Monday 7th February Mike Harding and Barbara Dickson co-hosted the 2011 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Now in their 12th year, the awards celebrate the UK's vibrant folk scene, and achievements from the past 12 months, and honour outstanding lifetime contributions. Live from The Brewery in London on 7th February Simon Mayo previewed the awards, including live performances from duo nominees Chris While and Julie Matthews and a capella trio Coope, Boyes and Simpson. At 7.45 nominees Bellowhead opened the awards ceremony with a live performance of New York Girls. Other nominees this year included singer-songwriter Chris Wood who was shortlisted for Folk Singer of the Year, Best Album and Best Original Song for the affecting ballad Hollow Point. A debut duo album for mother and daughter Eliza Carthy and Norma Waterson helped them to win three nominations this year - Best Duo, Best Album for Gift and Best Traditional Track for Wayfaring Stranger. And there were several artists this year receiving their first Folk Award nominations: Irish singer Heidi Talbot, twice Mercury-nominated talent Laura Marling, and Cornish shanty choir Fisherman's Friends - who made history in 2010 with the first ever album of traditional folk music to enter the top 10 of the network album charts. Donovan, an artist who has influenced generations of musicians and music fans alike, was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award and there were also live performances from folk superstar Kate Rusby and festival favourites The Levellers. Guest presenters included actress Tamsin Greig, BBC Radio 2 presenter Mark Radcliffe and best-selling novelist Joanna Trollope.
Oidhche de cheòl bho Sharon Shannon agus a comhlan ciùil, a talla Fruitmarket aig Fèis Celtic Connections. Le Eleanor McEvoy, Heidi Talbot agus Mundy. Air a lìbhrigeadh le Julie Fowlis. Julie Fowlis presents the Sharon Shannon Big Band in concert from Glasgow's Fruitmarket during Celtic Connections. With guest appearances from Eleanor McEvoy, Heidi Talbot and Mundy.
A selection of Lionel Richie's greatest moments from the BBC archives, from his first Top of the Pops appearance with The Commodores in 1979 to highlights from his 2009 concert at the BBC's Maida Vale studios.
An archive celebration of great reggae performances filmed in the BBC Studios, drawn from programmes such as The Old Grey Whistle Test, Top of the Pops and Later... with Jools Holland, and featuring the likes of Bob Marley and the Wailers, Gregory Isaacs, Desmond Dekker, Burning Spear, Althea and Donna, Dennis Brown, Buju Banton and many more.
Live from London and the BBC's Radio Theatre in Broadcasting House Noel performs some classic hits from his old Oasis days and songs from the much-lauded High Flying Birds album. Tracklist: 01. Intro - Jo Whiley 02. (It's Good) To Be Free 03. Mucky Fingers 04. Everybody's On The Run 05. Dream On 06. If I Had A Gun... 07. The Good Rebel 08. The Death Of You And Me 09. Freaky Teeth 10. Wonderwall 11. Supersonic 12. (I Wanna Live In A Dream In My) Record Machine 13. AKA...What A Life! 14. Talk Tonight 15. Don't Look Back In Anger 16. Encore Break/Radio Switch - Jo Whiley 17. AKA...Broken Arrow 18. Half The World Away 19. (Stranded On) The Wrong Beach 20. Outro - Jo Whiley
This celebration of the history and aesthetic of country music tracks the evolution of the genre from the 1920s to the present, exploring country as both folk and pop music - a 20th century soundtrack to the lives of working-class Americans in the South, forever torn between their rural roots and a mostly urban future, between authenticity and showbiz. Exploring many of the great stars of country from Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams to Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton, director Andy Humphries's meditation on the power and pull of country blends brilliant archive and contributions from a broad cast that includes Dolly Parton, the Handsome Family, Laura Cantrell, Hank Williams III, kd lang and many more.
Sir Hubert Parry is simultaneously one of Britain's best-known and least-known composers. Jerusalem is almost a national song, regularly performed at rugby grounds, schools, Women's Institute meetings and the Last Night of the Proms, while Dear Lord and Father of Mankind is one of Britain's best-loved hymns. Everyone knows the tunes, yet hardly anyone knows much about the man who wrote them. In this film, HRH The Prince of Wales, a long-standing enthusiast of Parry's work, sets out to discover more about the complex character behind it, with the help of members of Parry's family, scholars and performers. This feature-length documentary by the award-winning director John Bridcut offers fresh insight into the life and work of Hubert Parry through the unique perspective of HRH The Prince of Wales.
No-one has done more for the cello than Mstislav Rostropovich, or Slava as he was widely known. As well as being arguably the greatest cellist of the twentieth century, he expanded and enriched the cello repertoire by the sheer force of his artistry and his personality and composers lined up to write works for him. In this film by John Bridcut, friends, family and former pupils explore the unique talents of this great Russian artist, and listen to and watch him making music. Contributors include his widow Galina Vishnevskaya and their daughters Olga and Elena; the eminent conductors Seiji Ozawa and Gennadi Rozhdestvensky; and cellists who attended his famous classes in Moscow, including Natalya Gutman, Mischa Maisky, Moray Welsh, Elizabeth Wilson and Karine Georgian. The film traces the development of Rostropovich's international career amid the political tensions of the final years of the Soviet Union.
An intriguing investigation into the extraordinary life of Gershwin's classic composition, Summertime. One of the most covered songs in the world, it has been recorded in almost every style of music - from jazz to opera, rock to reggae, soul to samba. Its musical adaptability is breathtaking, but Summertime also resonates on a deep emotional level too. This visually and sonically engaging film explores the composition's magical properties, examining how this song has, with stealth, captured the imagination of the world. From its complex birth in 1935 as a lullaby in Gershwin's all-black opera Porgy and Bess, this film traces the hidden history of Summertime, focusing on key recordings, including those by Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin, Mahalia Jackson, Miles Davis and Ella Fitzgerald. It reveals how musicians have projected their own dreams and desires onto the song, re-imagining Summertime throughout the 20th century as a civil rights prayer, a hippie lullaby, an ode to seduction and a modern freedom song. Back in the 1930s, Gershwin never dreamt of the global impact Summertime would have. But as this film shows, it has magically tapped into something deep inside us all - nostalgia and innocence, sadness and joy, and our intrinsic desire for freedom. Full of evocative archive footage as well as a myriad versions of Summertime - from the celebrated to the obscure - Searching For Summertime tells the surprising and illuminating tale behind this world-famous song.
Playing the ukulele and performing songs that keep the George Formby legend alive, Frank Skinner follows the music hall star's rise to fame and explores his continuing popularity
Millions of sales on both sides of the Atlantic, near bankruptcy, pills, thrills, spats, prats, successes, excesses, pick-me-ups and breakdowns - all spiralled together to create some of the most defining music of the 20th century. This is the definitive and fully-authorised documentary of the highs and lows of the UK's most inspired and dissolute independent record label - Creation Records. Over 25 years after Creation's first records, it follows the story from the days of the Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Primal Scream and Teenage Fanclub to the Boo Radleys, the Super Furry Animals and of course Oasis, among many, many more. The label's enigmatic founder Alan McGee talks candidly of the trail which led from humble beginnings in Glasgow, via drink and drug dependency to being wined and dined at No 10 Downing Street by Tony Blair.
Affectionate but honest portrait of Thin Lizzy, arguably the best hard rock band to come out of Ireland. Starting with the remix of the classic album Jailbreak by Scott Gorham and Brian Downey, the film takes us through the rollercoaster ride that is the story of Thin Lizzy. From early footage of singer Phil Lynott in Ireland in his pre-Lizzy bands the Black Eagles and Orphanage, it follows his progress as he, guitarist Eric Bell and drummer Brian Downey form the basic three-piece that was to become Thin Lizzy - a name taken from the Beano. Using original interviews with Bell, Downey, the man who signed them and their first manager, it traces the early years leading to the recruitment of guitarists Brian 'Robbo' Robertson and Scott Gorham - the classic line-up. The film uses a number of stills, some seen on TV for the first time, archive from contemporary TV shows and a range of tracks both well known and not so famous. There are hilarious self-deprecating anecdotes, from the stories behind the making of the Boys are Back in Town to the hiring of Midge Ure. We hear about the 'revolving door' as guitarist after guitarist was fired and hired, and the recording of Bad Reputation and Live and Dangerous - where producer Tony Visconti pulls no punches in talking about how he recorded the latter - putting the controversy to bed for the final time. Except that Downey and Robertson still disagree with him. Finally, we hear how drugs and alcohol impacted on the band and how the music suffered, how one member later substituted golf for heroin and how addiction and the related lifestyle led to the death of Phil Lynott. Contributors include Brian Downey, Scott Gorham, Eric Bell, Brian Robertson, Midge Ure, Bob Geldof, Tony Visconti, Joe Elliot and many others.
Lulu arrived on Top Of The Pops in 1964 with her raucous, belting rendition of Shout when she was just 15 years old. She is the only female artist who has had a UK Top 20 hit in every one of the last five decades. It's been almost 50 years since her first public performance as a schoolgirl in Scotland, named Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie. Since then, she's notched up 66 singles and 21 albums. She's enjoyed No.1 hits on both sides of the Atlantic, and also won a Eurovision Song Contest. Now 62 years old, Lulu opens the doors to her life - looking back across five decades at her remarkable career. This is also very much the story of Lulu now - following her into the studio with Jools Holland; rehearsing for shows; choreographing new dance routines; and exclusive access as Lulu prepares and performs for a huge concert on the banks of the River Clyde in her old home town of Glasgow. Featuring contributions from Elton John, Kylie Minogue, Cliff Richard, Robin Gibb, Barry Manilow, Bobby Womack and Jools Holland, along with family members, such as Lulu's brother and sister.
Simon Russell Beale continues his Sacred Music journey in this special celebration marking the 400th anniversary of the death of the great Spanish Renaissance composer Tomas Luis de Victoria. In exploring the extraordinary world of this intensely spiritual man - musician, priest and mystic - Simon's travels take him to some of Spain's most stunning locations, from the ancient fortified city of Avila, with its medieval walls and glorious cathedral, to the magnificent El Escorial palace, where Philip II would listen to Victoria's music though a small door leading off his bedroom directly to the high altar of the Basilica. In Madrid, Simon explores the dramatic religious paintings of Victoria's contemporary El Greco in the Prado Museum and visits the convent of Las Descalzas Reales, named after the barefoot nuns who worshipped there and where Victoria spent the final three decades of his life as choirmaster and organist. The music is specially performed by Harry Christophers and The Sixteen in the church of San Antonio de los Alemanes, a hidden baroque jewel built in Victoria's lifetime in the heart of Madrid.
Carlos Santana, the legendary Mexican-American guitarist and songwriter, reveals his turbulent life story with astonishing intimacy, accompanied by previously unseen archive performances of many of his best-known tunes. These range from Evil Ways and Black Magic Woman to the massive hits from his later Supernatural album. Santana recounts to director Jeremy Marre the abuse and struggle of his early years, the invention of Latin rock in San Francisco, his triumph at Woodstock, his involvement with jealous guru Sri Chinmoy and guitarist John McLaughlin, and the rollercoaster years that followed.
The untold story of one of the most influential artists ever to come out of Jamaica, Toots Hibbert, featuring intimate new performances and interviews with Toots, rare archive from throughout his career and interviews with contemporaries and admirers including Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Jimmy Cliff, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Marcia Griffiths and Paolo Nutini. From his beginnings as a singer in a Jamaican church to the universally-praised, Grammy award-winning artist of today, the film tells the story of one of the true greats of music. Toots was the first to use the word reggae on tape in his 1968 song Do the Reggay and his music has defined, popularised and refined it across six decades, with hit after hit including Pressure Drop, Sweet and Dandy, Monkey Man, Funky Kingston, Bam Bam, True Love Is Hard To Find and Reggae Got Soul. As Island records founder Chris Blackwell says, 'The Maytals were unlike anything else... sensational, raw and dynamic'. Always instantly recognizable is Toots's powerful, soulful voice which seems to speak viscerally to the listener - 'one of the great musical gifts of our time'. His songs are at the same time stories of everyday life in Jamaica and postcards from another world.
Robert Webb hosts a countdown of the biggest dance crazes of the last forty years.
Ol' Blue Eyes in concert in his 1960s, 70s and 80s prime from a variety of US TV specials and in the recording studio. Sinatra the great swinger, saloon singer and balladeer sings classics like That's Life, Moonlight in Vermont, Fly Me to the Moon, Young at Heart and Theme from New York, with some reminiscences from Frank's third child, Tina.
Classic clips, from the Old Grey Whistle Test, In Concert and even Wogan, of Southern rock boogie in excelsis from the bands who poured out of the Deep South in the 70s. Includes performances from the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Delaney & Bonnie with Eric Clapton, Dickey Betts from the Allman Brothers Band, the Marshall Tucker Band, Black Oak Arkansas, the Charlie Daniels Band, Greg Allman with then-wife Cher, Edgar Winter and, of course, Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Highlights from Adele's live performance at the Royal Albert Hall on 21 September 2011, recorded as part of her international tour and with a set list including songs from hit albums 19 and 21.
An Easter commemoration featuring the world-famous choir of King's College, Cambridge. Pieces by Handel, Tchaikovsky, Faure, Franck, Mendelssohn, Victoria, Vaughan Williams and others are sung by the choir led by director of music Stephen Cleobury from the candle-lit college chapel. The story of Passiontide and Easter is told in words from the King James' Bible, Robert Frost, Alice Meynell and Francis Kilvert.
A selection of some of David Bowie's best performances from the BBC archives, which also features artists who Bowie helped along the way, such as Mott the Hoople, Lulu, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed.
David Bowie in concert at the BBC Radio Theatre. Songs include Wild is the Wind, Ashes to Ashes, Absolute Beginners, The Man Who Sold the World and Fame.
A 60 minute archive celebration of BBC studio performances from the British bands that broke through courtesy of punk... from its pub rock roots with Dr Feelgood to its explosive heyday with the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Buzzcocks, The Damned, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division and many more....
A concert to celebrate the 45th anniversary of folk-rock outfit Fairport Convention, filmed in March 2012 at the Union Chapel in north London, only a few miles away from the 'Fairport' house in Muswell Hill where the band was formed during the summer of 1967. Today only Simon Nicol, whose parents owned the house, is still there from the original line-up, but the wealth of incredible songs and arrangements left by former members such as Ashley Hutchings, Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson remains at the core of the band's live shows. This concert's highlights include Matty Groves from the band's landmark Liege and Lief album and Sandy Denny's Who Knows Where the Time Goes, voted 'favourite folk track of all time' by Radio 2 listeners.
Let's spend the night together in a TV tribute to the songwriting skills of pop's original bad boy group -The Rolling Stones. From the archives of Old Grey Whistle Test, Top of the Pops, Crackerjack and the odd international pop show, come the likes of Gene Pitney, Thelma Houston, Chris Farlowe, Patti Smith, Marianne Faithfull, Devo and Melanie taking on Mick and Keith's songbook. 'Jumpin' Jack Flash', 'Gimme Shelter', 'Ruby Tuesday', 'Wild Horses', 'Stupid Girl', 'Under My Thumb' and 'She's a Rainbow' all get the cover treatment; the surprises lie in who does what and how, all adding to one hour of total satisfaction.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Rolling Stones we delve into the BBC vaults to deliver some timeless Stones archive. From the early days of their career and some unforgettable performances on Top of the Pops with 'The Last Time', 'Let's Spend The Night Together' and 'Get Off Of My Cloud' through the late 60s and early 70s era of prolific song writing when the band were knocking out a classic album every other year and offering up such classics as 'Honky Tonk Women' and 'Gimme Shelter'. The late 70s brought a massively successful nod to disco with Miss You and the early 80s a stomping return to form with the rock 'n' roll groove of Start Me Up. Peppered amongst the performances are snippets of wisdom from the two main men - The Glimmer Twins, aka Mick and Keith. Plus as a special treat, some lost footage of the band performing 19th Nervous Breakdown on Top of the Pops in 1966 - recently discovered in a BBC documentary from the 1960s about women with depression.
On 3rd January 2012 at Bournemouth's BIC Arena, Louis, Harry, Zayn, Liam and Niall of One Direction were captured on film during their first sell-out tour, performing all their hits plus a few surprises. As well as a truly amazing performance from one of the world's biggest bands, this programme includes revealing behind-the-scenes footage showing life on tour with One Direction.
The BBC archive uncovers performances of some of the finest Bond theme tunes from its top secret vaults and pays a TV tribute to a classic British icon. Prepare to be shaken and stirred by Tina Turner and her GoldenEye, Dame Shirley Bassey with her Diamonds, Tom Jones rampaging with Thunderball, Matt Monro romancing in Russia, the Fun Lovin' Criminals taking all the time in the world, Adele's sky-high contribution to 007 and much more from Sheena Easton, Garbage, A-ha and others, from all manner of BBC shows. Sit back and marvel at our selection of the greatest Bond songs in history - a tuxedo and a dry vodka martini is optional.
One of the most-anticipated reunions in pop music history took place in the summer of 2011 when all five original members of Take That opened their spectacular Progress Live 2011 UK Tour at the City of Manchester Stadium. Playing to massive sell-out audiences around Europe, Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams took over 2.1 million people with them on their 'Progress' journey, with a monumental two and half hour set filled with all the biggest hits from their incredible 20 year history. Progress Live 2011 is the first time the band had toured as a five-piece since 1995. The huge production wowed audiences with a non-stop, jaw-dropping spectacle, which included roller-skating bees, a giant purple caterpillar, Shaolin monks, a dancing chess set, a massive 30m wall of water scaled by acrobatic dancers, and a huge 20m robot named OM who moved ominously through the audience throughout the night. The show opened with Gary, Howard, Jason and Mark performing hits including Rule the World and Shine, before Robbie made his entrance for the start of a thumping solo set including Let Me Entertain You and Angels. All five members were then reunited for the song that marked their historic return, The Flood; and classic hits such as Never Forget, A Million Love Songs, and Pray.
The BBC have raided their remarkable archive once more to reveal evocative performances from Burt Bacharach and Hal David's astonishing songbook. Love songs from the famous songwriting duo were a familiar feature of 1960s and '70s BBC entertainment programmes such as Dusty, Cilla and The Cliff Richard Show, but there are some surprises unearthed here too. Highlights include Sandie Shaw singing Always Something There to Remind Me, Aretha Franklin performing I Say a Little Prayer, Dusty Springfield's Wishin' and Hopin', The Stranglers' rendition of Walk on By on Top of the Pops, The Carpenters in concert performing (They Long to Be) Close to You and Burt Bacharach revisiting his classic Kentucky Bluebird with Rufus Wainwright on Later...with Jools Holland
A collection of performances from the BBC archives, celebrating the sights and sounds and the ups and downs of London through the words and songs through the years - from Petula Clark singing A Foggy Day in London Town in 1965 to Adele performing her love letter to the city in Hometown Glory, filmed in October 2007 on the roof of the BBC car park in Shepherds Bush. Also featured are the likes of the Jam, Eddy Grant, Tom Paxton and Lily Allen plus many more.
On October 5th 1962, fifty years ago, The Beatles released their first single Love Me Do. It was a moment that changed music history and popular culture forever. It was also an extraordinary year in social and cultural history, not just for Liverpool but for the world, with the Cuban missile crisis, John Glenn in space and beer at a shilling a pint. Stuart Maconie explores how the Beatles changed from leather and slicked back hair to suits and Beatle mops and how their fashion set the pace for the Sixties to follow. Pop artist Sir Peter Blake, Bob Harris, and former Beatles drummer Pete Best join friends to reflect on how the Beatles evolved into John, Paul, George and Ringo the most famous band in the world.
Slade night BBC FOUR 21st December 2012 featured It's Slade, Slade at the BBC and Slade In Flame, the whole night was watched by 750,000
Compilation of British rock 'n' roll acts in performance with tracks that crossed over to the US charts. From the Dave Clark Five to Coldplay, the Brits have rocked America and sometimes even done better across the pond than here - take a bow A Flock of Seagulls, Supertramp and Bush, who also included here - alongside darker British global exports like Black Sabbath and the Cure.
A night dedicated to the music of 007. Conductor Carl Davis and the Philharmonia Orchestra create a concert bringing together the iconic theme tunes from the James Bond films, including Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever, From Russia with Love, GoldenEye and many more. Honor Blackman, who played the legendary Pussy Galore, leads us on the journey through the world of Bond across the 50 years and 23 films. Featuring Strictly Come Dancing vocalist Lance Ellington and Mary Carewe as the soloists in a concert performed at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the UK chart, from the vaults of the BBC archive comes a selection of hits that attained the toppermost of the poppermost prize and made it to number 1 in the hit parade. From across the decades we applaud the most coveted of all chart positions with smash hits and classics from the Bee Gees, T-Rex, Donna Summer, John Lennon, Culture Club, Spice Girls, James Blunt, Rihanna, Adele and many more.
A mixture of songs, interviews and rarely-seen documentary footage offers a glimpse as to how American crooner Barry Manilow's career has evolved on screen for more than forty years. Classics such as Mandy, Copacabana and Could It Be Magic were played to millions of viewers first time around and are revisited in clips from Top of the Pops, Parkinson and various filmed shows including his pivotal open air concert at Blenheim Palace in 1983 - it's a miracle!
Compilation of performances from the BBC archive spanning 35 years of Paul Weller, from the Jam to the Style Council to his solo career. From the heady days of mod-punk trio the Jam there's In The City on TOTP, The Eton Rifles on teen pop culture show Something Else and more, up to their final single Beat Surrender. Jazz-funk-soul collective the Style Council take over with first single Speak Like a Child on Sight & Sound and a storming Walls Come Tumbling Down on the Whistle Test. Weller's persistently successful solo career is chronicled on Later with Jools Holland - where he's the most frequently featured artist in the show's history - with Sunflower to the Attic (from 2012's Sonik Kicks album), plus an acoustic rendition of the Jam classic That's Entertainment with Noel Gallagher. Amongst other treats are a rarely-seen performance from the Electric Proms of Etta James's Don't Go to Strangers, where the changingman is joined onstage at the Roundhouse by Amy Winehouse.
Documentary chronicling our ever-changing love affair with the British singles chart on the occasion of its 60th anniversary. From the first NME chart in 1952, via Pick and Top of the Pops to home-taping the Radio One chart show and beyond, we have measured out our lives to a wonderful churn of pop driven, unbeknownst to us, by a clandestine world of music biz hustle. Featuring contributions by 60 years of BBC chart custodians from David Jacobs to Reggie Yates, chart fans Grace Dent and Pete Paphides and music biz veterans Jon Webster and Rob Dickins.
A foot-stomping return to the BBC vaults of Top of the Pops, The Old Grey Whistle Test and Later with Jools as the programme spins itself to a time when disco ruled the floor, the airwaves and our minds. The visual floorfillers include classics from luminaries such as Chic, Labelle and Rose Royce to glitterball surprises by the Village People.
The BBC delves into its archive for the best romantic duets performed at the BBC over the last fifty years. Whether it is Robbie and Kylie dancing together on Top of the Pops or Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge singing into each other's eyes on the Whistle Test, there is plenty of chemistry. Highlights include Nina and Frederik's Baby It's Cold Outside, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, Sonny and Cher, Shirley Bassey and Neil Diamond, Peaches and Herb and a rare performance from Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush.
... Sings Musicals delves into the BBC archives and presents an eclectic mix of performances from musicals from the 60s to the present. Featuring the likes of Ella Fitzgerald singing Mack the Knife from the Threepenny Opera, Captain Sensible performing a classic from South Pacific, Jeff Beck going down the yellow brick road of Oz, Jay Z taking on Annie, and all points in between.
The BBC takes on the Mouse in a brilliant and sometimes baffling medley of styles and eras blending everything from light entertainment to children's TV, celebrating interpretations of Disney tunes over the last 40 years. The Bare Necessities, When You Wish upon a Star and Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah are standout highlights, with more recent pop hits from Celine Dion and Elton John bringing us up to date. Clips come from archive shows including Shirley Bassey, It's Lulu, Top of the Pops, Blue Peter, Brubeck and Louis Armstrong's Show of the Week.
Documentary following English folk-rock pioneers Fairport Convention as they celebrate their 45th anniversary in 2012. Fairport's iconic 1969 album Liege and Lief featured some of folk music's biggest names - including singer Sandy Denny, guitarist Richard Thompson and fiddler Dave Swarbrick - and was voted by Radio 2 listeners as the most influential folk album of all time. Today, having struggled for years with numerous line-up changes (26 members to date) and shifting musical fashions, these ageing folk-rockers host their annual festival in Cropredy, Oxfordshire in front of a passionate 20,000 crowd. Comedian Frank Skinner, who played the ukulele on Fairport's 2010 album Festival Bell, narrates this tale of the rise and fall - and rise again - of the original English folk-rockers.
Documentary which gets to the heart of who Jeff Lynne is and how he has had such a tremendous musical influence on our world. The story is told by the British artist himself and such distinguished collaborators and friends of Jeff as Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Tom Petty, Joe Walsh, Olivia and Dhani Harrison, Barbara Orbison and Eric Idle. The film reveals that Lynne is a true man of music, for whom the recording studio is his greatest instrument. With access to Lynne in his studio above LA, this is an intimate account of a great British pop classicist who has ploughed a unique furrow since starting out on the Birmingham Beat scene in the early 60s, moving from the Idle Race to the multimillion-selling ELO in the 70s and then, with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and George Harrison, as a key member of the Traveling Wilburys.
The bass-baritone Bryn Terfel is one of the top opera singers in the world. Matthew Stadlen wanted to get a sense of his musical life and what makes him tick, so he went to meet him and watch him perform at the Royal Festival Hall on the final day of the Bryn Fest - a festival in his name.
Documentary about how a much-derided music actually changed the world. Between 1969 and 1979 disco soundtracked gay liberation, foregrounded female desire in the age of feminism and led to the birth of modern club culture as we know it today, before taking the world by storm. With contributions from Nile Rodgers, Robin Gibb, Kathy Sledge and Ian Schrager.
Documentary which highlights cockney duo Chas & Dave's rich, unsung pedigree in the music world and a career spanning 50 years, almost the entire history of UK pop. They played with everyone from Jerry Lee Lewis to Gene Vincent, toured with the Beatles, opened for Led Zeppelin at Knebworth - and yet are known mainly just for their cheery singalongs and novelty records about snooker and Spurs. The film also looks at the pair's place among the great musical commentators on London life - and in particular the influence of music hall on their songs and lyrics.
An epic 1970s tale about a group of rebel rock bands who rose up from one of the most unpopular, marginalised parts of the USA - the Deep South - and conquered the world. The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd and others that followed did this entirely on their own terms, blending the music of the region - blues, country, rock and roll - with a gung-ho attitude that set the South, and then America, on fire. Their diverse styles, from juke joint boogie and country-rock honks to cosmic blues blasts, had a huge cultural and political impact, even helping to elect Jimmy Carter as president in 1976. Their extraordinary adventure is brought to life through vivid period archive and contributions from the survivors of those crazy times, including Gregg Allman, REM's Mike Mills, Doug Gray, Al Kooper, Bonnie Bramlett, Charlie Daniels and other key figures in the movement.
Do you remember buying your first single? Where you bought it? What it was? The thrill of playing it for the first time? What it sounded like? How it maybe changed your life? Lots of us do. Lots of us still have that single somewhere in a dusty box in the attic, along with other treasured memorabilia of an adolescence lost in music and romance. The attic of our youth. The Joy of the Single is a documentary packed with startling memories, vivid images and penetrating insights into the power of pop and rock's first and most abiding artefact - the seven-inch, vinyl 45-rpm record, a small, perfectly formed object that seems to miraculously contain the hopes, fears, sounds and experiences of our different generations - all within the spiralling groove etched on its shiny black surface, labelled and gift-wrapped by an industry also in its thrall. In the confident hands of a star-studded cast, the film spins a tale of obsession, addiction, dedication and desire. The viewer is invited on a journey of celebration from the 1950s rock 'n' roll generation to the download kids of today, taking in classic singles from all manner of artists in each decade - from the smell of vinyl to the delights of the record label, from the importance of the record shop to the bittersweet brevity of the song itself, from stacking singles on a Dansette spindle to dropping the needle and thrilling to the intro. Featuring contributions from Noddy Holder, Jack White, Richard Hawley, Suzi Quatro, Holly Johnson, Jimmy Webb, Pete Waterman, Norah Jones, Mike Batt, Graham Gouldman, Miranda Sawyer, Norman Cook, Trevor Horn, Neil Sedaka, Paul Morley, Rob Davies, Lavinia Greenlaw, Brian Wilson and Mike Love.
Jazz Horns Gold blows its own trumpet (and saxophone and nose flute) with a cool array of BBC archive from the jazz vaults. Legends such as Dizzy Gillespie, Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz and Rahsaan Roland Kirk play boldly alongside new stars who emerged in the 80s like Wynton Marsalis and the young jazz disciples of the 21st century such as Joshua Redman and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. Not forgetting the Brits including Acker Bilk, John Dankworth, Courtney Pine and John Surman and the late, lamented Andy Hamilton. Archive sources include Jazz 625, the Late Show, Later with Jools Holland and Crackerjack. Blow man blow!
Kathleen NicAonghais air chuairt ann a Chicago le caraidean chèolmhor agus Fèis Celtic Connections air aoigheachd 's a bhaile. Kathleen MacInnes takes in Chicago with a host of musical pals as the Celtic Connections Festival arrives in the U.S.
Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford, the men behind Squeeze, have been called everything from the new Lennon and McCartney to the godfathers of Britpop. Now, 35 years after their first record, this documentary reappraises the songwriting genius of Difford and Tilbrook and shows why Squeeze hold a special place in British pop music. Difford and Tilbrook, two working class kids from south east London, formed Squeeze in 1974 with the dream of one day appearing on Top of the Pops. In 1978, they achieved that dream when the single Take Me I'm Yours gave the band the first of a string of top 20 hits. The period from 1978 to 1982 saw the group release a run of classic singles, timeless gems such as Cool for Cats, Up the Junction, Labelled with Love, Tempted and Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) to name but a few. Although the line-up of Squeeze would go through various changes of personnel (another founder member Jools Holland left in 1980 and then rejoined the group in 1985) it is Difford and Tilbrook's songs that have remained the constant throughout the lifetime of the band. The duo explain how they came to write and record many of their greatest songs. Although their relationship at times has often been tenuous at best, the mutual admiration for each other's talent has produced some of the best songs of the past 40 years. With contributions from former band members Jools Holland and Paul Carrack, together with testament from Elvis Costello, Mark Knopfler and Aimee Mann to Difford and Tilbrook's songwriting talent and why they deserve to be placed alongside such renowned songwriting partnerships as Lennon and McCartney, Jagger and Richards and Elton John and Bernie Taupin
In September 2011 R.E.M., the rock band from Athens, Georgia, decided to call it a day after 31 years. This collection from the BBC archives includes performances of Pretty Persuasion from the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1984, Orange Crush on Top of the Pops in 1989 and special acoustic versions of Losing My Religion and Half a World Away on The Late Show in 1991, along with performances on Later with Jools Holland and Parkinson. Also, vocalist Michael Stipe and bassist Mike Mills reflect on the band ending.
Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode introduce songs from the James Bond films Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever and For Your Eyes Only; as well as music from Mission Impossible, Where Eagles Dare and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
A real treat for anyone who loves listening to the tinkling of the jazz piano, with classics from Count Basie, Thelonious Monk, Oscar Peterson, Abdullah Ibrahim, Stan Tracey and Jacques Loussier to Duke Ellington, Return to Forever and Herbie Hancock. The performances are culled from cult classic programmes such as Jazz 625, Show of the Week, Late Night Line Up, Love You Madly, Birdland, The Late Show and Later... with Jools Holland, and date from 1964 to 2009. Be it bebop, swing or contemporary, Jazz Piano Gold is a must for all jazz piano fans.
Some of the finest Irish singers and musicians, recorded in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall at Celtic Connections 2012. Eleanor McEvoy, Finbar Furey, Cara Dillon, Luka Bloom, Brian Kennedy and many others sing the songs that Ireland is famous for. Love songs, songs of emigration, songs of loss, contemporary and traditional are all beautifully accompanied by the house band, top Irish-American group Solas.
Featuring exclusive interviews with surviving band members Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, Robby Kreiger and their closest colleagues and collaborators, along with exclusive performances, archive footage and examination of the original multi-track recording tapes with producer Bruce Botnick, this film tells the amazing story of landmark album LA Woman by one of the most influential bands on the planet.
John Edginton's documentary explores the making of Pink Floyd's ninth studio album, "Wish You Were Here." Featuring new interviews with band members Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason alongside contributions from the likes of guest vocalist Roy Harper, sleeve designer Storm Thorgerson and photographer Jill Furmanovsky, the film is a forensic study of the making of the follow-up to 1973's "Dark Side of the Moon."
The composer Frederick Delius is often pictured as the blind, paralysed and caustic old man he eventually became, but in his youth he was tall, handsome, charming and energetic - not Frederick at all for most of his life, but Fritz. He was a contemporary of Elgar and Mahler, yet forged his own musical language, with which he always tried to capture the pleasure of the moment. Using evidence from his friend, the Australian composer Percy Grainger, who reported that Delius 'practised immorality with puritanical stubbornness', this film by John Bridcut explores the multiple contradictions of his colourful life. Delius has long been renowned for his depiction of the natural environment, with pieces such as On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, yet his music is usually steeped in the sensuality and eroticism that he himself experienced. The documentary features specially-filmed performances by the widely-acclaimed Danish interpreters of Delius, the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Bo Holten, as well as the chamber choir, Schola Cantorum of Oxford.
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is arguably the most important album in the mind-blowing career of David Bowie. Released in 1972, it's the record that set the mercurial musician on course to becoming one of the best-known pop stars on the planet. In just over a year, Bowie's messianic Martian invaded the minds of the nation's youth with a killer combination of extraterrestrial rock 'n' roll and outrageous sexuality, all delivered in high-heeled boots, multi-coloured dresses and extravagant make-up. In Bowie's own words, Ziggy was 'a cross between Nijinsky and Woolworths', but this unlikely culture clash worked - Ziggy turned Bowie into stardust. This documentary tells the story of how Bowie arrived at one of the most iconic creations in the history of pop music. The songs, the hairstyles, the fashion and the theatrical stage presentation that merged together to turn David Bowie into the biggest craze since the Beatles. Ziggy's instant success gave the impression that he was the perfectly-planned pop star. But, as the film reveals, it had been a momentous struggle for David Bowie to hit on just the right formula that would take him to the top. Narrated by fan Jarvis Cocker, it reveals Bowie's mission to the stars through the musicians and colleagues who helped him in his unwavering quest for fame - a musical voyage that led Bowie to doubt his true identity, eventually forcing the sudden demise of his alien alter ego, Ziggy. Contributors include Trevor Bolder (bass player, Spiders from Mars), Woody Woodmansey (drummer, Spider from Mars), Mike Garson (Spiders' keyboardist), Suzi Ronson (Mick Ronson's widow, who gave Bowie that haircut), Ken Scott (producer), Elton John (contemporary and fan), Lindsay Kemp (Bowie's mime teacher), Leee Black Childers (worked for Mainman, Bowie's production company), Cherry Vanilla (Bowie's PA/press officer), George Underwood (Bowie's friend), Mick Rock (Ziggy's official photographer), Steve Harley, Marc Almo
Dame Diana Rigg explores the enduring popularity of The Lark Ascending by the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. The programme culminates in a new performance of the work by 15-year-old violin prodigy Julia Hwang and pianist Charles Matthews using the original arrangement for violin and piano.
Crossfire Hurricane, directed by Brett Morgen, provides a remarkable new perspective on the Stones' unparalleled journey from blues-obsessed teenagers in the early 60s to rock royalty. It's all here in panoramic candour, from the Marquee Club to Hyde Park, from Altamont to 'Exile, from club gigs to stadium extravaganzas. With never-before-seen footage and fresh insights from the band themselves, Crossfire Hurricane places the viewer on the frontline of the band's most legendary escapades. Taking its title from a lyric in Jumping Jack Flash, Crossfire Hurricane gives the audience an intimate insight, for the first time, into exactly what it's like to be part of the Rolling Stones, as they overcame denunciation, drugs, dissensions and death to become the definitive survivors. The odyssey includes film from the Stones' initial road trips and first controversies as they became the anti-Beatles, the group despised by authority because they connected and communicated with their own generation as no-one ever had. 'When we got together,' says Wyman, 'something magical happened, and no one could ever copy that'. Riots and the chaos of early tours are graphically depicted, as is the birth of the Jagger-Richards songwriting partnership. The many dramas they encountered are also fully addressed, including the Redlands drug bust, the descent of Brian Jones into what Richards calls 'bye-bye land', and the terror and disillusionment of 1969's Altamont Festival. The film illustrates the Stones' evolution from being, as Mick vividly describes it, 'the band everybody hated to the band everybody loves': through the hedonistic 1970s and Keith's turning-point bust in Canada, to the spectacular touring phenomenon we know today. Richards also reveals the song that he believes defines the 'essence' of his writing relationship with Jagger more than any other. The film combines extensive historical footage, much of it widely unseen, with contemporary commentaries by Mick Jagger, Keith Richar
rossfire Hurricane, directed by Brett Morgen, provides a remarkable new perspective on the Stones' unparalleled journey from blues-obsessed teenagers in the early 60s to rock royalty. It's all here in panoramic candour, from the Marquee Club to Hyde Park, from Altamont to 'Exile, from club gigs to stadium extravaganzas. With never-before-seen footage and fresh insights from the band themselves, Crossfire Hurricane places the viewer on the frontline of the band's most legendary escapades. Taking its title from a lyric in Jumping Jack Flash, Crossfire Hurricane gives the audience an intimate insight, for the first time, into exactly what it's like to be part of the Rolling Stones, as they overcame denunciation, drugs, dissensions and death to become the definitive survivors. The odyssey includes film from the Stones' initial road trips and first controversies as they became the anti-Beatles, the group despised by authority because they connected and communicated with their own generation as no-one ever had. 'When we got together,' says Wyman, 'something magical happened, and no one could ever copy that'. Riots and the chaos of early tours are graphically depicted, as is the birth of the Jagger-Richards songwriting partnership. The many dramas they encountered are also fully addressed, including the Redlands drug bust, the descent of Brian Jones into what Richards calls 'bye-bye land', and the terror and disillusionment of 1969's Altamont Festival. The film illustrates the Stones' evolution from being, as Mick vividly describes it, 'the band everybody hated to the band everybody loves': through the hedonistic 1970s and Keith's turning-point bust in Canada, to the spectacular touring phenomenon we know today. Richards also reveals the song that he believes defines the 'essence' of his writing relationship with Jagger more than any other. The film combines extensive historical footage, much of it widely unseen, with contemporary commentaries by Mick Jagger, Keith Richard
Sue Perkins tells the true story behind the von Trapp family, portrayed on the big screen almost 50 years ago in The Sound Of Music. She heads to Austria to discover why Salzburg seems to resent the film that put it on the map, meeting locals with memories of Maria von Trapp and finding that actor Nicholas Hammond's life has continued to be defined by his role as Friedrich. Sue travels to New York and Vermont, where the family settled and meets 98-year-old Maria, who is the only one of the seven children still alive. Including rare footage from the 1950s, as well as home movies shot during the filming of The Sound of Music itself.
Gerry Rafferty, who died in January 2011, was one of Scotland's best loved singer/songwriters, famous around the world for hits such as Baker Street and Stuck in the Middle With You. This ArtWorks Scotland film, narrated by David Tennant, tells the story of Rafferty's life through his often autobiographical songs and includes contributions from Gerry's daughter Martha and brother Jim, friends and colleagues including Billy Connolly, John Byrne and Joe Egan, admirers such as Tom Robinson and La Roux, and words and music from Rafferty himself.
Jools Holland embarks on a personal journey through the streets, historical landmarks, pubs, music halls and rock 'n' roll venues of London to uncover a history of the city through its songs, the people who wrote them and the Londoners who joined in the chorus. Unlike Chicago blues or Memphis soul, London has no one definitive sound. Its noisy history is full of grime, clamour, industry and countless different voices demanding to be heard.
You know the music - now meet the man. Still Bill is an intimate portrait of soul legend Bill Withers, best known for his classics Ain't No Sunshine, Lean on Me, Lovely Day, Grandma's Hands and Just the Two of Us. With his soulful delivery and warm, heartfelt sincerity, Withers has written songs that resonate within the fabric of our times. Through concert footage, journeys to his birthplace and interviews with music legends, his family and closest friends, this documentary presents the story of an artist who has written some of the most beloved songs of our time and who truly understands the heart and soul of a man.
Documentary which records and celebrates the life and works of 'punk poet' John Cooper Clarke, looking at his life as a poet, a comedian, a recording artist and revealing how he has remained a significant influence on contemporary culture over four decades. With a bevy of household names from stand-up comedy, lyricists, rock stars and cultural commentators paying homage to him, the film reveals Salford-born Cooper Clarke as a dynamic force who remains as relevant today as ever, as successive generations cite him as an influence on their lives, careers and styles. From Bill Bailey to Plan B, Steve Coogan to Kate Nash and Arctic Monkeys front man Alex Turner to cultural commentators such as Miranda Sawyer and Paul Morley, the film reveals the life behind one of Britain's sharpest and most witty poets - a national treasure.
We Who Wait tells the story of punk band the Adverts and the continuing music career of their former frontman TV Smith, one of the most talented, literate and passionate - yet curiously overlooked - songwriters to emerge from London's vibrant '77 new wave scene. Smith formed the Adverts in late '76 with his girlfriend Gaye and press criticism of the band's alleged musical ineptitude was answered by a defiant and iconic debut single, One Chord Wonders. A couple of months later, they secured their first chart hit with the macabre punk classic, Gary Gilmore's Eyes. Gaye's status as reluctant punk icon ensured the band received a lot of press attention and a promising future beckoned. However, after a well-received but underperforming debut LP and a critically-reviled follow-up, the Adverts suffered an acrimonious collapse. Pushed to the margins of the music industry by shifting musical trends and a stubborn refusal to compromise, Smith nonetheless continued a dogged struggle to make a living as a singer and songwriter in the face of critical hostility and industry indifference. After years of bad luck, personal loss and failed bands, Smith's persistence is finally paying dividends. He has carved out a career as a solo artist and troubadour and painstakingly built a new audience through constant touring. To this day, he remains a fiercely inventive songwriter and an electrifying live performer - an enduring embodiment of punk's DIY ethos, passion and power. The film is a testament to one of UK music's great outsiders, featuring a wealth of stills and archive footage and contributions from former band members, collaborators, critics and friends including Smith and Gaye Advert, Brian James, Richard Strange, John Robb, Greil Marcus, Miles, Henry Rollins, Ian MacKaye and many others.
In his home studio and revisiting old haunts in Shepherd's Bush and Battersea, Pete Townshend opens his heart and his personal archive to revisit 'the last great album the Who ever made', one that took the Who full circle back to their earliest days via the adventures of a pill-popping mod on an epic journey of self-discovery. But in 1973 Quadrophenia was an album that almost never was. Beset by money problems, a studio in construction, heroin-taking managers, a lunatic drummer and a culture of heavy drinking, Townshend took on an album that nearly broke him and one that within a year the band had turned their back on and would ignore for nearly three decades. With unseen archive and in-depth interviews from Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Keith Moon, John Entwistle and those in the studio and behind the lens who made the album and 30 page photo booklet. Contributors include Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Ethan Russell, Ron Nevison, Richard Barnes, Irish Jack Lyons, Bill Curbishley, John Woolf, Howie Edelson, Mark Kermode and Georgiana Steele Waller.
In 1978 The Undertones released Teenage Kicks, one of the most perfect and enduring pop records of all time - an adolescent anthem that spoke to teenagers all over the globe. It was the first in a string of hits that created a timeless soundtrack to growing up, making the Undertones one of punk rock's most prolific and popular bands. Unlike the anarchic ragings of The Sex Pistols or the overt politics of The Clash, The Undertones sang of mummy's boys, girls - or the lack of them - and their irritating cousin Kevin. But their gems of pop music were revolutionary nonetheless - startlingly positive protest songs that demanded a life more ordinary. Because The Undertones came from Derry, epicentre of the violent troubles that tore Northern Ireland apart during the 1970s. Featuring interviews with band members, their friends, family, colleagues and contemporaries, alongside archive and music, this documentary is the remarkable, funny and moving story of one of Britain's favourite bands - the most improbable pop stars who emerged from one of the darkest, most violent places on the planet.
Rick Wakeman, Rowland Rivron and Pete Murray are among those telling the extraordinary story of the secretary-turned-pianist who shared a manager with the Rolling Stones and studio space with the Beatles at Abbey Road.
Over the last five years an independent record shop has closed in the UK every three days. This film is documentary portrait of one of the very last still trading - a vinyl record shop in Teesside, a cultural haven in one of the most deprived areas in the UK. Filmmaker Jeanie Finlay, who grew up three miles from the shop, follows daily life in a place that is thriving against the odds, ensured of survival by the local community that keeps it alive. A distinctive, funny and intimate film about men, the North and the irreplaceable role music plays in our lives.
Mark Radcliffe presents a countdown of the ten songs which have earned the most money of all time - ten classic songs each with an extraordinary story behind them. Radcliffe lifts the lid on how music royalties work and reveals the biggest winners and losers in the history of popular music.
Mark Radcliffe and Julie Fowlis present live from the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall as part of the Celtic Connections festival. Featuring live music and special guest presenters.
On the 50th anniversary of the famous 12-hour session at Abbey Road which resulted in the Beatles' iconic album Please Please Me, leading artists such as Stereophonics, Graham Coxon, Gabrielle Aplin, Joss Stone, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze, Paul Carrack, Mick Hucknall and I Am Kloot attempt to record the same songs, in the same timescale, in the same studio. The results will be captured in this programme, presented by Stuart Maconie. Amongst those paying their own tribute to the album's success are Burt Bacharach and Guy Chambers, as well as people lucky enough to have been there 50 years ago telling the remarkable story of what happened that day, including engineer Richard Langham and Beatles' press officer Tony Barrow.
In 2011, Glen Campbell announced he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and that he would be bowing out with a final album and farewell tour across Britain and America. This documentary tells Campbell's remarkable life story, from impoverished childhood in Arkansas through huge success first as a guitarist and then as a singer, with great records like Wichita Lineman and Rhinestone Cowboy. With comments from friends and colleagues including songwriter Jimmy Webb and Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees, it's a moving story of success, disgrace and redemption as rich as any of the storylines in Campbell's most famous songs.
As the BBC makes its exit from the iconic west London site of Television Centre, BBC Four presents a special night of celebration of the building and its 53-year history. To kick start proceedings, the nation's favourite nutty boys and national treasures Madness take to the stage at the front of BBC Television Centre to perform an hour long concert in front of an assembled audience nine days before TV Centre closes its doors. To help launch this celebration of over 50 years of programme making at TVC Madness treat us to new material and classics alike, such as One Step Beyond, I Never Knew Your Name, Baggy Trousers and Our House.
In February 1982, guitarist and singer Nic Jones was a star of English folk music: his record, Penguin Eggs, was a bestseller - to this day many still believe it to be one of the best acoustic records ever produced. But Nic’s life was about to change forever. Driving back from a gig in Glossop, Derbyshire, a near-fatal car accident ended his career. Nic’s legacy has continued to inspire each generation of folk players since that fateful night in 1982 - singers like Eliza Carthy, Jim Moray, Anaïs Mitchell, Martin Simpson, Ashley Hutchings and Chris Wood testify to Nic’s influence on their music, even Bob Dylan covered Nic’s iconic track Canadee-i-o. In 2012 Nic returned to the stage for his first proper gigs in 30 years; accompanied by his son on guitar he wowed audiences once again. This film tells the story of his legend and his return to the stage.
As part of BBC Radio 2's In Concert series, Elton John performs in the beautiful art deco surroundings of the BBC's famous Radio Theatre situated in Old Broadcasting House. Elton performs classic songs from his enviable and extensive back catalogue including: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Rocket Man, I'm Still Standing, Saturday Night's All Right For Fighting and Your Song plus The Diving Board from his latest album, which sees him join forces again with his career-long lyrical collaborator Bernie Taupin, and with producing credits going to country music man of the moment T-Bone Burnett, he'll be treating us to some brand new material. A very special, exclusive and intimate performance from the legend that is Elton John.
Robbie Williams takes over the London Palladium for an evening of swing classics and new songs. Special guests joining Robbie and his big band on stage are Lily Allen, Rufus Wainwright and Muppets Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog, and grumpy old men Statler and Waldorf
Country singer-songwriter John Denver performs in concert at Wembley Arena in 1979.
Documentary exploring the private life and public legacy of John Denver, America's original country boy. With exclusive accounts from those closest to him, the man behind the music is revealed in an intimate profile in his 70th birthday anniversary year.
A red-button special to go with the BBC 2 radio series. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03bpz6f
lyndebourne has a proud association with the operas of Benjamin Britten, yet this highly-acclaimed production from 2010 was their first staging of his all-male opera Billy Budd. Set on a British man-o-war ship, with a libretto co-written by EM Forster, the opera is based on the battle between good and evil. Michael Grandage, artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse, chose this work to make his long-awaited operatic debut. Sir Mark Elder returned to conduct, marking the 100th opera production in his illustrious career.
If you fancy an hour's worth of irresistible guilty pleasures from Anni-Frid, Benny, Bjorn and Agnetha, this is the programme for you. It's 39 years since ABBA stormed the Eurovision song contest with their winning entry Waterloo, and this programme charts the meteoric rise of the band with some of their greatest performances at the BBC. It begins in 1974 with their first Top of the Pops appearance and we even get to see the band entertaining holidaymakers in Torbay in a 1975 Seaside Special. There are many classic ABBA tunes from the 1979 BBC special ABBA in Switzerland, plus their final BBC appearance on the Late Late Breakfast show in 1982. This compilation is a must for all fans and includes great archive interviews, promos and performances of some of ABBA's classics including Waterloo, Dancing Queen, Does Your Mother Know, Thank You for the Music, SOS, Fernando, Chiquitita and many more.
A selection of Dusty Springfield's performances at the BBC from 1961 to 1995. Dusty was one of Britain's great pop divas, guaranteed to give us a big melody in songs soaring with drama and yearning. The clips show Dusty's versatility as an artist and performer and include songs from her folk beginnings with the Springfields; the melodrama of You Don't Have to Say You Love Me; Dusty's homage to Motown with Heatwave and Nowhere to Run; the Jacques Brel song If You Go Away; the Bacharach and David tune The Look of Love; and Dusty's collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys in the late 1980s. There are also some great duets from Dusty's career with Tom Jones, Mel Torme and even Alf Garnett.
Highlights of the Chime for Change concert at Twickenham Stadium headlined by Beyonce and starring an array of special guests.
A new production from the Royal Opera House of Tchaikovsky's much-loved opera Eugene Onegin, a story of love, rejection and tragedy based on Pushkin's verse drama of the same name. The international cast includes Simon Keenlyside singing the role of Onegin and Krassimira Stoyanova in the role of Tatyana, with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House conducted by Robin Ticciati. The opera is introduced by Kasper Holten who makes his debut as stage director at the ROH.
From the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Katie Derham introduces a gala concert in celebration of Plácido Domingo, one of the greatest figures in the world of music. On stage with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House conducted by Antonio Pappano are some of the finest singers of today performing selected gems of the operatic repertory. Opera stars Nina Stemme, Joyce DiDonato, Joseph Calleja, Rolando Villazón perform alongside voices new to Covent Garden - Stefan Pop, Julia Novikova and Sonya Yoncheva.
Combining European musical influences, perfect production and lyrics of love and loss, ABBA made us fall in love with the sound of Swedish melancholy. This documentary explores the music of ABBA and chronicles how they conquered both Sweden and Britain in the face of constant criticism.
Music Technology presents practical 'how-to' advice for making music with easy-to-access technology, combined with an exploration of musical and sonic principles and concepts - how and why that 'whooshhh!' was created in that Kylie track or what was used to make that distorted bassy noise in the most recent Tinie Tempah record. Presented by Radio 1's Dev, the series explores a range of musical tracks and meets some of the UK's hottest young producers involved in the production of those same tracks. These producers offer practical demonstrations and encouragement on different aspects of making music, each time within the context of a particular 'practical topic' of music technology. The hour-long show covers the following topics and contributors: 1. An Introduction to Music Technology 2. Setting up a home studio with producer Kito 3. Sampling and looping with producer Happa 4. Using MIDI technology with Dan Smith from Bastille 5. Live production with Tim Exile 6. Using audio effects with Starsmith (Ellie Goulding's writer/producer) 7. Multi-track projects with Charlie Hugall (Florence & The Machine producer) 8. Mobile music technology 9. Collaboration in music technology with the Hayes School Choir and Ukelele Orchestra 10. Remixing and sharing with Monki (Radio 1 In New DJs We Trust).
Hyde Park 2013 comes almost 44 years to the day after the Rolling Stones first invited 200,000 fans to listen to them for free in a legendary concert at the central London park on 5 July 1969, only two days after the tragic death of founder member Brian Jones - a landmark event, now widely acknowledged as one of the most significant moments in modern music history. Featuring their greatest hits from across their career, plus a special appearance by former Stones guitarist Mick Taylor - who made his debut with the band at Hyde Park in 1969 - Hyde Park 2013 takes the huge success of the Rolling Stones' 50 and Counting anniversary celebrations into a second year, and follows an acclaimed Glastonbury appearance - their debut performance at the festival in a career spanning 50 years. Directed by Paul Dugdale, this 19 camera HD shoot in front of 65,000 fans captures just why the Rolling Stones are still the greatest live rock 'n' roll band after all these years. Highlights include Gimme Shelter, Jumpin' Jack Flash, You Can't Always Get What You Want and (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.
Trawled from the depths of the BBC Archive and classic BBC shows of the day - Old Grey Whistle Test, Top of the Pops and Full House - a collection of performance gems from a totally rock 'n' roll early 1970s. This was a golden era for British Rock 'n' Roll as everyone moved on from the whimsical 60s and looked around for something with a bit more oomph! In a pre- heavy metal world bands were experimenting with influences that dated back to 50s rock 'n' roll whilst taking their groove from old school rhythm and blues. It was also a time when men grew their hair long! In a celebration of this era we kick off with an early 1970s Badfinger number direct from the BBC library and continue the groove from the BBC vaults with classic rock 'n' roll heroes like Free, Status Quo, the Faces, Humble Pie and Mott the Hoople. Plus from deep within the BBC archives we dig out some rarities from the likes of Babe Ruth, Stone The Crows, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Man, Heavy Metal Kids and original rockers Thin Lizzy... to name but a few. Sit back and enjoy a 60 minute non-stop ride of unadulterated Totally British 70s Rock 'n' Roll!
Compilation of BBC performances by Dame Shirley Bassey, who began her rise to fame as a 16-year-old singer in 1953 and over 60 years is still going strong. This trip down memory lane uncovers some of her finest performances from the vaults, ranging from early appearances on Show of the Week and the Shirley Bassey Show, via the Royal Albert Hall and Glastonbury 2007, right up to her show at the Electric Proms in 2009. Iconic songs featured include The Performance of My Life, Goldfinger, Big Spender and Diamonds are Forever.
Barry White live in concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 1975.
TV special featuring footage filmed throughout Wings' tour of 1975/1976, following the band in England, Australia and America. It contains live concert performances featuring fifteen of Wings' greatest songs and home movies of Paul McCartney and his family, providing a fascinating profile of the McCartneys' life off-stage. The tour itself was a major triumph for Wings - the first time the group had appeared in Australia and America, and Paul's first performance in the States for ten years. Three million people saw the shows and a then-world record attendance for an indoor concert of 67,053 was set at the Kingdome, Seattle. Starting with Paul and Linda in Scotland, the special features the gradual build-up of the band and follows Wings on tour with hit songs such as Jet, Maybe I'm Amazed, Yesterday, Silly Love Songs and Band on the Run. The Wings line-up for the tour was Paul and Linda McCartney, Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch and Joe English.
Keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman pays tribute to his friend, Deep Purple's Jon Lord, the man who put the rock into the Hammond organ. Lord, who died last year, was always proud of his Leicester roots and went on to become not just a rock star but also a classical composer in his own right.
Documentary looking at the life and work of soul and pop diva Dusty Springfield, singer of such classics as You Don't Have to Say You Love Me and Son of a Preacher Man, who was equally famous for her trademark panda eyes and blonde beehive. Using archive footage and interviews shot in the UK and the US, it charts her progress from plain Catholic schoolgirl to glamorous star and ventures behind the extravagant image to reveal a complex and vulnerable character. Featuring interviews with fellow musicians from a career spanning four decades, including Elton John, Burt Bacharach, Neil Tennant, Lulu and Martha Reeves. Dusty's protective inner circle of friends have never spoken about her on camera before. Dusty's personal secretary for her entire solo career, Pat Rhodes, her manager Vicky Wickham, ardent fan-turned-backing singer Simon Bell and others talk about the highs and lows of the woman they knew and loved.
Between the mid-1960s and the late 1970s, the long-playing record and the albums that graced its grooves changed popular music for ever. For the first time, musicians could escape the confines of the three-minute pop single and express themselves as never before across the expanded artistic canvas of the album. The LP allowed popular music become an art form - from the glorious artwork adorning gatefold sleeves, to the ideas and concepts that bound the songs together, to the unforgettable music itself. Built on stratospheric sales of albums, these were the years when the music industry exploded to become bigger than Hollywood. From pop to rock, from country to soul, from jazz to punk, all of music embraced what 'the album' could offer. But with the collapse of vinyl sales at the end of the 70s and the arrival of new technologies and formats, the golden era of the album couldn't last forever. With contributions from Roger Taylor, Ray Manzarek, Noel Gallagher, Guy Garvey, Nile Rodgers, Grace Slick, Mike Oldfield, Slash and a host of others, this is the story of When Albums Ruled the World.
In 1976, Paul McCartney and Wings undertook an epic world tour which brought their music to a live audience of two million people in ten countries, an experience captured on the Wings over America triple album. The climax of that tour was an incredible performance at the mammoth Kingdome in Seattle, Washington, where a staggering 67,000 fans listened to Wings perform their greatest songs. Fully restored and remastered from the original film and audio masters, this is Wings at their best - live on stage in a concert that was destined to live forever. Venus & Mars / Rockshow / Jet Let Me Roll It Maybe I'm Amazed Lady Madonna Long and Winding Road Bluebird Blackbird Yesterday You Game Me The Answer Silly Love Songs Band on the Run Hi Hi Hi
Fatherhood has proved a great subject for a variety of artists - some celebratory, some conflicted, but all inspired by what dad does and doesn't do. Here's a mixture of songs that celebrate and probe the emotional complexities generated by the sometime head of the household. Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Cat Stevens, Emmylou Harris, Paul Simon, Madonna, Peter Gabriel, Mike and the Mechanics, Suggs and the Blockheads, Neil Young, James Brown, Pigbag and even Ozzy Osbourne and his daughter Kelly put in an appearance, making a cracking compilation for Father's Day.
An intimate portrait of five key years in David Bowie's career. Featuring a wealth of previously unseen archive this film looks at how Bowie continually evolved, from Ziggy Stardust to the soul star of Young Americans and the 'Thin White Duke'. It explores his regeneration in Berlin with the critically-acclaimed album Heroes, his triumph with Scary Monsters and his global success with Let's Dance. With interviews with all his closest collaborators, this film investigates how Bowie has become an icon of our times.
It's the sound of the heartland, of the midwest and the industrial cities, born in the early 70s by kids who had grown up in the 60s and were now ready to make their own noise, to come of age in the bars, arenas and stadiums of the US of A. Out of blues and prog and glam and early metal, a distinct American rock hybrid started to emerge across the country courtesy of Alice Cooper, Grand Funk Railroad et al, and at its very heart is The Great American Rock Anthem. At the dawn of the 70s American rock stopped looking for a revolution and started looking for a good time; enter the classic American rock anthem - big drums, a soaring guitar, a huge chorus and screaming solos. This film celebrates the evolution of the American Rock Anthem during its glory years between 1970 and 1990 as the anthem became a staple of the emerging stadium rock and AOR radio and then MTV. From School's Out and Don't Fear the Reaper to Livin' On A Prayer and Smells Like Teen Spirit, these are the songs that were the soundtrack to teenage lives in the US and around the world, anthems that had people singing out loud with arms and lighters aloft. Huey Morgan narrates the story of some of the greatest American rock anthems and tracks the emergence of this distinct American rock of the 70s and 80s. Anthems explored include School's Out, We're An American Band, Don't Fear The Reaper, Paradise By The Dashboard Light, I Love Rock'n'Roll, Eye of the Tiger, I Want To Know What Love Is, Livin' On A Prayer and Smells Like Teen Spirit. Contributors include: Alice Cooper, Dave Grohl, Butch Vig, Meat Loaf, Todd Rundgren, Richie Sambora, Blue Oyster Cult, Survivor, Toto and Foreigner.
Composer Barry Russell, with help from musicians from the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, passes on techniques, skills and best practice to students who are composing their own music based on six classical masterpieces, ranging from Monteverdi to Adams.
A romp through the BBC archive library from 1975 to 1979 has unearthed some seldom-seen performances of the rarely explored genre of pub rock and other late 70s rock 'n' roll gems from classic music programmes like the Old Grey Whistle Test and Top of the Pops. Before the DIY culture of punk took hold there was a whole breed of real musicians who honed their craft in the backrooms of pubs. And towards the end of the 70s men's hair was starting to get shorter too. This compilation has uncovered rarely seen footage from the likes of Canvey Island's Dr Feelgood, original pub rockers Ducks DeLuxe, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Elvis Costello, Meal Ticket, Steve Gibbons Band, Dave Edmunds and chum Nick Lowe, a pre-Mike & the Mechanics' Paul Carrack in his first band Ace, a post-Faces Ronnie Lane, the Motors, the first TV performance from Dire Straits, Graham Parker and the Rumour and many more.
BBC Four explores the archives for the sultry sounds and looks of 'Jazz Divas Gold'! Featured Jazz legends include Ella Fitzgerald, Marion Montgomery, Cleo Laine, Blossom Dearie, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, Peggy Lee, Betty Carter, Amy Winehouse, Eartha Kitt and many more who can be seen from 1965 to 2008 on BBC treasures such as Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life, Show of the Week, Not Only...But Also, Birdland, Parkinson, Later..with Jools Holland, Morecambe and Wise and more...so let's hear it for the ladies!
Choreographer Matthew Bourne's haunting new scenario is a gothic tale for all ages. The traditional story of good vs evil and rebirth is turned upside down, creating a supernatural love story across the decades that even the passage of time itself cannot hinder. Perrault's timeless fairy tale about a young girl cursed to sleep for one hundred years has been turned into a supernatural tale of vampires, fairies and decadent gothic opulence. Yet in the end, young love finally triumphs over all as Aurora is rescued by her one true prince.
In the year that Celtic Connections celebrates its twentieth anniversary, this programme looks at the history of the festival and tells how the event has grown to be one of the most important music festivals in the country. Just before the start of Celtic Connections 2013, the show features some fantastic musical highlights from previous years as well as the history of this popular annual event. Re-live memorable performances from Tom Jones, Capercaillie, the Transatlantic Sessions and many more as every January, Glasgow comes alive to the sounds of Celtic and roots music from all over the world. Hear the story so far from, amongst others, Aly Bain, Karine Polwart and Eddi Reader. This programme features archive performances filmed at Celtic Connections and includes the following (year recorded also included): Carlos Nuñez – Mambo – 2010 Wolfstone – Psycho Lady - 2000 Capercaillie – Finlay’s– 2002 Cherish the Ladies – The Ladies of Pantalettes – 1998 Shooglenifty – Charlie & The Professor – 2007 La Bottine Souriante – Le Reel de Pointe-au-pic – 2002 Transatlantic Sessions – Shove the Pig’s Foot Set – 2009 Nanci Griffith – It’s a Hard Life Wherever You Go – 2009 Julie Fowlis with Kathy Mattea and Eddi Reader – Bothan Àirigh am Bràigh Raithneach – 2009 Martyn Bennett & Cuillin Music – Ud the Doudouk – 1999 Treacherous Orchestra – Maverick Angels – 2012 Karine Polwart – Waterlily – 2004 Kristan Harvey & The Sanna – The Union Station Set – 2012 Rachel Sermanni – Bones – 2011 Chris Stout & The BBC SSO – Dynröst – 2007 Creole Choir of Cuba – L’Atibonite Oh – 2011 Tom Jones – Burning Hell – 2011 Paul Brady – Baker Street – 2012 Breabach – The Plagiarist / Good Drying – 2008
In 1973, an album was released that against all odds and expectations went to the top of the UK charts. The fact the album launched a record label that became one of the most recognisable brand names in the world (Virgin), formed the soundtrack to one of the biggest movies of the decade (The Exorcist), became the biggest selling instrumental album of all time, would eventually go on to sell over 16 million copies and was performed almost single-handedly by a 19-year-old makes the story all the more incredible. That album was Tubular Bells, and the young and painfully shy musician was Mike Oldfield. This documentary features contributions from Sir Richard Branson, Danny Boyle, Mike's family and the original engineers of the Tubular Bells album among others. The spine of the film is an extended interview with Mike himself, where he takes us through the events that led to him writing Tubular Bells - growing up with a mother with severe mental health problems; the refuge he sought in music as a child, with talent that led to him playing in folk clubs aged 12 and signing with his sister's folk group at only 15; his frightening experience of taking LSD at 16; and finally arriving at the Manor Recording Studios as a young session musician where he gave a demo tape to a recording engineer who passed it along to young entrepreneur Richard Branson. After the album's huge success, Mike retreated to a Hereford hilltop, shunned public life and became a recluse until he took part in a controversial therapy which changed his life. In 2012 Mike captured the public's imagination once again when he was asked to perform at the London Olympic Opening Ceremony, where Tubular Bells was the soundtrack to 20 minutes of the one-hour ceremony. Filmed on location at his home recording studio in Nassau, Mike also plays the multiple instruments of Tubular Bells and shows how the groundbreaking piece of music was put together.
Looking back to Christmas 1977 with an irreverent portrait of the times, featuring unseen footage of The Sex Pistols. Director Julien Temple presents a unique insight into the tradition and transgression of Christmas. Featuring interviews and 70s archive, framing The Sex Pistols' last UK concert with Sid Vicious, for the children of striking firemen in Huddersfield on Christmas Day 1977.
99 Revolutions, Know Your Enemy, Stay The Night, Stop When The Red Light Flash, Letterbomb, Holiday, Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, Let Yourself Go, Wake Me Up When September Ends, Burnout, Having A Blast, Chump, Longview, Welcome To Paradise, Pulling Teeth, Basket Case, She, Sassafras Roots, Highway To Hell, When I Come Around, Coming Clean, Emenius Sleepus, In The End, F.O.D., St. Jimmy, Waiting, Minority, American Idiot, Jesus Of Suburbia, Brutal Love, Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
Written and presented by John Eliot Gardiner, one of the world’s leading interpreters of Bach’s music, Bach: A Passionate Life takes us on a physical, musical and intellectual journey in search of Bach the man and the musician. The most famous portrait of Bach shows him aged 62, a rather miserable looking old man in wig and formal coat, yet his greatest works were composed in his late 30s and early 40s in an almost unrivalled decade-long blaze of creativity. This conservative image of Bach also conflicts with evidence of clashes with authority from an early age. There are accounts of public brawls, periods in jail, and the smuggling of girls into his organ loft. Gardiner draws upon his lifelong fascination and passion for the composer to shed light on Bach’s personality and music. In the documentary, made by Leopard Films, John Eliot Gardiner conducts his award-winning Monteverdi choir and orchestra in specially shot performances from Bach’s masterworks: the St Matthew Passion, the St John Passion and the B Minor Mass, as well as extracts from some of his secular and sacred cantatas. The programme reveals a complex and passionate artist, a warm and convivial family man who shows a rebellious spirit while struggling with the hierarchies of state and church. Despite the cramped conditions of his life in Leipzig, and despite rarely venturing outside a 60-mile radius of the city, he wrote timeless music that today enjoys world-wide fame.
Superstar opera tenor Rolando Villazón reveals an insider's view on performing music by one of the greatest opera composers, Giuseppe Verdi, who celebrates his bicentenary in 2013. By looking at some of Verdi's most well-known works including the operas Macbeth, Rigoletto, La Traviata, as well as his Requiem, Villazón shares his unique and passionate insight on Verdi's consummate skill - how he constructed dramatic episodes of searing reality, as well as the historical context in which the operas are set. Along with interviews with some of the world's leading Verdi singers, conductors and theatre directors, Villazón tells us why he thinks Verdi is a genius.
Queens of Jazz is a celebration of some of the greatest female jazz singers of the 20th century. It takes an unflinching and revealing look at what it actually took to be a jazz diva during a turbulent time in America's social history - a time when battle lines were being constantly drawn around issues of race, gender and popular culture. This is a documentary about how these women triumphed - always at some personal cost - to become some of the greatest artists of the 20th century; women who chose singing above life itself because singing was their life.
A spectacular concert film from Pink Floyd's A Momentary Lapse of Reason tour. Filmed at New York's Nassau Coliseum in 1989 using 27 cameras, it sees David Gilmour, Rick Wright and Nick Mason on fine form, performing classic after classic including Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Time, Comfortably Numb and Wish You Were Here.
1968 was a time of soul searching for the band - with three badly performing singles behind them they needed a big new idea to put them back at the top and crucially to hold them together as a band. Inspired by Indian spiritual master Meher Baba, Pete Townshend created the character of Tommy, the 'deaf, dumb and blind boy'. Broke and fragmenting when they started recording, the album went on to sell over 20 million copies. In this film, the Who speak for the first time about the making of the iconic album and how its success changed their lives.
Elvis Costello is one of the uncontested geniuses of the rock world. 33 albums and dozens of hit songs have established him as one of the most versatile and intelligent songwriters and performers of his generation. This film provides a definitive account of one of Britain's greatest living songwriters - the first portrait of its kind - directed by Mark Kidel, who was won numerous awards for his music documentaries, including portraits of Rod Stewart, Boy George, Tricky, Alfred Brendel, Ravi Shankar, John Adams and Robert Wyatt. Elvis is a master of melody, but what distinguishes him above all is an almost uncanny way with words, from the playful use of the well-worn cliché to daring poetic associations, whether he is writing about the sorrow of love or the burning fire of desire, the power play of the bedroom or the world of politics. The film tells the story of Elvis Costello - a childhood under the influence of his father RossMcManus, the singer with Joe Loss's popular dance band; a Catholic education which has clearly marked him deeply; his overnight success with the Attractions and subsequent disenchantment with the formatted pressures of the music business; a disillusionment which led him to reinvent himself a number of times; and writing and recording songs in various styles, including country, jazz, soul and classical. The film focuses in particular on his collaborations with Paul McCartney and Allen Toussaint, who both contribute. It also features exclusive access to unreleased demos of songs written by McCartney and Costello. Elvis was interviewed in Liverpool, London and New York, revisiting the places in which he grew up. The main interview, shot over two days at the famed Avatar Studios in NYC, is characterised by unusual intimacy. Elvis talks for the first time at great length about his career, songwriting and music, and often breaks into song with relevant examples from his repertoire.
You don't sell 128 million albums worldwide without putting in the graft and Status Quo are, quite possibly, the hardest working band in Britain. Alan G Parker's documentary Hello Quo, specially re-edited for the BBC, recounts the band's epic story from the beginning - when south London schoolmates Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster formed their first band with big ambitions of rock 'n' roll domination, quickly adding drummer John Coghlan and guitarist Rick Parfitt. The film tells the story of Quo's hits from their unusually psychedelic early hit, Pictures of Matchstick Men, followed by a run through their classics Down Down to Whatever You Want. The band laughs off the constant ribbing about only using three chords and the film explores how Quo's heads-down boogie defined UK rock in the early 70s. Fender Stratocaster in hand, Quo have stood their ground and never shifted, but they have managed to adapt to scoring pop hits over five decades. The original members of the 'frantic four' tell their story of a life in rock 'n' roll, alongside interviews from some prominent Quo fans, such as Paul Weller, whose first gig was the Quo at Guildford Civic hall, to Brian May, who waxes lyrically about the opening riff to Pictures of Matchstick Men, even Sir Cliff plays homage to the denim clad rockers.
How did an obscure Irish melody become one of the greatest songs of all time, recorded by music's biggest names? One hundred years after 'Danny Boy' was first published, the true story of its astonishing past is uncovered, while contributors including Gabriel Byrne, Rosanne Cash, Brian Kennedy and Barry McGuigan explain its enduring appeal and what it has come to symbolise.
Film tribute to Lou Reed, who died in October, which looks at the extraordinarily transgressive life and career of one of rock 'n' roll's true originals. With the help of friends, fellow musicians, critics and those who have been inspired not only by his music but also by his famously contrary approach to almost everything, the documentary looks at how Reed not only helped to shape a generation but also helped to create a truly alternative, independent rock scene, while also providing New York with its most provocative and potent soundtrack. With contributions from Mick Rock, Maureen Tucker, Boy George, Thurston Moore, Debbie Harry, Holly Woodlawn, Doug Yule, Steve Hunter and Paul Auster.
In this documentary the BBC have exclusive access to Agnetha Fältskog, 'The Girl with the Golden Hair' as the song goes, celebrating her extraordinary singing career which began in the mid-60s when she was just 15. Within just two years, she was a singing sensation at the top of the charts in Sweden. Along came husband Björn Ulvaeus and the phenomenal band Abba that engulfed the world in the 70s, featuring Agnetha's touching voice and striking looks. Agnetha lacked confidence on stage as the global demand for the group grew and grew, while being away from her young children caused her great turmoil. With special behind-the-scenes access to the making of her comeback album, the film follows this reluctant star - the subject of much tabloid speculation since she retreated from the stage post-Abba - as she returns to recording aged 63. Included in the film is her first meeting with Gary Barlow, who contributes a duet to the new album. The programme features interviews with Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Gary Barlow, Tony Blackburn, Sir Tim Rice and record producers, Peter Nordahl and Jörgen Elofsson.
From plainsong to Penderecki, this film for Remembrance Sunday shows how music has shaped the requiem over 500 years. John Bridcut explores the significance and history of one of the oldest musical forms and discusses its enduring appeal with some of its greatest exponents. The great requiems of Mozart, Berlioz, Verdi and Fauré have been rooted in the Latin requiem mass of the Roman Catholic Church. But now, thanks to Brahms and Britten, the requiem has spread into other Christian traditions, producing some of the finest classical music ever written. This feature-length documentary has specially-shot musical performances by the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales (conducted by Edward Gardner), with sopranos Elin Manahan Thomas and Annemarie Kremer, and bass-baritone Neal Davies. It also features the choir Tenebrae, conducted by Nigel Short. Contributors include the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, the conductors Sir Colin Davis and Jane Glover, and the bass-baritone Bryn Terfel.
Big Bill Broonzy would inspire a generation of musicians, yet he was not the man they believed him to be. This first, very intimate, biography of the pioneering bluesman uncovers the mystery of who Broonzy really was and follows his remarkable and colourful journey from the racist Deep South to the clubs of Chicago and all across the world. With contributions from: Pete Seeger, Ray Davies, Keith Richards, Martin Carthy, John Renbourn and members of the Broonzy family. Broonzy's own words are read by Clarke Peters
Documentary telling the story of the British world music revolution from the early 1980s to the present. Through a variety of careers, starting with Zimbabwe's Bhundu Boys and culminating with Portugal's Mariza in the new millennium, the film explores what it takes to bring music from 'out there' over here. Through the testimony of artists from all around the world alongside key British producers and broadcasters including Andy Kershaw, Joe Boyd and Nick Gold, it tracks the evolving story of what British audiences have wanted from what has come to be called 'world music' and what a range of artists including Les Mystere des Voix Bulgares, Salif Keita, Youssou N'Dour, Baaba Maal, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Buena Vista Social Club and Tinariwen have made of us. At the dawn of the 80s, in an age of spandex and synthesizers, many music fans were becoming bored with the pop charts and hungered for a new music that could excite them once again. Where music from the rest of the world had once been regarded as mere exotica, there was increasingly a sense that world music could be the future of pop music. The documentary traces the hopes and ambitions of a new music industry as cultures came together for the first time, producing much brilliant music and a degree of human comedy. From the tribal warriors of Mali who fought in rebellions with guitars and guns strapped to their shoulders, all-female choirs from the other side of the Iron Curtain playing to rock fans, a band from Zimbabwe who supported Madonna to a group of old men from Cuba who took the world by storm with their music from another era, these tales from musicians from out there arriving over here trace an evolving market that has both offered a blueprint for the future and an escape into a romantic past.
Filmmaker Rhys Thomas's full-length director's cut of his film exploring the solo career and private life of one of British rock and roll's great frontmen, Freddie Mercury. Renowned as the bravura front man of one of Britain's greatest rock bands, Freddie Mercury's life outside Queen is rarely celebrated or explored. In a touching portrait, this film explores Mercury's solo projects and interests, including a previously unheard collaboration with Michael Jackson and the triumphant Barcelona project with Dame Montserrat Caballe as well as the life of a gay man who was not yet publicly out. Rare interviews reveal a shy man in search of love, and a driven artist living behind the protection of his stage persona.
Journeying through the alphabet, a showcase of music from across the world - from Africa to Uzbekistan, Norway to South America, India to Louisiana and everywhere in between. Featured instruments include Kimmo Pohjonen's accordion, the impressively large drums of the Yamato Drummers and the extraordinary vocals of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The helter-skelter ride takes us from the 1970s, through to the explosion of acts in the 1980s, right up to the most sought-after musicians on the world music circuit today. From Sevara Nazarkhan's pin-drop solo to a crowd-moving set from Orchestra Baobab, this is a compilation that presents a fun, vibrant snapshot of the range of traditional music that has captured audiences the world over.
Recorded live at Hogmanay 2012 on the esplanade of historical Stirling Castle, the Proclaimers deliver a set of their best-loved tracks in front of an audience of new year revellers. One of Scotland's favourite bands, playing their classic tracks at one of the most iconic locations in Scotland - it was a great way to see in 2013.
Documentary telling the bruised and battered, but triumphant, tale of one of the UK's most cherished rock 'n' roll bands, Mott the Hoople. Originating from Herefordshire, the band were thrown together in 1969 and signed to Island Records by the increasingly erratic manager/producer Guy Stevens, in a bid to find a band that would combine The Rolling Stones rhythmic power with the melody and lyricism of 'Blonde on Blonde' era Bob Dylan. The documentary charts their journey from cult struggling touring band to their successful transformation into 'glam rock players' thanks to the intervention of David Bowie who gave them their biggest hit, 'All The Young Dudes', and their subsequent collapse after the addition of Mick Ronson to their line-up. Mott the Hoople's story is brought to life through a combination of rare and unseen archive footage, their magnificent music and the testimony of band members Ian Hunter, Mick Ralphs, Verden Allen, Dale Griffin, Luther Grosvenor aka Ariel Bender and various other associates and witnesses, including boyhood fan Mick Jones of The Clash and Queen's Roger Taylor.
Nile Rodgers has sold over 100 million records. As the co-founder, songwriter, producer and guitarist of Chic he helped define the sound of the 70s, as disco took the world by storm. Nile and musical partner Bernard Edwards captured the essence of New York's iconic Studio 54 creating hits like Dance Dance Dance, Le Freak and Good Times for Chic and We Are Family and Lost In Music for struggling vocal group Sister Sledge. But the music that had made Chic would also break them, thanks to the 'Disco Sucks' backlash. What could have been the end for Nile Rodgers would actually be a new beginning as a producer, helping create some of the biggest hits of the 80s for the likes of Diana Ross, David Bowie, Madonna and Duran Duran. In this profile documentary, the ever-charismatic Rodgers contributes an engaging and often frank interview to tell the tale of how, born to Beatnik, heroin-addict parents in New York, he picked up a guitar as a teenager and embarked on a journey to learn his craft as a musician, before becoming one of disco's most successful artists In the 70s and 80s he lived the party lifestyle thanks to his success with Chic and as one of the music industry's hottest producers. Drugs and alcohol would become part of everyday life for Nile, contributing in part to the break up of Chic in the early 80s. The band would reform in the mid-90s, but their return was quickly marked by tragedy with the death of Nile's longtime friend and musical partner, Bernard Edwards in 1996. Then in 2010 Nile was diagnosed with a particularly aggressive form of prostate cancer, which last year he announced he had beaten. In spite of, or perhaps because of this, Nile's talent and ambition remains undimmed, deservedly earning himself the title of hardest-working man in pop, with Chic's seemingly inexhaustible live performance schedule. Nile Rodgers: The Hitmaker recounts a captivating and moving story of a man who has created some of the most sparkling and ebullient pop music.
Writer Elizabeth Kinder embarks on a journey through Andalusia from Malaga to Cadiz to find the soul of flamenco, the beguiling mix of guitar, song and dance strongly associated with southern Spain's gypsies. Featuring performances from gypsy blacksmiths to goat herders, the documentary reveals a glimpse of a timeless way of life as it has been preserved down the centuries. The history of this mysterious music and its relationship to Spain is explored in chocolate box locations including Moron de la Frontera, Granada, Seville and Jerez and the programme also features rare archive of notable artists such as Camaron de la Isla and Diego Del Gastor.
In many of Hollywood's greatest movie musicals the stars did not sing their own songs. This documentary pulls back the curtain to reveal the secret world of the 'ghost singers' who provided the vocals, the screen legends who were dubbed and the classic movies in which the songs were ghosted.
Documentary telling the larger-than-life story of Lionel Bart, the composer of Oliver! - one of the greatest musicals of the last fifty years. Drawing on his unseen personal archive and interviews with Barbara Windsor, Roy Hudd, Cameron Mackintosh, Marty Wilde and Ray Davies, it paints a vivid, poignant picture of the rise and fall of one of Britain's favourite songwriters.
The king of shock rock's inimitable stage show Brutally Live, filmed at the Hammersmith Apollo, London in July 2000, in support of his album Brutal Planet. Alice Cooper combines his distinct brand of rock and theatre with the use of elaborate props to unsettle and shock his audience. His famous costumes, a guillotine, a werewolf baby, pools of fake blood and the thick black eye make-up dripping down his face work together to create his trademark demonic style.
Interviews and rare archive footage weave together performances from a landmark multi-artist concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London, celebrating the songs and artistry of the great folk-blues troubadour Bert Jansch. Ralph McTell, Robert Plant, Donovan, members of Pentangle, Bernard Butler, Martin Carthy, Martin Simpson, Lisa Knapp and more pay tribute to Jansch, who died in 2011. There's also a real coup with an extraordinary performance by Neil Young of Jansch's haunting Needle of Death, filmed at Jack White's Nashville studio especially for the occasion. Robert Plant shows his vocal prowess with a powerful rendition of Go Your Way My Love, joined by Jansch collaborator Bernard Butler. Martin Simpson and Danny Thompson surprise with a version of Heartbreak Hotel, a track covered by Jansch. Ralph McTell tackles the seminal Angie and Lisa Knapp and Martin Carthy combine for Blackwaterside - Jansch's arrangement of which heavily influenced Led Zep's Black Mountain Side. An effortlessly cool singer-songwriter and virtuoso guitarist, Bert Jansch came to prominence in the folk clubs of the mid-1960s: the concert's stage set recalls the legendary Les Cousins club in London's Soho, where he was a resident artist, and the Royal Festival Hall itself was the venue for Pentangle's first and final major gigs. Jansch galvanized a whole scene, through his solo work, as a duo with John Renbourn and with his folk-jazz supergroup Pentangle. Neil Young called him the Jimi Hendrix of the acoustic guitar, Led Zeppelin and Paul Simon were weaned on him and younger generation musicians including Beth Orton and Johnny Marr beat a path to his door. Bert Jansch's influence reached far and wide.
With new material and a back catalogue of Mercury, Brit and Ivor Novello winning songs, Manchester's finest, Elbow, perform an intimate concert at BBC Maida Vale Studios.
Twenty years ago, Britpop stamped its presence onto the British music scene and made boys wearing eyeliner cool again. What better reason for BBC FOUR to raid the BBC archives for this show which is a rich treasure trove of the joy and the time that was Britpop. Featuring the girls (Elastica, Sleeper) and the boys (Suede, Menswear) and many of the other bright young things that contributed to five years of Cool Britannia, Blur vs Oasis and Camden being the centre of the universe. Britpop at the BBC reminds us all why we were all so proud to be British again in the 1990s.
A journey into the BBC archives unearthing glorious performances and candid interviews from the golden age of jazz. Featuring some of the greatest names in American music, including the godfather of New Orleans jazz Louis Armstrong, the King of Swing Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie and Ella Fitzgerald.
Compilation of BBC performances featuring some of the best axe men and women in rock 'n' roll, from Hendrix to the Kinks, Cream to AC/DC, the Smiths to Rage Against the Machine and Radiohead to Foo Fighters. Whether it's the Shadows playing FBI on Crackerjack, Jeff Beck with the Yardbirds, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream's Sunshine of Your Love from their final gig, Pixies on the Late Show, AC/DC on Top of the Pops or Fools Gold from the Stone Roses, this compilation is a celebration of rock 'n' roll guitar complete with riffs, fingerstylin', wah-wah pedals and Marshall amps.
Actor and musician Sam Palladio hosts a musical tribute to Elvis Presley, 60 years to the day from when he recorded his first single That's All Right at Sun Studio in Memphis on July 5th 1954. Sam traces Elvis's story from childhood poverty in Mississippi, where he had to make do with a broom for a guitar, to the moment when, by accident, he ended up recording the song that changed the history of popular music. There are performances of the finest Elvis tracks from the likes of soul legend Candi Staton, LA duo the Pierces and country star Laura Bell Bundy.
Compilation of Rod Stewart's finest performances at the BBC. We revisit the early 70s with the Faces performing Stay With Me and Three Button Hand Me Down on Sounds for Saturday. The BBC charted Rod's solo success over the years and there are classic performances and interviews that will make you dance, sing and pull on your heartstrings. Songs include Sailing, You're in My Heart, I Don't Want to Talk About It and Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? We also have Rod's performance from Glastonbury 2002 of the classic Handbags and Gladrags, and we dip into the Great American Songbook with his version of the Dorothy Fields classic I'm In The Mood For Love. Finally, rounding off over five decades in music is a performance from Rod's Radio 2 concert from May 2013.
Between 1978 and 1994 Kate Bush appeared on a variety of BBC programmes including Saturday Night at the Mill, Ask Aspel, the Leo Sayer show and Wogan, as well as Top of the Pops. This compilation showcases her performances of hit songs such as Wuthering Heights, Babooshka, Running up That Hill and Hounds of Love alongside other intriguing and lesser known material in the BBC studios.
A 60-minute showcase of beastly basslines, scything guitars, tormented lyrics, piercing synths, leather, lace and fashion on the edge! This programme celebrates the Goth aesthetic that began in early 80s British clubland and traces its evolution in music throughout that decade and beyond. Featuring classic BBC TV performances from Siouxsie and The Banshees, Bauhaus, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Killing Joke, The Sisters of Mercy, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey and many more.
Classic female country stars in action on a variety of BBC studio shows and featuring Bobbie Gentry, Anne Murray, Emmylou Harris, Tammy Wynette, Billie Jo Spears, Crystal Gayle, Taylor Swift, Lucinda Williams with Mary Chapin Carpenter and more. A chronological celebration of country queens at the BBC whether on Top of the Pops, OGWT, Later with Jools Holland, Parkinson or their own entertainment specials.
Classic male country singers from the BBC vaults, journeying from the Everly Brothers and Jerry Lee Lewis to Garth Brooks and Willie Nelson and featuring classic songs and performances by Glen Campbell, Charley Pride, George Hamilton IV, Kenny Rogers, Clint Black, Johnny Cash, Eric Church and more. This 50 years-plus compilation is a chronological look at country kings as featured on BBC studio shows as varied as In Concert, Wogan, The Late Show and Later with Jools Holland, plus early variety shows presented by the likes of Lulu, Harry Secombe and Shirley Abicair.
In the 1970s, America was one nation under a groove as an irresistible new style of music took hold of the country - funk. The music burst out of the black community at a time of self-discovery, struggle and social change. Funk reflected all of that. It has produced some of the most famous, eccentric and best-loved acts in the world - James Brown, Sly & the Family Stone, George Clinton's Funkadelic and Parliament, Kool & the Gang and Earth, Wind & Fire. During the 1970s this fun, futuristic and freaky music changed the streets of America with its outrageous fashion, space-age vision and streetwise slang. But more than that, funk was a celebration of being black, providing a platform for a new philosophy, belief system and lifestyle that was able to unite young black Americans into taking pride in who they were. Today, like blues and jazz, it is looked on as one of the great American musical cultures, its rhythms and hooks reverberating throughout popular music. Without it hip-hop wouldn't have happened. Dance music would have no groove. This documentary tells that story, exploring the music and artists who created a positive soundtrack at a negative time for African-Americans. Includes new interviews with George Clinton, Sly & the Family Stone, Earth, Wind & Fire, Kool & the Gang, War, Cameo, Ray Parker Jnr and trombonist Fred Wesley.
Chris Evans and Fearne Cotton present the first ever BBC Music Awards live from Earl's Court Arena, featuring some of the biggest songs of the year performed on a spectacular stage by an incredible line-up including Coldplay, One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Paloma Faith, Calvin Harris, Take That, George Ezra, Ella Henderson, Labrinth, Clean Bandit and surprise guests. Celebrating an amazing year in music across the BBC, awards to be presented on the night include British Artist of the Year, International Artist of the Year and Song of the Year. The evening includes some unique collaborations and the BBC Concert Orchestra, who will be accompanying some of the performers. The event is also broadcast live on Radio 1 and Radio 2.
A selection of some of funk's best artists from the BBC archives and beyond, beginning in the 1970s. Includes performances from acts such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Kool & the Gang, Average White Band and Herbie Hancock.
Classic Bee Gees studio performances from the BBC and beyond including all the big hits, rare 60s performances from European TV, including a stunning I Started a Joke, a rarely seen Top of the Pops performance of World, the big hits of the 70s and some late performances from the 90s, with the brothers Gibb in perfect harmony.
Don Black, the lyricist behind a huge collection of popular hit songs including Diamonds are Forever, Born Free, Ben and Love Changes Everything, shares some fascinating insights into his life's work with Michael Grade, in between live performances of his songs by Brian May, Eliza Doolittle, Frances Ruffelle, Gary Wilmot, Gregory Porter, Katie Melua, Kerry Ellis, Laura Wright, Marc Almond, Maria Friedman, Marti Webb, Michael Ball, Only Men Aloud and Richard Stilgoe. Recorded at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
Filmed in front of a live audience in New York City earlier in 2014, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga perform 60 minutes of jazz standards, including It Don't Mean a Thing, Sophisticated Lady, Let's Face the Music and Dance, Anything Goes and Cheek to Cheek. Backed by a 39-piece orchestra, this glamorous showcase, art-directed and lit by theatre genius Robert Wilson, marries the vocal talents of a legendary crooner with a global pop star. The result is a nostalgic treat with a modern twist.
A compilation of the very best of Sammy Davis Jr's famous 1960s performances for the BBC, that leaves no doubt as to why at the time he was billed as the world's greatest living entertainer. This show captures Davis as the ultimate swinger, singer and gunslinger, performing classic songs like My Funny Valentine and Once in a Lifetime, showing how he's quick on the draw with a pistol, and demonstrating his incredible impersonations of some of the best-known stars of the era.
Guilty pleasure or genius, misfits or mavericks, noble or naff - how do we really feel about the Bee Gees? Are the brothers Gibb a cacophony of falsettos or songwriting maestros, the soundtrack to every office party or masters of melancholy and existential rage? Are they comedy or Tragedy? How deep is our love and how deep are the Bee Gees? With a back catalogue that includes hits like How Do You Mend a Broken Heart, Massachusetts, Islands in the Stream, Stayin' Alive, Chain Reaction, How Deep Is Your Love, Gotta Get a Message to You, Words, To Love Somebody and Night Fever, the Bee Gees are second only to the Beatles in the 20th-century songwriting pantheon, but while their pop success spans several decades, there are different Bee Gees in different eras. Is there a central glue that unites the brothers and their music and, if so, what is it? The Joy of the Bee Gees features a rare interview with the last remaining Bee Gee brother, Barry Gibb, many of those musicians and industry figures who have worked with them closely over the years, and a surprising cast of Bee Gees aficionados including John Lydon, Ana Matronic, Guy Chambers, Mykaell Riley and Alexis Petridis, who together share their stories and their insights into the band whose music and image moved us in the 60s and defined pop culture in the mid-to-late 1970s. The film explores how the band were iconoclasts and outsiders, brothers in the family business, who worked best when together but who grew up and played out their fraternal struggles in public. The brothers went from child stars on the Australian variety circuit to competitors with the Beatles in the UK charts in the late 60s, scoring number one hits while still only teenagers. In the mid-70s, the former 'beat group' reimagined themselves as a close-knit soul boy trio. The Saturday Night Fever album shot them to global superstardom and every radio station played a song written, produced or sung by The Bee Gees. The saturation of their mu
George Michael introduces his unique live solo performance at the historic Palais Garnier Opera House in Paris, recorded in 2012 for his live album Symphonica. He was the first contemporary artist ever to perform there. The film brings together a compilation of live stage performances interspersed with behind-the-scenes footage and insights featuring George, his orchestra and the legendary producer Phil Ramone, shortly before his death in 2013. In between performances of his classic songs, George describes the stories behind some of his favourite tracks, and we see black-and-white studio footage of conversations with Ramone, along with rehearsals with the Symphonica orchestra and George's backing singers. Before the end, George pays a moving tribute to the late Ramone, whom he describes as the most accomplished producer of the 20th century: 'He understood more about music than anyone I had ever met... And it breaks my heart that he's not around to see this album released or to watch this documentary.'
Queen + Adam Lambert Rock Big Ben Live was a concert on New Year's Eve 2014 and New Years Day 2015 performed by Queen + Adam Lambert to celebrate the New Year in the UK. It was performed in the shadow of Big Ben in London Central Hall. The concert was broadcast live on BBC One from 23:15 to 00:30. From around 23:59 to 00:10, the show paused for the chimes of the Big Ben in the New Year countdown and the firework display in London. The band returned with after the fireworks ended. The TV coverage was presented by BBC Radio 1 DJ's Greg James and Gemma Cairney. There was also a live stream on BBC Music. "Don't Stop Me Now" "I Want to Break Free" "Somebody to Love" "Another One Bites the Dust" "Under Pressure" "Fat Bottomed Girls" "Radio Ga Ga" "I Want It All" "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" "The Show Must Go On" Encore: "Bohemian Rhapsody"/"Killer Queen" medley "We Will Rock You" "We Are The Champions" "God Save the Queen (Instrumental played from tape)" "Bohemian Rhapsody" featured vocals from a recording of Freddie Mercury at Queen Rock Montreal. The start of "We Will Rock You" featured bagpipes. Also, A Kind of Magic was used for the opening and closing credits for the TV coverage.
Specially recorded live last Hogmanay at Stirling Castle, this show packs in all the classic Deacon Blue tracks together with the fantastic atmosphere of a great location on a very special night. If you were there, relive a great show performed in the final minutes of 2013 and the start of 2014, and if you didn't make it along, sit back and enjoy one of Scotland's best-loved bands playing at one of the country's iconic locations. With hits including Chocolate Girl, Fergus Sings the Blues and Dignity.
One of Scotland's enduring rock bands, Big Country, play main stage at HebCelt 2014.
The highlights from a Gala Concert at the Hydro Arena in Glasgow to celebrate the start of the Ryder Cup. Featuring live performances from an array of artists including Nile Rodgers from Chic, Texas, Midge Ure, Jake Bugg, Amy McDonald and the Royal National Scottish Orchestra, and in the presence of the European and US teams and their captains, it promises to be a fitting musical spectacle to launch the eagerly awaited competition.
Tim Bergling, better know known to his millions of fans as Avicii, is at 24 already one of the world’s best known and loved DJ:s. He plays sold-out venues all over the world and his name on the line up guarantees an almost insane audience response. But Avicii is also an artist with a conscience and together with his manager Ash, he is dedicated to fighting global hunger. This film follows Avicii during his Spring 2013 tour of Australia, where the profits went straight into their charity project “House for Hunger”.
Sammy Davis Jr was born to entertain. He was a human dynamo who made his debut at the age of five and by the time he was a teenager was wowing audiences across America. A gifted dancer, actor and singer, and a key member of the Rat Pack, Davis is best remembered for his unforgettable rendition of Mr Bojangles and his No 1 single, The Candyman. However, as a black man, making his way in the entertainment business saw him struggle to overcome racial prejudice, letter bombs and death threats. Davis fought back with his talent and in the 1960s marched alongside Dr Martin Luther King. Despite his reputation as a civil rights campaigner and one of the world's greatest entertainers, Davis remains an enigma. Those closest to him tell of a man never quite comfortable in his own skin, a workaholic and spendaholic who put his career before his family and who died leaving them millions of dollars in debt. This documentary is Sammy Davis Jr's remarkable life story - his rise and his fall - told by those who knew him best. For the first time his family and friends including Paul Anka, Engelbert Humperdinck, Reverend Jesse Jackson and Ben Vereen share their memories - shedding new light on the legacy of one of the most gifted and loved performers in show business.
Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq present highlights from a week of Britpop at the BBC celebrations including Damon Albarn performing Blur, Sophie Ellis-Bextor covering Pulp, Gaz Coombes with a Supergrass classic and Josh Record covering Cast.
The Antipodean pop superstar takes to the stage at the BBC's Maida Vale studios to perform a selection of her biggest hits for Radio 2 In Concert.
BBC’s legendary Radiophonic Workshop perform a live electronic show from BBC at the Quay.
Zane Lowe has a special extended live session from the mighty Ed Sheeran.
Iggy has never given a lecture in his life, but live from the UK Radio Festival in Salford he is going to attempt a discussion on the subject of free music in a capitalist society. A struggle which he says never ends. The annual John Peel Lecture invites a notable figure from the music industry to shape a debate and create insight around music and music-related media. Taking its inspiration from one of the greatest radio broadcasters of all time, and a figure who perpetually challenged the status quo, the John Peel Lecture has been a part of the Radio Festival since 2011. The John Peel Lecture 2014 also marks 10 years since Peel's passing. 'Godfather of punk', Iggy Pop, is considered by many to be one of the pioneers of punk rock music and his musical legacy has inspired and energised rock and roll's alternative spirit since the late sixties. And John Peel was in fact the first DJ to play Iggy Pop as part of The Stooges on UK Radio - introducing listeners to their track, Little Doll from their eponymous debut album, on his show in August 1969. Fun House was released in 1970, followed by the band's third album, Raw Power, which has been cited as one of the most influential records of all time. Iggy has also released music as a solo artist and collaborated with other musicians, including David Bowie, Debbie Harry, Death In Vegas and Peaches. His incredible back catalogue of classic tracks includes Lust for Life, The Passenger, I Wanna Be Your Dog, Search and Destroy, Real Wild Child and many more. Although hugely influential to many of the major acts that came after, Iggy's own wide-ranging influences include blues, jazz, french chanson, art rock, roots, reggae, ethnic and avant-garde. Iggy Pop joins a list of high profile speakers who have delivered the John Peel Lecture. These are The Who's Pete Townshend in 2011, who explored the implications of digital music media in an age of free downloads and a disposable attitude to music; Billy Bragg in 2012 who's sp
A rare chance to see Robert Elfstrom's 1969 classic film that captures the Man in Black at his peak, the first of many in a looming rollercoaster career. Fresh on the heels of his Folsom Prison album, Cash reveals the dark intensity and raw talent that made him a country music star and cultural icon. Elfstrom got closer than any other filmmaker to Cash, who is seen performing with his new bride June Carter Cash, in a rare duet with Bob Dylan and behind the scenes with friends, family and aspiring young musicians - painting an unforgettable portrait that endures beyond the singer's death in 2003.
The guitar riff is the DNA of rock 'n' roll, a double helix of repetitive simplicity and fiendish complexity on which its history has been built. From Chuck Berry through to the White Stripes, this documentary traces the ebb and flow of the guitar riff over the last 60 years of popular music. With riffs and stories from an all-star cast including Brian May, Dave Davies, Hank Marvin, Joan Jett, Nile Rodgers, Tony Iommi, Robert Fripp, Johnny Marr, Nancy Wilson, Kevin Shields, Ryan Jarman, Tom Morello and many more. Narrated by Lauren Laverne.
This documentary explores Kate Bush's career and music, from January 1978's Wuthering Heights to her 2011 album 50 Words for Snow, through the testimony of some of her key collaborators and those she has inspired. Contributors include the guitarist who discovered her (Pink Floyd's David Gilmour), the choreographer who taught her to dance (Lindsay Kemp) and the musician who she said 'opened her doors' (Peter Gabriel), as well as her engineer and ex-partner (Del Palmer) and several other collaborators (Elton John, Stephen Fry and Nigel Kennedy). Also exploring their abiding fascination with Kate are fans (John Lydon, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui) and musicians who have been influenced by her (St Vincent's Annie Clark, Natasha Khan (aka Bat for Lashes), Tori Amos, Outkast's Big Boi, Guy Garvey and Tricky), as well as writers and comedians who admire her (Jo Brand, Steve Coogan and Neil Gaiman).
One iconic black box has probably more than anything else come to define the sound of rock - the Marshall amplifier. It has been, quite literally, behind some of the greatest names in modern music. It all started in 1962 when drum shop owner Jim Marshall discovered the distinctive growl that gave the electric guitar an exciting new voice. Music got a whole lot louder as young musicians like Clapton, Townshend and Hendrix adopted the revolutionary 'Marshall Sound'. The electric guitar now spoke for a new generation and the genre of rock was born. Soon Marshall stacks and walls were an essential backdrop of rock 'n' roll. The excesses of rock machismo were gloriously lampooned in the 1984 movie This is Spinal Tap. In an extraordinary piece of reverse irony, it was this comic exposure that rescued the company from financial meltdown. With contributions from rock legends like Pete Townshend, Lemmy and Slash, plus an interview with the 'Father of Loud' Jim Marshall, this documentary cruises down the rock ages with all the dials set to 'eleven'.
Nat King Cole was the only black television star in Hollywood at a time when America groaned under the weight of racial segregation and prejudice. Yet he possessed a natural talent so great that these issues were seemingly swept to one side to allow him to become one of the greatest jazz icons of all time. However, behind closed doors those around him were trying to think of a way to package him as something he was not: bi-white. This candid account of what really happened in and around his 'fairytale' life is taken from his private journals, interviews with his widow Maria and contributions from other family members, Tony Bennett, Buddy Greco, Harry Belafonte, Nancy Wilson, Sir Bruce Forsyth, George Benson, Aaron Neville, Johnny Mathis and many more. Featuring archive never seen before, it reveals Nat King Cole's feelings behind his ultimate calling as a 'beacon of hope' to the legions of the oppressed.
The northern soul phenomenon was the most exciting underground British club movement of the 1970s. At its high point, thousands of disenchanted white working class youths across the north of England danced to obscure, mid-60s Motown-inspired sounds until the sun rose. A dynamic culture of fashions, dance moves, vinyl obsession and much more grew up around this - all fuelled by the love of rare black American soul music with an express-train beat. Through vivid first-hand accounts and rare archive footage, this film charts northern soul's dramatic rise, fall and rebirth. It reveals the scene's roots in the mod culture of the 1960s and how key clubs like Manchester's Twisted Wheel and Sheffield's Mojo helped create the prototype that would blossom in the next decade. By the early 1970s a new generation of youngsters in the north were transforming the old ballrooms and dancehalls of their parents' generation into citadels of the northern soul experience, creating a genuine alternative to mainstream British pop culture. This was decades before the internet, when people had to travel great distances to enjoy the music they felt so passionate about.
On a sunny day in September 2014, Jeff Lynne, head honcho of 70s hit-making band ELO took to the stage in London's Hyde Park and, with the help of his backing band and the strings of the BBC Concert Orchestra, brought to a close Radio 2's Live in Hyde Park annual festival. After an absence from the live stage for 28 years, this headline set by Jeff Lynne's ELO was a much-anticipated and talked-about event, and he did not disappoint. In front of 50,000 people, Lynne delivered a rousing and crowd-pleasing string of the Electric Light Orchestra's chart-topping hits, including Livin' Thing, Sweet Talkin' Woman, Don't Bring Me Down, Mr Blue Sky, and Roll Over Beethoven. And there was also a special treat, Jeff's touching tribute to his band buddies from the ultimate supergroup of all time, the Traveling Wilburys, with his performance of their 1988 hit Handle With Care. All in all, a memorable night and a fantastic return to the live arena for Mr Jeff Lynne's ELO!
From My Little Stick of Blackpool Rock to God Save the Queen, this is the story of ten records from the 1930s to the present day that have been banned by the BBC. The reasons why these songs were censored reveals the changing controversies around youth culture over the last 75 years, with Bing Crosby and the Munchkins among the unlikely names to have met the wrath of the BBC. With contributions from Carrie Grant, Paul Morley, Stuart Maconie, Glen Matlock, Mike Read and Jon Robb.
A feature-length documentary about one of the most successful British bands in rock music, reuniting Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Steve Hackett to tell their story. The film recounts their extraordinary musical story, exploring the songwriting and the emotional highs and lows. It features previously unseen archive material and rare footage from across their entire career.
Mark Radcliffe and Julie Fowlis present the 15th annual BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, live from London's Royal Albert Hall. Featuring live music performances and special guest presenters. The Folk Awards ceremony celebrates the folk scene and its achievements over the past 12 months, as well as giving special awards to honour outstanding lifetime contributions. This year, those awards will go to artists including English musician Martin Carthy and popular Irish group Clannad. Martin - with daughter Eliza Carthy - and Clannad will both perform live during this year's show, as will New York songwriter Suzanne Vega and remarkable big band Bellowhead. Cornish shanty choir Fisherman's Friends will also sing live after a long absence from UK stages. Martin Carthy is one of the most influential musicians ever to have worked with traditional music. Responsible for song arrangements that inspired Bob Dylan and Paul Simon - Carthy's version of Scarborough Fair was famously adopted by Simon - and a highly distinctive guitar style, he has spent more than 50 years as a vital force on the British folk scene. As well as his work as a solo artist, his contributions have included his duo with Dave Swarbrick, membership of The Watersons and later Waterson:Carthy, a stint in Steeleye Span, the formation of pioneering folk-brass band Brass Monkey and a key role in multi-cultural project The Imagined Village. Clannad were formed in 1970 as a family band in rural Donegal. Siblings Ciaran, Pol, and Moya Brennan and their two twin uncles Noel and Padraig Duggan began performing in the family pub. Younger Brennan sister Enya, who left to pursue a successful solo career in 1981, was also a member of the group. During the 1980s, thanks largely to their popular work on the music for TV series Harry's Game and Robin of Sherwood, Clannad became one of the world's most successful and enduring exponents of Irish-language song. This year's awards will see the addition of a new element - t
Blondie's album Parallel Lines captured the spirit of 1970s New York at a time of poverty, crime and an exploding artistic life, selling 16 million copies. This is the story of that album, that time and that city, told primarily by the seven individuals who wrote, produced and performed it. It was a calculated and painstaking endeavour to produce sure-fire hits - whatever it took. The film follows Debbie Harry and the rest of the Blondie crew as they head into the studio to record their game-changing album with producer Mike Chapman. It also features commentary from Harry herself about writing music, the media's focus on her appearance and lyrically inspirational ex-boyfriends.
From My Little Stick of Blackpool Rock to God Save the Queen, this is the story of ten records from the 1930s to the present day that have been banned by the BBC. The reasons why these songs were censored reveals the changing controversies around youth culture over the last 75 years, with Bing Crosby and the Munchkins among the unlikely names to have met the wrath of the BBC. With contributions from: Carrie Grant, Paul Morley, Stuart Maconie, Glen Matlock, Mike Read and Jon Robb.
A celebration of one of our greatest musical lyricists, Tim Rice, who reminisces in the company of Michael Grade over 40 years of hit songs that conquered the world. Before each one is performed, hear the stories behind some of his best-loved work from Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Chess and The Lion King. On the stage of The Royal Festival Hall are stars Alexander Armstrong, Gemma Arterton, Rob Brydon, Tom Chaplin, Roger Daltrey, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Cynthia Erivo, James Fox, Seth Lakeman, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Minchin, Laura Mvula, Julian Ovenden, Frances Ruffelle, Diana Vickers and Rufus Wainwright. They are accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Mike Dixon.
The definitive documentary record of one of Jimi Hendrix's most celebrated performances, now digitally remastered and featuring footage never seen on television before. It includes such signature songs as Purple Haze, Voodoo Child (Slight Return) and his rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, as well as interviews with Woodstock promoter Michael Lang and Hendrix band members Mitch Mitchell, Billy Cox, Larry Lee and Juma Sultan among others.
A selection of some of funk's best artists from the BBC archives and beyond, beginning in the 1970s. Includes performances from acts such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Kool & the Gang, Average White Band and Herbie Hancock.
Neil Sedaka is one of the most successful American singer-songwriters of the last century. A classically-trained musician, he won a scholarship to the Julliard School at the age of nine and four years later he embarked on a writing career that would see him create some of the most perfect pop songs of all time. Throughout his career, he wrote, recorded and sang a litany of instantly recognisable and memorable tunes, as well as delivering a string of hits as a songwriter for other artists. This documentary portrait film tells the story of Neil Sedaka's life and career, in which he had two distinct periods of success. Between 1958 and 1963 he sold over 25 million records, but then his career nose-dived after the Beatles and the British Invasion hit the USA. Leaving his homeland, he found success in the UK in the early 1970s and relaunched his career before returning to the US and achieving new stardom with songs like Solitaire and Laughter in the Rain. Neil gives great insight into how he created catchy classics like Calendar Girl, (Is This the Way to) Amarillo, Breaking Up Is Hard to Do, Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen and Stupid Cupid, amongst many others.
BB King opens his heart and tells the story of how an oppressed and orphaned young man came to influence and earn the unmitigated praise of the music industry and its following to carry the title of king of the blues. Filmed on location all over America, as well as in the UK, this picture brings to life the heat- and gin-soaked plantations where it all began, with full cooperation of the BB King museum, owners of vaults and archives so precious and immense that several trips had to be made to revisit the collection and partake of its many gems. Prejudice and segregation has stained the lives of countless black persons and BB 'Riley' King made sure that through his music, he never allowed it to mar his spirit. This is the essence of the story that makes a beautiful film, both informative and visually captivating.
Bob Dylan described Missouri-born country boy Gene Clark as one of the three best songwriters in the world. He was the original frontman for one of the most iconic and influential bands of the 60s. After his abrupt departure from the Byrds at the peak of their popularity, he made records that are still regarded as classics. And he was one of the great pioneers of both folk rock and country rock. Yet, as far as the public is concerned, Clark is largely unknown and his reputation lags far behind that of peers such as Gram Parsons. Since his death in 1991 at the age of 46, his songs have been covered by artists ranging from Robert Plant to Yo La Tengo and he has been hailed as a key influence by successive generations of musicians such as Tom Petty, Primal Scream and Fleet Foxes, despite some of his albums having been unavailable for long periods and only now all in print again. This documentary explores the mystery of why this richly talented but deeply enigmatic and often self-destructive man failed to enjoy the success his work deserved. Drawing on interviews with his family, friends and fellow musicians including fellow Byrds David Crosby and Roger McGuinn, a wealth of great music from the four-decade span of his career and previously unseen archive material, it is a story that is both compelling and moving, veering between moments of magic and moments of madness. The film was made by a father and sons team - Paul, Jack and Dan Kendall - as a labour of love which took them right across America in search of the people and places that were part of Gene Clark's life.
For 50 years, BBC TWO has been at the heart of popular music in the UK, and this programme offers 50 great moments in music from across the decades. It is an exploration of popular music through the BBC TWO prism, featuring key live performances, documentary extracts and iconic presenters
Documentary telling, in her own words, the story of Carole King's upbringing in Brooklyn and the subsequent success that she had as half of husband and wife songwriting team Goffin and King for Aldon Music on Broadway. It was during this era in the early 1960s that they created a string of pop hits such as Take Good Care of My Baby for Bobby Vee, The Locomotion for Little Eva and Will You Love Me Tomorrow for the Shirelles, which became the first number 1 hit by a black American girl group. Not to mention the era-defining Up on the Roof for the Drifters and the magnificent Natural Woman for Aretha Franklin. By 1970 Carole was divorced from songwriting partner Gerry Goffin and had moved to Los Angeles. It was here that she created her classic solo album Tapestry, packed with delightful tunes but also, for the first time, her own lyrics, very much sung from the heart. The album included It's Too Late, I Feel the Earth Move and You've Got a Friend and held the record for the most weeks at number 1 for nearly 20 years. It became a trusted part of everyone's record collection and has sold over 25 million copies to date. The film features some wonderful unseen material and home movies, and narrates her life as an acclaimed singer-songwriter. To date, more than 400 of her compositions have been recorded by over 1,000 artists, resulting in 100 hit singles. More recently, in 2013, Carole was the first woman to be awarded the prestigious Gershwin Prize for Popular Song by the Library of Congress for her songwriting, whilst in 2014 a Broadway production Beautiful, which tells her life story during the Goffin and King era, has received rave reviews. Nowadays Carole King would see herself as much as an eco-activist as a songwriter, and is to be found constantly lobbying congress in defence of the wildlife and eco-systems of her beloved Idaho.
Documentary delving into the world of internationally-renowned opera house Glyndebourne in its 80th anniversary year. The film provides a critical and expert overview of Richard Jones's new production of Richard Strauss's much-loved comic opera, Der Rosenkavalier. It looks at the historical and musical background of the work, the composer and the context in which the opera was written, as well as reflecting on its programme history at Glyndebourne. The film also examines the relevance of presenting the work at Glyndebourne today, and what makes Glyndebourne and its heritage unique.
Deep Purple is one of the most influential and important guitar bands in history, one of the godfathers of the heavy metal genre, with over 100 million album sales worldwide to their name. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Deep Purple's groundbreaking double live album Made in Japan, this documentary explores these recordings and Deep Purple mark 2, the line-up between 1969 and 1973.
Examining the life and career of the artist who 'knows when to hold 'em and knows when to fold 'em', this documentary chronicles Kenny Rogers's remarkable rise to the top of his game and the golden era of country music he ushered in. With an exclusive, candid interview from Rogers himself and performance footage gathered on his recent Through the Years tour, this honest and eye-opening film provides a backstage pass to a remarkable 50-year career of performing and recording. Associates and luminaries provide personal insight into how the poor, music-obsessed boy from Houston, Texas went on to become a superstar with over 120 million albums sold worldwide. Singer, songwriter and producer Kim Carnes recalls how the New Christy Minstrels folk group - of which she and Kenny were members in the late 1960s - was like a 'school on the road' that provided them both with a springboard from which to explore other musical ambitions. Actor and musician Mickey Jones recounts his time with Kenny in the band The First Edition, whose hit single Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) made Kenny an unlikely poster boy for the psychedelic generation. Long-time friend Lionel Richie reveals how a trip to the bathroom played a crucial role in the recording session for Lady, one of Kenny's biggest hits. Away from music, the programme reveals how Kenny's drive and ambition - what he describes as his 'impulsive-obsessive' nature - led to success in other fields: according to the renowned photographer John Sexton, the country music legend was determined to master the art of photography (Kenny was recently awarded an honorary Master of Photography degree by the Professional Photographers Association). For over half a century, Kenny has kept us entertained with some of the best-known and beloved music ever recorded. With a career spanning everything from jazz to folk, 60s psychedelia to R'n'B, perhaps his real legacy lies in the fact that he introduced a trailblazing pop s
Michael Grade saw Annie Get Your Gun as a small boy in the 1950s and ever since he has been hooked on musicals - and their stars. He and his family have represented some of the world's greatest musical performers and he knows and understands talent. But one question has always fascinated him - is it the musical which creates the star or the star who makes the musical? In search of answers, Michael interviews stars and directors on both sides of the Atlantic, including Michael Ball, Elaine Paige, Dominic West, Imelda Staunton, Joel Grey, Chita Rivera, Hal Prince and Trevor Nunn. In what way are the qualities of a musical star unique? Michael explores the alchemy of the musical by looking at performances from the 1940s onwards in key shows like Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Evita and Les Miserables - examining the union of musicals that brilliantly reflect their time with performers who can interpret their magic. Michael uses all the knowledge, taste and judgement he has built up over decades as he sets out to define what it is that makes the great musical stars great.
This historical biography of the city that is the glittering hub of country music reveals the dynamic relationship between commerce and art, music and the market, that has defined Nashville since 1925. It explores the conflicts and demons that have confronted Nashville's artists and music industry down the years, such as the creative pressures of the 'Nashville Sound', the devastating impact of Elvis and then Bob Dylan, the rise and fall of the urban cowboys and the struggle of several Nashville legends to confront their inner demons. The story unfolds through the testimony of musicians, producers, broadcasters and rare archive of the country legends. These include Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Willie Nelson, Ricky Skaggs, Steve Earle, Kris Kristofferson and several hitmaking contemporary stars, Kasey Musgraves, Brad Paisley and Jason Aldean. This cast reveal the unique power of country music to hold up a mirror to its fans and create a music that has - for decades - touched the hearts of the South and of working people. Kristofferson calls it the 'white man's soul music'. Also featured are extensive musical performances by Nashville's greatest, from Johnny Cash to Loretta Lynn and George Jones to Garth Brooks. Several of Nashville's younger stars describe their ongoing journey from their hometowns in the South to the streets of this city, from the first studio demos and the sawdust of the Broadway bars to the stadiums and promo videos that now define country stardom.
'Whispering' Bob Harris journeys to America's country music capital to reveal why Nashville became Music City USA. From the beginnings of the Grand Ole Opry on commercial radio, through the threatening onset of rock 'n' roll in the 1950s, right up to the modern mainstream hits of Music Row, this is the story of how music has shaped Nashville and why today it's a place of pilgrimage for musicians from all over the world. As well as iconic venues on Lower Broadway and the historic hit factories of 16th Avenue, Bob also explores the East Nashville music scene and discovers a rebellious flipside to the country coin. With exclusive performances from the city's top talent, Bob explains why country music owes its enduring success to Nashville's unique nurturing community of songwriters. Includes interviews with Emmylou Harris, Duane Eddy, Dave Stewart and Rosanne Cash.
Len Goodman investigates the rise and fall of British big band music, and charts its recent revival. Before the war, popular jazz and dance band music enjoyed universal appeal, capable of reaching out to people across the generations. Len spent many of his early days listening, and of course dancing, to the music of Ted Heath, Glenn Miller and Joe Loss. He has an enormous affection for the days when swing was king and top of the pile were the big bands. Len returns to some of his old stamping grounds and discovers why we continue to love this bold and brassy art form. The film looks at how the bands survived, and indeed thrived, in the years after the war. Eventually, though, the world around them moved on. The rise of teenager culture, rock 'n' roll, pop and other forms of jazz, blues and folk meant big bands were struggling to compete in a crowded market, one that catered for an incredibly diverse range of musical tastes. Today we've come full circle. The big bands are enjoying something of a revival, and once again have universal appeal. Bands live on in towns and cities across the UK. Artists such as Robbie Williams have also introduced a new generation to the sound of swing and popular big band jazz. And, as Len says: 'Everyone seems to have an affection for it - and, you know what - when I hear Glenn Miller's music drifting lazily through the air, I can really understand why...'.
Built around the earliest, until now unseen, footage of the Clash in concert, filmed by Julien Temple as they opened the infamous Roxy club in a dilapidated Covent Garden on January 1st 1977, this show takes us on a time-travelling trip back to that strange planet that was Great Britain in the late 1970s and the moment when punk emerged into the mainstream consciousness. Featuring the voices of Joe Strummer and the Clash from the time, and intercutting the raw and visceral footage of this iconic show, with telling moments from the BBC's New Year's Eve, Hogmanay and New Year's Day schedules of nearly 40 years ago, it celebrates that great enduring British custom of getting together, en masse and often substantially the worse for wear, to usher in the New Year. New Year's Day is when we collectively take the time to reflect on the year that has just gone by and ponder what the new one might hold in store for us. Unknown to the unsuspecting British public, 1977 was of course the annus mirabilis of punk. The year in which the Clash themselves took off, catching the imagination of the nation's youth. As their iconic song, 1977, counts us down to midnight, we'll share with them and Joe Strummer, in previously unseen interviews from the time, their hopes and predictions for the 12 months ahead.
This Radio 2 In Concert is all about Ed Sheeran. He was 2014's biggest selling artist and is currently being dubbed as Britain's biggest export since Downton Abbey. 2015 is already shaping up very nicely with three Grammy nominations and three nights at Wembley stadium in July, which will be his biggest solo shows to date. At just 16-years-old, Sheeran left his Suffolk home and school to embark on a journey of tirelessly gigging for three years around London pubs and clubs - the work paid off; he is now 23 and arguably one of the most successful solo artists around the world. The singer-songwriter has collaborated with Pharrell Williams, toured with Taylor Swift, performed with Elton John and has written for One Direction. He performs hits from his multiplatinum selling albums, + and X to an audience at an intimate setting of The Radio Theatre in the heart of London.
In December 2014, the BBC's historic Radio Theatre opened its doors to Coldplay, one of the biggest stadium rock bands in the world. The Grammy award-winning group perform a selection of classic tracks from their big-selling catalogue through to their sixth album Ghost Stories. For a band accustomed to playing to many thousands, this intimate gig in front of a few hundred is a must-see event.
A whistlestop tour of rock from over the water, taking in some of the finest Irish rock offerings from the early 70s to the present day, as captured on a variety of BBC shows from The Old Grey Whistle Test and Top of the Pops to Later... with Jools Holland. Kicking off with Thin Lizzy's 1973 debut hit Whiskey in the Jar, the programme traces Irish rock's unfolding lineage. Performances from guitar maestro Rory Gallagher, Celtic rock godfathers Horslips and John Peel favourites the Undertones feature alongside rivals Stiff Little Fingers, with their Top of the Pops performance of Nobody's Hero, followed by post-punk U2's 1981 debut UK performance of I Will Follow from The Old Grey Whistle Test. Then there is Sinead O'Connor's debut single performance of Mandinka, and the Pogues play the Ewan MacColl classic Dirty Old Town from 1986. Into the 90s, there is the Frank and Walters and Therapy? on Top of the Pops, along with early performances on Later...with Jools Holland from Ash and the Divine Comedy. There is rockabilly with Imelda May's debut hit Johnny Got A Boom Boom, and then bang up to the moment is Cavan's the Strypes and Hozier, whose Take Me To Church completes this hit-driven tour through Irish rock.
Celebrating the men whose vocal stylings have carried the torch for soul across six decades. It showcases the rarely-seen but infectious Brenton Wood's Gimme Little Sign and offers the velvet voice of Curtis Mayfield singing Keep On Keeping On. There are groundbreaking artists from the '60s to the noughties, with performances from Billy Preston, Bill Withers, Billy Ocean, Alexander O'Neal, Barry White, Bobby Womack and many more.
The sisters are truly doing it for themselves in this celebration of the legendary female singers whose raw emotional vocal styles touched the hearts of followers worldwide. Featuring the effortless sounds of Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, Gladys Knight, Randy Crawford, Angie Stone, Mary J Blige and Beyonce, to name a few. The Queens of Soul presents the critically acclaimed and influential female singers who, decade by decade, changed the world one note at a time.
Archive compilation celebrating the incredible body of work by Detroit's finest songwriting teams and artists for perhaps America's greatest ever record label, Motown. This compilation of Motown covers spans the 1960s to the present day and features: Paul Weller and Amy Winehouse with I Heard It Through the Grapevine on Jools's Hootenanny; Roberta Flack's version of Stevie Wonder's Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer from an early edition of the OGWT; early adopter Dusty Springfield with Nowhere to Run on her '60s BBC TV show; and The Flying Lizards with Barrett Strong's Money (That's What I Want) from Top of the Pops in 1979. Of course, there are quite a few '80s hit covers from the decade that rediscovered Motown as a hitmaking machine, many of them from Top of the Pops including Kim Wilde's You Keep Me Hangin' On and Paul Young's 1983 Number 1 with Marvin Gaye's 1962 b-side, Wherever I Lay My Hat. Then it's on into the '90s with Mercy Mercy Me from the late lamented Robert Palmer and Mariah Carey's take on the Jackson Five's I'll Be There. Plus, of course, Phil Collins but, rightly or wrongly, not with You Can't Hurry Love but with his 21st-century reading of Stevie Wonder's Blame It on the Sun from Later with Jools.
Documentary telling the amazing story of how a group of reclusive Rhineland experimentalists called Kraftwerk became one of the most influential pop groups of all time. It is a celebration of the band featuring exclusive live tracks filmed at their Tate Modern shows in London in February 2013, interwoven with expert analysis, archive footage of the group going back to 1970, newsreel of the era and newly shot cinematic evocations of their obsessions. With contributions from techno pioneer Derrick May, Can founder Holger Czukay, DJ and remixer Francois Kevorkian, graphic design guru Neville Brody, writer Paul Morley, band photographer Peter Boettcher, Tate Modern curator Caroline Wood and others.
The opening concert of the 2015 Celtic Connections festival, featuring the world premiere performance of Martyn Bennett's final masterpiece, Grit. Presented by Mary Ann Kennedy, this programme brings you to the heart of the action at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall where Greg Lawson conducts his own arrangement of this ground breaking album. Featuring guest appearances from David Hayman, Karen Matheson, Rab Noakes and many more.
Compilation of some indelible hits by artists we hardly heard from again, at least in a chart sense. Featuring Peter Sarstedt's Where Do You Go To My Lovely? a number one in 1969, a hit he never really matched, Trio's 1982 smash Da Da Da, Phyllis Nelson's 1985 lovers rock-style classic Move Closer, and the New Radicals' 1999 hit You Get What You Give. We travel through the years selecting some of your favourite number ones and a few others that came close, revealing what's happened to the one-hit hitmakers since and exploring the unwritten laws that help make sense of the one-hit wonder phenomenon.
A celebration of Placido Domingo, the world's most famous tenor, through four decades of performance highlights from the BBC film archives. Featuring great arias from Aida, Die Walkure, Simon Boccanegra and Pagliacci, as well as appearances on Wogan and Parkinson, including an unforgettable Moon River with Henry Mancini at the piano.
Huw Stephens presents seminal Welsh band Manic Street Preachers, performing live at Cardiff Castle as they celebrate the 20th anniversary of their acclaimed, landmark album The Holy Bible. They play the poetic and visceral album in full - plus a set of their greatest hits - in front of a sell-out audience of 9,000 fans. This 90-minute BBC Music Day special features highlights of that live performance, together with documentary content about the The Holy Bible (which featured and was largely written by band member Richey Edwards, before his disappearance in February 1995), including exclusive interviews with James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire and Sean Moore.
BBC Music Day culminates in a live gala concert from City Halls in Glasgow presented by Katie Derham and Ken Bruce, which is simulcast on Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio Scotland and the Asian Network. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is joined by an exciting cross-genre line-up of artists including tenor Noah Stewart, violinist Jack Liebeck, pop legends Lulu and Deacon Blue, Bhangra artist Jaz Dhami, Scots folk star Claire Hastings, harpist Catrin Finch and jazz pianist Jamie Cullum. They perform music with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Richard Balcombe. Music includes: Bernstein: Overture Candide Steve Sidwell: God Only Knows (new arrangement) Augustin Lara: Granada - Noah Stewart (tenor) Frederick Loewe: My Fair Lady Deacon Blue: Hipster (new arrangement by Martin Williams) Catrin Finch: Tros Y Garreg Jaz Dhami: Aane se uske aaye bahaar Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto (1st movement) - Jack Liebeck (violin) Rimsky Korsakov: Procession of the Nobles INTERVAL Lulu performs three songs from the outdoor stage at BBC Pacific Quay in anticipation for her City Halls visit in Part Two of the concert. Deacon Blue: Long Window to Love (new arrangement by Martin Williams) Puccini: Recondita Armonia (Tosca) - Noah Stewart (tenor) Catrin Finch: Solstice Claire Hastings: Let Ramensky Go Bernstein: Mambo (West Side Story) Massenet: Meditation (Thais) - Jack Liebeck (violin) Jaz Dhami: Mitayva Mark London: To Sir with Love BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Richard Balcombe (conductor).
A portrait of Amy Winehouse the artist threaded together from extracts from interviews she gave to the BBC for a variety of documentary projects including the Jazz and Soul Britannia series on FOUR, much of which material is previously unbroadcast, blended with performances from across her career, including some which are also previously unbroadcast and unseen. Winehouse had a strong relationship with many parts of the BBC from when she launched herself as an artist back in 2004. In her short musical career, the North London native changed the landscape of modern pop culture, won countless awards, achieved critical acclaim and garnered global success before tragically dying at the tender age of 27. On the eve of the release of Asif Kapadia’s Amy documentary film which explores Winehouse’s life and death, here is an exploration of her music and her influences in her own words. Consisting performances and interviews entirely from the BBC archives this film celebrates Amy’s music, her influences, her challenges as an artist and her eternal brutal honesty in her own words. Featuring exclusive unseen and rarely seen songs from her triple platinum selling album Frank and revered Grammy winning album Back To Black, this programme pays homage to the tattooed rebellious rock & roll spirited songstress who wrote smart, sad, soulful and original pop songs that became instant classics and inspired a generation.
Filmed live in front of an audience for BBC Radio Scotland's The Quay Sessions. Featuring special guest Johnny Lynch alias the Pictish Trail.
Highlights from BBC Music at the Quay, BBC Scotland’s pop-up festival which featured over 60 artists across five days from Pacific Quay in Glasgow - with BBC Music Day at its heart. The festival showcased an eclectic range of genres and artists – from emerging new talent to established acts – recorded for BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Introducing, The One Show and BBC Radio 2’s Ken Bruce Show, amongst others. Artists include chart-topper James Bay, Fife star KT Tunstall, Scottish supergroup Texas, pop royalty Lulu, The Voice winner Stevie McCrorie, Glasgow duo Honeyblood, folk ensemble Blue Rose Code, Latin-Scots fusion act Salsa Celtica, legendary guitarist Andy Fairweather Low with his Low Riders, and folk icon Donovan.
Filmed live for BBC Radio Scotland's The Quay Sessions with Edith Bowman.
Kate Adie meets BBC Cardiff Singer of the World patron Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. In front of an audience at the Wales Millennium Centre they talk about her career and find they have some surprising similarities in their lives.
Having lost her singing voice and all hopes of returning to the stage, Connie Fisher has an opportunity to give a concert at the London Palladium, the scene of her triumph as Maria in The Sound of Music. She agrees to attempt one last concert.
A celebration of rock 'n' roll in the shape of a compilation of classic artists and songs, featuring the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis, Dion and Dick Dale who all featured in the Rock 'n' Roll America series, alongside songs that celebrate rock 'n roll itself from artists such as Tom Petty (Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll), Joan Jett (I Love Rock 'n' Roll) and Oasis (Rock 'n' Roll Star).
Compilation of Cilla Black's 60s pop star years and moments from her self-titled series.
Compilation of the best duets from Andy Williams's 1960s variety show. Including Over the Rainbow with Judy Garland, and Andy at the piano with Ray Charles for What'd I Say.
Errol Brown, who died aged 71 in May 2015, was probably the most famous and ubiquitous black British pop star of the 70s and early 80s. He co-founded Hot Chocolate with Tony Wilson in 1970 and the band went on to have a hit every year between 1971 and 1984. This compilation of BBC performances and rare interview extracts celebrates Errol and Hot Chocolate, showcasing their top ten hits alongside rarely seen early performances and cult fan favourites. We journey through over 15 years of chart smashes showcasing all the infectious numbers - Every 1's A Winner, Emma, So You Win Again and It Started With a Kiss - and of course, The Full Monty scene-stealer You Sexy Thing, a song that was in the charts in the 70s, 80s and 90s. There are reminders of just how many top ten moments they had, with Girl Crazy and No Doubt About It, the hit that got away Mindless Boogie, and their first appearance on BBC television with Love is Life. Hot Chocolate were that rarity, a 70s British pop band who largely wrote their own tunes and arrangements and a mixed race band who perhaps inadvertently helped foster an early sense of British multi-culturalism. In Errol, they had a frontman who was not only a great singer, songwriter and frontman, but also resolutely and undemonstratively always himself, at ease in his own skin.
A look back through the archives at some of the classic tunes from the world of indie music through the 80s and early 90s including the likes of Joy Division, Depeche Mode, the Smiths, Cocteau Twins, Primal Scream and many more.
Charismatic conductor and composer Andre Previn looks back at some of his greatest television moments, from thrilling performances of orchestral favourites by Mozart and Berlioz to his classic comedy encounter with Morecambe and Wise.
Elton John and his band perform live at Cornwall’s Eden Project on 16th June 2015. This was the first time Elton John had performed in Cornwall for thirty years. He last performed in the county at the Cornwall Coliseum which was recently demolished. Elton’s performance was a highlight of the fourteenth year of the Eden Sessions. He performed many of his iconic hits and album tracks including Candle in the Wind, I’m Still Standing, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Crocodile Rock.
Documentary exploring the rise and fall of the most visionary period in British music history: five kaleidoscopic years between 1965 and 1970 when a handful of dreamers reimagined pop music. When a generation of British R&B bands discovered LSD, conventions were questioned. From out of the bohemian underground and into the pop mainstream, the psychedelic era produced some of the most ground-breaking music ever made, pioneered by young improvising bands like Soft Machine and Pink Floyd, then quickly taken to the charts by the likes of the Beatles, Procol Harum, the Small Faces and the Moody Blues, even while being reimagined in the country by bucolic, folk-based artists like the Incredible String Band and Vashti Bunyan. The film is narrated by Nigel Planer with contributions and freshly-shot performances from artists who lived and breathed the psych revolution - Paul McCartney, Ginger Baker, Robert Wyatt, Roy Wood, the Zombies, Mike Heron, Vashti Bunyan, Joe Boyd, Gary Brooker, Arthur Brown, Kenney Jones, Barry Miles, the Pretty Things and the Moody Blues.
A compilation from the depths of the BBC archive of the creme de la creme of 1960s British psychedelic rock from programmes such as Colour Me Pop, How It Is, Top of the Pops and Once More with Felix. Featuring pre-rocker era Status Quo, a rustic-looking Incredible String Band, a youthful Donovan, a suitably eccentric performance from the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, a trippy routine from Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & the Trinity, a groovy tune from the Moody Blues, a raucous rendition by Joe Cocker of his version of With a Little Help From My Friends and some pre-Wizzard Roy Wood with the Move. Plus classic performances from the likes of Procol Harum, Cream, Jimi Hendrix and the Who.
A feast of cover versions of Bob Dylan songs from the BBC archives, with classic tracks old and new and some surprises from the 1960s to the present. From the essential folk queen Joan Baez to punk princess Siouxsie and the Banshees, from the Hollies to Adele, taking in the likes of Julie Felix, Richie Havens, Bryan Ferry and KT Tunstall along the way, the programme reflects Dylan's long career of writing extraordinary songs and the fascination of other artists with them. Peter, Paul and Mary's sublime The Times They Are A-Changin' rubs shoulders with the close harmony of Cliff Richard and the Nolan Sisters' smooth interpretation of the protest classic Blowin' in the Wind. The Blues Band's energetic 1980s updating of Maggie's Farm contrasts with Tom Jones's powerful rootsy What Good Am I? A treat for the Dylan fan and the Dylan novice alike.
Compilation celebrating some guitar band performances at the BBC that feature some of the best female musicians in rock. Beginning with the oft-forgotten American group Fanny performing You're the One, it's a journey along rock's spectrum from the 1970s to now. The selection includes the powerful vocals of Elkie Brooks on Vinegar Joe's Proud to Be a Honky Woman, the mesmerising poetry of Patti Smith's Horses and the upbeat energy of the Go-Go's on We Got the Beat. Mighty basslines come courtesy of Tina Weymouth on Psycho Killer and Kim Gordon on Sugar Kane, whilst we trace the line of indie rock from the Au Pairs through Lush, Elastica and Garbage to current band Savages.
From Buddhist Monk to Rock Star is the incredible story of triumph over adversity for the singing ex-monk, who 10 years ago fled his life in a Tibetan monastery, trekking for 18 days, 250 miles, to pursue a life where he could freely express himself. After settling in the UK, Ngawang performed as a highly sought after singer amongst the Tibetan Diaspora in Europe but was picked up by BBC Radio 3 in April 2015 in the inaugural year of a BBC Introducing World Music scheme. In this intimate documentary portrait Ngawang speaks openly about his life and career, the pain of exile from his country and family and the central role that music plays in his life. This film tells Ngawang’s incredible story through a mix of interviews, archive footage and behind the scenes access along with live performances from Radio 3, Womad festival and the O2. From BBC Introducing artist to performing at the Dalai Lama’s public talk at the O2 Arena in just 6 months – This is the story of Ngawang Lodup’s remarkable rise
Intimate one-off concert at the BBC's Radio Theatre. Sam Smith and his band perform hits including Money on My Mind, Like I Can, Latch, Stay With Me and Leave Your Lover.
David Gilmour plays two new songs alongside a couple of Pink Floyd classics.
Ellie Goulding joins Annie Mac at the BBC Maida Vale Studios to perform tracks from her forthcoming album ‘Delirium’ including ‘Love Me Like You Do’ and new single ‘On My Mind’.
Smash hits from 60 years of great cover versions in performance from the BBC TV archive. Reinterpretations, tributes and acts of subversion from the British Invasion to noughties X Factor finalist Alexandra Burke. Artists as varied as the Moody Blues, Soft Cell, Mariah Carey and UB40 with their 'retake' on someone else's song - ultimate chart hits that are, in some cases, perhaps even better than the original. Arguably the Beatles alongside Bob Dylan and the Beach Boys introduced the notion of 'originality' and self-generating artists writing their songs into the pop lexicon in the 60s. One of the most fascinating consequences of this has been the 'original' cover version, a reinterpretation of someone else's song that has transformed it into pop gold with a shift of rhythm, intent and context. The pop cover has proved a remarkably imaginative and durable form and this compilation tracks this pop alchemy at its finest and most intriguing.
On the eve of the release of their first album of new music material in nearly 15 years, Jeff Lynne's ELO grace the stage of the BBC's intimate Radio Theatre in London.
David Gilmour, the voice and guitar of Pink Floyd performs live at The Royal Albert Hall in 2006. Performing tracks from his solo album 'On An Island' and a selection of hits from throughout Pink Floyd's 40 year career, David Gilmour is joined on stage by David Bowie, Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright and Guy Pratt who joined Pink Floyd on two world tours along with John Carin, Phil Manzanera and Robert Wyatt.
In this one-off BBC Music exclusive, Adele performs some of her world-famous classic tracks, as well as eagerly awaited new material, accompanied by her band in front of a live studio audience. Plus host Graham Norton talks to Adele about her career and extraordinary life to date. There's also some fun to be had as Adele gets up close and personal with some of her biggest fans. The show includes Adele's first television performance of Skyfall since the 85th Academy Awards in February 2013, where she won Best Original Song for the theme music to the 23rd James Bond film.
The BBC's Radio Theatre is the venue for this concert from four-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Seal. After having a meteoric rise to fame in the 90s and selling over 30 million albums, Seal is back with his new atmospheric album 7. This is his 9th studio album and sees him reunited with producer Trevor Horn. Seal has had a remarkable career that spans more than two decades and has released a string of hits that included Killer, Crazy and Kiss From A Rose. Expect an evening of old songs and new from this specially shot concert for BBC Radio 2, presented by Jo Whiley.
A unique concert staged at the Royal Festival Hall celebrating the music of the legendary songwriter and performer Burt Bacharach. Some of Burt's most famous songs are performed by a stellar line-up of artists including Alfie Boe, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Shaun Escoffery, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Hayward, Michael Kiwanuka, Laura Mvula and Joss Stone. Burt himself also performs accompanied by his band. During the concert Burt chats to Michael Grade about the art of songwriting and shares the stories behind some of his best-loved hits.
Music legends Coldplay perform an amazing set of hits and new tracks, at an exclusive one-off intimate show in East London for Annie Mac.
Stepping to the stage this evening is Noel Gallagher. The creative force behind Oasis, a band formed by his brother Liam, they went onto score 8 UK number one singles, 8 UK number one albums and defined the world of Britpop in the 90s. At the time, Noel penned a vast number of classic hits including Wonderwall, Don't Look Back In Anger and Champagne Supernova. However the band split in 2009 and since 2010 Noel Gallagher has been working alongside his High Flying Birds, but for this performance he returns to the Radio Theatre to perform an acoustic set of songs from his back catalogue and second solo album Chasing Yesterday, another number one album released earlier this year and one that has seen him gain further critical acclaim and collaborate with former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr.
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of smash hit I'm Not in Love, the original members of 10cc - Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme - reunite to tell their story. The documentary shares the secrets to some of their most successful records, from the writing and the recording to the tours and the tensions. With contributions from an impressive array of music industry legends including 10cc's band manager Harvey Lisberg, lyricist Sir Tim Rice, broadcaster Paul Gambaccini, legendary producer Trevor Horn, Stewart Copeland (the Police), Graham Nash (the Hollies) and Dan Gillespie Sells (the Feeling), not only does this film highlight the diversity of these four brilliant musicians' songwriting talent, but it also delves into the influence they had, as well as the politics beneath their acrimonious split in 1976, at the height of their fame.
Relive the year in music - starting with Queen + Adam Lambert rocking Big Ben as the new year rolls in, then venturing to the 6 Music Festival in Tyneside, VE Day celebrations in Horse Guards Parade, and a music-filled summer at Glastonbury, the Proms, Reading and Radio 1's Big Weekend. To round off the year, we feature exclusive concerts from Radio 2, and showcase new talent at the Mercury Prize and the BBC Music Awards. Including performances by Queen + Adam Lambert, the Maccabees, Alfie Boe, Taylor Swift, Skepta, Florence + the Machine, Lionel Richie, Jules Buckley and the Heritage Orchestra, Mumford & Sons, Nicola Benedetti, Sam Smith, Rod Stewart, Benjamin Clementine, Adele and Jack Garratt.
On Thursday 10 December, the music world once again unites for the star-studded BBC Music Awards, which will be hosted by Chris Evans and Fearne Cotton. The event takes place at Birmingham's Genting Arena from 1600-1800. BBC One, Radio 1, Radio 2 will come together for a celebration of an amazing year in music with spectacular performances and surprising collaborations from some of the biggest names in the business, hot new talent alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra. Awards on the night will include British Artist of the Year, International Artist of the Year and Song of the Year plus a special award for a BBC Introducing artist. This year there will be a new award – Live Performance of the year, which will be given to the band or artist who has delivered THE stand out live moment of 2015. Amongst performances from the biggest and most iconic names in music, a special place will be reserved for one of BBC Introducing’s hottest talents.
Mark Radcliffe presents a look at the highs and lows of band life - the creative tension that produces great music and the pressures that come with success and fame, and pull most bands apart. Radcliffe lifts the lid on the main reasons why bands break up and the secrets of bands that manage to stay together.
Featuring live performances from their first gig they've done in the UK since their line-up change, Kele Okereke and the band will be playing some brand new, unheard music as well as some of the classics. Lauren Laverne will also be catching up with Kele on life since the band announced during Latitude 2013 that they would be taking a break. This show is part of the 6 Music Live series that has been coming to Maida Vale since 2012, with the likes of Richard Hawley, Foals and Paul Weller.
In what's fast becoming a tradition, Bryan Adams becomes the latest musician to perform on New Year's Eve in Central London, following in the footsteps of Gary Barlow, and Queen and Adam Lambert. The Canadian rocker blasts out his greatest hits to an excited capacity crowd, only pausing to take a break for the chimes of Big Ben and the traditional fireworks display over the Thames. Expect to hear songs including Run to You, Summer of '69, Everything I Do (I Do it for You) and Can't Stop This Thing We Started.
All too often, every great female rock musician has to answer a predictable question - what is it like being a girl in a band? For many, the sight of a girl shredding a guitar or laying into the drums is still a bit of a novelty. As soon as women started forming their own bands they were given labels - the rock chick, the girl band or one half of the rock and roll couple. Kate Mossman aims to look beyond the cliches of fallen angels, grunge babes and rock chicks as she gets the untold stories from rock's frontline to discover if it has always been different for the girl in a band.
Rock legend and tour bus aficionado Rick Wakeman takes us on a time-travelling trip through the decades in this first-hand account of rockers on the road from the late 1950s to the 80s and beyond. It's an often bumpy and sometimes sleepless ride down the A roads and motorways of the UK during the golden age of rock 'n' roll touring - a secret history of transport cafes, transit vans, B&Bs, sleepless roadies and of loved ones left at home or, on one occasion, by the roadside. And it's also a secret history of audiences both good and bad, and the gigs themselves - from the early variety package to the head clubs, the stadiums and the pubs. This is life in the British fast lane as told by Rick and the bands themselves, a film about the very lifeblood of the rock 'n' roll wagon train. With members of Dr Feelgood, Suzi Quatro, the Shadows, the Pretty Things, Fairport Convention, Happy Mondays, Aswad, Girlschool, the Damned and many more.
Pioneering the journey from rhythm and blues to funk, James Brown forever changed the face of American music. Mr Dynamite follows the story of Brown as he escaped his impoverished southern roots to become the biggest name in soul music and one of the most important music talents of the 20th century. This captivating film utilises never-before-seen concert footage, interviews with Brown from a variety of sources and recent insights from band members and others who knew the singer to tell the remarkable story of the supremely gifted and enormously influential American musical icon. Mick Jagger is among those who recall his magnetic showmanship - first catching Brown's act from the balcony of the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, only to have Brown steal the spotlight when they performed on the same Los Angeles television show. Beyond musical talent, the film documents how Brown played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement, whilst later endorsing Richard Nixon, whose politics chimed with his own entrepreneurship.
To mark the 40th anniversary of Bohemian Rhapsody, this documentary digs deep into archive to tell the story of Queen as it follows their journey from a struggling band gigging at pubs and colleges to the moment they captured the UK's hearts and minds with what was to become one of - if not the - greatest song of all time. Queen's formative years have never been explored in such detail. With a wealth of unseen interviews, recently unearthed rushes of Queen's first ever video and outtakes from the recording sessions of Bohemian Rhapsody itself, this is the unique story of early Queen, told by the band themselves. This documentary completes the final part of the trilogy alongside Days of Our Lives and Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender. It's simple. It's real. It's raw. It's what happened.
Genesis filmed in November 1981 on the Abacab tour in North America, originally released on VHS to coincide with the live album of the same name. It has only ever been released on DVD in the limited edition box set The Movie Box 1981-2007. Originally filmed in 16mm, the footage has now been fully restored and is being reissued as a standalone DVD and Blu-ray for the first time. The show focuses on tracks from the Duke and Abacab albums, and the tracks are intercut with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the band members. As ever with Genesis, the show is visually stunning and it captures the band in their transition from their progressive days in the 70s through to the hugely successful pop/rock act they became from the mid-80s onwards.
The Ecstasy of Gold Fuel For Whom the Bell Tolls Battery King Nothing Ride the Lightning The Day That Never Comes The Memory Remains The Unforgiven Sad But True Turn the Page Wherever I May Roam One Master of Puppets Fade to Black Seek & Destroy Whiskey in the Jar Nothing Else Ma\tters Enter Sandman
Mumford & Sons return to the Reading Festival after their last performance there back in 2010, taking to the Main Stage as the first headliners of the weekend. Setlist: Snake Eyes, I Will Wait, Little Lion Man, Below My Feet, Wilder Mind, Awake My Soul, Believe, Tompkins Square Park, Lover of the Light, Thistle & Weeds, Ghosts That We Knew, The Cave, Roll Away Your Stone, Broad-Shouldered Beasts, Ditmas, Dust Bowl Dance, Hot Gates, The Wolf
Selected archive performances from a variety of Mercury Prize winners on a mixture of BBC shows down the years. Previous winners have included Primal Scream, M-People, Portishead, Roni Size, Dizzee Rascal, Elbow, Arctic Monkeys and James Blake, to name but a few. The Mercury Music Prize launched in 1992 and 2015 will see its 24th winner.
Opening night coverage from the Tartan Heart Festival in Beauly, presented by Fiona MacKenzie and Niall Iain MacDonald. Among the acts leading the coverage are Scotland's most famous twin brothers, Charlie and Craig Reid, better known as seminal band the Proclaimers. Other bands featured are the Correspondents and Keston Cobblers Club.
Coverage from the second night of the Tartan Heart Festival in Beauly, presented by Fiona MacKenzie and Niall Iain MacDonald. The running order includes a headlining performance from iconic band Manic Street Preachers. In a career spanning almost thirty years, the Welsh outfit continue to challenge and excite. The previous year's album Futurology demonstrated that members James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire and Sean Moore still possess the ability to produce critically acclaimed music whilst maintaining widespread popular appeal. Other featured performers include Idlewild, Eddi Reader and Hayseed Dixie.
Highlights from the last day of Scotland's celebrated Belladrum Tartan Heart music festival, presented by Fiona MacKenzie and Niall Iain MacDonald. The headlining act for the night are indie rockers Kaiser Chiefs. Since 2003, the Leeds band has recorded a slew of hit records including singles Ruby, Never Miss A Beat and I Predict A Riot. The band is currently working on their sixth studio album, from which they released the single Falling Awake earlier in the year. To add to the eclectic mix of music are performances from the Stranglers, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas and Villagers.
Horrorshow Vertigo The Delaney Can't Stand Me Now Campaign of Hate Time for Heroes Music When the Lights Go Out Begging What Katie Did Gunga Din Boys in the Band The Ha Ha Wall You're My Waterloo Last Post on the Bugle Death on the Stairs Tell the King Anthem for Doomed Youth The Good Old Days Fame and Fortune Up the Bracket What a Waster Don't Look Back Into the Sun I Get Along
U2 - iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE - Live In Paris captures the Irish band's groundbreaking tour as it returns to the French capital for two very special shows. Staged in the round, the iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour features multiple performance areas plus a state-of-the-art 100-foot LED screen suspended above a 118-foot walkway running the length of the arena floor. The concert film showcases U2's latest album Songs of Innocence, featuring new fan-favourites Iris, Cedarwood Road and Song for Someone, as well as hits from across their career, including I Will Follow, Pride (In the Name of Love), Vertigo, Sunday Bloody Sunday and Bullet the Blue Sky.
Lauren Laverne hosts an all-star discussion from London's iconic 100 Club, asking if rock 'n' roll is in crisis and what it now means in the 21st century. Can rock 'n' roll still be as dangerous and subversive as the original or has it become more about lifestyle and decoration? Joining Lauren are Savages' lead singer Jehnny Beth, Dr John Cooper Clarke and former Animal Eric Burdon. Featuring original contributions from Noel Gallagher, Dave Grohl, Sleaford Mods and Alabama Shakes. Music from Mercury-winning Young Fathers and Matthew E White.
A compilation from the depths of the BBC archive of the creme de la creme of 1960s British psychedelic rock from programmes such as Colour Me Pop, How It Is, Top of the Pops and Once More with Felix. Featuring pre-rocker era Status Quo, a rustic-looking Incredible String Band, a youthful Donovan, a suitably eccentric performance from the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, a trippy routine from Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & the Trinity, a groovy tune from the Moody Blues, a raucous rendition by Joe Cocker of his version of With a Little Help From My Friends and some pre-Wizzard Roy Wood with the Move. Plus classic performances from the likes of Procol Harum, Cream, Jimi Hendrix and the Who.
Biography of iconic rock balladeer Roy Orbison told through his own voice, casting new light on the triumphs and tragedies that beset his career. Using previously unseen performances, home movies and interviews with many who have never spoken before, the film reveals Orbison's remote Texas childhood, his battles to get his voice heard, and how he created lasting hits like Only the Lonely and Crying. The film follows Roy's rollercoaster life, often reflected in the dark lyrics of his songs, from success to rejection to rediscovery in the 80s with the Traveling Wilburys supergroup. It uncovers the man behind the shades, including interviews with his sons, many close friends and collaborators like Jeff Lynne, T Bone Burnett, Bobby Goldsboro and Marianne Faithfull.
Throughout Status Quo's six decades of rockin' and double denim, they have notched up 65 hit singles, sold over 100m records worldwide and have spent 415 weeks in the British singles chart, so it's no wonder Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt were awarded OBEs in 2010 for their services to music. And now, in a rare departure from their usual heads-down and boogie approach, they've gone acoustic! Autumn 2014 saw the release of their 31st studio album and, in a complete departure from their usual rock sound, they transformed many of their legendary songs into acoustic, stripped-down versions. To celebrate this unique enterprise, they then performed many of the songs live at north London's legendary Roundhouse. Sitting down! This concert features many of their classic tracks including Pictures of Matchstick Men, Down Down, What You're Proposing, Whatever You Want, Marguerita Time, Rockin' All Over the World and many more, performed with a string section, percussion, accordion, backing vocals and a front line of five acoustic guitars. Throughout the show Francis and Rick reminisce about taking this bold step and remind us of some of the stories behind some of their classic songs.
Great pop records are the soundtrack to our lives, and that is why number one hits hold a totemic place in our culture. This film goes in search of what it takes to get a number one hit single, uncovering how people have done it, and the effect it had on their lives. As the exploration moves through the decades, the goal is to trace the various routes that lead to the top of the singles chart and discover the role played by art, science, chance and manipulation in reaching the pinnacle of pop.
Documentary which celebrates the role of the cover version in the pop canon and investigates what it takes to reinvent someone else's song as a smash. Through ten carefully chosen cover versions that whisk us from the British Invasion to a noughties X Factor final, this film journeys over five decades to track how artists as varied as the Moody Blues, Soft Cell, Puff Daddy and Alexandra Burke have scored number 1s with their retake on someone else's song. Each of the ten classic cover versions has its own particular tale, tied not only into its musical and cultural context but also the personal testimony of the artists, producers and songwriters whose lives were changed in the process. Narrated by Meera Syal, it explores the stories behind such iconic hits as House of the Rising Sun, Respect, Tainted Love, I'll Be Missing You and Hallelujah, with contributors including John Cale, Gloria Jones, Marc Almond, Rick Rubin, Faith Evans and British singer-songwriter Nerina Pallot. The cover version has always been a staple of the pop charts. Yet it's often been viewed as the poor relation of writing your own songs. This film challenges and overturns that misconception by celebrating an exciting, underrated musical form that has the power to make or break an artist's career. Whether as tribute, reinterpretation or as an act of subversion, the extraordinary alchemy involved in covering a record can create a new, defining version - in some cases, even more original than the original.
Since the release of the Bat Out of Hell album, Meat Loaf has possessed the kind of international status that few artists obtain. His larger-than-life persona and performances are fuelled by a passion for theatre and storytelling. This candid profile reveals the man and his music through his own testimony and from the accounts of those closest to him. Meat Loaf's life story is one of epic proportions - he survived a childhood of domestic violence only to face years of record company rejection before eventually finding global fame. Along the way he experienced bankruptcy, health scares, bust-ups and one of the greatest comebacks of all time. All this and more is explored in the film, which features behind-the-scenes footage of his Las Vegas residency, plus plans for a new album featuring songs by Jim Steinman. The film also revisits the Dallas of Meat Loaf's early years and includes insights from his high school friends, who reveal how Meat really got his famous moniker. After his mother died, Meat Loaf fled Texas for the bright lights of LA. He sang in itinerant rock bands, but no-one would give him a recording contract. By 1969 he was broke and disillusioned. His break would take the form of a musical. He was offered a part in Hair, having been invited to audition whilst working as a parking attendant outside the theatre. Shortly afterwards he met Jim Steinman and the road to success really began. Yet the Hair gig was the beginning of an enduring love affair with theatre that is reflected in his singing persona today. His first album, the now legendary Bat Out of Hell, was initially rejected by scores of record companies, yet went on to spend a staggering 485 weeks in the UK charts. The whole album is a masterwork of storytelling that Meat Loaf and Steinman worked on for four years and then battled to get heard. Meat Loaf and those who worked on the album - from Todd Rundgren to Ellen Foley - reflect on the songs, and celebrate the alchemy that resulted
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in concert delivering a raucous celebration of rock 'n' roll on The River tour of 1980. Filmed on November 5 at the former ASU Activity Center (now Wells Fargo Arena) in Tempe, part of metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, in front of an enthusiastic 10,000-strong audience. Starting with the album's meditative title track, the concert opens up into a celebratory stomp culminating in that E Street Band staple Jungleland, and taking in rock 'n' roll anthems from The River including Hungry Heart, Cadillac Ranch and You Can Look (But You'd Better Not Touch). Tracks performed: The River Cadillac Ranch Hungry Heart Sherry Darling Ramrod You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch) Drive All Night I'm A Rocker Jungleland
The fifth Peel lecture was introduced by Mark Radcliffe and delivered by musician Brian Eno during the Radio Academy's Radio Festival at the British Library on 27 September 2015. He commented: "(Peel) had a profound effect on my musical life and indeed my becoming a musician at all....His career as a non-musician who altered the course of music has been an inspiration to me and forms the basis of this talk." His lecture attempted a definition of art: "I want to talk about two questions tonight. The first one is, is art a luxury? Is it only a luxury or does it do something for us beyond that? And the second question is, is there a way that you can create a situation in which the arts flourish. If you think they’re important, perhaps you should be encouraging them in some way. So those are the two things I’m going to address: now to address those I have to come round it in quite a long way around. Essentially I think we need to rethink how we talk about culture: rethink what we think it does for us and what it actually is." It was broadcast on BBC 6 Music and BBC4.
On a sunny day in September 2015, Rod Stewart took to the stage in London's Hyde Park to bring to a close BBC Radio 2's annual Festival in a Day. In front of 50,000 people, Rod delivered not his usual stadium set but a bespoke selection of hits from his back catalogue spanning his career, including Gasoline Alley, Angel, In a Broken Dream and The Killing of Georgie (Part 1 & 2), plus Faces classics such as Ooh La La and the blues standard Rollin' and Tumblin', a number that Rod used to perform with Long John Baldry back in the day. To close the set, Rod brought on his old pal guitarist Jim Cregan to help him perform his 1978 hit I Was Only Joking. All in all, a memorable and unique concert that is unlikely to be repeated anytime soon.
Sam Smith tells the story behind his James Bond song, Writing's On The Wall. He sits down with Nick Grimshaw to discuss the number one track; the first Bond theme to achieve that accolade. Sam discusses how he was first approached, how he set about writing the track, what influences were at play, and the special place an achievement like this has in his heart. Along the way we hear from Disclosure, Naughty Boy, Jimmy Napes (co-writer of the song), David Arnold (Bond music legend), as well as many of the Radio 1 family.
Concert specially recorded for BBC Four on 24 June 2015 at the Empress Ballroom Blackpool, where Jools Holland and his band were joined by special guests Rumer, Marc Almond and Ruby Turner. The concert celebrates the golden age of big band music from the 1930s to 1950s and Jools presents his interpretations of standards from the greats such as Count Basie, Louis Armstrong and Woody Herman. Highlights include Rumer's joyful Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive, Marc Almond's stunning rendition of Edith Piaf's Hymn Le Amour and singer Ruby Turner's extraordinary vocals.
Compilation of performances and appearances by Nigel Kennedy from the BBC archive, following his music development and career from a seven-year-old child on Town and Around to his virtuoso showstopper Czardas from the Last Night of the Proms 2013. Featuring interviews with him through the years, and demonstrating a versatility of styles from classical to experimental to a jazz duet with Stephane Grappelli.
Film telling the story of how rock music helped to change Ireland. The 40-year-old story of Irish rock and pop music is grounded in the very different musical traditions of the two main cities of the island, Belfast and Dublin. This musical celebration charts the lives and careers of some of the biggest selling acts in Irish rock, punk and pop from Van Morrison and Thin Lizzy to The Undertones and U2. From the pioneers of the showbands touring in the late 50s through to the modern day, the film examines their lineage and connections and how the hardcore, rocking sound of Belfast merged with the more melodic, folky Dublin tradition to form what we now recognise as Irish rock and pop. The film explores where these bands and musicians came from and the influence the political, social and cultural environments of the day had on them and how the music influenced those environments. With contributions from many of the heavyweights of Irish rock and pop, including U2, Sinead O'Connor and Bob Geldof, it follows their careers as they forged an international presence and looks at how they helped change the island along the way.
Portrait of pianist and composer Daniil Trifonov, who is generating the most extravagant praise from several of the world's top musicians, including Martha Argerich, Valery Gergiev and Christian Thielemann
Tom Service plunges into the life and times of Mozart to try and rediscover the greatness and humanity of the living man in his moment. Mozart's prodigious output and untimely death have helped place him on a pedestal that can often blind us to the unique brilliance of his work in the context of his life and times. Tackling the sentimental tourist industry of Salzburg and the cloying reverence in which Mozart is too often held, Service visits the key cities and rooms in which Mozart lived and worked, plays some of Mozart's original instruments and scores, and gradually uncovers the brilliance and originality of his work as the 18th century turns into the early 19th. There is the prodigious childhood when Mozart was feted as an infant phenomenon around Europe's most glittering courts, and his golden decade in Vienna in which masterpiece followed masterpiece - operas, symphonies, piano concertos, string quartets - as if this short, high-voiced man-child must have been taking dictation from some divine source, until his death at the age of just 35 in 1791. Even more than the music, Mozart's tragic demise sets the seal on his myth. The trajectory of Mozart's life sets the template for the romantic paradigm whose throes we are still in today, which requires our creative heroes to die young to prove that they were too good for this madding world, whether it be Wolfgang Amadeus or Jimi Hendrix. Service travels from London to Vienna and Salzberg, unpicking the living, breathing genius that was Mozart. With Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Nicola Benedetti, Paul Morley and others.
In the early 1980s, Culture Club was one of the biggest bands in the world, selling 150 million records worldwide. Formed in London, the band was comprised of Boy George on vocals, Mikey Craig on bass, Roy Hay on guitar and keyboards and Jon Moss on drums. As well as their UK success, the band was huge in the USA - notching up ten top 40 hits. Being part of Band Aid cemented them as stalwarts of the 80s, a band that broke down barriers and left a huge legacy for the stars that came later, before they disbanded in 1986. However, they are a band with a past as colourful as their music. George had a secret affair with his drummer Jon Moss and when they acrimoniously split, the band fell apart and George descended into heroin addiction. Over the years there have been numerous failed attempts to reunite the band. In 2014 Culture Club decided to come back together to record a new album and embark on a UK and US tour. Director Mike Nicholls has unique access, following the band as they first meet in George's London home to write new material. However, it's not long before creative differences and tensions from their past begin to emerge. Faultlines develop further when the band travel to Spain to record the new album, spending two weeks working and living together in a remote recording studio. As the band return to London to prepare for the tour, they suffer a Twitter mauling after their first big public performance on Strictly Come Dancing. Relations are even more strained when George and the band sign to separate managers and a sudden illness threatens the whole reunion. The film looks at the band's troubled past, examining the themes of success, fame and ego, and reveals the personalities behind one of the most iconic bands of all time.
"I want to make people cry even when they don't understand my words." - Edith Piaf This unique film explores the story of the lyric-driven French chanson and looks at some of the greatest artists and examples of the form. Award-winning singer and musician Petula Clark, who shot to stardom in France in the late 1950s for her nuanced singing and lyrical exploration, is our guide. We meet singers and artists who propelled chanson into the limelight, including Charles Aznavour (a protégé of Edith Piaf), Juliette Greco (whom Jean-Paul Sartre described as having 'a million poems in her voice'), Anna Karina (muse of Jean-Luc Godard and darling of the French Cinema's New Wave), actress and singer Jane Birkin, who had a global hit (along with Serge Gainsbourg) with the controversial Je t'aime (Moi non plus), and Marc Almond, who has received great acclaim with his recordings of Jacques Brel songs. In exploring the famous chanson tradition and the prodigious singers who made the songs their own, we continue the story into contemporary French composition, looking at new lyrical forms exemplified by current artists such as Stromae, Zaz, Têtes Raides and Etienne Daho, who also give exclusive interviews. The film shines a spotlight onto a musical form about which the British are largely unfamiliar, illuminating a history that is tender, funny, revealing and absorbing.
The story of Blue Note Records, the jazz label that was home to such greats as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins. In 1939 Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, who had emigrated from Nazi Germany to New York, 'discovered' an American art form which at the time received little serious attention from mainstream America - jazz music. Without money or connections and speaking little English, they began to record practically unknown musicians, following their own taste and judgement. Today the list of artists who recorded for their label reads like a who's who of jazz. A portrayal of the rise of modern jazz, the film explores a very special friendship in exile and uncompromising artistic excellence. Told by the musicians, friends, associates and fans of the Blue Note recordings from all walks of life, it recreates an era of American cultural history and is widely regarded as one of the best films ever made about jazz.
La traviata is the world's most popular opera. Its arias are instantly recognisable and have become staples for opera houses across the globe. Yet at its London premiere in 1856, La traviata was denounced for bringing 'the poetry of the brothel' to the stage and unleashing uncomfortable truths on Victorian society. Historian Amanda Vickery and Radio 3 presenter Tom Service reveal the extraordinary story behind the opera's first night in London and its scandalous heroine, the courtesan Violetta Valéry, whose dramatic life and tragic death were based on real-life characters and events. Tom and Amanda's journey goes from the luxury of the Parisian demi-monde to the teeming streets of Victorian London, where prostitution was seen as a threat to society itself. Amanda explores the story of Marie Duplessis, a highly-prized courtesan whose life inspired the play on which the opera was based, whilst Tom discovers how Verdi, on a visit to Paris with his mistress soprano Giuseppina Strepponi, seized this risqué story for the subject of his new masterpiece. Together, Amanda and Tom follow the opera's journey to London and examine how its incendiary premiere marked a historic moment in which art confronted reality, redefining the role of the opera diva forever. Scenes from Verdi's masterpiece have been specially recreated for the film alongside location photography in Venice, Milan, Paris and London.
Documentary following celebrated Estonian composer Arvo Pärt as he works with director Robert Wilson on a unique theatre production of Adam's Passion. The work exemplifies Pärt's distinctive style, formed from simple, rich tonal material. The film examines Pärt's methodology and explores the spiritual themes that have preoccupied him throughout his life.
Filmed over the course of four years, award-winning director Phil Grabsky follows one of the world's greatest pianists, Leif Ove Andsnes, as he attempts, in a series of sold-out worldwide performances, to interpret one of the greatest sets of works for piano ever written - Beethoven's five piano concertos. However, Concerto is more than a portrait of a famous musician on tour - it is an exploration into Ludwig van Beethoven's life as revealed by these five masterworks. The relationship between the composer and his world is mirrored by the relationship between the pianist and orchestra in these concertos. The film seeks to reveal Beethoven in a way rarely seen before and bears witness to what is increasingly being regarded as one of the greatest interpretations ever of these five great pieces of music. Considered one of the top pianists of the age, Leif Ove Andsnes offers rare insights into the mind of a world-class pianist and access to his personal and professional life. Andsnes gives an insight into the world of a contemporary classical musician. Against the wonderful background of Leif Ove playing these five pieces, we also peel back the many myths of Beethoven's life - from prodigious talent in Vienna to greatest composer alive by the time he wrote the fifth concerto. Perhaps above all, it is the fresh new biography of Beethoven that is most revealing.
It is a quarter of a century since the death of Leonard Bernstein, composer, conductor and icon of 20th-century music. This programme features 50 years of great archive performances and interviews, some unseen since their original broadcast, including music from West Side Story, Elgar's Enigma and Beethoven.
A Julien Temple film about the Strypes, the young Irish band from Co Cavan bringing blistering R&B and rock 'n' roll to a whole new generation. The film explores the band's evolution from toddlerhood, when they first began playing together, through the hard work and twists of fate that have catapulted them straight out of their small rural hometown to screaming crowds. Theirs is a success story of the digital age. Born in the late 90s, the boys have never known a world without computers and smartphones. Going on the same musical coming-of-age quest as their early heroes, the Beatles, Stones and Kinks, they searched out the origins of R&B and the wellspring of the blues to produce their own distinctive, hard-edged sound. A deeply human story of four young childhood friends, with a profoundly shared passion and goal, as they become adults in the world of 21st-century rock 'n' roll success. The film is produced by Parallel Films and Elton John's Rocket Pictures.
Journalist Kate Mossman explores the unique relationship between artist and fan, from the Beatles to One Direction and her own evolving fascination with Queen.
In 1975, the Bay City Rollers were on the brink of global superstardom. The most successful chart act in the UK with a unique look and sound were about to become the biggest thing since the Beatles. Featuring interviews with Les McKeown and other members of the classic Bay City Roller line-up, and using previously unseen footage shot by members of the band and its entourage, this is the tale of five lads from Edinburgh who became the world's first international teen idols and turned the whole world tartan.
Three British bands defined the British Invasion of 1964 which changed America. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Dave Clark Five. Fifty years later this film tells the story of the Dave Clark Five, their emergence from working-class Tottenham, their unique sound, their close friendship, their self-managed business philosophy and the youthful exuberance with which they captured the USA. Testifying to the lasting impact of the band and what made them unique in an era of brilliant, game-changing creativity, Dave Clark's two-hour documentary features newly-filmed interviews with Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, Sir Ian McKellen, Stevie Wonder, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, Bruce Springsteen, Steven van Zandt of the E Street Band, Gene Simmons of Kiss, Whoopi Goldberg, Dionne Warwick and Twiggy. Interwoven throughout, boyhood fan Tom Hanks's inspirational and moving speech at the DC5's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2008 explains what five guys from north London and the Tottenham Sound meant to Hanks's generation. As well as barnstorming live and TV performances by the DC5, the film weaves archive interviews with band members alongside extraordinary footage of the DC5 on tour and in the studio and also features rare TV footage from the legendary Ready Steady Go! series, where the DC5's fellow pop pioneers the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Dusty Springfield, Stevie Wonder, the Supremes, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding highlight a time of unparalleled excitement and innovation. This film captures the youth, innocence and zany zest of the swinging 60s and the Dave Clark Five's driving role in those years. And beyond the 60s? Unseen archive interviews and performances with Sir Laurence Olivier and Freddie Mercury feature among the rare footage telling the story of TIME, the spectacular, innovative and visionary rock musical with which producer and entrepreneur Dave Clark reinvented London's live music th
In the late 70s Chalkie Davies was a photographer at the New Musical Express, taking pictures of bands like Thin Lizzy, the Clash, the Sex Pistols and many more. Now, as his first major exhibition opens at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, and showing as part of BBC Music Day, he looks back on an extraordinary life, and old friends like Elvis Costello reflect on how Chalkie's images are so enduring. Chalkie Davies was born in Sully just outside Cardiff and his first job was as an engineer at Heathrow Airport. But he was always a keen amateur photographer and when he won a camera club competition in 1973 the door opened onto a career in rock 'n' roll. He was allowed in to take pictures on the last night of David Bowie's legendary Ziggy Stardust tour and the results were so good he never looked back. Joining the New Musical Express in the mid-70s, he was in the right place at the right time and became a favourite amongst the punk and new wave bands including the Clash, The Specials, Squeeze and Elvis Costello. Chalkie's pictures summed up the era and many are classics of rock and roll photography. But by the mid-80s he'd become disenchanted with the music business, where image mattered more than music. The death of his close friend Phil Lynott, leader singer of Thin Lizzy, led Chalkie to quit rock music. For 25 years Chalkie's collection of rock images remained hidden away until an invitation from the National Museum of Wales led him to bring them out for a new generation. This documentary follows Chalkie as he prepares for the exhibition, revisits his childhood haunts and reflects on an extraordinary career. There are contributions from many of the musicians he photographed including Elvis Costello, Chris Difford of Squeeze, songwriter Nick Lowe, the Specials mainman Jerry Dammers and punk poet John Cooper Clarke.
A landmark open-air staging by Aldeburgh Music of Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes, on the very place and beach that inspired the opera. With the North Sea and sky as a dramatic backdrop and a first-rate cast and orchestra, this inspired production was one of the most talked about cultural events of Britten's centenary celebrations in 2013. The opera is renowned for its visceral beauty and moving portrayal of a small seaside community struggling to accept the fisherman Peter Grimes, whose young apprentices have disappeared in suspicious circumstances.
Prepare to take your place in the best seats in the house as BBC2 returns to the city of music for the traditional classic start to the year - the New Year's Day Concert, live from Vienna. Petroc Trelawny is on hand to guide us through the finest galopps, polkas and waltzes, composed by the Strauss family and their contemporaries. For 2016, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra are joined by conductor Mariss Jansons, who takes up the baton for his third time at the annual New Year gala concert from the beautiful Musikverein in the heart of Vienna. The concert will end with the much-loved By the Beautiful Blue Danube and the perennially crowd-pleasing Radetzky March. 2016 marks the 75th anniversary of this hugely popular event and the concert will be broadcast in over 90 countries with an estimated 50 million television viewers around the world, all of whom will be treated to performances not only by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, but also the world-famous Vienna Boys' Choir and dancers from the Vienna State Ballet.
It was 1985. Guns N' Roses were soon to be known as the last mammoth rock entity to come out of LA after selling over 100 million albums. Jon Brewer brings alive never-before-seen video footage of Guns N' Roses in their earliest days as a fledgling band, filmed and meticulously archived over the years by their close friend. They became known as 'the most dangerous band in the world' and retained the title for reasons this film portrays, via interviews with band members and those who were there on, and off, tour. Venture down seedy Sunset Strip to the Whiskey, the Rainbow and the Roxy, all known as 'the Jungle'.
A film about the sound of Australian rock and the emergence of one of the world's greatest rock bands - AC/DC, or Acca Dacca as they are known in Australia, and the legendary music company, Albert Music (Alberts) that helped launched them on to the global rock scene. Through the 1960s, 70s and 80s, Alberts created a house of hits in Australia that literally changed the sound of Australian popular music. It started with the Easybeats and their international hit Friday On My Mind back in the 60s. In the 1970s when Australia was in the midst of a deep recession, a rough and ready pub rock sound emerged, characterised by bands like Rose Tattoo who were promoted by family-run company, Alberts. The raw power and fat guitar sound that characterised Aussie rock was pioneered by the Alberts and took Australia and the world by storm. The sound of Aussie rock really exploded when the Alberts, a well-to-do family from the Sydney suburbs, joined forces with the Youngs, a Glasgow family who had emigrated to Australia. The result was AC/DC. The documentary tells the story of how brothers Angus and Malcolm Young were produced by their older brother George and fellow Easybeats member Harry Vanda. Vanda and Young produced the band at Albert Studios and they were soon joined by the wild and charismatic lead singer Bon Scott. Head of Alberts was Ted Albert - a quietly confident risk taker. He backed AC/DC for many years with rock-solid conviction when their type of music and fashion seemed completely at odds with a UK and US music scene dominated by punk. Then, in 1980, AC/DC's Back in Black album was a massive success around the world and the rest is history. The film retraces the band's explosion in popularity, the relentless touring and the tragic death of Bon Scott. Even after Bon's death, and with the addition of Brian Johnson, the band went from strength to strength and remain hugely popular and one of the world's most legendary bands. Today, the Albert family remains a pot
David Owen Norris takes us on a journey through 60 years of BBC archive to showcase some of the greatest names in the history of the piano. From the groundbreaking BBC studio recitals of Benno Moiseiwitsch, Solomon and Myra Hess in the 1950s, through the legendary concerts of Vladimir Horowitz and Arthur Rubinstein to more recent performances including Alfred Brendel, Mitsuko Uchida and Stephen Hough, David celebrates some of the greatest players in a pianistic tradition which goes back to Franz Liszt in the 19th century. Filmed at the Cobbe Collection, Hatchlands Park.
Violinist Nicola Benedetti explores 60 years of BBC archive to celebrate the world of the violin and its most outstanding performers. From Nathan Milstein, Mischa Elman and Isaac Stern to Yehudi Menuhin, Itzhak Perlman and Nigel Kennedy, Nicola gives us a violinist's perspective on what makes a great performance in a tradition which stretches back to the 19th-century virtuoso Paganini. Filmed at the Royal Academy of Music Museum, London.
Fifty years of performances from guitarist John Williams that takes in classical masterworks, the prog rock of Sky and comedy with Eric Sykes, as well as duets with Julian Bream.
Recorded from a live performance on Saturday 26th March at Campfield Market in Manchester, this promenade opera should prove a bold, contemporary retelling of the last days of Jesus’s life. Based on Bach’s St Matthew Passion, it’s performed by an ensemble cast from Streetwise Opera – whose singers include former homeless people – and acclaimed early music choir The Sixteen, conducted by Harry Christophers.
Documentary which celebrates, over the period covering the end of the 1950s and the beginning of the 60s, the phenomenon of the Everly Brothers, arguably the greatest harmony duo the world has witnessed, who directly influenced the greatest and most successful bands of the 60s and 70s - the Beatles, the Stones, the Beach Boys and Simon & Garfunkel to name but a few. Don and Phil Everly's love of music began as children, encouraged by their father Ike. Little Donnie and Baby Boy Phil sang on Ike's early-morning radio shows in Iowa. After leaving school, the brothers moved to Nashville where, under the wing of Ike Everly's friend, the highly talented musician Chet Atkins, Don and Phil signed with Cadence Records. They exploded onto the music scene in 1957 with Bye Bye Love, written by Boudleaux and Felice Bryant. After Bye Bye Love came other hits, notably Wake Up Little Susie, followed by the worldwide smash hit All I Have to Do Is Dream and a long string of other great songs which also became hits. By 1960, however, the brothers were lured away from Cadence to Warner Bros with a $1,000,000 contract. Their biggest hit followed, the self-penned Cathy's Clown, which sold 8 million copies. Remaining at Warner Bros for most of the 60s, they had further success with Walk Right Back, So Sad and the King/Greenfield-penned track Crying in the Rain.
It's possibly one of the most denigrated inventions in the history of music; the greatest signifier of rock star pomposity. Indeed, in some quarters, the very mention of it is likely to provoke sniggering derision, conjuring up images of quadruple-gatefold album sleeves, songs that go on for weeks and straggly-haired rockers prattling on about mystical lands, unicorns, goblins and dystopian futures. But - back when people actually took the time to sit down and listen to records from beginning to end - for many, nothing delivered a more rewarding experience than the concept album. And for some, it's still a format that provides rock music with its high watermark moments. This documentary explores the history of a musical format - usually based around a structured narrative, though sometimes tied together by a loose theme - that developed to become the equivalent of rock 'n' roll theatre, often on an operatic scale. The legendary cape-wearing keyboardmeister Rick Wakeman - himself the creator of several of history's most, ahem, 'elaborate' long players - presents this insightful and playful exploration of the greatest examples of the art form. From social commentary to collected songs of loneliness, heartache and introspection, from tales of intergalactic rock stars to anthems of isolated youth, the film takes us on a journey - examining the roots of the concept album in its various forms, unpacking some of the most ambitious - and ridiculous - projects of the past fifty years, from Woody Guthrie's Dustbowl Ballads to Tales from Topographic Oceans by Yes; the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds to George Clinton's Mothership Connection; The Wall by Pink Floyd to The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Some of the mavericks who made the maddest and most memorable big ideas happen are here to provide their own perspectives, including Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull); Laura Marling; George Clinton; Wayne Coyne (Flaming Lips); J Willgoose Esq (Public Service Broadcasting
One record company has been a constant presence in popular music throughout our lives. EMI brought the Beatles to the world and in every decade since has been instrumental in producing some of Britain's most celebrated and enduring music. But behind the success lay a very British institution often at odds with the music it released. It had to come to terms with psychedelia, face punk head on and find huge sums of money to feed the excesses of the 1980s. Interviews with EMI artists including members of Queen, Pink Floyd, the Sex Pistols and Pet Shop Boys reveal how their demands for more and more control ultimately led to drastic changes at EMI. Former EMI employees share the gossip and goings-on in an industry infamous for its extravagance. The British music industry is world renowned. It has produced decades of memorable music that has reached all corners of the globe. EMI has always been at the forefront and has left an indelible mark on our culture forever.
Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique perform the world's most iconic piece of classical music, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Bringing out all the revolutionary fervour that Gardiner believes underpins the work and performing on period instruments of Beethoven's day, this performance brings us an authentic re-imagination of the sounds Beethoven's original audiences would have heard. Shot on location in St John's Smith Square, the performance looks and sounds stunning. Ahead of the performance, Gardiner and the principals of the orchestra discuss the issues in trying to breathe new life into such a famous piece and how their period instruments transform the symphony's sound.
Music legends Duran Duran brought BBC Music Day to a close with a concert live from Cornwall's Eden Project.
Katie Derham introduces this year's traditional spectacular concert from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in the gardens of Schonbrunn Palace. There's a distinctly French flavour to the evening with music from Bizet, Berlioz, Poulenc and Ravel, and a special appearance from the world-renowned French piano duo the Labeque sisters. The concert is conducted for the first time by Semyon Bychkov who, though Russian-born, is an honorary Frenchman on account of his being married to Marielle Labeque. This year's concert features such musical favourites as Ravel's exuberant Bolero and his ravishing Daphnis and Chloe. There is also a chance to dance along to the can-can from Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld plus, of course, the traditional end to the concert, Johann Strauss Junior's romantic waltz Wiener Blut. It wouldn't be a summer's night in Vienna without it!
Funk, jazz, and hip hop swagger: the Hot 8 bring New Orleans street party vibes to the Jazz House, live at the BBC in Glasgow.
Wolf Alice perform tracks from their debut album My Love is Cool, exclusively for Radio 1's brand new series Headliners.
James Blake performs a special live show for Radio 1's brand new series Headliners. Including the new single 'Radio Silence'.
A beautiful live set filmed for BBC Radio Scotland's Quay Sessions.
Spell-binding set from Scottish Album of The Year 2015 winner.
An intimate set from the mighty Mancunians, back at the top of their game.
The Feeling with songs from the fresh new album along with some classics.
Ocean Colour Scene with an intimate acoustic session by the River Clyde.
The Coral power through a blistering set of psychedelic rock.
Blue Rose Code with a sublime set performed on the Pacific Quay stage.
Frank Turner brings his raw, punky take on folk to BBC Pacific Quay.
Rocking set from Fatherson to a packed house at BBC Pacific Quay.
As part of his intimate Radio 2 In Concert, Gregory Porter answers your questions, put to him by presenter and DJ Jo Whiley.
Jo Whiley presents the Grammy award-winning Gregory Porter live in concert from the legendary BBC Maida Vale Studios in London. He will be performing tracks from his latest album, Take Me To The Alley, plus songs from his back catalogue. The jazz vocalist grew up in California and later moved to New York where he started performing at local venues. Gregory released his debut album Water in 2010, which was nominated for a Grammy, which he followed up with 2012's Be Good, and then won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album for 2013's Liquid Spirit. Gregory most recently performed on the Pyramid Stage at this year's Glastonbury Festival.
A Julien Temple-authored documentary essay film about Keith Richards's postwar childhood and adolescence in Dartford and London. Exploring the cultural undercurrents and transformative thinking which occurred in England between 1945 and 1962 and made possible the worldwide explosion of British rock music during the 60s, in which Keith played such a crucial role.
On the eve of Stevie Wonder's headline set at Hyde Park performing his classic album Songs in the Key of Life, this compilation celebrates over 50 years of covers of his classic songbook filmed at BBC studio shows over the years. Featuring Cilla Black, Jimmy Helms, Dionne Warwick, the Osmonds, India Arie, James Morrison and a storming performance of Ed Sheeran with Jools and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra taking on Master Blaster (Jammin') on Hootenanny. Expect a special emphasis on Wonder's bank of classic ballads which include Isn't She Lovely, Love's in Need of Love Today, For Once in My Life, You Are the Sunshine of My Life and many more.
The Darkness beò air a' chiad oidhche aig Belladrum 2016: Cridhe Tartan. The Darkness perform live on the first night of Belladrum 2016.
Two Door Cinema Club beò air an dàrna oidhche aig Belladrum 2016: Cridhe Tartan. Two Door Cinema Club perform live on the second night of Belladrum 2016.
Madness beò air an treas oidhche aig Belladrum 2016: Cridhe Tartan. Madness perform live on the third night of Belladrum 2016.
Jo Whiley welcomes to the stage the one and only Sir Elton John to close out Radio 2 In Hyde Park, playing hits from his glittering, 300m-record selling career. In a five-decade career Elton's had over fifty top 40 hits - including the biggest-ever selling single on both sides of the Atlantic - and scored seven consecutive number 1 albums in the U.S. He's also won an Oscar, a Tony and a Golden Globe Award, as well as receiving 5 Grammy Awards, 5 Brit Awards and a host of other accolades, and this set promises to be just as glittering!
The Soul singer and Radio 2 favourite performs a collection of songs from her two albums.
The first artist signed to Ed Sheeran's label is joined by folk star Cara Dillon.
The Country music star showcases old favourites alongside songs from her new album.
Classic rock from the band who've spent over 400 weeks in the UK Singles Chart.
The Grammy-award winner with the amazing voice returns to Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park.
The North London nutty boys treat Hyde Park to a bunch of hits from their 40-year career.
The Scottish rockers perform songs from their new album, plus some of their biggest hits.
A very special night of music from one of Scotland's top artists, Travis, collaborating with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in one of the world's most iconic music venues - the Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom. If you were one of the lucky 1,000 to get a ticket, this is another chance to experience this unique event, and if not, sit back and enjoy what makes music collaboration so special.
Pauline Black, lead singer of Two Tone band The Selecter, looks at the years 1976-1985, when she first picked up a guitar and when music got involved in passionate protest and the high street filled with colourful factions of music lovers.
Pink Floyd released their first single in 1967, and as their popularity around the world grew, they increasingly travelled outside the UK to perform live shows and make TV appearances. After The Dark Side of the Moon became a global smash, the band concentrated on the creative freedom of live performance, leaving the world of TV behind, but now, after painstaking research, tapes of those early historic appearances have been tracked down and compiled into a fascinating hour of early Pink Floyd. With front man Syd Barrett, they perform Astronomy Domine and Jugband Blues, and after Syd's departure, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason can be seen playing a full range of their eclectic material, from out and out pop in It Would Be So Nice, through instrumental improvisations, collaboration with choir and orchestra on Atom Heart Mother and enduring rock material like Wot's...Uh The Deal. Beginnings 1967-1972 tracks the fascinating gestation of one of the world's most creative and heralded groups in the less well-known period that preceded the triumphs of The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall.
Actress, songwriter and above all singer, Petula Clark is a music legend. With a career spanning nearly eight decades she has sold more than 68 million records worldwide and is back touring the UK. Playing live in Berlin for the first time she performs hits like Downtown, Don't Sleep in the Subway and Couldn't Live Without Your Love, as well as songs from her new album From Now On, including Sacrifice My Heart and a collaboration with Charles Aznavour - Pour Etre Aime de Toi.
Claudia Winkleman meets Michael Buble in this entertainment spectacular. Michael performs classic tracks including Cry Me a River and Feeling Good alongside songs from his brand new album, including Nobody but Me. Michael also goes undercover as a sales assistant at a London department store to surprise a few unsuspecting fans.
Documentary which explores how Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris's careers took off in the 1970s with very distinct takes on country, but how they ended up uniting as close harmony singers and eventually collaborated on 1987's four-million-selling debut album, Trio. In the 60s country music was viewed by most of America as blue collar and Dolly was country through and through. Linda Ronstadt's take on classic country helped make her the biggest female star in mid-70s USA. Folkie Emmylou learned about country from mentor Gram Parsons and, after his death in 1973, she became a bandleader in her own right. It was Emmylou and Linda - the two west coast folk rockers - who voiced their mutual appreciation of Dolly, the mountain girl singer from Tennessee, when they became early students of her work. The artists talk about uniting as harmony singers and eventually collaborating on their debut album, Trio. The album helped launch the mountain music revival that would peak with the soundtrack to O Brother Where Art Thou. In 2012 Linda Ronstadt was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease which left her unable to sing, but 2016 sees unreleased songs from their sessions to create a third Trio album. This is the story of how their alliance made them pioneers in bringing different music worlds together and raising the game for women in the country tradition. Contributors: Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Rodney Crowell, George Lucas, Peter Asher, Chris Hillman, Laura Cantrell, Robert K Oermann, John Boylan, Phil Kaufman, David Lindley, Albert Lee, Herb Pedersen, George Massenberg & Applewood Road.
Simple Minds at the Hackney Empire in November 2016 performing acoustic versions of various songs spanning their career.
With the untimely passing of music superstar Prince, and in recognition and celebration of his prolific songwriting talent, this is a compilation of performances from the BBC archive of songs written by Prince but made famous by other artists.
Lionel Richie and his band perform live at Cornwall’s Eden Project on 15th June 2016. This was the first time Lionel Richie had ever performed a headline show in the South West, and was part of his All The Hits world tour. The Eden Sessions began in 2002 and are renowned for the stature of the artists they attract and the unique setting of the Eden arena against the backdrop of the biomes. Lionel’s performance was a highlight of the fifteenth year of the Eden Sessions. He performed many of his iconic hits and album tracks including Hello, Dancing on the Ceiling and All Night Long.
Two hundred years after its premiere in Rome in 1816, Rossini's great comic opera The Barber of Seville took to the stage as part of the 2016 Glyndebourne Festival. The opera traces the efforts of clever Figaro to win his master, Count Almaviva, his chosen bride. But he meets his match in the crafty would-be bride Rosina, who is already plotting to escape her guardian Dr Bartolo.
World-renowned mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins comes 'Home for Christmas' to host a night of star-studded entertainment starring Aled Jones, all-female vocal group Bella Voce and winners of BBC Songs of Praise Choir of the Year, Llangennech Junior School Choir. Hosted and headlined by Katherine Jenkins, this Christmas musical spectacular is full of heartwarming and entertaining surprises as Katherine heads home to Wales to play some festive surprises on some special people.
A seasonal Christmas party special from Sara Cox with a sack load of 80s Christmas classic videos, including Wham's Last Christmas, Band Aid with Do They Know It's Christmas and Run DMC's Christmas in Hollis. Sara will be 'Rockin Around the Christmas Tree' with one of our favourite festive females: Kim Wilde, as they reminisce about Kim's Comic Relief Christmas single from 1987 where she teamed up with the late comedian Mel Smith. Plus Sara becomes our very own fancy dress elf and meets Father Christmas!
Robbie Williams stages an exclusive concert live from the heart of London. Introduced by Melvin Odoom, Robbie performs some of his greatest hits to begin the build-up to the clock striking midnight and the start of the spectacular world-famous fireworks display over the River Thames.
Cathy MacDonald and Tony Kearney host Hogmanay Ceilidh 2016 live from Stirling Castle. The house band is led by award-winning singer Julie Fowlis and accompanied by acclaimed musicians Éamon Doorley, Duncan Chisholm, Calum Stewart and Tony Byrne. Musical guests include Fiona Kennedy, Rona Lightfoot and Sineag MacIntyre.
In this special edition of Mastertapes, Paul McCartney talks to John Wilson about his career and answers questions from the audience at Maida Vale studios.
The legendary Soul II Soul join Trevor Nelson for a special show from Maida Vale. They reunite with Caron Wheeler to perform an incredible four-track session for 1Xtra's RnB week. Includes 'Fairplay', 'Keep on Moving', 'Get a Life' and 'Back to Life'.
Kacey Musgraves performs live to a packed-out Royal Albert Hall. At just 27 and with a huge international following, Kacey sings a number of her hits and shows what a breath of fresh air she is to the modern country music scene. She wows her fans as she performs some of her biggest hits including Biscuits, Silver Lining and Merry Go Round from her albums Same Trailer Different Park and Pageant Material.
The Royal Ballet presents a new work based on Mary Shelley's classic gothic novel, Frankenstein. The stellar cast includes Federico Bonelli who dances the role of Doctor Frankenstein, with Laura Morera as his fiancee Elizabeth. Steven McRae stars as the Creature, at once terrifying and tortured, in this spectacular production by the Royal Ballet's Artist in Residence, choreographer Liam Scarlett, with music by Lowell Liebermann. Presented from the Royal Opera House by Darcey Bussell and Ore Oduba.
At the end of the 1970s a nervy young musician topped the music charts and quickly became one of the most famous men on the planet. Three decades of groundbreaking and hugely influential music followed, then came six long years of silence. This documentary follows the godfather of electronic music on a one-way trip to crack America, break into Hollywood and return to the studio for the first time in nearly a decade. It is also an intimate story of love and second chances for Numan, wife Gemma and their family as they set up home in Los Angeles. Full of humour and candid moments, the film explores the many contradictions and misconceptions that have cropped up in Numan's life. A revealing portrait that uncovers the human side of one of Britain's most iconic and fascinating musicians.
Ian Fraser Kilmister, a.k.a. Lemmy & Motörhead frontman/songwriter is credited with introducing punk sounds into the heavy metal mix, paving the way for a generation of thrash metal and speed metal followers. Lemmy was a one-off who walked it like he talked it and while he embodied the rock n roll lifestyle up until his recent death, his influence as a musician and songwriter should not be underestimated. This programme offers Lemmy's own overview of his journey through interviews he gave for various BBC documentaries including Metal Britannia and features material never previously broadcast, along with classic Motörhead Top of the Pops' studio performances to celebrate one of rock music's most charismatic frontmen who helped pioneer hard rock and heavy metal.
Iconic, notorious, heroes, prats, legendary, diabolical: a lot can, and has been said about the Gallagher brothers and Oasis - but the harshest commentary often came from within. ‘Oasis in Their Own Words’ charts the band’s meteoric rise from a bunch of lads from Manchester to the biggest British band of their generation, as they saw it themselves. And all the Britpop hedonism and brotherly punch-ups that came along the way.
Featuring a special acoustic performance of her new single Hurts, Emeli Sandé tells the story of her musical career so far. From her very first demo tape, through the MySpace years, to working with Naughty Boy and playing at the London 2012 opening ceremony, Emeli covers it all as she returns with new material after a three year break.
Julian Lloyd Webber takes an extraordinary musical journey through the BBC archives from the 1950s to the present to celebrate the world of the cello through some of its greatest interpreters. From dazzling performances by legendary masters such as Paul Tortelier, Jacqueline du Pre and Mstislav Rostropovich to some of today's leading interpreters including Yo Yo Ma, Steven Isserlis and Mischa Maisky, Julian gives us a cellist's perspective on an extraordinary virtuoso tradition.
Grammy Award-winning singer Adele performs in New York at Radio City Music Hall, showcasing songs from her album 25. The show also features Adele interacting with her fans from the iconic Radio City stage and performing landmark songs from throughout her career. Cameras were also rolling behind the scenes in the days leading up to the concert, offering exclusive access to the preparations for this extraordinary event.
A previously unreleased full-length concert film of country music's first bona-fide supergroup - Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson - recorded live at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, on 14 March 1990. Featuring many of the classics they recorded together and the greatest songs they recorded in their solo careers, including Highwayman, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Folsom Prison Blues, Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys, Always On My Mind, Me and Bobby McGee, Desperados Waiting for a Train, Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way, Silver Stallion and many more.
Tom Service presents 40 years of great BBC archive featuring the French composer, conductor and musical icon Pierre Boulez, who died on 5th January 2016 at the age of 90. Opinionated and challenging, Boulez transformed the way that musicians and audiences all over the world think about contemporary music. With orchestras including the BBC Symphony, he rehearses and performs Debussy, Stravinsky and Bartok, as well as a selection of his own extraordinary compositions. Boulez's relationship with the BBC began in the 1960s and blossomed during his years as chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra - leaving a vivid legacy in the BBC's TV archive.
Tom Service takes a cinematic journey through Russia on the trail of the wondrous yet melancholic melodies of Russian giant Sergei Rachmaninoff. A celebration of a composer's musical triumph over critical adversity and Soviet terror, with performances and contributions from Vladimir Ashkenazy, Denis Matsuev, Steven Isserlis, Stephen Hough, Vladimir Jurowski, Lucy Parham and James Rhodes.
In August 1942, a concert took place in Leningrad that defies belief. A year earlier, the Germans had begun the deadliest siege in history which would kill three quarters of a million civilians. In the midst of the terror, a group of starving musicians assembled to perform Shostakovich's 7th Symphony in what would become a defiant moment in the city's ultimate survival. Historian Amanda Vickery and BBC Radio 3 presenter Tom Service reveal the extraordinary story of triumph of the human spirit over unspeakable terror. Amanda shows how Leningrad was simultaneously persecuted by Stalin and Hitler, the 'twin monsters' of the 20th century. Meeting with siege survivors and uncovering diaries and photographs, she reveals the reality of life in Leningrad as it literally starved to death. Meanwhile, Tom explores the thin line walked by Dmitri Shostakovich as the composer came perilously close to becoming a victim of Stalin's paranoia, and reveals how, as Leningrad starved, his 7th Symphony was performed around the world, uniting audiences against a common enemy before finally returning to the city. Shot entirely on location in St Petersburg, the story is interwoven with excerpts of the symphony performed specially by the St Petersburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maxim Shostakovich, the composer's son.
Documentary which recounts the story of Billy Fury and the birth of British popular music. His first album, The Sound of Fury (released in 1960), has become a landmark record in British rock 'n' roll history. Born in Liverpool during the Second World War, Ronnie Wycherley became an overnight sensation in 1958 when he was asked to go on stage and sing a couple of his self-penned songs by showbiz impresario Larry Parnes. Ronnie's knees shook with nerves, but over 2,000 screaming girls welcomed the new star of British rock 'n' roll and the headline in the local newspaper the following day was 'Dingle boy with a hot guitar'. With more Top 40 hits than the Beatles during the 1960s, Billy Fury's major hits included Halfway to Paradise, Wondrous Place, Jealousy, Last Night Was Made For Love and many more. Aged just 42, Billy died of heart failure after a recording session. But his fans have never forgotten him, and every year on the anniversary of his death they gather to pay their tributes at Mill Hill cemetery. Lord Puttnam sums up Fury's contribution to modern music in the programme by saying that, 'without Billy Fury, I honestly don't think the Beatles would have happened'.
Often cited as one of the greatest pieces of music ever written, the opening notes of the fifth symphony are among the most recognisable in the history of music, but the inspiration behind it is less clear. Many believe that Beethoven was railing against fate and his deafness in this piece, which was composed in Vienna between 1804 and 1808. In this documentary Gardiner argues that the music features a little-known, radical message expressing Beethoven’s belief in the ideals of the French Revolution, and shows how his Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique convey that message in their performance of the Fifth Symphony. To investigate Gardiner’s theory, Hislop visits the German city of Bonn, where Beethoven was born, raised and exposed to radical ideas, and Paris, where a new wave of composers were creating original compositions in a musical revolution that mirrored the political movement of the era. He also goes to Vienna, where the composer lived from 1792, visiting the apartment where he wrote the bulk of his Fifth Symphony and the Theater an der Wien, where the premiere of the work took place in 1808. This is part of the BBC’s Revolution & Romance - Soundtrack To The 19th Century season this May and June, exploring the surge of musical creativity and the key players to emerge during this seminal era of music, revealing the real inspiration behind Beethoven’s most famous work, and with complementary programming on BBC Radio 3 in Essential Classics.
Lucy Worsley traces the forgotten and fascinating story of the young Mozart's adventures in Georgian London. Arriving in 1764 as an eight-year-old boy, London held the promise of unrivalled musical opportunity. But in telling the telling the tale of Mozart's strange and unexpected encounters, Lucy reveals how life wasn't easy for the little boy in a big bustling city. With the demands of a royal performance, the humiliation of playing keyboard tricks in a London pub, a near fatal illness and finding himself heckled on the streets, it was a lot for a child to take. But London would prove pivotal, for it was here that the young Mozart made his musical breakthrough, blossoming from a precocious performer into a powerful new composer. Lucy reveals that it was on British soil that Mozart composed his first ever symphony and, with the help of a bespoke performance, she explores how Mozart's experiences in London inspired his colossal achievement. But what should have earned him rapturous applause and the highest acclaim ended in suspicion, intrigue and accusations of fraud.
Documentary in which Katie Derham travels to Rio de Janeiro (where her father was born) to explore the story behind Brazil's most famous and enduring song. Written in 1962 by Antonio Carlos Jobim with lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes, with a later English translation by Norman Gimbel, The Girl from Ipanema defines the moment Brazil charmed the world stage with a laidback song about a haunting woman.
British pop star Boy George recalls, revisits and assesses how the 1970s moulded the person and artist he has become. This is his musical, social and sexual coming of age when he discovered the power of his own sexuality before setting about turning that persona into a pop star. Set against a backdrop of social discord, disenfranchisement and sexual repression, the seventies was also conversely the decade that revelled in colour and creative chaos, giving the world glam rock, disco and punk, and the young George O'Dowd was at the birth of them all. The documentary includes contributions from contemporaries like Martin Degville (Sigue Sigue Sputnik), Andy Polaris (Animal Nightlife), DJ Princess Julia and pop star Marilyn. This is, as George said, 'the last ever bonkers decade', and it totally and completely shaped him.
In the 1970s, Jamaica came alive to the sounds of roots reggae. British rapper, poet and political commentator Akala tells the story of this golden period in the island's musical history, a time when a small group of musicians took songs of Rastafari, revolution and hope to the international stage. Growing up in London, Akala's family immersed him in roots reggae from an early age so he has a very personal connection to the culture. It has informed his own songwriting, poetry and political worldview, but it's an upbringing that he now feels he's taken for granted. In this documentary, Akala sets out to find out more about the music that has had such an impact on his life. He begins by exploring the music's origins in Jamaica where it offered hope to ordinary people at a time when poverty, political violence and turmoil were ravaging the island. Artists like Bob Marley, Big Youth and Burning Spear began to write about suffering and salvation through Rastafari in their songs. Akala unpicks how all of this evolved. Back in the UK, Akala reveals how the Jamaican artists and our own British roots reggae bands like Steel Pulse became a cultural lifeline for young black people who were experiencing racism and rejection in their own country. He shows how roots reggae also related to a wider audience, its revolutionary message connecting with an increasingly marginalised UK youth.
Sheku Kanneh-Mason made history in 2016 when he became the first black winner of the BBC Young Musician competition. Sheku has six musically gifted siblings and this film explores their extraordinary talents and issues of diversity in classical music. We follow Sheku and his brothers and sisters and examine the sacrifices that parents Stuart and Kadie make in order to support their children in pursuing their musical dreams. Told through the prism of family life we get an understanding of what it is that drives this family to be the best musicians they can be. At the heart of the story is 17-year-old Sheku, and we see him coming to terms with his Young Musician win and the pressures and opportunities it brings. His life is changing dramatically as he now has to learn to deal with the challenges of becoming a world-renowned cellist. He gets advice from those who have trodden this path already, including international violinist Nicola Benedetti and renowned cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, discovering what it takes to be a famous international solo musician. The documentary culminates with Sheku's biggest performance to date, playing at the world-famous Royal Festival Hall in London, with Britain's first all-black and ethnic minority orchestra, Chineke!. As the preparations for this groundbreaking concert begin, the film explores what it means to be a young, black, classical musician in today's society.
One of the most commercially successful acts of all time, UB40 enjoyed decades of huge success, selling over 70 million records with global hits including Red Red Wine, Can't Help Falling in Love and I Got You Babe. But stardom and fame came at a price and the band found themselves victims of their own success; bankrupt and penniless. Featuring newly filmed interviews with Ali Campbell, Robin Campbell, Astro, Brian Travers, Mickey Virtue and Jimmy Brown, the band recount their phenomenal rise to fame and speak with candour on their ongoing dispute that has split a family and a band, as they continue to tour as two separate groups - both using the name UB40.
West Side Story is one of the best-loved musicals of all time. A modern-day Romeo and Juliet, its timeless story and exhilarating dance and music continue to excite audiences around the globe. Songs such as Maria, Somewhere, Tonight and America have all become some of the biggest hits in showbusiness. And yet, West Side Story had an uneasy birth and was even turned away by producers when it was first put together in the 1950s by Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins and Arthur Laurents. Now, as the world prepares to celebrate the 60th anniversary of West Side Story in 2017, dancer Bruno Tonioli and broadcaster Suzy Klein go in search of the true stories behind the inception of this classic show. For the first time on television, they hear first-hand from those involved in the show when it opened on Broadway in September 1957, including Sondheim himself, producer Hal Prince and original cast members from both show and movie, including Chita Rivera Carol Lawrence and Rita Moreno. With the BBC Symphony Orchestra and specially cast singers, we re-live some of the wonderful music and, in the company of Suzy and Bruno, we discover how West Side Story placed the 1950s phenomena of racial tension and teenage gangs centre stage to create a hit that changed musical theatre forever.
A look at a chapter of his career that is rarely covered, Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall chronicles the star's rise to fame through to the release of his seminal album Off the Wall. Viewers travel with Michael as he gets his start at Motown, strikes a new path with CBS Records and forges a relationship with legendary record producer Quincy Jones. Director Spike Lee assembles a wealth of archival footage, including material from Michael's personal collection, plus interviews with contemporary talents and family members to create an insightful portrait of how an earnest, passionate, hard-working boy would become the 'King of Pop'.
Unlike the 60s, says Tom Jones as he recalls his teenage years in Pontypridd, South Wales, people who lived through the 50s can usually remember them. Many of those interviewed in this enjoyably nostalgic documentary – including the Shadows’ rhythm guitarist Bruce Welch, broadcaster Joan Bakewell and journalist Michele Hanson – agree the early postwar years were grey, boring and flat. But what they experienced during this decade, whether it was American films, music, TV shows such as The Six Five Special, teddy-boy fashion or just being a teenager, excited and shaped them all. “I was 15 when rock ’n’ roll kicked in – perfect!” says Jones. It’s a glorious reminder of the cultural changes of the 50s. About this programme Former The Voice UK coach Tom Jones fronts the first of four retrospective documentaries in which celebrated musicians look back at the decades that defined them. For Tom, that decade is the 1950s, the era following the austerity of the Second World War that saw a boom in popular culture, which swept aside the old order and ushered in a new era of entertainment. The veteran singer provides a first-hand guide to his formative years in a small mining community in South Wales, revealing how he - much like many people of his generation - turned to TV, movies, radio and music to find a voice for himself. Revisiting Treforest and Pontypridd, where he spent his childhood and teenage years, Tom recalls his joy when rationing finally ended, his encounter with American GIs stationed near his home, and the arrival of rock `n' roll and the `Teddy Boys'. Includes contributions by writers Joan Bakewell, Katherine Whitehorn and Michele Hanson, and historians Alwyn Turner, Dr Martin Johnes, Tony Russell and Francis Beckett.
Japanese culture is all around us, from games to movies, comic books to fashion magazines and it’s something that’s fascinated Dev since he was a kid. The biggest cultural export from Japan in recent years has been the phenomenal rise of Babymetal; 3 school age girls fusing Metal with J-Pop, who recently performed a sold out concert in front of 12,000 fans at Wembley Arena. Dev heads to Tokyo to learn more about the pop-culture that’s spawned the band. He enters the world of traditional J-Pop idols (including Katy Perry endorsed Kyary Pamyu Pamyu), explores the Japanese rock scene (with Crossfaith), learns about kawaii fashion in Harajuku (Tokyo’s equivalent to Camden Market) and has a wild karaoke night with a band called Ladybaby.
Film about the pop culture phenomenon that is Daft Punk, the duo with 12 million albums sold worldwide and seven Grammy awards. Throughout their career Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo have always resisted compromise and the established codes of show business. They have remained determined to maintain control of every link in the chain of their creative process. In the era of globalisation and social networks, they rarely speak in public and neither do they show their faces on TV. This documentary explores this unprecedented cultural revolution, revealing two artists on a permanent quest for creativity, independence and freedom. Between fiction and reality, magic and secret, future and reinvention, theatricality and humility, The Robots have built a unique world. The film combines rare archive footage as well as exclusive interviews with their closest collaborators who talk about their work with Daft Punk, including Pharrell Williams, Giorgio Moroder, Nile Rodgers and Michel Gondry.
The story of the creation of Massive Attack's debut album, Blue Lines, which was released 25 years ago, to critical acclaim and commercial success. How the city of Bristol found a musical identity it could claim as its own - told by the people who were there.
Documentary in which director and DJ Don Letts looks at a very particular and very provocative British subculture - skinhead. He explores how skinhead has become associated with street fighting, trouble on the football terraces and violent racism in the public consciousness in Britain and around the world, but reveals that its origins lie in a cultural coming together that could not be further from its tarnished image. Don shows in fascinating detail how the roots of skinhead are in a brilliant cultural collision between the young white working-class kids and their Jamaican counterparts in British inner cities, a moment of multicultural harmony. He traces the history of skinhead from the late 60s to the present, looking at the music and styles of skinhead from the reggae-influenced ska to the punk-influenced Oi. Throughout Don meets people who were committed members of various skinhead scenes, and he considers the conflicts and the contradictions that skinhead has attracted over five decades.
The last two years have seen Nile Rodgers launched back into the limelight following the massive success of Daft Punk's single Get Lucky, his distinctive guitar work helping the French dance music duo to one of their biggest hits. This 2013 documentary has been brought up to date to tell the story of his work with Daft Punk and how his band Chic has been introduced to a brand new audience. As the co-founder, songwriter, producer and guitarist of Chic he helped define the sound of the 70s, as disco took the world by storm. But the music that had made Chic would also break them, thanks to the 'Disco Sucks' backlash. What could have been the end for Nile Rodgers would actually be a new beginning as a producer, helping create some of the biggest hits of the '80s for the likes of Diana Ross, David Bowie, Madonna and Duran Duran. The ever-charismatic Rogers contributes an engaging and often frank interview to tell the tale of how, born to beatnik, heroin-addict parents in New York, he picked up a guitar as a teenager and embarked on a journey to learn his craft as a musician, before becoming one of disco's most successful artists. In the '70s and '80s he lived the party lifestyle thanks to his success with Chic and as one of the music industry's hottest producers. Drugs and alcohol would become part of everyday life for Nile, contributing in part to the break-up of Chic in the early '80s. The band would reform in the mid '90s, but their return was quickly marked by tragedy with the death of Nile's long-time friend and musical partner Bernard Edwards in 1996. The film recounts a captivating and moving story of a man who has been making hit music for nearly four decades and has found himself back in the limelight once again.
Documentary exploring a unique musical collaboration between American jazz legend Wynton Marsalis and Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti. The film follows the two musicians as they embark on a journey that culminates in the creation and performance of a violin concerto written by Marsalis especially for Benedetti. The composition, which draws inspiration from the violin concerto's first formation in the Baroque era to the 21st century and African-American spiritual music, explores Nicola and Wynton's own musical heritage in Scottish folk and American jazz music respectively. The film follows Wynton and Nicola during the process of composition, rehearsals and performance, from the pair batting ideas and drafts back and forth across the Atlantic to rehearsals together in the UK and US, and the world premiere of the violin concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican.
The live celebrations continue as Robbie Williams performs more of his biggest hits to welcome in the new year.
The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra perform their traditional New Year's Day concert
The first of the four music dramas in Richard Wagner's monumental Ring cycle, in a radically stripped-back, critically acclaimed production by Opera North. Filmed during live performances in 2016, this is total immersion in a unique, all-encompassing music drama. Set in a world populated by dwarfs and giants, gods and river-maidens, Das Rheingold establishes the cycle in thrilling fashion, beginning with music that evokes the very dawn of time. The dwarf Alberich renounces love and steals the Rhinegold, a priceless treasure, from the River Rhine. He uses it to forge a magic ring which confers wealth and power on its owner, drawing the attention of Wotan, king of the gods. In need of gold to pay for his new fortress Valhalla, Wotan takes the ring from Alberich, setting in motion an epic conflict between love and power.
The second of the four music dramas in Richard Wagner’s monumental Ring cycle, in a radically stripped-back, critically acclaimed production by Opera North. Filmed during live performances in 2016, this is total immersion in a unique, all-encompassing music drama. In Die Walküre, it is human emotion that takes centre stage, with musical highlights including ‘Winterstürme’ and the Ride of the Valkyries. Wotan, king of the gods, strives to undo the curse placed on the ring by the dwarf Alberich, by fathering a mortal hero to reclaim it. But when his son Siegmund falls in love with his estranged twin sister, defying the laws of incest, Wotan sends his favourite daughter, the Valkyrie Brünnhilde, to ensure Siegmund’s death. Yet her defiance will mean that Wotan has to say a final goodbye to her too.
The third of the four music dramas in Richard Wagner’s monumental Ring cycle, in a radically stripped-back, critically acclaimed production by Opera North. Filmed during live performances in 2016, this is total immersion in a unique, all-encompassing music drama. Wagner’s unparalleled orchestral scene-painting reaches new heights as we meet the daring hero Siegfried, the grandson of Wotan, king of the gods. Siegfried has been raised by the dwarf Mime in the forest, where he has never learned fear. When he learns of his parents’ deaths, he forges an unbreakable sword from the shards of the weapon that belonged to his father Siegmund, kills the dragon, Fafner, and claims the magic ring. Fearless and free, Siegfried braves the fire surrounding the sleeping Brünnhilde, now a mortal woman, whom he innocently awakens, only to discover an all-consuming, passionate love.
The last of the four music dramas in Richard Wagner’s monumental Ring cycle, in a radically stripped-back, critically acclaimed production by Opera North. Filmed during live performances in 2016, this is total immersion in a unique, all-encompassing music drama. The musical and dramatic power of Götterdämmerung is awe-inspiring, as the epic cycle concludes with the end of the old world of the gods, and the dawn of a new era. The hero Siegfried leaves Brünnhilde to journey down the Rhine, seeking new adventures. Arriving at the hall of the Gibichungs, Siegfried is tricked into Brünnhilde’s betrayal, and killed by Hagan, son of the dwarf Alberich, who is plotting to gain control of the ring. But a devastated Brünnhilde finds a way to return the ring to the Rhine, and, finally, to redeem its curse.
Tom Waits is one of the most original musicians of the last five decades. Renowned for his gravelly voice and dazzling mix of musical styles, he's also one of modern music's most enigmatic and influential artists. His songs have been covered by Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart and Norah Jones, among many others. But Waits has always pursued his own creative vision, with little concern for musical fashion. In a long career of restless reinvention, from the barfly poet of his early albums to the junkyard ringmaster of Swordfishtrombones, his songs chronicle lives from the margins of American society - drifters, dreamers, hobos and hoodlums - and his music draws on a rich mix of influences, including the blues, jazz, Weimar cabaret and film noir. Using rare archive, audio recordings and interviews, this film is a bewitching after-hours trip through the surreal, moonlit world of Waits' music - a portrait of a pioneering musician and his unique, alternative American songbook.
On Wednesday 5th April 2017 the cream of the Folk, Acoustic and Roots music world unites for the Radio 2 Folk Awards, returning to the prestigious Royal Albert Hall for a third time. Now in their 18th year, the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards continue to celebrate a year of outstanding achievement in the world of folk music, with previous award recipients including Joan Baez, Cat Stevens, Billy Bragg, Shirley Collins, Bellowhead, Martin Carthy and Seth Lakeman. This year, the Radio 2 Folk Awards will welcome an array of star guests and will see performances from the likes of Billy Bragg, Afro Celt Sound System and Al Stewart. This website will be broadcasting the show live from 7.30pm-10pm, with highlights and on demand performances available after the event.
It's 2017 and synth giants Depeche Mode are back with their 14th studio album Spirit, the band's "timeliest work yet". As the rave reviews fly in, here is a look back at the journey of one of the UK's longest-lasting and most successful bands who emerged from the UK's post-punk scene over three decades ago by featuring clips from various BBC programmes, including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Synth Britannia, The OZone, Def II and The Whistle Test. From their first appearance on Top of the Pops in 1981 and the tales of how they got there, to performing on Later...with Jools Holland in 2009, the programme shares archive testimony and recent interviews from core members Dave Gahan, Vince Clarke, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher. New Life, Just Can't Get Enough, Blasphemous Rumours and Personal Jesus are among some of the classic tracks performed.
Sharon Osbourne presents the story of pop deals through the decades. From Little Richard's half a cent a record to Robbie Williams's £80m deal via notorious bad deals for The Beatles, The Small Faces, The Animals and NWA and great deals for Led Zep, The Police and Moby, Sharon gets the inside story from those still chasing royalties and those who took on the music biz and won. With The Small Faces, Eric Burdon, The Police, Moby, NWA, Charles Connor (Little Richard's drummer), Art Rupe (aged 99, who signed Little Richard), Pamela Des Barres, Tim Clark (Robbie Williams's manager).
Fifty years ago this week, on 1 June, 1967, an album was released that changed music history - The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. In this film, composer Howard Goodall explores just why this album is still seen as so innovative, so revolutionary and so influential. With the help of outtakes and studio conversations between the band, never heard before outside of Abbey Road, Howard gets under the bonnet of Sgt Pepper. He takes the music apart and reassembles it, to show us how it works - and makes surprising connections with the music of the last 1,000 years to do so. Sgt Pepper came about as a result of a watershed in The Beatles' career. In August 1966, sick of the screaming mayhem of live shows, they'd taken what was then seen as the career-ending decision to stop touring altogether. Instead, beginning that December, they immersed themselves in Abbey Road with their creative partner, producer George Martin, for an unprecedented five months. What they produced didn't need to be recreated live on stage. The Beatles took full advantage of this freedom, turning the studio from a place where a band went to capture its live sound, as quickly as possible, into an audio laboratory, a creative launch-pad. As Howard shows, they and George Martin and his team constructed the album sound by sound, layer by layer - a formula that became the norm for just about every rock act who followed. In June 1967, after what amounted to a press blackout about what they'd been up to, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was released. It was a sensation, immediately becoming the soundtrack to the Summer of Love - and one of the best-selling, most critically lauded albums of all time. It confirmed that a 'pop music' album could be an art form, not just a collection of three-minute singles. It's regularly been voted one of the most important and influential records ever released. In this film, Howard Goodall shows that it is the sheer ambition of Sgt Pepper - in its c
He was lanky, he wore glasses and he sang as if permanently battling hiccups. Aesthetically, Buddy Holly might have been the most unlikely looking rock 'n' roll star of the 1950s. But he was, after Elvis Presley, unquestionably the most influential. It was an all-too-brief career that lasted barely 18 months from That'll Be The Day topping the Billboard charts to the plane crash in February 1959 in Iowa that took Holly's life. That day was immortalised in Don McLean's 1971 song American Pie, and has become known as 'the day the music died'. This film tells the story of Buddy Holly's tragically short life and career through interviews with those who knew him and worked with him. This combined with contributions from music fans paints a picture of an artist who changed music. Rock 'n' roll started with Elvis, but pop music started with Buddy Holly and The Crickets.
In 1987, two brothers from Auctermuchty in Fife released an album called 'This Is the Story'. Featuring songs such as 'Letter From America', the album propelled The Proclaimers and the Scottish accent into the charts. Superfan David Tennant talks to Craig and Charlie Reid about 30 years in the business which has taken them from playing small pubs and clubs across Scotland to become one of the nation's most iconic bands.
Film shining a spotlight on the untold story of The Sidemen, the musicians behind some of the greatest artists of all time. The Sidemen are the forgotten 'guns for hire' that changed musical history. Featuring interviews with Mick Jagger, Billy Joel and Keith Richards, this film takes viewers from the 1960s to today, via global stars such as Prince, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones and Beyoncé.
HAIM perform their current track 'Want You Back' and cover 'Bad Liar' by Selena Gomez, with some DIY percussion.
Scott Mills and Ana Matronic present a special event celebrating 50 years of sexual freedom. I Feel Love is a special concert, held in the City of Hull which celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967, a piece of legislation that would transform the lives of millions, give birth to an explosion of music, poetry, writing, art - and love. Performers include Will Young, Alison Moyet, Marc Almond, Bright Light Bright Light, Noah Stewart, Tom Robinson and West Yorkshire's LGBT choir 'Gay Abandon'. The concert features live performances of ground-breaking gay songs, plus readings ranging from Oscar Wilde to Alan Hollingshurst.
Foo Fighters kick off Live Lounge month in LA. They join Clara to perform their new single 'The Sky Is A Neighborhood', classic track 'Best Of You' and cover 'Let There Be Rock' by AC/DC to celebrate 50 years of Radio 1.
Highlights from a soulful set of original songs co-written with pianist Euan Stevenson.
A spangly celebration of the outburst of far-out pop and fuzz-filled rock that lit up the British charts in the early 1970s. Top of the Pops is our primary arena and its gloriously gaudy visual effects are used here aplenty! The compilation also utilises footage from a selection of BBC concerts as well as from Crackerjack and Cilla. It features classic BBC TV performances from T. Rex, David Bowie, Roxy Music, Alice Cooper, Suzi Quatro, Slade, The Sweet, Elton John, Queen, Sparks and many more.
Van Morrison and his band perform live at Cornwall’s Eden Project on 1st July 2017. The all time Belfast born music legend Sir Van Morrison played against the world famous Eden biomes to a sold out arena. Van Morrison’s performance was a highlight of the sixteenth year of the Eden Sessions where he played many of his best-known hits including Have I Told You Lately, Here Comes the Night, Moondance and Brown Eyed Girl. Sir Van Morrison is one of the most revered and decorated musicians, was knighted last year and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has won six Grammys, a Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution and the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement. He released his 36th studio album Keep Me Singing in September 2016 to critical acclaim and a top ten spot in both the UK and US album charts.
This intimate biography, narrated in Marc Bolan's own words, marks the 70th anniversary of his birth and the 40th of his death. The film traces Bolan's remarkable journey from Hackney's own 'king of the mods' to Tyrannosaurus Rex, as he evolved into the artist known as 'the hippie with a knife up his sleeve'. With the dawn of the '70s and the breakup of The Beatles, Bolan became the gender-bending glam rocker whose band T. Rex revitalised the British music scene. But director Jeremy Marre - incorporating unseen movies shot by record producer Tony Visconti and Marc Bolan himself - reveals a far more complex and driven figure whose life was tragically cut short, aged 29. Featuring those who were closest to Marc, his friends, colleagues, family, partner Gloria Jones and producer Tony Visconti.
In the 1980s a new generation of pirate radio stations exploded on to Britain's FM airwaves. Unlike their seafaring swinging 60s forerunners, these pirates broadcast from London's estates and tower blocks to create a platform for black music in an era when it was shut out by legal radio and ignored by the mainstream music industry. In the ensuing game of cat and mouse which played out on the rooftops of inner-city London across a whole decade, these rebel DJs used legal loopholes and technical trickery to stay one step ahead of the DTI enforcers who were tasked with bringing them down. And as their popularity grew they spearheaded a cultural movement bringing Britain's first multicultural generation together under the banner of black music and club culture. Presented by Rodney P, whose own career as a rapper would not have been possible without the lifeblood of pirate radio airplay, this film also presents an alternative history of Britain in the 1980s - a time of entrepreneurialism and social upheaval - with archive and music that celebrates a very different side of Thatcher's Britain. Featuring interviews with DJs, station owners and DTI enforcers - as well as some of the engineers who were the secret weapon in the pirate arsenal - this is the untold story of how Britain's greatest generation of pirate radio broadcasters changed the soundtrack of modern Britain forever.
Jonas Kaufmann makes his role debut in a new production of Otello. Sir Antonio Pappano conducts Verdi's masterpiece, based on Shakespeare's tragedy.
Tom Jones and his band perform live at Cornwall's Eden Project in June 2016, his first performance in the county for more than 30 years, and a highlight of the 15th year of the Eden Sessions. Featuring iconics hits including Tower of Song, Unusual, Kiss and more. The Eden Sessions began in 2002 and are renowned for the stature of the artists they attract and the unique setting of the Eden arena against the backdrop of the biomes.
Only recently re-discovered, a performance of Dvorak's Cello Concerto filmed in August 1968 by Jacqueline du Pre at the very height of her musical powers. The Dvorak Cello Concerto is a work du Pre particularly loved, and this rare recording, which was believed to have been lost, hasn't been seen in over 30 years. The hastily organised concert at London's Royal Albert Hall was staged and conducted by du Pre's husband Daniel Barenboim, in tribute to the people of Czechoslovakia, just a few days after the country had been invaded by the Soviet Union.
Texas join forces with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in the iconic Barrowland in Glasgow for a special collaboration for BBC Music Day. Expect to see unique versions of classic tracks including Summer Son, I Don't Want a Lover and Black Eyed Boy. Sharleen Spiteri says "It's always a magical moment to play with an orchestra, even more so in your home town".
Composer Brett Dean's opera based on Shakespeare's best-known tragedy. Act I Elsinore, Denmark. King Hamlet has died, mourned by his son, Prince Hamlet of Denmark. The king's funeral is followed fast upon by the marriage of his widow Gertrude to his brother Claudius. Hamlet is deeply disturbed by his father's untimely death and his mother's 'o'er hasty marriage', a state aggravated by the appearance of King Hamlet's ghost, informing Hamlet that he was in fact murdered by his brother, now husband to Gertrude and king of Denmark. The dead king asks that his son revenge his death by killing Claudius. Unsure as to what to do whilst adopting erratic behaviour, Hamlet rejects his soul-mate and lover Ophelia, and dismisses his former classmates, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, summoned by Claudius to Elsinore to help discover the cause of Hamlet's apparent madness. A group of players arrive in Elsinore. Hamlet asks them to perform a scene mimicking the murder of King Hamlet by his brother. Claudius reacts violently to the performance, proof in Hamlet's eyes of his stepfather's guilt. Called to his mother's chamber to explain his actions, Hamlet comes upon Claudius deep in prayer, yet finds himself unable to kill him. Discovering Polonius, Ophelia's father, spying on him in his mother's chamber, Hamlet kills him, proceeding then to berate his mother for her shamelessness and debauchery. His father's ghost appears, reminding Hamlet of his initial mission to revenge his death. Act II Laertes, Polonius's son, returns to Elsinore to avenge his father's death, threatening Claudius and his kingship. Claudius manages to allay Laertes' violence by convincing him that Hamlet is the guilty one: together, Claudius and Laertes conspire to kill him. Ophelia appears, apparently driven mad by Hamlet's rejection and the death of her father. This only serves to harden Laertes' resolve for vengeance, as does, moments later, Ophelia's death - she has drowned in a nearby stream. H
Behind-the-scenes archive documentary following Queen's Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon as they record their sixth album News of the World and embark on a groundbreaking tour of North America. By 1977, Queen had become a major headlining act in the UK, releasing chart-topping albums and singles as well as playing sell-out concerts in all the country's major venues. However, they were facing an increasingly hostile music press, who had a new favourite in punk and had turned against the elaborate, multi-layered recording techniques that had become the hallmark of the band's previous albums. But an unfazed Queen had their sights set on greater things. As the band announced plans to record their next album, the expectation was it would be another production extravaganza, but Freddie, Brian, Roger and John already had other ideas. News of the World showcased them at their most raw, simple and best, returning to their roots as a live act. With a self-imposed limit on studio time and produced entirely on their own for the first time, this stripped-back album took the fans and press by surprise and demonstrated Queen's ability to transcend fashions. It was to prove a seminal moment in the band's history. At the time, BBC music presenter Bob Harris was given exclusive and extensive access to the band to cover this period. Conducting insightful interviews with all four band members as well as filming them at work in the studio as they were planning and rehearsing their forthcoming North American Tour, and then following them as they performed across the US, Bob captured a band attempting to replicate their huge domestic success on the global stage. Curiously, the documentary he set out to make was never completed, and the footage lay unused in the archive until now. To mark the 40th anniversary of the release of the News of the World album, the footage has now been carefully restored and revisited to compile this hour-long portrait of a grou
In a BBC Music exclusive, Harry Styles performs new tracks from his number one debut album as a solo artist, alongside covers of classic songs. He's accompanied by his band and performs in front of a live studio audience. Nick Grimshaw talks to Harry about his extraordinary career in music to date, his future ambitions and his debut acting role in Dunkirk. Harry and Grimmy also have some fun with some very special friends as they take time away from the studio to spend a day out in Manchester.
Former Pink Floyd member David Gilmour performs at the Pompeii Amphitheatre - the first public performance at the venue since 79AD.
Solo show-stoppers from the world's greatest musicians in a journey through fifty years of BBC Music. From guitarist John Williams and cellist Jacqueline du Pre to trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and violinist Nigel Kennedy, this is a treasure trove of musical treats and dazzling virtuosity. Whether it's James Galway's Flight of the Bumblebee performed at superhuman speed, Ravi Shankar's mesmerising Raag Bihag or Dudley Moore's brilliant Colonel Bogey March, every performance has its own star quality and unique appeal. Parkinson, Later with Jools Holland, The Les Dawson Show, Music at Night and Wogan are among the programmes featuring instruments ranging from marimba and kora to harp and flamenco guitar. Sit back and enjoy.
Mike Peters rocks the stage at Venue Cymru in Llandudno as The Alarm celebrate 25 years of their homecoming festival, The Gathering. The set includes some of the best-known tracks from his long career in the music business, including the iconic 68 Guns.
Sam Smith performs tracks from his latest album alongside some of his biggest hits, including Stay With Me and the Oscar-winning Writing's on the Wall, accompanied by his band and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Host Fearne Cotton chats with Sam about his incredible career and life to date. There are some fun moments with his fans backstage, and Sam gives one special couple the surprise of a lifetime on their wedding day.
Jo Whiley opens the doors of BBC's Radio Theatre for a Radio 2 In Concert with the king of swagger, Liam Gallagher. After being in the spotlight for over 25 years, he releases his debut solo album As You Were. Liam Gallagher became the embodiment of the rock 'n' roll dream, with his brother Noel, by creating Britpop band Oasis, a band who would go on to create a string of anthems to a generation of the 90s. After a spectacular comeback at Glastonbury, the former Oasis frontman performs some new tracks, along with selection of classic tracks.
Jo Whiley presents a Radio 2 In Concert as Paloma Faith takes to the stage for a unique and intimate performance. The double-platinum singer-songwriter performs songs from her new album The Architect, along with some old favourites. Paloma is one of only two British female artists this decade to have their last three albums go double-platinum in the UK.
Jo Whiley presents the last BBC Radio 2 In Concert of 2017 with one of the biggest heavy metal bands in the world, Deep Purple. After forming in Hertford in 1968, they went on to sell over 100 million albums worldwide, and have inspired a generation of musicians for over 40 decades. Their back catalogue of seminal hits include Smoke On The Water, Child In Time and Highway Star. They take to the stage to play classic tracks along with some new material from their latest album Infinite to an intimate crowd at the BBC's Radio Theatre in London.
Jo Whiley welcomes an intimate audience to the BBC Radio Theatre for a new series of Radio 2 In Concert. Tears For Fears, Deep Purple, Paloma Faith, Liam Gallagher and Chic featuring Nile Rodgers will all take to the stage to perform live at the BBC's iconic venue for the Red Button and BBC Radio 2. To kick off the season, synth pop greats Tears for Fears are back to celebrate their reunion following a sold-out summer arena tour highlighted by their triumphant UK return in front of 65,000-plus fans as special guests of The Killers during British Summer Time Festival at Hyde Park. Tears For Fears - Roland Orzabal [vocals, guitar, keyboards] and Curt Smith [vocals, bass, keyboards] - close out 2017 with the release of their first career-spanning greatest hits album - Rule The World The group from Bath, formed over 35 years ago, have sold over 30 million records and were one of the most defining groups of the 1980s. They play all the hits from their back catalogue.
Jo Whiley welcomes Grammy-winning Nile Rodgers and his multi-platinum selling band Chic, performing live at the iconic Radio Theatre for BBC Radio 2 In Concert. Bringing their seminal songs, sound and groove, Chic featuring Nile Rodgers will take to the stage to not only celebrate the release of their new album, It's About Time, but also to rejoice in their 40-year career, which has provided a string of influential and ground-breaking tracks like Freak, I Want Your Love, Good Times and Everybody Dance - all hits that have stood the test of time! The American disco legends perform a selection of those much-loved hits along with new music to an intimate crowd.
As one of the UK's best-loved and most successful groups, Take That started life as a 5-piece back in 1990. Since then this boy-band turned trio have gone on to have an incredible 37 number one albums around the world, 56 international number one singles and sales of over 45 million records. They are this year's headliners for Festival in a Day and are introduced on stage by Radio 2's breakfast show host, Chris Evans.
Pioneers of the early new-wave and punk scenes in the 70s, Blondie went from the underground to top of the pops by the early 80s. Well known for mixing disco, pop, rap and reggae into their sound - it was a formula that earned them massive success, going on to sell more than 40 million albums around the world. They were the first act to have UK Number 1 singles in the 70s, 80s and 90s - with six chart topping tracks. Inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, they are the next act to take to the Hyde Park stage, introduced by Jo Whiley and Tony Blackburn.
Queen of Country Pop, Shania Twain was born in Ontario, Canada, and fought her way to the top of the Country music world to become one of the best-selling artists of all time. A multi-award winning singer, songwriter and producer with an unmistakable voice she has no less than 5 Grammys under her belt, as well as an incredible 90 million albums sold worldwide - including the best-selling studio album by a female artist of all time. Radio 2's 'King of Country' Bob Harris introduces Shania Twain onto the Hyde Park stage, for her first UK appearance in 13 years.
James Blunt's breakthrough success happened in 2005 with his number one single 'You're Beautiful' from his debut album 'Back to Bedlam'. Since then, this former British Army officer has sold more than 20 million albums and 13 million singles around the world. Before he heads back on the road to tour his fifth studio album, he takes to the stage in Hyde Park.
Emeli Sande made her musical debut in 2009 on a track by rapper, Chipmunk. She released her first solo single in 2011, has had three number 1s and has won a string of awards including 4 Brits and 2 Ivor Novellos. She's sung for President Obama, and gave memorable performances at both the opening and closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics. Jeremy Vine joins Jo Whiley to introduce Emeli onto the Hyde Park stage.
Rick Astley started his career as Pete Waterman's tea-boy... learning how to make pop-hits in the studios of PWL. His debut single, Never Gonna Give you Up, spent 5 weeks at the top of the UK chart, made number 1 in 25 countries and became the best selling track of 1987. 30 years on he's recently celebrated yet another number one album and takes to the Hyde Park stage as part of Radio 2's Festival in a Day.
Devon-born Seth has won two Radio 2 Folk Awards for his solo work, as well as gaining a Mercury Nomination for his 2005 album Kitty Jay. He is joined by fellow West country musicians Wildwood Kin, who were nominated for the Radio 2 Young Folk award in 2015, and have since established themselves as a highlight of the festival scene. Jo Whiley and folk fan Simon Mayo introduce them onto stage.
Radio 2's Festival in a day returns to Hyde Park. Host Jo Whiley is joined on stage by Michael Ball to introduce the opening act. Welsh rock band Stereophonics are celebrating the 20 year anniversary of their debut album Word Gets Around, which was released in August 1997 and charted at number 6 in the UK. They kick off today's main stage line up at Hyde Park.
Claudia Winkleman and Clara Amfo look back at 2017's musical highlights - featuring the best albums, biggest artists and most unforgettable performances. Plus the winners of the prestigious 2017 BBC Music Awards are revealed. The show includes interviews with Foo Fighters, Liam Gallagher, Stormzy, Nile Rodgers, Rag'n'Bone Man, Dua Lipa, Nick Grimshaw, Mistajam and Jo Whiley, as well as an exclusive performance by Rag'n'Bone Man.
Roy Orbison died 29 years ago but he's hardly forgotten. As one of rock 'n roll's pioneers he achieved superstar status in the 1960s, writing and releasing a series of smash singles such as Oh, Pretty Woman, Only the Lonely, In Dreams and Crying. But while his professional life was full of triumph, Roy suffered terrible misfortune in his personal life, losing his wife and two of his children in successive tragedies, rebuilding his life by relying on his music to distract him from desolation. Roy's legacy as a beloved rock legend and a devoted father is revealed through intimate interviews with Roy's three surviving sons, featuring previously unseen home videos as Alex, Roy Jnr and Wesley Orbison discuss the immense talent and fierce determination that provided the driving force behind their father's incredible success and the dedication to Roy's family that helped create a strong spiritual base to escape the pressures of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. This is the personal story of the relationship between three children and their father; a father who died when they were young, and who they have re-connected with and come to understand through embracing his life's work. It is not often that one gets to understand the person who is the music phenomenon, but in this film about relationships, family, love, loss and affirmation, we get to see the man behind the ever-present dark sunglasses and brooding loner persona, witnessing his struggle with personal demons, and ultimately redemption and acknowledgement from his peers.
Thrilling concert film that documents Jeff Lynne's ELO playing their triumphant concert for a massive audience at Wembley Stadium on 24 June 2017. This visually and musically impressive film gives viewers a remarkable evening in the life of recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Lynne - one of the most successful recording artists, songwriters and producers of all-time. Having spent much of his recent life in America working in the studio and producing other musical greats, Lynne returns home for this unbelievable stadium show. In Wembley or Bust, Lynne and his remarkable musical ensemble fill Wembley Stadium with one of the greatest rock & roll spectacles of all time, complete with bells, whistles and spaceships, and most importantly, many of the most-beloved songs, from vintage ELO classics like Mr Blue Sky, Livin' Thing and Evil Woman to Do Ya from his days with The Move, Handle With Care, which he recorded with the Traveling Wilburys, right through to When I Was A Boy from his latest ELO masterpiece, Alone In The Universe. Directed by Paul Dugdale, music lovers All Over The World can now see Jeff Lynne bringing all of his magnificent rock & roll dreams to life in a giant soccer stadium and winning big in every way.
Gospel Christmas returns from the heart of Cardiff to celebrate a special evening of music and spiritual cheer with Sir Tom Jones and Beverley Knight. The blend of traditional gospel, carols and songs of spiritual intent from modern greats like Prince and Bob Dylan are performed by choirs and a house band from the British gospel scene, and will add up to the freshest of winter warmers.
Sir Antonio Pappano, music director of the Royal Opera House, conducts a new production of Puccini's popular masterpiece, La Bohème - a tale of friends and fellowship, love and loss, set in 19th-century Paris. A stellar cast of young singers, including Michael Fabiano, Nicole Car and Mariusz Kwiecien, comes together for this unforgettable story about a group of aspiring artists living in a freezing Parisian garret. Into their world comes a young seamstress, battling with a terrible disease. Ever since its premiere in Turin in 1896, La Bohème has been a huge hit with audiences across the world, clocking up over 500 performances at Covent Garden. This is the first new production at the Royal Opera House in over 40 years, created by the acclaimed British theatre director Richard Jones, with designs by Stewart Laing. It is a period production, which pits the poverty of the Bohemians against the shopping arcades and restaurants of Paris, described by one reviewer as 'fresh, beautiful and intelligent' (Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph).
The widely accepted Elvis narrative is that the Vegas period was the nadir of his career, but this film argues that Elvis reached his peak both as a singer and performer in the first few years of his Vegas period. He became, in those short years, the greatest performer on earth. The film tracks this five-year renaissance with some of his key musical and artistic collaborators of the period, including the creator of his most memorable jumpsuits, to celebrate the greatest pop reinvention of all time.
Bruno Mars is in Harlem, New York, to fulfil a lifelong dream of performing at one of the most iconic music venues in the world, the Apollo Theatre. Bruno and his band, The Hooligans, take to the streets, singing and entertaining the locals, and giving out tickets to the big show. Featuring never-before-seen performances including Uptown Funk, 24k Magic and an electrifying rooftop performance on the Apollo's marquee, Bruno Mars thrills the crowd with his first ever TV special.
Beò à Slèite, san Eilean Sgìtheanach le aoighean, cèol agus craic gu leòr! Cuide ri Cathy NicDhòmhnaill agus Niall Iain Dòmhnallach. A host of well kent Gaelic musicians and singers bring in the bells with Cathy MacDonald and Niall Iain MacDonald live from Sleat on the Isle of Skye.
There was nothing predictable about David Bowie - everything was designed to intrigue, to challenge, to defy all expectations. But perhaps no period in David Bowie’s extraordinary career raised more fascination, more surprise, and more questions, than the last five years. This film - to be broadcast on the night before what would have been Bowie’s 70th birthday - is an intimate portrait of one of the defining artists of our time, told by the people who knew him best: his friends and artistic collaborators. It follows the widely acclaimed film David Bowie: Five Years, first broadcast on BBC Two in 2013. It takes a detailed look at Bowie’s last albums The Next Day and Blackstar, and his play Lazarus. Through the prism of this last work the film shows how, in his final five years, Bowie not only began producing music again but returned to the core and defining themes of his career. These were artistic rebirth, a shedding of skins, a quest for a different palette to express the same big ideas - dissonance, alienation, otherness - the human condition. The film explores how Bowie was a far more consistent artist than many interpretations of his career would have us believe, by tracing the core themes from his final works through his incredible back catalogue. Viewers will see Major Tom reflected in Blackstar; Diamond Dogs in the play Lazarus; and Fame in the song The Stars (Are Out Tonight). Bowie’s urge to communicate feelings of spirituality, alienation and fame underpin his greatest works, from the 1960s to 2016. This is what lies at the heart of his success and appeal, music that deals with what it means to be human in a way that goes far beyond the normal palette of a rock star. This film is not a comprehensive overview of his entire career, but an in-depth exploration of its pivotal moments and a look at how the themes, the narrative, the approach are consistent - it is simply the palette that changes. It features every key member of the Next Day band, the B
A chronology of clips from the BBC archive giving an overview of David Bowie's extraordinary career from 1964 to 2016. Blending interviews and performances from music programmes, documentaries, news outlets and chat shows, this portrait of Bowie both at his most thoughtful and his most opportunistically promotional is a series of snapshots into a rapidly evolving career across music, films and the theatre. From a 17-year-old David Jones interviewed by Cliff Michelmore in 1964, on to 1973 when in Ziggy mode Bowie, Ronson and co gave their seminal Top of the Pops performance of Starman. Then to 2000 when Bowie reimagined himself as the cover of Hunky Dory to storm Glastonbury, this is a journey through many Bowies. The programme includes other classic Top of the Pops, The Old Grey Whistle Test and Later... with Jools' performances and looks at Bowie the actor with interviews about his roles in The Elephant Man, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence and Labyrinth. Bowie at the BBC gives an insight into the many ways Bowie chose to present himself at different moments in time, revealing how innovative, funny, surprising and influential he always was.
Evolutionary biologist Professor Armand Leroi believes data science can transform the pop world. He gathers a team of scientists and researchers to analyse over 50 years of UK chart music. Can algorithms find the secret to pop success? When the results are in, Armand teams up with hit producer Trevor Horn. Using machine-learning techniques, Armand and Trevor try to take a song by unsigned artist Nike Jemiyo and turn it into a potential chart-topper. Armand also takes a scientific look at pop evolution. He hunts for the major revolutions in his historic chart data, looking for those artists who transformed the musical landscape. The outcomes are fascinating and surprising, though fans of the Fab Four may not be pleased with the results. As Armand puts it, the hallmark of The Beatles is 'average.' Finally, by teaming up with BBC research and development, Armand finds out if his algorithms can discover the stars of the future. Can he predict which of thousands of demo tracks uploaded to BBC Introducing is most likely to be a hit without listening to a note? This is a clash of science and culture and a unique experiment with no guarantee of success. How will the artists react to the scientist intruding on their turf? And will Armand succeed in finding a secret science of pop?
Dazzling duets from four decades of BBC entertainment, from Parkinson to the Proms. Whether it's pianos or banjos, violins or voices, kora, erhu or harmonica, this is a journey full of striking partnerships and extraordinary combinations. Oscar Peterson, Larry Adler, Ballake Sissoko, Kiri Te Kanawa, Nigel Kennedy and Bela Fleck are just some of the featured artists bringing us a musical feast, full of fun and surprises.
Clemency Burton-Hill celebrates the rich and ravishing world of the string quartet in a journey through 50 years of BBC archive. Some of the world's greatest ensembles including the Amadeus, Chilingirian, Borodin and Kronos quartets perform in myriad styles and settings, from stately homes to helicopters. Music ranges from Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert to Steve Reich, Elvis Costello and Pete Townshend, in a tradition which stretches back to Haydn in the 18th century.
Jacqueline du Pre was one of the most excellent performing musicians that Britain has ever produced. She stopped playing cello at the age of 28, a victim of multiple sclerosis, and she died at 42 on 19 October 1987. This film, compiled by Christopher Nupen from the five prize-winning films he made during her lifetime, pays tribute to her on the 30th anniversary of her death. I am that the video of this concert still exists. Jacqueline du Pre had a very, very special relationship with the Dvorak Cello Concerto, and just adored playing it.".
John Travolta and Barry Gibb star in Saturday Night Fever - The Ultimate Disco Movie, with Bruno Tonioli. This documentary celebrates the 40th anniversary of the 1977 blockbuster dance movie, and sees Strictly Come Dancing's Bruno, who was a young dancer in New York in 1977, walk us through the steps that made the movie legendary. He also revisit the streets of New York where the film was shot and looks back at the success of a film that gave everyone disco fever. Travolta, Gibb and other members of the cast and crew give gripping accounts of supreme success against a backdrop of setbacks and unexpected twists and turns. Bruno unpacks the skill, athleticism and dedication of Travolta, whose incandescent performance prompted a disco dance craze. We also hear about the potent influence of impresario Robert Stigwood, whose faith in Travolta, and a group who had hit a glitch in their career - The BeeGees, proved visionary. With clips from the original movie, as well as astonishing access to those involved and rarely seen on-location archive, this programme retells the nail-biting evolution of a groundbreaking US film that originated in the work of a British journalist, saw a director fired, suffered mafia threats, filmed guerrilla style on the streets of Brooklyn, had a newcomer cast, benefited from disco hits written in a weekend and delivered a white suit and a performance from the man who wore it that have gone down in history. Other interviewees include actors Karen Lynn Gorney, Donna Pesco, Joseph Cali and Paul Pape, producer Kevin McCormick, former head of RSO records Bill Oakes, writer Nik Cohn, director John Badham, dance instructor Denney Terrio, costume designer Patricia von Brandenstein and location manager Lloyd Kaufman
Katie Derham introduces the 2017 open-air concert from the magnificent gardens of the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, given by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Christoph Eschenbach. Fairy tale and myth influence all of the evening's music, with highlights from classical favourites such as Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty, Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, John Williams's Hedwig's Theme from the Harry Potter films and the Prologue to Humperdink's opera Hansel and Gretel. They are joined by American soprano Renee Fleming performing some of her favourite songs and arias, including Russalka's Song to the Moon.
Gregory Porter introduces a selection of performances on BBC programmes by popular singers.
Big Gold Dream is the everyday story of how a group of disaffected youth in search of the only fun in town went on to change the world. High on theory and with only cheek, cheek bones and cheap guitars to get them through between dole cheques, they took a set of hand-me-down reference points plundered from books, TV and subtitled films, created a scene and transformed it into art. As was typical of the times, entryism was in and subversion was from within, but like all great movements, it was never going to last. Except everything you hear today, tomorrow and knocked into the middle of next week started here. Indie-Disco, Art-Rock and Difficult Fun are all in the mix. Big Gold Dream is as much about now as then. Featuring contributions from Bob Last, Alan McGee, Peter Hook, Eugene Kelly, Norman Blake, Martyn Ware, Malcom Ross, Douglas Hart and Davey Henderson.
Backstage Pass follows rock royalty Kasabian as they return with their sixth studio album, For Crying Out Loud. This episode follows the band as they make their way to The Forum, London for the third and final night of sold out shows to mark the release of their latest album. Since forming in 1997, Kasabian have headlined Glastonbury, won a BRIT and seven NME Awards, as well as releasing four number one albums. After three years, the release of For Crying Out Loud marks a much-anticipated return. With a string of UK dates before headlining Reading and Leeds Festival this summer, Backstage Pass gives fans an intimate insight into how the band prepares before playing live.
Backstage Pass follows multi-talented singer Olly Murs as he comes off stage at Wembley Stadium and travels to his home county of Essex to play in front of a sold-out audience of fans at Colchester United FC. Olly is supported by fellow X Factor and Essex girl Louisa Johnson, who also joins Olly on stage to perform their new single Unpredictable. Since being the runner up on The X Factor in 2009, Olly has gone on to have huge success as both a singer and a television presenter, with four number one albums and eight top ten singles. Backstage Pass follows Olly as he prepares to take to the stage, catches up with friends and family and meets his fans.
Backstage Pass follows Liam Gallagher, one of music’s most iconic frontmen, as he travels to Paris to play the first ever Lollapalooza to be held in the city. Accompanied by his new band and with new material Liam prepares to play tracks from his forthcoming debut solo album plus some Oasis classics. Liam and his brother Noel burst onto the British music scene in 1994 with Oasis’ debut album Definitely Maybe. At the time it was the fastest selling debut UK album of all time. In 2009, after seven albums and a lot of tabloid column inches the band broke up. Liam continued as Beady Eye, with fellow Oasis members, until 2014. Now he’s back, as entertaining as ever, with his first solo album. Once voted the greatest frontman of all time, Backstage Pass follows Liam as he prepares to take to the stage, chats to the press and hangs out with family and friends.
Former Spice Girl Geri Horner looks back on the 1990s and reflects on her own incredible journey from working-class Watford girl to international superstar. She describes it as a decade of hope and opportunity that gave young people the freedom to be themselves and break down barriers. Set against a backdrop of great political and social change, the 1990s was also a decade which saw a homegrown cultural revolution. The music and art scenes exploded, and suddenly Britain was the place to be. Britpop and girl power conquered the charts, and Geri herself became the iconic face of Cool Britannia in her famous Union Jack dress. But fame didn't arrive until the mid-1990s for Geri, and she reflects on the key events that shaped her life before becoming part of one of the most successful girl bands of all time. She talks movingly about her close friendship with her pop idol pin-up George Michael and recalls how supportive he was when she left the Spice Girls and embarked on her solo career.
Documentary following the rise of The Shires, the first British country group to have a top ten album in the pop charts, and the band to have spearheaded today's interest in country music in the UK. The programme follows Ben and Crissie both as they launch their second album My Universe and on a working trip to Nashville, where they are signed by leading country label Big Machine. They play the Bluebird, the legendary club where the performances from the TV series Nashville are filmed, and meet with Scott Borchetta, who discovered Taylor Swift. Interviews include Scott Borchetta, Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes of The Shires, sisters Catherine and Lizzy of Ward Thomas and Thomas Rhett, a rising star of American country music who mixes country with funk, pop and rock
Supersonic, the award-winning feature documentary, tells the phenomenal story of iconic band Oasis - in their own words. Featuring extensive unseen archive, the film charts the meteoric rise of Oasis from the council estates of Manchester to some of the biggest concerts of all time in just three short years. This palpable, raw and moving account shines a light on one of the most genre- and generation-defining British bands that has ever existed, and features footage of new interviews with Noel and Liam Gallagher, their mother and members of the band and road crew.
This concert of polkas, marches and waltzes composed by the Strauss family and contemporaries comes live from Vienna. The Vienna Philharmonic are under the baton of Riccardo Muti.
Another chance to take your place in the best seats in the house for the New Year's Day Concert from Vienna 2018. Petroc Trelawny is on hand to guide the viewer through the sparkling polkas, marches and waltzes composed by the Strauss family and their contemporaries, including all the traditional favourites. Italian conductor Riccardo Muti takes up the baton of this hugely popular concert for the fifth time, in the spectacular setting of Vienna's Musikverein. Soloists from the Vienna State Ballet perform at Eckartsau Castle and the Court Pavillion at Hietzing Station to mark 100 years since the death of the great Austrian architect Otto Wagner.
Hosted by Bob Harris, this live studio show features music, special guests and rare archive footage to mark the 30 years since the legendary series was last broadcast. Featuring performances from Peter Frampton, Richard Thompson, Albert Lee and more. Bob also chats to Whistle Test alumni, including Dave Stewart, Joan Armatrading, Ian Anderson, Chris Difford and Kiki Dee, as well as fan Danny Baker.
For many people, musicians and fans alike, Jeff Beck is the greatest ever British guitarist. For more than 50 years he has blazed an uncompromising trail across the musical landscape. Always an innovator, never a follower, Jeff has steadfastly refused to pander to the demands of the record industry. This maverick attitude required some difficult career decisions; he left The Yardbirds at the height of their popularity, deserted his own group days before their billed appearance at Woodstock and often shifted his attention to his other great passion of building hot rods rather than continuing a tour or returning to the studio. Jeff's adventurous spirit led him to embrace a wide range of musical styles and he is one of a handful of artists who have transcended and redefined the limitations of their instrument, be it the Fender Telecaster, Esquire, Strat or Gibson Les Paul. He pioneered the use of feedback on record and his ability to capture the zeitgeist made The Yardbirds forerunners of psychedelic blues. With The Jeff Beck Group and the album Truth, he nurtured two of rock music's finest performers, Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood, and gave birth to a sound that would later mutate into heavy metal. He turned even the loss of Rod Stewart to his advantage by almost single-handedly inventing the guitar instrumental album with the release of Blow By Blow, which embraced the influences of Jan Hammer and John McLaughlin whilst developing a sound that was uniquely his own. Moving forward Jeff continued to push the envelope, amassing a fantastic body of work spanning many musical genres whilst constantly developing and evolving his inimitable approach and technique. This film tells Jeff's story from his earliest days growing up in Wallington, Surrey with his homemade guitars, teenage friendship with Jimmy Page and the influences of guitarists such as Les Paul, Cliff Gallup and James Burton. With essential tracks from throughout his career it follows his journey from ar
Mark Radcliffe and Julie Fowlis present this year's prestigious awards ceremony from Belfast's Waterfront Hall. Live music is provided by Paul Brady, Eliza Carthy, Donal Lunny, Cara Dillon and more.
In 1955, the African-American congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie announced a new Cold War weapon to combat the Soviet Union - America's iconic jazz musicians and their racially integrated bands would cross the globe to counter negative propaganda about racism in American. Over the next decade, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Dave Brubeck would tour the world in service of US Cold War interests. But the unfolding Civil Rights movement back home forced them into a moral bind; how could they promote a tolerant image of America abroad when racial equality remained an unrealised dream? This is the story of how the state department unwittingly gave the Civil Rights movement a voice on the world stage when it needed one most.
Clarke Peters, the writer of Five Guys Named Moe and actor in the likes of The Wire and Three Billboards, explores the origins, development and modern significance of a great American vernacular art form he has loved since a child - tap dancing. From 17th-century accounts of the dances performed by African slaves on American soil to celebrated 19th-century dance-offs and contests between Irish and African-American dancers, through to the troubled Hollywood heyday of tap in the 1930s and 40s when black dancers were routinely excluded from the film roles their talent deserved. The Hollywood greats like Fred Astaire actually owed much of their style to the craft and innovation of unsung black performers such as John Bubbles, Bill Bojangles Robinson, The Nicholas Brothers and Baby Laurence. And on to the painful years of the 'great tap drought' when audiences abruptly fell out of love with the dance after World War Two - depriving a generation of talented tap dancers of their livelihood. From the 1950s to the 1970s, tap was almost single-handedly kept alive in the mainstream by the genius of Sammy Davis Jr. Clarke explores the fascinating story of the 'tap revival' of the early 1980s - spearheaded by the legendary Gregory Hines - and finds out how tap was made modern again, culminating in the hip-hop-inspired hoofing of Savion Glover and beyond. He ends his journey by meeting some of the biggest stars on today's tap scene, such as Michelle Dorrance and Chloe Arnold's Syncopated Ladies (who happen to be Beyonce's favourite tap ensemble).
Arctic Monkeys perform live for BBC Radio 1 at the legendary Maida Vale studios, with tracks from their new album Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino, and classics from their back catalogue of hits.
Katie Derham introduces 2018's open-air concert from the magnificent gardens of the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, given by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra led by Russian conductor Valery Gergiev. Italian music dominates the programme, with highlights from classical hits such as Rossini's William Tell overture, Mascagni's Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana and Verdi's Triumphal March from his opera Aida. They are joined by Russian superstar soprano Anna Netrebko performing some of her favourite arias, including Puccini's Vissi d'arte from Tosca and O mio babbino caro from Gianni Schicchi.
Against the backdrop of President Trump's much-trumpeted wall, Reginald D Hunter takes a 2,000-mile road trip along the US-Mexico border to explore how romance and reality play out musically where third-world Mexico meets first-world USA on this broken road to the American dream.Classic American pop and country portray Mexico as a land of escape and romance, but also of danger - think of Marty Robbins's El Paso, The Drifters' Mexican Divorce or Ry Cooder's Across the Borderline. Against this evocative western soundtrack, Hunter explores the border music as it is today, much of it created by musicians drawn from the 36 million Mexican-Americans who are US citizens. Robin Hood tales of Mexican cartels, South American dance, Tex-Mex accordion, Mexican-American rap, border fence sound art and country music of both Mexican and American flavours shed fascinating insight into the topical issues of immigration, drug smuggling and Mexican-American identity, and throw the western songwriter's dream of Mexico as a place of romance, fun and escape into sharp relief.Reg's natural empathy and gentle humanity guides on this cinematic journey, featuring Lyle Lovett, Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Frontera Bugalu, Calexico, Carrie Rodriguez, Asleep at the Wheel, Los Texmaniacs, Glenn Weyant, Eva Ybarra and Cecy B.
PLAY is a mini-documentary, directed by Dave Grohl celebrating the rewards and challenges of dedicating ones life to playing and mastering a musical instrument. Part one opens with narrated behind the scenes footage featuring discussion of the love of playing music and the lifelong relationship with an instrument, and detailing the process and challenges of recording and filming this unique performance. PLAY film then segues to the titular 23-minute, one-man-band instrumental recording on which Grohl plays all seven instruments on the track, all live. The entire song was played by Grohl, each time on a different instrument, live for 23 minutes.
Kylie Minogue takes to the stage in London's Hyde Park for the annual BBC Radio 2 Festival in a Day to perform a plethora of her floor-filling numbers to a crowd of 45,000 people. Kylie has carved her place in pop music history after dominating the international pop and dance charts and selling more than 80 million records over the course of three decades. Expect such classics as Spinning Around, In Your Eyes, Better the Devil You Know and Can't Get You Out of My Head to be celebrated along with songs from her recent country/Nashville-inspired record Golden, her 14th studio album, which became her first number one album since 2001.
Coverage of this year's prestigious music awards ceremony from the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, London. Making her debut as host is DJ, BBC Radio 1 presenter and former Mercury Prize judge Annie Mac. Each year, a highly regarded panel of artists, broadcasters, and music industry heavyweights shortlist what they believe to be the best albums of the year. As ever, the shortlist reflects the current eclectic music scene in the UK and this show recognises all of the shortlisted albums through special performances, culminating in the live announcement of this year's winner. Albums range from Who Built the Moon? by rock 'n' roll legend Noel Gallagher with his High Flying Birds; the soulful debut Lost & Found from Walsall's Jorja Smith; intergalactic opus Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino by previous winners Arctic Monkeys; self-released album Novelist Guy, the debut from south London grime MC Novelist; and High as Hope, the fourth offering from ethereal songstress Florence + the Machine. Concluding the list are albums by Manchester's indie pop quartet Everything Everything; south London's understated and unsettling Archie Marshall aka King Krule; record company boss and producer Richard Russell's star-studded impromptu collective Everything Is Recorded; South Tyneside's passionate singer-songwriter Nadine Shah; jazz four-piece Sons of Kemet, led by sax maestro Shabaka Hutchings; plus festival favourites Wolf Alice and, completing the list, the pop queen who wears her heart on her sleeve through her confessional songs - Lily Allen.
Former Scissor Sisters singer Ana Matronic along with Martyn Ware, who was in both The Human League and Heaven 17, reveal a playlist packed with disco classics and more. Each song is hand-picked, and as they watch the performances, they reveal the reasons behind their choices. Discover why the Scissor Sisters owe a debt to Boney M, and how Martyn Ware helped revive the career of a singing icon. From Donna Summer to the Doctor Who theme tune and The Temptations to Tina Turner, their playlist holds dance-along gems interwoven with candid stories.
Jo Whiley and Sara Cox introduce the Manic Street Preachers and Gary Davies brings his Sounds Of The 80s live Megamix to Hyde Park. One of the UK’s most notorious and best loved bands, Manic Street Preachers return to Hyde Park, after thrilling us in 2013, with a stash of anthemic sing-alongs like Design for Life and You Love Us. With a career spanning over 30 years, the Welsh legends have never lost their trademark politically inspired rock sound with which they announced themselves in 1986. With their newly released 13th album Resistance is Futile under their belts, expect The Manics to be a force on the Hyde Park stage.
On Sunday 25 June 2000, David Bowie closed Glastonbury with a two-hour performance. Only half an hour or so of that stunning set was broadcast on BBC television that night at Bowie's insistence. At the time, the BBC were heavily criticised for coming off Bowie after broadcasting the first five songs of the set live and only returning for a couple of encore songs at the end of the show. Fortunately the cameras kept rolling and captured the whole set. This programme features an hour of highlights from that performance, including such previously unbroadcast hits as Ashes to Ashes, Starman and Let's Dance. Bowie was returning to the festival for the first time since 1971. His star was not in the ascendant after the Tin Machine era and such 90s solo albums as Outside, Earthling and Hours. But from the moment he walked out on the Pyramid Stage, resplendent in an Alexander McQueen frock coat with his hair in Hunky Dory mode, and launched into Wild is the Wind, it was clear that he had decided to embrace and fully restate both his catalogue and his legend. Arguably it was Bowie's greatest live performance since the 70s. After a heart attack in June 2004 while at the end of the 110-plus dates of A Reality Tour, Bowie never played live with a band again. His final stage performance was at a private Aids benefit show with pianist Mike Garson in 2006
Almost 20 years on from its first beginnings, grime dominates the music charts and awards ceremonies, and even influences politics. Here, rapper Rodney P examines how grime rose from the council estates of east London to become the most important British musical movement since punk. He discovers that its success rests upon the original styles and contributions of previous generations of artists and learns that grime can only be truly understood when viewed as part of a broader social narrative and ever-evolving musical culture that goes back to the 1980s.
New Order's Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert unpack a playlist of electro, pop and new wave classics spanning four decades. Stephen and Gillian have been married for 24 years and have been in New Order together for even longer, but they still manage to surprise one another with their musical tastes. While Stephen declares Captain Beefheart an early influence, Gillian confesses her teenage love for a disco classic. During an hour of top tunes, Stephen also reveals the moment he was mistaken for Stevie Wonder, and Gillian recalls how her Dad was a fan of punk. From Kraftwerk to Can, David Bowie to Kate Bush, Magazine to Grace Jones and many more, this stellar playlist by Stephen and Gillian is brimming with iconic performances.
Grammy award-winning singer Tina Turner talks to Will Gompertz about her five-decade-long career as one of the biggest stars in rock music - as her memoir My Love Story is published. In a candid interview she discusses her music, her health problems, her relationship with her late ex-husband Ike and the recent death of her eldest son.
DJ and broadcaster Cerys Matthews and acclaimed blues photographer Val Wilmer select their favourite blues musicians, several of whom Val has met and photographed. As they view their selection, they reveal the reasons behind their choices. Discover why Muddy Waters is their master of mojo, and how Val rescued Jimi Hendrix from some over-eager fans. From Howlin' Wolf to John Lee Hooker, Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Peggy Lee and many more, their playlist is packed with classic blues and punctuated with great stories. Blues and Beyond offers new insights on both the subject and the narrators, as well as providing a heady nostalgic hit of the very best in blues music, from the intimate to the epic.
Sir George Benjamin conducts the world premiere of his darkly dramatic new opera based on the life of Edward II - a major event in contemporary music with an internationally renowned cast, Lessons in Love and Violence is the latest collaboration between composer George Benjamin and playwright Martin Crimp. Their previous work includes the large-scale opera Written on Skin - which has since become the most performed new opera of the 21st century. Director Katie Mitchell and designer Vicki Mortimer complete the creative team. King Edward II's relationship with Piers Gaveston upsets the personal life of court and the political wellbeing of the country. When the controlling military leader Mortimer joins forces with Queen Isabel, the results are deadly for Gaveston and Edward. The lessons learned by the characters of this new opera are harsh ones, following a gripping trajectory from warmth and indulgence towards calculating, cold severity.
Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder and Creation Records boss Alan McGee reveal a selection of their all-time favourite tracks. From first jobs to private jets, long-time friends Ryder and McGee unpack the songs that formed the soundtrack to their lives. In an hour of eclectic tunes, Shaun Ryder also discovers his lost Top of the Pops appearance and Alan McGee declares an alternative Scottish national anthem. Theirs is a blistering playlist of indie, punk and ska classics from Buzzcocks to The Specials, Junior Murvin to Marc Bolan, Orange Juice to Underworld and many more.
DJ Trevor Nelson and singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae present their ultimate soundtrack in an hour of classic and contemporary soul and R&B gems. As they watch their selection, they reveal the reasons behind their choices. From childhood favourites such as The Jackson 5 and Gladys Knight to inspirational tracks from Prince, Mary J Blige, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, this is a playlist to satisfy any soul fan.
Davina McCall chats to Ariana Grande in this musical extravaganza. Ariana performs songs from her latest album and some of her biggest hits accompanied by her band and an all-female orchestra.
Beverley Knight and James Morrison select their all-time favourite vocalists in a playlist packed with some of the world's greatest singers. They celebrate incredible voices and track their influence in an hour of astonishing archive performances. James picks Tina Turner's epic Proud Mary rendition as one of his all-time greats, and Beverley introduces him to Big Mama Thornton - a woman who taught Elvis a thing a two. What's it like to sing with your 'idol of idols'? Beverley reveals how she felt when this opportunity presented itself. Experience the raw stadium rock vocal of Steve Tyler and the soaring acoustic purity of Eva Cassidy; the intensity of Otis Redding and the passion of Prince. Whitney Houston sings live to an audience of millions, and Sir Tom Jones returns to the green grass of Wales to deliver one of his classic hits. Finally a pitch-perfect George Michael serves to blow the roof off Wembley stadium in this feelgood hour of dazzling show-stoppers.
Historian Amanda Vickery and broadcaster Tom Service unearth the fascinating story of the life-long friendship between composers Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst, whose music gave birth to the 'English sound' in the first half of the 20th century. They retrace the walking trips the two composers took together across the country to discover how influences ranging from the Renaissance masters to folk music imbued their music with the 'Englishness' we recognise today. Illustrating the story, the BBC Concert Orchestra perform excerpts of both composers' music.
Paul Weller performs songs from his new album, as well as tracks from his back catalogue.
A special and intimate show, featuring classic songs such as Karma Chameleon and Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? as well as tunes from the band's new album Life.
David Rodigan's unlikely career as a reggae broadcaster and DJ has developed in parallel with the evolution of Jamaican music in the UK. His passion and his profession have given him a privileged, insiders' view of the UK's love affair with Jamaican music that began in the 1950s. His constant championing of it has afforded him national treasure status with generations of British Jamaicans and all lovers of reggae music. This is a film about the career of David Rodigan but it's also a window through which to see a wider human story about social change in the UK: a story of immigration and integration, and music's role within it. The beginning of his career conjures up a forgotten era when reggae was reviled by liberal, hippyish music fans because of its association with skinheads. At one point, his fellow students agreed to share a house with him only if Rodigan agreed not to play reggae. Instead, he would haunt London's specialist record shops and sneak out to Jamaican clubs alone. His break first came on BBC Radio London, where his knowledge and infectious enthusiasm won him the gig. Since that first break, he's had shows on Capital, Kiss and now BBC Radio 1Xtra and BBC Radio 2. In the 80s, his radio show became such a Sunday lunchtime fixture in London's West Indian households that it was colloquially known as 'rice 'n' peas'. Bob Marley personally chose Rodigan's show to play out the world exclusive of Could You Be Loved. As well as being a DJ, Rodigan also began to 'soundclash' on a global stage. This musical competition where crew members from opposing sound systems pit their skills against each other involves the playing of records in turn, with the crowd ultimately deciding who has 'killed' the other crew, by playing the better chosen track. But standard versions of tracks don't cut it in a clash, where the true currency is 'dubplates' - versions of tracks recut, often by the original artist, with lyrics changed to praise the playing crew or d
The programme shows Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie's fascination with music from an early age, listening to the sounds of Elvis and Aretha Franklin before graduating to punk. He talks about his passion for music and how to keep creativity on the right track. In the early 90s the UK music scene was changing - with Oasis and Blur emerging, this alternative rock band was recording in Memphis but suddenly sounded out of step with the music scene. As the documentary reveals, nine songs were recorded for the band's 1994 album Give Out But Don't Give Up, including Jailbird, Rocks, and Cry Myself Blind, but the album that was released, after further mixes were made to make the new album more contemporary, was not the mix Primal Scream wanted. In the film Bobby Gillespie talks candidly about how this process led him to question his own judgement and that for many years the experience left him feeling that he had failed himself and his audience. With exclusive, previously unreleased footage of behind-the-scenes studio sessions, this is the story of how the original mixtapes of the album were rediscovered in a basement by Andrew Innes, Primal Scream's rhythm guitarist. The sessions recorded by the band in Memphis with the legendary record producer Tom Dowd, along with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section musicians Roger Hawkins, drums, and David Hood, bass, did not make the light of day, because some of the mixes were not suitable in the musical climate at the time. Bobby and Andrew go back to Memphis 25 years later to revisit Ardent Studios, where the band first recorded the original album, and meet some of the musicians and engineers involved in the process. It gives Bobby the chance to remaster the album he had originally envisaged all those years ago. The film has new interviews with Bobby, Andrew, David and Jeff Powell, the original engineer, giving their own, unique perspectives of the events of more than 20 years ago. Plus, there are archive interviews with the Me
This candid biography explores the life of David Cassidy, the 70s pop idol and TV star. The film includes never-before-heard audio interviews with David from 1976 and a raw and poignantly filmed final recording session shortly before his death. Cassidy's role as singer Keith Partridge in the 1970s sitcom The Partridge Family brought fame and fortune and made him a global teen sensation. David Cassidy: The Last Session tells the inside story of his explosive rise to fame, his conflicted relationships with his father and his own celebrity, and the legacy he left behind.
Suzy Klein travels deep into the world of musical theatre, and the colourful landscapes of Argentina, to discover the story of one of the West End's most celebrated characters. Intertwining the stories of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's creation with the true story of Eva Peron, she celebrates the extraordinary show in the 40th year after its creation. Meeting musical stars including Elaine Paige, Hal Prince and Tim Rice, she hears how the show came into being, all inspired by a face on a postage stamp. She then travels to Argentina, meeting politicians, performers and Eva fans to hear how this intensely divisive figure - loved by the poor, loathed by the rich - became one of the enduring icons of our time.
Well-known fans celebrate Stevie Wonder and his music by selecting some of his best-loved songs. Wonder is one of the dominant figures in American music, a multi-faceted genius whose music has permeated popular culture, and he is not short of celebrity fans. His musical achievements are lauded in this anthology of his greatest hits. Contributors include actor Martin Freeman, singers Alexander O'Neal, James Morrison, Beverley Knight and Corinne Bailey Rae, New Order's Gillian Gilbert and Stephen Morris, DJs Ana Matronic, Trevor Nelson and Norman Jay, Heaven's 17's Glenn Gregory and Martyn Ware, journalist Sian Pattenden and presenter Emma Dabiri.
Two of Scotland's foremost performing groups, Scottish Ensemble and Vanishing Point, present a co-production that sets Arvo Pärt's spiritual and mesmeric Tabula Rasa (as well as Spiegel im Spiegel and Fratres) in a theatrical context, exploring the recognised role of the piece in the care of patients during their final days. With musicians forming an integral part of the drama, this visionary production explores the documented role of Pärt’s haunting piece, which has come to be known - and used - as a profound and transcendental piece of music. It is a life-affirming exploration of care, humanity, suffering - and the uplifting power, and endless importance, of art.
This tribute pays respect to the voice and life of Aretha Franklin, who died on 16 August 2018 aged 76. The daughter of legendary preacher CL Franklin, who hailed from the same Deep South as many of the blues legends, Aretha was raised in Detroit where her father preached at the New Bethel Baptist Church and where she grew up singing gospel. She had her first child at 13 and signed to Columbia in 1960, and her career ignited when she signed to Atlantic in 1967. Global hits such as I Say a Little Prayer and Respect then quickly established her as the queen of soul, while her majestic delivery and regal presence made her an iconic figure in the emerging civil rights movement. Aretha enjoyed renewed success in the 1980s when she collaborated with Luther Vandross, had a cameo in The Blues Brothers and duets with the likes of Annie Lennox and George Michael. She was also the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and has sold over 75 million records. As recently as 2015 she stunned audiences with her extraordinary performance of (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman in front of President Barack Obama and the song's co-writer Carole King at the Kennedy Center.
Documentary exploring the music of rock band Roxy Music, who have a good claim to be one of the UK's most influential bands. Led by charismatic front man Bryan Ferry, their striking style and great songs won them an army of fans who would go on to make their own mark in the world of music. In this celebration of the music of both Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music, insights and anecdotes are provided by household names from Sadie Frost to Glenn Gregory & Martyn Ware, Gaz Coombes, New Order's Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert, Shaun Ryder and Alan McGee, Ana Matronic and more. Formed in 1971, Roxy Music was the brain child of art student Bryan Ferry. His advert in Melody Maker gathered the initial line-up which included guitarist Phil Manzanera, saxophonist Andy Mackay, keyboard player Brian Eno and drummer Paul Thompson. Pioneers of glam, their outlandish fashion sense, songwriting and pioneering use of electronics created a glorious package. Punk, New Wave and New Romantic music owe a huge debt to Bryan and Roxy Music. Style is one thing, but the substance was reflected in a catalogue of classic songs - combined they create an enduring legacy which is celebrated in a golden hour of their greatest hits.
Fellow musicians, journalists and fans celebrate Fleetwood Mac with a selection of their best-loved songs. Fleetwood Mac are the great survivors of British and American rock music. For more than fifty years they’ve overcome break-ups and breakdowns to become one of the most successful bands of all time. They have sold over 100 million records worldwide, with their 1977 smash Rumours accounting for nearly half of those sales. They have endured, like all great bands, because of the complimentary talents of its members. From Peter Green to Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham, it has contained some extraordinary songwriters. With brilliant musicians on all instruments, the band has been able to turn the songs into commercial gold. Above all the tough determination of the two men who gave the band their name has seen Fleetwood Mac through thick and thin. Fleetwood fan Edith Bowman provides a narrative overview alongside other celebrity fans, who all pay tribute to the band in this hit-filled hour. Contributors include KT Tunstall, Travis’s frontman Fran Healy, Toyah Willcox, Sian Pattenden and Emma Dabiri.
Global pop star and Suffolk boy Ed Sheeran performs in the intimate setting of the BBC Radio Theatre, London, following his global stadium tour. Ivor Novello Award- and Brit Award-winning Ed made his debut TV performance on Later... with Jools Holland in April 2011, beginning his meteoric rise to fame with his debut album +. He has since released two further record-breaking albums and has cumulative sales of 26 million albums and 100 million singles worldwide. Expect songs from across all his very popular albums from this troubadour of modern pop music.
Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas tells the story of a group of brilliant Jewish songwriters, including Irving Berlin, Mel Torme, Jay Livingston, Ray Evans, Gloria Shayne Baker and Johnny Marks, who wrote the soundtrack to Christianity’s most musical holiday. It’s an amazing tale of immigrant outsiders who became irreplaceable players in pop culture’s mainstream – a generation of songwriters who found in Christmas the perfect holiday in which to imagine a better world, and for at least one day a year, make us believe in it.
Gregory Porter hosts a seasonal cocktail of music with a festive flavour. He’s joined by special guests: singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae; 24-year-old musical phenomenon Jacob Collier; legendary British saxophonist Courtney Pine; and one of the UK’s best loved jazz singers Clare Teal. Featuring standards from the Great American Songbook, together with a carol or two, and some of Gregory’s personal favourites, performances include ‘Merry Christmas Baby’, ‘Silent Night’, ‘Take me to the Alley’ and ‘The Christmas Song’. Filmed in an intimate ‘jazz club’ setting in Cardiff Bay, Merry Christmas Baby has all the ingredients of a joyful winter warmer - the perfect offering for a mellow Christmas night.
The New Year's Eve celebrations kick off live from the heart of London with a concert staged by music legends Madness. They perform many of their massive hits as the programme builds up to midnight and the spectacular fireworks display over the River Thames. The concert also includes special collaborations with The Kingdom Choir.
The Royal Ballet performs Tchaikovsky’s classical ballet in a new production by the choreographer Liam Scarlett, with designs by John Macfarlane.
Dermot O'Leary and Kylie Minogue watch and react to a career on screen spanning four decades.
Tha Cèilidh Na Bliadhn’ Ùire 2018 a’ tighinn beò am-bliadhna à seann Talla Bhaile Ghobhainn, faisg air Abhainn Chluaidh, agus aig aon àm ainmeil mar thaigh-dannsa nan Gàidheil agus na ‘Urban Teuchtars’ ri chèile. Bidh aoighean am pailteas agus ceòl is craic gu leòr! Còmhla rinn air an oidhche bidh: an Glenfinnan Ceilidh Band, Kathleen NicAonghais, Sineag Nic an t-Saoir, Seudan, Kim Carnie, Murchadh ‘Wasp’ Dòmhnallach, Hò-ro, Ceòlraidh Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu, Còisir Ghàidhlig Bhaile Ghobhainn agus aodainn ainmeil & càirdeil a’ cur fàilte air a’ bhliadhn’ ùir. Thèid am prògram a lìbhrigeadh le Cathy NicDhòmhnaill agus Niall Iain Dòmhnallach agus bidh iad a’ guidhe ceud mìle fàilte dhuibh maille ri cèol is craic! Feuch gum bi sibh còmhla rinn airson Cèilidh Na Bliadhn’ Ùire 2018 beò air Oidhche Challain. Nach tog sibh glainne còmhla rinn airson fàilte mhòr chridheil a chur air 2019. Hogmanay Ceilidh 2018 broadcasts live from Govan Old Town Hall on the banks of the River Clyde, home to Gaels and Urban Teuchtars alike. We open our doors to an array of stunning Gaelic singers and musicians providing ceilidh craic and a sensational playlist to take you through the bells and into 2019. Joining us live for the celebrations are The Glenfinnan Ceilidh Band, Kathleen MacInnes, Murdo Macdonald, Seudan, Kim Carnie, Hò-rò, Sineag MacIntyre, Glasgow Gaelic Musical Association, Govan Gaelic Choir and a surprise first foot. Cathy Macdonald and Niall Iain Macdonald are your hosts for the evening’s live entertainment and will be wishing you 100,000 welcomes as they lead the shindig through midnight into the wee small hours. Tune in live for the 2018 Hogmanay Ceilidh and raise a glass with us at the bells as we bid farewell to the old year and welcome in the new year.
British singer-songwriter duo Crissie Rhodes and Ben Earle form the award-winning country act The Shires. Their ultimate soundtrack ranges from Dolly Parton to Shania Twain. Each song is handpicked and as they watch the performances they reveal the reasons behind their choices. They kick off with the Queen of Country, Dolly Parton, and her iconic track Jolene. Following that comes legendary singer Patsy Cline, and for Crissie it brings back memories of singing along to Crazy with her grandmother. Ben then picks country pop crossover Shania Twain, whose That Don't Impress Me Much certainly made its mark on him. But Ben also likes his country classics and plumps for Glen Campbell's legendary Wichita Lineman. It's not only the stalwarts of the Great Country Songbook - they also make room for the edgy Americana roots music of critically acclaimed duo The Civil Wars and their spine-tingling live appearance on Later.
After a four-year break from music that saw her split from her management and husband plus deal with a stalker who broke into her house, Lily Allen returns with a new, brutally honest album and plenty to say! Backstage Pass follows her as she prepares to take the stage at the Mighty Hoopla Festival in South West London. Joining her at home where she gets ready for the day ahead, Lily talks about writing and recording a very personal album, her four year break, being a Mum, her thoughts on the UK press, politics and dealing with her demons. Travelling with her to the festival, Backstage Pass gets an exclusive look at her stage preparation, including her vocal warm up, as she’s joined by family and friends. Lily soaks up the festival atmosphere and meets fans ahead of her set, as she deals with the continued anxiety she feels before stepping onto stage.
With exclusive access, Duran Duran open up about their extraordinary career and talk candidly about the highs and lows they have endured together over four long decades. This is the band at their most relaxed, intimate and honest. The film spends time with John at his LA home, Simon pays a visit to his former choir master, Roger goes back to where it all started in Birmingham, and Nick dusts off some of the 10,000 fashion items that the band have meticulously catalogued and collected over the course of their career. Features fellow singer Boy George, fan and record producer Mark Ronson, friend, fan and supermodel Cindy Crawford and Highlander film director Russell Mulcahy.
Barbra Streisand grew up in working class Brooklyn, dreaming of escape from her tough childhood. A stellar student, she resisted the pressure to go to college as her sights were firmly set on Broadway. She was determined to become an actress and landed her first role aged 16, but it was two years later, when she started to sing, that her career took off. Subverting stereotypes and breaking glass ceilings, this programme looks at her rise to stardom and the remarkable achievements of her early career.
In the 1980s, Bros were one of the biggest bands in the world... for 15 minutes. Having sold out stadiums around the world, they were the youngest to this day to play Wembley, and their Push album went to number one in over 20 countries, selling 10 million copies worldwide. The rise and fall of Bros was meteoric. This film charts twins Matt and Luke Goss's reunion 28 years on, after they had hardly spoken and not played together since their split. With an incredibly fractured relationship and only three weeks to go until sell-out gigs at The O2 London, will they be able to put their history aside and come together as brothers to play the show of their lives? A raw and emotional look into the aftermath of fame and the reconnection between two twins torn apart by their past.
A joyous spectacle of song and dance, exploring one Asian family and the life they made for themselves in Leicester. In the early 1970s, the president of Uganda, Idi Amin, expelled the Ugandan Asians from the country. Ten members of the Thakrar family came to the UK and moved to Leicester, where they have since grown into a family of 90, spanning three generations. Old and young sing about the family's story, the changes between each generation and the lives they lead now. Show
The live celebrations continue as Madness perform more greatest hits to welcome in the New Year.
Petroc Trelawny is our host for this year's traditional start to the year with music from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna. This year's concert is led for the first time by the German conductor Christian Thielemann, guiding the Vienna Philharmonic in an array of polkas, waltzes and gallops by the Strauss family and their contemporaries. As always, the concert ends with the ever-popular By the Beautiful Blue Danube and the foot-stamping Radetzky March. The concert is transmitted to some 50 million viewers in over 90 countries.
This is the David Bowie story you don’t know. The story of how David Robert Jones became David Bowie, how David Bowie became Ziggy Stardust and how Ziggy became immortal, changing the musical landscape as he did so. The story that finally makes sense of one of the greatest icons of the 20th and 21st centuries. Part three of Francis Whately’s Bowie trilogy.
‘My subject is war and the pity of war, The poetry is in the pity, All a poet can do today is warn.' Wilfred Owen, from the Preface to his Poems, inscribed by Britten at the head of the score of War Requiem. Filmed over 12 months, with unprecedented access, this landmark film follows the English National Opera as they pursue the challenge of staging Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem. One of the greatest British choral works of the 20th Century, War Requiem is seen by many as a true masterpiece. The ENO are the first company to transform the work into a dramatised performance. Artistic Director Daniel Kramer engaged a team drawn from across the world including the Turner Prize-winning artist Wolfgang Tillmans: ‘By keeping War Requiem alive and relevant today, we will be able to remember the sense of urgency that people in the post war generation felt, a sense of never again.’ For Britten, writing a piece for the re-consecration of Coventry Cathedral was the opportunity he had been waiting for. The original building was destroyed during World War II. He wanted to create a powerful statement against the horrors of war, a piece that inspired reconciliation. The result was an emotionally charged piece that requires three soloists, a large choir, a children’s choir, a large orchestra, two organs as well as a chamber orchestra. Juxtaposing the traditional Latin Requiem Mass with the World War I poet Wilfred Owen’s powerful anti-war poetry, the overall effect is a powerful emotional journey. The destruction of war is no less a significant theme now than when War Requiem was first performed. Daniel Kramer’s ambition in creating a staged version of the music was fostered by a belief that he could amplify Britten’s original intentions. The film begins where the music itself was born – in Coventry. Wolfgang and Daniel explore the ruins of the old Coventry Cathedral before moving into the vast echoing space of the new cathedral. It is a
Flat Pack Pop: Sweden’s Music Miracle charts the remarkable rise of Sweden as a global music superpower. Journalist James Ballardie explores the uniquely Swedish songwriting formula created by record producer Denniz Pop, discovering how the biggest chart hits of the last 30 years have been inspired by the myths and legends of this Land of the Midnight Sun. In the 1990s, an elite band of unlikely entrepreneur songwriters and producers became responsible for the most dramatic revolution in music since Elvis first shook his hips. What started out as an experiment on the Stockholm underground club scene soon blossomed into an entire genre of its own. These unlikely heroes of bubblegum pop surfed the wave of the dot.com boom, launching the careers of Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, Westlife and many, many more. Hundreds of millions of record sales later, today they have a combined net worth of many billions. Featuring interviews with key Swedish songwriters, plus producers and artists including Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, Ace of Base and Robyn, James’s search for the real lever-pullers behind today’s top tunes takes him from the icy streets of Stockholm to the barren plains of Kronoberg. But why should Sweden – of all places – have become such a hotbed for hot tracks? Some say it’s the terrible weather and long months of darkness that created the perfect environment for Swedes to refine their craft. Others praise the stellar state-funded musical education programmes promoted by the socialist governments of the 60s and 70s. A Swedish love for simplistic melodies – harking back to the medieval cattle-herding calls that form the basis of Swedish folk music – is also a key weapon in the Swedish musical juggernaut’s arsenal. Perhaps most impressive of all about Sweden’s musical miracle is the sheer duration of its success - with a streak of hits that has lasted longer than any of the classic songwriting factories that have define
Beginning a weekend of commemorating the 150th anniversary of the death of Berlioz, the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales open proceedings with a performance of Berlioz's monumental oratorio L'enfance du Christ, the first concert of a host of performances from the BBC Orchestras and Choirs and the Ulster Orchestra across the weekend. L'enfance du Christ marked a change for Berlioz, not necessarily in his writing but in the extremely favourable reception of the French public - which tended towards frosty. This reaction was probably due to the music, which Berlioz himself called 'naive and gentle', although he insisted that it was stylistically no different from any of his previous work. Although not himself a man of faith, the oratorio is steeped in his love of religious music, telling the story in three parts of the massacre of the innocents following the birth of Christ, the flight of Jesus, Mary and Joseph into Egypt, and finally their arrival and refuge in the town of Sais, all performed here without an interval.
Antonio Pappano, music director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, explores the greatest arias in the genre through a mix of workshops and archive footage. Nothing pulls harder at the heartstrings than an opera aria – that pivotal moment when the action stops and the character draws us right into the heart of the drama, revealing his or her innermost feelings and thoughts. These are chances for the singers to show off, to wow an audience with some of the most famous music in opera. In this film, charismatic conductor and music director of the Royal Opera House, Antonio Pappano, shares his selection of some of opera’s greatest arias. Pappano’s choices stretch across the full 400-year operatic canvas and feature some of the most ravishing and famous arias in the repertoire - from show-stopping Baroque to heart-stopping Mozart, the full-blooded Romantics to blood-curdling Verismo via Bel Canto pyrotechnics and new 20th-century techniques. Along the way, he identifies the various functions that arias perform in opera – from entrance arias, soliloquies and arias born of crisis to breathless declarations of undying love. Combining hands-on workshops featuring today’s international stars - such as Joyce DiDonato, Lucy Crowe, Bryan Hymel and Lawrence Brownlee - along with glorious archive of operatic legends including Placido Domingo, Gundula Janowitz and Piero Cappuccilli, Pappano shines a fresh new light on the precise characteristics – vocal, musical, psychological and dramatic – that transform these great theatrical moments into timeless masterpieces.
What makes a film score unforgettable? Featuring Hans Zimmer, James Cameron, Danny Elfman, John Williams, Quincy Jones and Trent Reznor, amongst many others, Score: Cinema’s Greatest Soundtracks brings Hollywood's elite composers together for a privileged look inside the challenges and creative secrecy of the world's most international music genre, the film score.
Pascal Rophé conducts a triple bill of works by Berlioz in City Halls, Glasgow. “Oh! How can I find her – the Ophelia, the Juliet for whom my heart cries! To intoxicate myself with the anguish and joy that is true love!” Lélio is a lover, a dreamer - and a composer. And if you think his name sounds a bit like Berlioz: well, we don’t want to give too much away about 'Lélio or The Return to Life' – the extraordinary autobiographical musical drama that Berlioz composed in 1831 at the height of an unrequited love affair. But it’s utterly unique: a delirious odyssey through the Romantic imagination, told in some of Berlioz’s most flamboyantly original music. Conductor Pascal Rophé brings all his sense of theatre to this rare full performance which also features actor Samuel West. ‘Lelio’ is proceeded by the composer’s Walter Scott-inspired 'Waverley' overture, and Karen Cargill in the sensuous and dramatic solo cantata, 'The Death of Cleopatra'. This concert is part of ‘Berlioz - The Ultimate Romantic’, a celebratory weekend of live and specially recorded concerts showcasing the BBC Orchestras and Choirs, as well as the Ulster Orchestra, marking the anniversary of the remarkable composer, writer, and master-orchestrator Hector Berlioz, who died on 8 March 1869.
2018 marked the 40th anniversary of Soft Cell, one of the most colourful and charismatic bands in the history of popular music. To celebrate this landmark, singer Marc Almond and musician Dave Ball reunited for an emotional, sold-out, farewell concert at London’s O2 Arena that September. With unprecedented access to Marc and Dave, this film follows the build-up to that gig and provides an intimate retrospective portrait of one of our greatest bands and most iconic singers. It shows rehearsals and preparations for the O2 show and footage from the actual concert itself, woven in with period archive and music videos. The film covers Marc’s formative years growing up in Southport and Dave’s in nearby Blackpool and how the two met as art students at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 1970s. We filmed Marc and Dave in The Fenton pub in Leeds, where they went as students, and they perform an early Soft Cell song, A Man Could Get Lost, on Dave’s original keyboards especially for the BBC Four audience at The Warehouse Club where the band did their first-ever paid gig. Soft Cell burned brightly between 1981 and 1984, after their gritty but stunning cover version of Tainted Love became a massive hit, the best-selling single in the UK of 1981 and a number one hit in 15 other countries, including the USA. Dave plays from the master tapes of that era-defining song for us. But Soft Cell were always more interested in using their success to subvert the mainstream than in becoming pop stars, as they tell us in relation to Marc’s groundbreaking, androgynous debut on Top of the Pops. It was the beginning of a controversial career that deliberately defied and flouted convention. Soft Cell were influenced as much by punk as by Northern Soul and Kraftwerk, and refused to be pigeonholed by anyone, bringing a punk ethos to synth-pop while busting taboos along the way. In their heyday, even while refusing to compromise on their musical vision, the pair produced numero
Ardal O'Hanlon looks at what started the infamous showband era in Ireland, the people involved, and how it came to an end in the 1980s.
They defined music and popular culture like no other band ever will. But how did The Beatles make the journey from Merseyside teenagers to international pop stars in the 1960s? The Beatles: Made on Merseyside recounts how American rock ‘n’ roll and rhythm and blues dragged post-war Liverpool into one of the most vibrant music cities ever with the Mersey Sound. Featuring unique archive and revealing interviews from those involved in the early years of The Beatles in Liverpool and Hamburg, we discover the story of The Beatles’ previous band formations and why it took so long for them to achieve success. From school bands to colleges, Hamburg to The Cavern Club, The Beatles moved from skiffle to rock ‘n’ roll before creating their unique sound.
English National Ballet performs Akram Khan’s Giselle, the award-winning reimagining of one of the greatest romantic ballets of all time. The classic story of love, betrayal and redemption is retold by choreographer Akram Khan, with sets and costumes by academy award winning designer Tim Yip, and an adaptation of Adolphe Adam’s original score created by composer Vincenzo Lamagna and performed by English National Ballet Philharmonic. Acclaimed by audiences and critics since its premiere at Manchester International Festival in 2016, English National Ballet’s production has toured around the UK and been performed in Hong Kong, Ireland and New Zealand. This English National Ballet Production was supported by The Space and filmed live in 2017 at The Liverpool Empire.
Phill Jupitus and Clare Grogan want your stories, dedications and memories about a stack of classic BBC Music performances, around the theme of friendship from the likes of Carole King, Paul Simon, John Lennon, Tina Turner, Ed Sheeran, Oasis, REM and many, many more.
In Atomos, bodies, movement, film, sound and light are atomised into miniature shards of intense sensation. Taking creative points of departure from atomised film, music and biometric data, Wayne McGregor’s choreography is woven into an intense 70-minute film, performed by the incredible dancers of Company Wayne McGregor in his distinctive style - sculptural, rigorous, jarring and hauntingly beautiful. Known for his unique, tenacious questioning across the interface of art and science and through the body and mind, multi-award-winning choreographer and director Wayne McGregor CBE has remained at the forefront of contemporary arts for the past 25 years. He is artistic director of Studio Wayne McGregor, based at Here East on east London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the creative engine of his life-long choreographic enquiry into thinking through and with the body. It encompasses his own touring company of dancers, Company Wayne McGregor, creative collaborations across dance, film, music, visual art, technology and science; and highly specialized learning, engagement and research programmes. McGregor is also resident choreographer at the Royal Ballet, and is in demand by the most important ballet companies in the world as well as for his choreography across theatre, opera and film (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Tarzan, Fantastic Beasts, Sing, Mary Queen of Scots), music videos (Grammy Award-nominated Lotus Flower by Radiohead, Wide Open by The Chemical Brothers), fashion shows (Gareth Pugh, London Fashion Week 2017), TV (The BRIT Awards’ opening sequence in 2016) and site-specific performances (Big Dance Trafalgar Square 2012). Following a highly successful national and international tour of the original stage production, McGregor has extended and translated his acclaimed work Atomos into a unique film experience, directed by McGregor and long-time collaborator Ravi Deepres. Atomos features a soaring score by A Winged Victory for the Sullen, dynamic
As Gustav Mahler contemplated his own mortality, he drew consolation and strength from the poetry of ancient China. 'Das Lied von der Erde' is the result: a symphony in all but name that distils every last drop of life’s sorrow and sweetness into six heartrending songs. Toru Takemitsu, meanwhile, looked west: charting a very personal musical path between western classical music and the philosophy and art of his native Japan to create soundscapes of unique, and haunting, beauty. Glowing autumn colours mingle with cries of longing in this wonderfully conceived programme from the BBC SSO’s hugely respected Conductor Emeritus Donald Runnicles, plus two singers whose unflinching emotional commitment has won international acclaim. Recorded in City Halls, Glasgow.
In January 1956, a new pop phenomenon appeared in the UK charts: a British artist playing the guitar. His name was Lonnie Donegan, and the song he sang was Rock Island Line. Donegan’s rough-and-ready style was at odds with the polished crooners who dominated the charts. He played the guitar in a way that sounded like anyone could do it. Rock Island Line sounded like nothing else on the radio, and it inspired a generation of British youths to pick up guitars and begin a journey that would take them to the top of the American charts.
Woody Guthrie is one of America’s legendary songwriters. A voice of the people, he wrote hard-hitting lyrics for a hard-hit nation. His is a tale of survival, creativity and reinvention. He is proof that there is always potential for change and even in 2019, more than fifty years after his death, he is challenging Donald Trump from beyond the grave. With enormous influence on successive generations of musicians like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez and Billy Bragg, this film proves he has a true place in 21st-century culture.
In her first documentary for more than 35 years, the great British classical singer Dame Janet Baker talks more openly and emotionally than ever before about her career and her life today. With excerpts of her greatest stage roles (as Dido, Mary Stuart, Julius Caesar and Orpheus), as well as of her appearances in the concert hall and recording studio (works by Handel, Berlioz, Schubert, Elgar, Britten and Mahler), she looks back at the excitements and pitfalls of public performance. She tells the film-maker John Bridcut about the traumatic loss of her elder brother when she was only ten years old, and how that experience coloured her voice and her artistry. She explains why she felt the need to retire early some thirty years ago and discusses the challenges she and her husband have to face in old age. She also gives tantalizing clues to the question her many fans often ask: does she still sing today at the age of 85? Among the other contributors to the film are conductors Raymond Leppard, Jane Glover and André Previn (in one of his last interviews before his death in March), the singers Joyce DiDonato and Dame Felicity Lott, the opera producer John Copley, the pianist Imogen Cooper, and the actress Dame Patricia Routledge. This feature-length film is a Crux production for the BBC, following the award-winning ‘Colin Davis - in His Own Words’ in 2013. John Bridcut has also made film profiles of Herbert von Karajan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Rudolf Nureyev and Jonas Kaufmann, as well as ‘Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70’ for BBC One in November 2018.
Marianne Faithfull has seen it all. Success and celebrity at 17. Life with Mick Jagger through the turbulent late sixties. Scandal, drugs, addiction and hitting rock bottom before rebirth, awards and artistic recognition. Director Sandrine Bonnaire tells the incredible story of her thousand lives, her encounters with some of music’s greats and her extraordinary career. Directed by Sandrine Bonnaire A Cinétévé production for Arte France, acquired by BBC Music.
The story of the blues musician and his far-reaching impact on popular culture told in his own words and those of his family and closest collaborators. Born into poverty and racial segregation, he lived through a monumental time in American history, and interviews with Keith Richards, Van Morrison, Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt, and Robert Cray tell how an illiterate man from the rural and impoverished backwaters of the Mississippi Delta influenced their own musical journey.
Jazz 625 Live: For One Night Only is a special 90-minute live show paying tribute to the iconic 1960s BBC Two jazz show of the same name. Broadcast live from the Cheltenham Jazz Festival and hosted by Andi Oliver, the programme will feature a house band and special guests including Gregory Porter, Charlie Watts from the Rolling Stones, Joshua Redman, Jacqui Dankworth and Cleo Laine. There will also be archive performances from the original series and interviews and features looking back at a classic time in jazz.
To celebrate Queen Victoria’s 200th birthday, historian Dr Lucy Worsley explores the character and legacy of the famous monarch in a way that has never been attempted before – through music. Lucy reveals how Victoria used music to transform the monarchy from a political power into a benevolent cultural force that brought the country together during a time of great upheaval and change. Lucy also examines the central role music played in Victoria’s own life - as a queen, a private person and in her marriage to Prince Albert. Victoria and Albert also took an active role in reshaping the musical culture of Britain by establishing institutions like the Royal College of Music and the Royal Albert Hall. Together they laid the groundwork for a musical renaissance in Britain which saw a new generation of great British composers reshape the sound of Britain in the 20th century. To bring the story of Britain’s great musical revolution to life there are performances from Sir Willard White, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Black Dyke Brass Band and many more
Singer Ricky Warwick and DJ Ralph McLean go on a musical odyssey into rock ‘n’ roll history to trace the Ulster-Scots heartbeat at the core of the biggest cultural revolution of the 20th century.
The Planets is performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Each movement is introduced by Prof Brian Cox and set against the latest space imagery.
Northern Ireland’s finest purveyors of music return to Ward Park in Bangor. Snow Patrol perform a spectacular homecoming gig to local and international fans alike. The band, who are celebrating 25 years in music, take us on a journey from early classics to their most recent album.
Award-winning author Darren 'Loki' McGarvey reveals the history of Scottish hip-hop. Looking back at over 30 years of culture, he speaks to the pioneers in music, dance and art, telling a story of young men and women in Scotland overcoming adversity to express themselves in often-challenging circumstances. Exploring status in culture and language and how young people in the 80s caught on to a industry now worth ten billion dollars a year but are still relatively unknown.
Brothers Matt and Luke Goss look back on some of their most memorable moments as part of the band Bros, discussing the shows, music and films that have inspired them to become the artists and people they are today. The duo shares hitherto unseen moments from the filming of the recent documentary After the Screaming Stops, as well as reflect on how they have changed over the decades. Featuring exclusive studio content and a behind-the-scenes look at their preparations for their next shows in London, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Acid house is often portrayed as a movement that came out of the blue, inspired by little more than a handful of London-based DJs discovering ecstasy on a 1987 holiday to Ibiza. In truth, the explosion of acid house and rave in the UK was a reaction to a much wider and deeper set of fault lines in British culture, stretching from the heart of the city to the furthest reaches of the countryside, cutting across previously impregnable boundaries of class, identity and geography. With Everybody in the Place, the Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller upturns popular notions of rave and acid house, situating them at the very centre of the seismic social changes that reshaped 1980s Britain. Rare and unseen archive materials map the journey from protest movements to abandoned warehouse raves, the white heat of industry bleeding into the chaotic release of the dancefloor. We join an A-level politics class as they discover these stories for the first time, viewing the story of acid house from the perspective of a generation for whom it is already ancient history. We see how rave culture owes as much to the Battle of Orgreave and the underground gay clubs of Chicago as it does to shifts in musical style: not merely a cultural gesture, but the fulcrum for a generational shift in British identity, linking industrial histories and radical action to the wider expanses of a post-industrial future.
For three days in August 1969, half a million people from all walks of life converged on a small dairy farm in upstate New York. They came to hear the concert of their lives, but most experienced something far more profound: a moment that came to define a cultural revolution. This documentary tells the story of the lead-up to those three historic days, through the voices of those who were there and the music of the time. It includes extraordinary moments from the concert itself, iconic images of both performers and festival goers, and tells how this groundbreaking event, pulled off right at the last minute, nearly ended in disaster and put the ideals of the counterculture to the test.
Live coverage of the Pet Shop Boys’ headline set at Radio 2 Live In Hyde Park. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe are the most successful duo in UK music history. Having achieved 42 top 30 singles in the UK since 1985, there is no shortage of hits for them to choose from as they play their only UK gig of the year in front of more than 40,000 festivalgoers. Keep an eye out for a mystery guest artist.
Christine McVie is undoubtedly the longest-serving female band member of any of the enduring rock ‘n’ roll acts that emerged from the 1960s. While she has never fronted Fleetwood Mac, preferring to align herself with ‘the boys’ in the rhythm section whom she first joined 50 years ago, Christine is their most successful singer-songwriter. Her hits include ‘Over My Head’, ‘Don’t Stop’ and ‘Everywhere’. After massive global success in both the late 1970s and mid-1980s, Christine left the band in the late 1990s, quitting California and living in semi-retirement in Kent, only to rejoin the band in 2013. In this 90-minute film, this most English of singers finally gets to take centre-stage and tell both her story and the saga of Fleetwood Mac from her point of view.
Funk Queen Betty Davis changed the landscape for female artists in America. She 'was the first', as former husband Miles Davis said. 'Madonna before Madonna, Prince before Prince'. An aspiring songwriter from a small steel town, Betty arrived on the 70s scene to break boundaries for women with her daring personality, iconic fashion and outrageous funk music. She befriended Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone, wrote songs for the Chambers Brothers and the Commodores, and married Miles – startlingly turning him from jazz to funk on the album she named 'Bitches Brew'. She then, despite being banned and boycotted, went on to become the first black woman to perform, write and manage herself. Betty was a feminist pioneer, inspiring and intimidating in a manner like no woman before. Then suddenly - she just vanished. Betty Mabry Davis is a global icon whose mysterious life story has until now, never been told. Creatively blending documentary and animation, this movie traces the path of Betty’s life, how she grew from humble upbringings to become a fully self-realized black female pioneer the world failed to understand or appreciate, revealing the mystery of her 35-year disappearance and her battle with mental illness and poverty. After years of trying, the elusive Betty finally allowed the film-makers to creatively tell her story based on their conversations.
The compelling story of the Chins - the Chinese-Jamaican family behind Studio 17 established above Randy’s Records at 17 North Parade in downtown Kingston. Randy’s Records was founded in the late 1950s by Vincent Chin and his wife Pat, who began by selling used records in a tiny shop. As Jamaican independence approached in 1962, Vincent Chin had the inspired idea of producing a record to capitalise on the excitement of the time. He approached the popular Trinidadian singer Lord Creator and produced Independent Jamaica. Jamaica was in the mood for celebrating its independence, and the song was an instant hit. Creator then went on to record Kingston Town, which became a huge hit for UB40 in the 1980s. The success of Independent Jamaica enabled the Randy’s shop to expand and add a studio of its own, known as Studio 17. Studio 17 was where Vincent Chin and later his son Clive Chin as well as many other legendary Jamaican producers would create new tracks. Throughout the 60s and 70s many of the world’s most famous reggae artists recorded there, including Bob Marley and the Wailers, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, John Holt, Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Horace Andy, Alton Ellis, Carl Malcolm, Jimmy London, Augustus Pablo, Ken Boothe, Delroy Wilson and many more. When the Chin family left for New York, some 2,000 original session tapes were left behind at Studio 17. It was believed they were all lost in the flooding and looting that followed Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 that left the studio unusable. However, as part of a major exhibition on Jamaican music at Paul Allen’s Experience Music Project in Seattle, now renamed the Museum of Pop Culture, the tapes were rediscovered and shipped to New York, where they languished for some time in a basement. Tragedy struck in 2011, when Joel Chin, son of Clive Chin and A&R for VP records, was murdered in Kingston, Jamaica. Having encouraged his father to do something with the archive for many years, Clive h
Mark Ronson, hit songwriter and producer openly discusses his life and musical influences. With interviews from Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Broadcast on National Album Day.
This year’s breakthrough pop sensation Lewis Capaldi performs the biggest headline show of his career at Croxteth Park in Liverpool, entertaining a sell-out crowd of 12,500. Accompanied by the 60-piece Manchester Camerata, Lewis delights the audience with hits from his platinum-selling debut album and a special surprise cover of a Beatles classic.
The K-Pop phenomenon is shaking up the pop world. For the first time ever, there is a serious challenge to the West’s domination of the global music industry. Leading the way is the biggest boy band in the world, BTS. But how has this happened? Music Journalist James Ballardie travels to South Korea to uncover the secrets behind this worldwide success story and to find out how, in just 20 short years, the music industry in the country came from obscurity to become a major player on the world stage. In the summer of 2019, BTS played two sold-out performance at the UK’s most icon venue, Wembley Stadium. Their catchy pop songs, bombastic beats, good looks and natty dance moves have captivated young pop fans worldwide, and sent them to the top of the charts in the US and beyond. To try and understand this latest pop explosion, James heads to Seoul and goes inside the K-pop industry. He meets Soo-Man Lee, the Svengali-like figure who has helped shape Korean pop music for over 30 years and still drives giant K-Pop company SM entertainment’s vision today. He also catches up with some of the songwriters, producers, music video makers and the idols themselves, from the biggest names in the business to the newcomers. Among them are members of EXO, NCT 127, SHINee and WayV, all bands with millions of fans around the world. They are all part of a new star-studded supergroup, SuperM. Their success in Asia will be guaranteed, but can they replicate BTS’s global achievements? James meets SuperM as they prepare to be launched on the world.
Both Bob Dylan and Nick Cave have testified in song that death is not the end. But, not all stories from the musical afterlife are created equal. Death may have its obvious downside. However, in the world of pop, shuffling off your mortal coil could be a unique business opportunity. In this documentary, Scissor Sisters star Ana Matronic goes on a journey into the afterlife of pop. Think of her as music’s pearly gatekeeper of making it big in the ever after. But here’s the rub: this isn’t about the music; no, this is about the many other ways dead pop stars earn a living when they’re gone. So join her as she books in with the agents, publicists, producers and families to discover the dos and don’ts of keeping the dream alive. Using a combination of interview, archive and investigation, Get Rich or Try Dying peels back the complicated mechanics of the pop music industry, showing how it really works and who ultimately profits from it. Once the mansions, yachts, luxury cars, private jets and entourages are dispensed with, death ushers in a new cast of characters, not all of whom were party to creating the wealth in the first place, but all of them are interested in profiting from it. The documentary reveals how Elvis was the architect of the entire legacy industry and how his lawyers, working on behalf of his family, changed American law to permit the surviving family members to benefit from his rights of publicity. It shows Prince’s story to be a cautionary tale for those without a will, and ponders how Bob Marley has retained his dignity despite attaching his name to everything from bath salts to electric goods and Californian marijuana. Linda Ramone professes her love of ‘merch’ and explains how her dead husband’s influential but niche NY punk act, The Ramones, continues to stand for something way beyond their music. Finally, Frank Zappa’s son delves into the morality of hologram tours, as illustrated by his father’s, before the immacul
They defined music and popular culture like no other band ever will. But how did The Beatles make the journey from Merseyside teenagers to international pop stars in the 1960s? The Beatles: Made on Merseyside recounts how American rock ‘n’ roll and rhythm and blues dragged post-war Liverpool into one of the most vibrant music cities ever with the Mersey Sound. Featuring unique archive and revealing interviews from those involved in the early years of The Beatles in Liverpool and Hamburg, we discover the story of The Beatles’ previous band formations and why it took so long for them to achieve success. From school bands to colleges, Hamburg to The Cavern Club, The Beatles moved from skiffle to rock ‘n’ roll before creating their unique sound.
A revelatory, thrilling and emotional journey behind the scenes of Blue Note Records, the pioneering label that gave voice to some of the finest jazz artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. When German Jewish refugees Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff started Blue Note in 1939 in New York, the two Berliners allowed their artists complete freedom and encouraged them to compose new music. Their visionary and uncompromising approach led to releases that did not just revolutionise jazz; they left an indelible imprint on art and music, including hip hop. The present provides a point of departure from which the film recovers the past. Legendary artists Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter come together with today’s generation of groundbreaking Blue Note artists such as Robert Glasper and Ambrose Akinmusire to record an all-stars album. These reflections lead us back to the highly influential figures of the past on which the legacy of Blue Note has been built, including Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Horace Silver and Miles Davis. Rare archival interviews and conversations with Blue Note musicians provide an intimate look into the creation and philosophy behind some of the most seminal tracks in jazz history. The film reveals the values that jazz embodies and that Blue Note has promoted since its inception: freedom of expression, equality, dialogue - values we can learn from and that are as relevant today as they were when the label was founded.
Elton John opens up about his childhood, stardom and battles with addiction in an exclusive interview with Graham Norton.
A celebration of the Eden Sessions that looks back at the first 18 years of concerts at the Eden Project in Cornwall, which began in 2001. One hundred live concerts, from Elton John to Gary Barlow, set against the stunning backdrop of the Eden biomes. Introduced by Nile Rodgers, who headlined the 100th show on 23 June 2019, the programme features performances by a wide variety of artists. They include Pulp, who headlined the first ever Eden Session in July 2002, Duran Duran, Bastille, Muse, Gary Barlow, Van Morrison, Madness, Primal Scream and Lionel Richie.
Dazzling entertainment from the Man with the Golden Flute as Sir James Galway reflects on a television career spanning over 40 years. Following an extraordinary journey from the Belfast docks to principal flute of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Galway went on to cross all musical boundaries in the late 1970s to become a BBC TV superstar. From Val Doonican to Top of the Pops, Wogan to Celebrity Proms, and Parkinson to Songs of Praise, Galway brought the sound of the flute to audiences of millions. With stunning performances of the great classics and iconic TV moments on piccolo, mouth organ and tin whistle, this is a journey full of fun and surprises. The Chieftains, Cleo Laine and The Cambridge Buskers are just some of the musicians who feature in a wealth of BBC archive paying tribute to one of the best-loved entertainers of his generation on his 80th birthday.
We meet the passionate makers and players of cigar box guitars. Many of these craftsmen and musicians are from post-industrial British towns, and have created a self-identity through making these unique three-stringed guitars. Born from the blues, their simple, low cost, ‘no rules’ approach means anyone can try their hand. These are the fervent advocates of the ‘cigar box guitar revolution’ who express their love of designing and constructing hand-made instruments, recycled from almost anything. The democratic, pro-recycling, local-production ethos of the movement inspires new recruits, while the emotional connection they feel for their instruments creates a unique and evocative sound that totally transports musicians and audiences alike. Although the cigar box guitar has a long history in the USA, where it formed part of the culture of traditional blues music, it has only recently become popular with musicians in the UK. This film reveals how just three chords, played on their unique, DIY, instruments, hand-made from recycled materials, connect them to their truth
Gareth embeds himself in Watford General Hospital, enlisting the help of staff, patients and their families to stage a Christmas concert full of wonder for everyone to enjoy.
A landmark documentary that explores the extraordinary life and music of Dolly Parton. Featuring incredible archive footage and exclusive interviews with Dolly and stars like Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, this film lifts the lid on the songwriting genius behind I Will Always Love You, Jolene, 9 to 5 and a host of other chart-topping hits. From her humble beginnings to her global success, the film discovers how a young girl from the Smoky Mountains conquered Nashville to become the queen of country music.
The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, recorded at Glyndebourne Festival 2019. Directed and designed by Barbe & Doucet, with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment conducted by Ryan Wigglesworth, and sung by David Portillo as Tamino, Björn Bürger as Papageno, Sofia Fomina as Pamina, Caroline Wettergreen as the Queen of the Night and Brindley Sherratt as Sarastro. Prince Tamino is on a quest to rescue the beautiful Pamina, daughter of the Queen of the Night, from her father Sarastro, who has abducted her. Aided by birdcatcher Papageno, he finds her and is drawn to the brotherhood led by Sarastro. Tamino submits to a series of trials to prove his worthiness to join their order and is rewarded with Pamina’s hand in marriage. Papageno is also rewarded with a wife, and the Queen of the Night and her forces of darkness are defeated.
A no-holds-barred look at the life of one of the most talked-about and charismatic artists of his generation.
A journey into the heart and soul of Michael Hutchence, internationally renowned lead-singer of INXS.
It’s been 10 years since Catfish and the Bottlemen uploaded to BBC Music Introducing and what a ten years it’s been. From throwing demos on stages, rocking up and performing wherever they saw a crowd to platinum sales and headlining festivals. Watch the band in conversation with Radio 1’s Jack Saunders as they share their top 10 moments so far. Now selling out arenas and playing to millions of people world-wide, they show no signs of stopping and are on their way to becoming one of Britain’s biggest bands.
A 90-minute feature film that drills into the soul of this extraordinary, magical Island and releases the story of 3,000 years of Ibizan history. Julien Temple’s iconic trademark style sends its audience on the ultimate, emotionally exhilarating and groundbreaking time-travel ride through the psyche of this jewel of the Mediterranean. This is a story of extremes and the fight for the very soul of the White Island. A story of sensuality, hedonism, spirituality, ancient ways of life and new ways of living. An island, despite wave after wave of brutal occupation, whose free spirit of tolerance and acceptance of others has somehow managed to survive, absorbing, welcoming and sheltering people and cultures from around the Mediterranean and the world beyond. Ibiza’s bohemian heart now faces its strongest challenge yet: to continue to beat strongly in the face of the ever-growing annual invasion of wealthy socialites and the gentrification of the island in the name of progress. The film re-enacts, with cameo Hollywood performances, forgotten epic moments in the history of the island. From irresistible sirens who seduced and shipwrecked Odysseus with their honeyed songs to the Carthaginians, Romans, Vikings and Moors; from the refugees of Franco's civil war to the McCarthy blacklists of Hollywood; from the early hippy beat paradise of the 1950s to the pan-European free zone that is Ibiza today; from the sexual rites of the Phoenician love goddess Tanit to disco sunrises at super-clubs like Pacha, Space, Amnesia and DC-10, Ibiza has always been out there on the frontier of human experience. This island has seen it all and so will our audience. Adopted home of Orson Welles, Errol Flynn, Denholm Elliott, Sid Vicious, Joni Mitchell, Robert Plant, Terry-Thomas, master forger Elmyr de Hory, convicted fraudster Clifford Irving and, of course Elle, Naomi and Kate, Ibiza has always proved irresistible to celebrities on the run from themselves.
Joan Armatrading is one the most influential singer-songwriters in Britain. A national icon, she is known for her singular vision, both as a writer and as a performer. She has performed around the world to sell-out stadiums, releasing records and touring almost constantly from the early 70s to the present day. In this documentary Joan talks about her self-belief and her unique ability to craft songs that have spoken to millions. Known for her reclusiveness, Joan has, for the first time, granted access to her life and music. Joan tells her story from Caribbean émigré to becoming one of the most revered songwriters of our generation.
Music documentary that traces the improbable journey of Charley Pride, from his humble beginnings as a sharecropper’s son on a cotton farm in segregated Sledge, Mississippi to his career as a black American League baseball player and his meteoric rise as a trailblazing country music superstar. Pride’s love for music led him from the Delta to a larger, grander world. In the 1940s, radio transcended racial barriers, making it possible for Pride to grow up listening to and imitating Grand Ole Opry stars like Ernest Tubb and Roy Acuff. Pride arrived in Nashville in 1963 with the city embroiled in sit-ins and racial violence. But with boldness, perseverance and undeniable musical talent, he managed to parlay a series of fortuitous encounters with music industry insiders into a legacy of hit singles, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Narrated by Grammy-nominated country singer Tanya Tucker, the film features original interviews with country music royalty as well as on-camera conversations between Pride and the programme’s other guests.
Petroc Trelawny hosts the traditional start to the year with music from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna. This year’s concert is led for the first time by the celebrated Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons, guiding the Vienna Philharmonic in an array of polkas, waltzes and gallops by the Strauss family and their contemporaries. Furthermore, to celebrate the 250th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven, the composer’s Contretanze is played alongside a ballet scene. As always, the concert ends with the ever-popular By the Beautiful Blue Danube and the foot-stamping Radetzky March. The concert is transmitted to some 50 million viewers in over 90 countries.
Chris Packham, environmentalist and life-long punk, reveals how, as a teenager with undiagnosed Asperger's, punk rock may have saved his life. By giving him a purpose, he was able to harness his creativity, which led to him becoming a TV presenter with a determination to champion wildlife. Now more than 40 years on, as Chris goes to Buckingham Palace to receive a CBE for services to the environment, he asks himself if he has, over the years, turned into the type of 'establishment figure' that his 17-year-old self would have hated? In a highly personal and revelatory film, Chris sets out to question both himself and other former punks who, like him, rocked against racism, fought for gay rights and caused their parents untold grief, to discover if the values they all believed in still hold true today. Chris meets some of the legends at the heart of the movement, including punk icon Jordan Mooney who was known as punk's first muse, artist Jamie Reid who designed the Sex Pistols' record covers, The Clash's first drummer and now chiropractor Terry Chimes, chart-topping vicar Rev Richard Coles and gay rights campaigner and Radio 6 DJ Tom Robinson. He also meets Joe Talbot, lead singer of indie band Idles at the famous punk venue the 100 Club and even hooks up with his own punk band, The Titanic Survivors, who he left in 1978. They have since reformed and are still playing some of the songs that Chris wrote. Chris concludes that the spirit of punk perhaps lives on not just in the music but in the rebellious spirit of the young and is still at the heart of many modern-day protests.
A film covering two years in ex-KLF man Bill Drummond's 12-year world tour which is scheduled to end when he is 72 - Drummond expects to live till he is 73.
Celebrating the 261st anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, Mark Thompson introduces performances of the bard’s sangs and poems from the BBC’s archives. Featuring performances from Siobhan Miller, Eddi Reader, Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain and more, Mark also uncovers a news report from 1978 demonstrating how one Northern Irish butcher was cashing in on Burns Night.
Born in 1941, Eric Burdon was – along with his band The Animals – one of the most important standard bearers of the British Invasion of America, right after The Beatles and ahead of The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Kinks. Their 1964 interpretation of House of the Rising Sun was a global hit and inspired Bob Dylan (who recorded an acoustic version on his first album) to go electric and hit the stage from then on backed by a rock band. Eric Burdon is a street kid from Newcastle upon Tyne. He burnt the midnight oil in the nightclubs on the docks. Had music not intervened, he might well have slipped into a career as a petty criminal, the kind of English gangster so aptly parodied by Guy Ritchie in films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. But Burdon’s voice was his ticket to escape that bleak industrial destiny, and his We Gotta Get out of This Place went on to inspire Springsteen’s Born to Run. Burdon was always an incurable hothead, prone to rages and no stranger to breaking contracts, a situation that would make him a lifelong underdog and impede his path to world stardom. By the end of the 70s he was so broke that he was living in a car on Sunset Strip. Burdon regularly changed both his band and musical style. Alongside his passion for original American blues, he got together in the late 60s with black LA band War – itself a political statement in the Black Panther era – and, inspired by Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Rahsaan Roland Kirk, expanded his musical spectrum with jazz and funk. Burdon was involved in discovering Jimi Hendrix in Greenwich Village and they remained friends right up to the literal end (the pair spent the night before Jimi’s death together). Eric Burdon’s creative output has made an important and profoundly authentic contribution to popular culture. Together with Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones, he counts as one of that legendary generation’s last men standing. This film will convey the zeitg
A unique and fascinating insight into the career and controversies of one of the most successful and contentious heavy metal bands of all time: Slipknot. The film combines new interviews, backstage access and an exclusive live session from the nine-piece group, performing six career-defining tracks at the legendary Maida Vale Studios in front of an intimate audience. The six tracks, one from each of the band’s albums, transport the group, acknowledged by many as one of the most extreme live acts ever, from their usual arena-sized shows to a uniquely intimate and intense setting. The film highlights the group’s phenomenal 25-year career, revealing how one of the most relentless and intense-sounding groups ever have struggled with drink, drugs, depression and the death of a band member, topped the charts, outsold their peers and picked up a Grammy along the way, whilst staying as bold, fearless and exhilarating as ever.
The story of Britain’s iconic 1960s music show, Ready Steady Go! The programme revolutionised television ‘for the kids’ and coincided with the tremendous explosion of British pop talent that took the world by storm. It championed emerging talent like The Beatles, The Who, Sandie Shaw, Cilla Black, Otis Redding and The Rolling Stones. This definitive documentary covers every aspect of a pioneering show. Its style rewrote the rulebook for music programmes, with its intoxicating blend of performance, celebrity interviews and items on fashion. It often featured cameras in shot, live mishaps and the young audience interacting with their pop star heroes. We go behind the scenes and speak to the people who made it all happen, including original producer Vicki Wickham and the programme’s pioneering director, Michael Lindsay-Hogg. Plus further contributions from Annie Nightingale, Eric Burdon, Chris Farlowe, Mary Wilson, Martha Reeves, Paul Jones, Gerry Marsden and Jools Holland.
Documentary that features the very best bits of Britain’s first authentic 1960s pop show, Ready Steady Go! The iconic programme was an exciting combination of music performances, fashion commentary, celebrity interviews and mime competitions – all of which kids were thrilled to watch. Kicking off in 1963, for over three years music fans around the country would religiously tune in to watch unmissable performances from some of the top recording artists of the time. Each week, the line-up offered an evocative snapshot of the British pop scene. This priceless archive has rarely been seen and includes some of the most memorable performances from the greatest stars of the day. Tune in to see The Beatles perform Twist and Shout on a moving stage, The Rolling Stones presenting their very own episode, and Otis Redding’s sensational duet with Chris Farlowe and Eric Burdon. Other acts include Cilla Black, Lulu, and Martha and the Vandellas. Dusty Springfield also takes centre stage.
Award-winning documentary that celebrates the incredible musical history of Eel Pie Island, a small island in the Thames in south west London which became the epicentre of rhythm and blues in the 1960s. In its heyday, the likes of The Stones, The Yardbirds, The Who, David Bowie, Elton John, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall, Long John Baldry and many others cut their teeth at the venue before becoming legends of the music industry. Interviewed guests include Rod Stewart from The Faces, Top Topham from The Yardbirds, Mick Avory from The Kinks, Steve Hackett from Genesis, Dave Brock from Hawkwind, Andy Bown from Status Quo, Martin Turner from Wishbone Ash, Phil May from The Pretty Things, Don Craine and Keith Grant from The Downliners Sect, Geoff Cole from the Ken Colyer Band, Bob Dwyer from The Southern Stompers, Cleo Sylvestre from Honey B Mama, Blaine Harrison from The Mystery Jets, Paul Stewart from The Others, Sam Cutler, former tour manager with The Stones, as well as numerous fans known as Eelpilanders and island resident and inventor Trevor Baylis. Combining these interviews with original black-and-white images and archive footage from the era, the documentary explores the unique experiences of the people who either played at the Eel Pie Island Hotel or went there to listen to music and dance on the famous bouncing dance floor. Cheryl Robson, who created the project, says, ‘You can feel the incredible fondness for the Eel Pie experience when talking to those who actually went there. There was definitely something in the water in south west London, which affected all those who went, played, sang or danced. The energy was infectious.’ Narrated by actor Nigel Planer, who was once a resident of Eel Pie Island.
Since 2019, the debate about Michael Jackson has intensified, and opinions about how he should be remembered are now more fractured than at any time since his death a decade ago. In this feature-length documentary, Jacques Peretti goes back to Jackson's beginnings, charting his rise and fall and seeking a fuller picture of this complex, contradictory character by exploring the clues that were missed. He investigates how Jackson become what he was, whether he manipulated his fame and the entertainment machine to conceal the truth and what the audience's part was in it all. What emerges is a fascinating, thoughtful and multi-layered reappraisal of one of the world's most famous and controversial artists that investigates what the public failed to see - or were willing to ignore.
The Logans are three all-singing Glasgow sisters who have their hearts set on making it big in country music. They are the real 'Wild Roses' on a journey that could take them all the way to Nashville!
Award-winning British choir Tenebrae, under the direction of Nigel Short, is one of the world’s leading vocal ensembles, renowned for its passion and precision. Normally before Easter, Tenebrae would be preparing for one of its busiest periods in the musical calendar. But as the world finds itself engulfed in one of the biggest health emergencies of modern history, Tenebrae, like many other artistic groups, has been forced to cancel its busy Easter season. Around the world, audiences are unable to attend and hear live music. In this performance, filmed exclusively for BBC Music, Tenebrae once again breaks new ground in a programme of music for Easter, with all 20 of its singers filmed and recorded separately as they isolate themselves in their own homes. Under the direction of Nigel Short conducting via video link, Tenebrae sings a concert for Easter, including Gregorio Allegri's stunning Miserere, at a time when the world has never needed the medicine of music more. Tenebrae's repertoire for this specially filmed performance includes the following: JS Bach – Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden Lobo – Versa est in luctum Allegri – Miserere Purcell/Croft – Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts Parry – My soul, there is a country JS Bach – Ach Herr, lass dein lieb Engelein
Dolly Parton, the undisputed queen of country music, celebrates 50 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Recorded live in Nashville, this amazing special pays tribute to her songs and career with special performances from Dolly and star guests, including Lady Antebellum, Emmylou Harris and Hank Williams Jr. This incredible concert brings together five decades of hits and memories into one unforgettable evening of entertainment for everyone to enjoy.
Highlights of One World: Together at Home, an historic, global event to unite the world and celebrate workers on the frontline of COVID-19. Stars including Elton John, Lizzo and Paul McCartney perform live from their homes.
From where they began as the Drifters to the backing band for Cliff Richard, and on to their massive success as the Shadows, this documentary celebrates the band's achievements across 60 years in what has been a time of constant change within social, cultural and musical landscapes. The Shadows were at the forefront of the UK beat boom generation and the first backing band to emerge as big stars in their own right. The programme features unseen archive, personal testimony, interviews with Cliff Richard, band members Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch and Brian Bennett and some of those they influenced, including Brian May, David Gilmour and Pete Townshend. Narrated by Gina McKee.
In 1970, an 18-year-old schoolgirl left the Bogside in Derry to represent Ireland in the 15th Eurovision Song Contest. What happened that night was to change her life forever.Dana - The Original Derry Girl is an emotional and honest look back at a girl’s incredible life story, retracing her steps to Amsterdam’s RAI theatre, where, against the odds, she became Ireland’s first Eurovision winner. At a timewhen the violent conflict of the Troubles was dominating the news, Rosemary Scallon, better known as Dana, became a national hero overnight.Studying for her A levels when she won, Dana was totally unprepared for the instant celebrity that followed and she recalls how the whirlwind of sudden success left her feeling lonely and isolated. Theprogramme looks at the fascinating story of what happened she won the competition, including her successful pop and TV career in the 70s, her marriage to Newry hotelier Damien Scallon, her move to Alabama, her switch to religious music, including performances for the pope, before entering the spotlight of Irish politics.The highs and lows of her career are laid bare in a revealing, emotional interview. ‘Like in everybody’s life, there are the really hard things that happen. They either crush you completely or they make you stronger and I’m working on that.’ After some difficult years, Dana returned to music, recording a new album in Rome in 2018. This retrospective is an archive-rich trip down memory lane, with incredible access and an honest, and sometimes raw, look at her incredible career. With contributions from Derry Lindsay, Senator David Norris, Dave Fanning and many others, the programme ends with Dana joining local choirs on stage in the Guildhall Derry, where she performed as a young girl, to take part in a moving version of Derry Lindsay and Jackie Smith’s All Kinds of Everything, the song that won Eurovision. Asked what advice she would give to her 18-year-old self if she could travel back in time, she pauses
With guests including Bono, Sinead O’Connor, Dave Stewart, Jools Holland, David Mallet and Sting, as well as music writers, photographers and historians, this film explores the musical and social legacy of Ireland’s first rock superstars The Boomtown Rats, who changed their own lives, helped to change Ireland and, with Bob Geldof’s Live Aid, changed the world. In this entertaining, dramatic and absorbing film, director Billy McGrath digs deep into the band’s history and remarkable songbook and highlights the key moments of its huge success and subsequent fall in 1985. And after over 30 years, why did the band regroup in 2013?
Tracing the story of Ella Fitzgerald’s life, this documentary film explores how her music became a soundtrack for a tumultuous century. From a 1934 talent contest at the Apollo theatre in Harlem, the film follows Ella’s extraordinary journey across five decades as she reflects the passions and troubles of the times in her music and her life. Moving beyond conventional biopic, the film uses images and music to evoke the feel of those times, bringing to life the context of Ella’s unique career, featuring interviews from Smokey Robinson, Jamie Cullum, Tony Bennett, Norma Miller and Laura Mvula.
To mark his 80th birthday, the BBC pays tribute to Welsh icon and international superstar Sir Tom Jones with this archive-based celebration. Looking back over 60 years in showbusiness, the film takes us on a journey through Tom’s career via some of his greatest songs and performances - from Delilah and It’s Not Unusual to The Green, Green Grass of Home and Kiss - many of which will have a special resonance for a Welsh audience. Additional context to Sir Tom’s incredible longevity is provided through rarely seen archive footage and interviews with the great man himself.
Katherine Jenkins celebrates her fortieth birthday by looking back at some career highlights and revealing behind-the-scenes secrets.
Anita Rani, Katie Derham and Antonio Pappano introduce highlights of the Royal Opera House’s first emotional performances after lockdown. The programme features a world premiere from choreographer Wayne MacGregor, classic opera arias and songs performed by Gerald Finley, Louise Alder, Toby Spence, David Butt Philip, Sarah Connolly and the Royal Opera House’s Jette Parker Young Artists as well as excerpts from ballets by Ashton, MacMillan and Wheeldon. Antonio Pappano is joined by musicians from the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and the performances are filmed in line with social distancing rules against the backdrop of the beautiful Royal Opera House auditorium.
The unlikely tale of how two Welsh farming brothers turned their dairy farm into a legendary recording studio starring Ozzy Osbourne, Liam Gallagher, Chris Martin and many more.
Rapper Rodney P Edwards reveals how the first generation of British-born black kids was inspired by the avant-garde musical fusions of black America in the 70s to lay the foundations of modern-day multiculturalism by creating the first black British music culture with the jazz-funk movement. Jazz-funk resists any simple description. It's a scene, not a genre; an attitude, not a sound; a movement, not a fashion. In this film - the first to deconstruct, explain and contextualise this most British of underground music genres - we show the importance of jazz-funk as the very first home-grown black British music culture, a world created by the first generation of British-born black kids who were determined to make space for self-expression that they could truly call their own. To understand how black British culture has gone on to have such a deep impact on youth culture in Britain and around the world, you need to understand jazz-funk.
British soul singer Mica Paris was brought up on gospel music and sang in church from an early age. In her teens, she became an international star, singing pop and soul and having worldwide hits. Now though, Mica is curious about the origins of the songs she sang so easily as a child, why some of her contemporaries have returned to their gospel roots as well as thinking about her own faith and her own big teenage decision to leave the church and sing secular music. Mica revisits her childhood church in Lewisham to start exploring the meaning and origins of these famous gospel songs. She examines songs such as Amazing Grace and discovers the complex reasoning behind the words. She sings with The Kingdom Choir, made famous by the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan, and travels to the cotton fields of America, where gospel was used to make the work of enslaved Africans more bearable. She meets the choir at Fisk University in Tennessee, who formed just after slavery was abolished and sang for Queen Victoria, and finds herself overwhelmed by her emotions when she finds out how the slavery freedom fighters used gospel to communicate.Mica also delves into the history of Sam Cooke and Thomas A Dorsey, who both encountered tragedy in and out of the church, and she sings with bluesman Jools Holland to contemporise a favourite gospel tune. Finally, Mica comes right up to date with the music of current artists, such as Stormzy, who have no fear of church versus secular music, are open about their faith and are combining the two with great success.
The Real Thing were four working-class boys from one of Liverpool’s toughest neighbourhoods, who became Britain’s most enduring soul and funk act ever. With a string of hits, they dominated the international charts throughout the 1970s with iconic songs like You to Me Are Everything, Can’t Get By Without You and Can You Feel the Force. But the group’s meteoric success was also tempered with personal tragedy, drug addiction and racial prejudice. They were – and still are – The Real Thing – and this is their incredible true story.
In the 1970s, Bob Marley rose from humble beginnings to become a global superstar. It was a journey that took place not just in his homeland of Jamaica but also in Britain - the place he came to regard as his second home. Featuring rarely seen archive and interviews with people who met him, this documentary examines Marley’s special relationship with Britain and reveals how his presence influenced British politics, culture and identity during a time of massive social and civil unrest in the UK - and how his universal message of one love and unity helped inspire a generation of black British youth. This documentary also takes a revealing look at how Marley spent his time while he was in Britain – from the houses he lived in to football kickabouts in Battersea Park (Marley is revealed to have been a Tottenham Hotspur fan) and visits to the UK’s growing Rastafarian community, including secret gigs in the north of England. It was in Britain that Marley established himself as an international artist, recorded some of his most successful albums and performed some of his most memorable concerts. The film features interviews with people who met and worked with Bob Marley in the UK - and whose lives were changed by meeting him – including photographer Dennis Morris (who accompanied Marley on tour), Aswad star Brinsley Forde, Locksley Gishie from The Cimarons and film-maker Don Letts. Also interviewed is reggae legend Marcia Griffiths of Bob Marley’s vocal group The I-Threes. There are also memories of the most important gigs he played in Britain as told by those who were there to see it happen, including early Wailers gigs in small pubs and clubs when the band were still largely unknown, a now legendary acoustic performance in the school gym of a Peckham high school and a triumphant show at London’s Lyceum Theatre that helped propel Marley to global fame.
Jamie MacDougall presents an hour of music recorded at the City Halls, Glasgow, featuring BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Stephen Bell, featuring guest performers and a range of musical styles including from traditional Scottish tunes, music of the movies and classical favourites.
After conducting for 65 years, Bernard Haitink has retired at the age of 90. The musicians he has worked with are puzzled by the secrets of his technique. He himself says his job is to embrace the orchestra without suffocating them.
A look at a wide-ranging selection of songs and music acts that came from Down Under, with clips of their appearances on some top UK shows. Featured chartbusters include pop pioneers the Easybeats, rock 'n' roll legends AC/DC, and INXS who became one of the nation's most successful acts of all time. Also included are ground-breaking Aborigine band Yothu Yindi, and the more famiiliar faces of Nick Cave, John Farnham, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan.
Broadcasters Lenny Henry and Suzy Klein celebrate black classical composers and musicians across the centuries whose stories and music have been forgotten in a 90-minute special.
Documentary charting the life, music and towering achievements of soul singer Teddy Pendergrass, from his origins and early life in Philadelphia, through his early successes with Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes and his solo superstardom and sex symbol status to his later life and continued success after overcoming the car crash that rendered him quadriplegic.
As the Peter Pan of Pop reaches the milestone of his 80th birthday, the BBC celebrates with a look back through its archives at some of his most memorable performances and biggest hits. Starting with the release of Sir Cliff’s first single Move It in 1958, we follow his incredible career through his appearances on a variety of BBC music programmes and television specials. The programme takes in his early, much-loved songs of the 1960s, the comeback and credibility of his work in the 1970s, the successes he enjoyed throughout the 80s and 90s, as he consolidated his reputation as a pop superstar, right up until the controversy and vindication that came with his Millennium Prayer. Amongst the classic songs featured are The Young Ones, Living Doll, Bachelor Boy, the Eurovision Song Contest contenders Congratulations and Power To All Our Friends, Devil Woman, Miss You Nights, Wired for Sound and Cliff’s much-praised 80s duet with Van Morrison, Wherever God Shines His Light.
Documentary, told in Count Basie’s own words, which reveals for the first time the private passions and ambitions that inspired the world-famous bandleader and pianist.
Annie Nightingale led the way as Radio 1's first female DJ and introduced a generation to exciting new sounds as the face of the Old Grey Whistle Test from 1978. Back then, punk was hard to find on mainstream television and Annie sought to build a platform for young people to have their say. In this programme, Annie opens up the archive to select some of the finest and most intriguing moments from this era. Covering punk, post-punk and new wave, Annie has chosen to explore a movement in music that became the soundtrack to a generation. The programme includes The Damned’s set-smashing performance on The Old Grey Whistle Test and the Sex Pistols' anarchic trip on the Thames. It also features powerful live performances from Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Gang of Four, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Tubeway Army, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Soft Cell, The Selecter, Joy Division and the Au Pairs. In addition, there are gems from The New York Dolls, The Fall, Blondie, Pete Shelley, The Police, Devo, X-Ray Spex, Klaus Nomi, Laurie Anderson and many more. Annie is full of great anecdotes and her wealth of knowledge drives a compelling narrative in a programme that features rare footage and many stellar acts who graced the Old Grey Whistle Test studio during Annie’s reign.
Annie Nightingale, Radio 1's first female DJ, has compiled a stellar playlist of some of the finest punk and new wave moments from the 70s and early 80s. This handpicked compilation features rare archive footage from The Slits, The Raincoats and Rhoda Dakar, as well as fantastic concert footage from Blondie and The Clash. Sprinkled throughout are live studio performances from The Old Grey Whistle Test, including a haunting performance of Ghosts by Japan, a classic Ramones clip and a rare John Foxx offering. The Teardrop Explodes and Tom Tom Club also feature, as do Adam Ant and Siouxsie Sioux. Annie’s eclectic picks ensure a highly entertaining mix of popular punk and new wave favourites interwoven with some forgotten archive gems.
In 2020, we said a sad farewell to Dame Vera Lynn. In a special programme, the BBC celebrates the ‘Forces Sweetheart’ with a look back through the archives at some of her favourite performances and biggest hits. As well as the many classic songs that helped unify the nation throughout World War II, this retrospective captures a side of Dame Vera that many have forgotten about, with upbeat song-and-dance performances from her 1970s series The Vera Lynn Show, which saw her covering many popular tunes of the 60s and 70s. We see her joining forces with a selection of fellow stars like Harry Secombe and Des O’Connor, there’s a special duet with the legendary Bing Crosby, and an unforgettable guest appearance on the Morecambe and Wise Show. And of course, there are performances of the wartime favourites she made her own: The White Cliffs of Dover and We’ll Meet Again.
A music documentary that celebrates the legacy of Ronnie Scott and his world-famous jazz club. Featuring previously unseen and unheard performances as well as interviews with some of the most iconic figures in music, the film explores the club’s 60-year history and shines a light on the uncompromising men and women who both built it and who took to its stage. Named after the late tenor saxophonist who founded the club in London’s bohemian district of Soho in 1959 with business partner Pete King, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club was inspired by the vibrant postwar music scene in New York and quickly became the city’s most famous music venue. Since then the club has consistently played host to the world’s greatest musical legends, including Chet Baker, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Roland Kirk, Buddy Rich, Oscar Peterson and Nina Simone. Ronnie Scott was among the earliest British musicians influenced by Charlie Parker and became one of the finest saxophone players in Europe. His chief motivation in starting a jazz club was to create a space where he and his contemporaries were free to play modern, forward-thinking music. Ronnie was beloved by many, from the great and famous who frequented his club to the many hard-up musicians who were often helped by his warmth and generous spirit. However, Ronnie was as complex and colourful as the music played on his stage. In private, Ronnie battled with depression, and when his untimely death occurred in 1996, it left the jazz community bereft of a respected and favourite leader
Danielle de Niese presents Mozart’s choral masterpiece, performed specially for a lockdown television audience by the chorus and orchestra of the English National Opera and a stellar line-up of soloists – Elizabeth Llewellyn, Dame Sarah Connolly, Ed Lyon and Gerald Finley. On stage at the Coliseum in London, Mark Wigglesworth conducts the emotionally charged Requiem – unfinished at the time of the composer’s death – in what promises to be a poignant moment of remembrance, reflection and ultimately hope at a time of national crisis.
The BBC’s 1960s jazz programme returns for a one-off special celebrating the recent resurgence of the genre by a community of young Londoners, largely educated through grassroots organisations rather than conservatoire traditions. Presented by drummer Moses Boyd and DJ Jamz Supernova, the Jazz 625 studio hosts performances from saxophonist Nubya Garcia, groups Ezra Collective and Sons of Kemet, and singer Poppy Ajudha.
Glass Animals perform 'Tangerine' featuring Arlo Parks and a special cover of 24kGoldn's 'Mood'.
A retrospective marking the 80th birthday in 2020 of legendary singer Dionne Warwick that looks back at her very best performances over the years at the BBC. From her collaborations in the 1960s with Burt Bacharach and Hal David on classics like Walk On By and I’ll Never Fall In Love Again through to 80s hits like Heartbreaker, composed by the Bee Gees, this is a collection of songs that remind us of a voice and a talent that made songwriters want to work with Dionne, and audiences fall in love with her, all over the world.
In a world exclusive, two of the biggest names in entertainment come together for a very special one-off show: music legend Paul McCartney is interviewed by Golden Globe-winning actor Idris Elba. Recorded in London in December 2020, Idris talks to Paul about his peerless career as the most successful musician and composer in pop music history. Paul talks about his writing process, which has produced some of the best-loved and most performed songs ever. As a producer and musician himself, Idris is fascinated by the craft and joy that drives Paul’s remarkable and prolific output and wants to find out what inspires Paul to continue to innovate creatively, as he releases his 26th post-Beatles album, McCartney III, which features Paul playing every instrument and writing and recording every song.
A documentary following Scottish hip-hop artist Stevie Creed as he travels to New York City to reconnect with his past and pursue his musical dreams. Introducing Stevie Creed, a 27-year-old hip-hop artist with a history of travels to Brooklyn, pursuing a show business career and self-publishing his own albums and music videos. Stevie works a day job in Edinburgh as a suit salesman and after work, carries a stack of costumes a few streets away to a theatre, where he does one of 24 Fringe performances of a show based on his life. From there, he goes straight to a rock venue to play a late-night gig with his band. Stevie reveals that he is doing all this while grieving for his friend and bandmate Jamei-Lee, who passed away a few months earlier at the age of 27. It is time for Stevie to make the most of life and fulfil his dreams while he can.
Dolly Parton performs a Christmas concert featuring a host of her favourite festive songs.
Documentary film that for the first time tells the life story of legendary Greek/American opera singer Maria Callas, completely in her own words. Tom Volf’s account, which took four years of painstaking research to assemble, includes performances, TV interviews, home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoires – nearly all of which have never been seen before. Maria by Callas reveals the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar and one of the greatest artists of all time.
In a truly unique and one-off performance, Paul McCartney returns to the city he loves and a venue that holds such history and significance, The Cavern Club. In this intimate gig, Paul treats fans to a selection of tracks including some taken from his 2018 album, Egypt Station.
Biography tracing the rock musician's life from his childhood in poverty and spell in prison for burglary, to fronting legendary metal group Black Sabbath and subsequent Grammy Award-winning solo career. More recently, Ozzy has become rock's elder statesman and a loveable family figure. Contributors include wife Sharon Osbourne, son and daughter Jack and Kelly Osbourne, and fellow musician Ice-T.
To mark his 50th birthday, Aled Jones looks back at the highlights of his remarkable career since making his name as a boy soprano — singing for Pope John Paul, the Royal family and at the wedding of Bob Geldof and Paula Yates to name a few. As he releases a new album, there are performances of some of his favourite tracks. He also catches up with old friends, including Walking in the Air composer Howard Blake, Gyles Brandreth and Dame Judi Dench.
A celebration of the hits of one of the greatest and biggest-selling stars of all time that looks back Whitney Houston’s best performances at the BBC. This selection of songs, wrapped up in one of soul music’s biggest-ever voices, captures how the world sat up and listened when Whitney burst onto the scene in 1985 with Saving all My Love for You. Taking us on a journey, hit by hit, through the 80s, 90s and 00s, this playlist is an absolute must for all her fans, reminding us why audiences fell in love with her time and again, and why her early death in 2012 was such a tragic loss to the world of music.
A look back over the decades at some of the brightest and best BBC moments from legendary singer-songwriter Neil Diamond. This compilation features performances from the early 1970s of hits like Sweet Caroline, Forever in Blue Jeans and Solitary Man, and appearances on a range of BBC programmes including Wogan, The Shirley Bassey Show, Later... with Jools Holland and, of course, Top of the Pops. Alongside all the hits are some rarely seen interview clips that capture Neil’s feelings about his enduring career and show how his dislike of fame has always sat in conflict with his passion for performing the songs that he and his fans love so much.
Neil Hannon looks back on his career with The Divine Comedy in this eccentric documentary, scripted by Hannon himself. He invites us into his ‘mind palace’, the place inside his head where his career lives, populated with props and costumes, inspirations and muses, to remind both himself and us how it all began
To mark Burns Night, Jamie MacDougall hosts an evening of musical celebration with Eddi Reader, Karen Matheson and Robyn Stapleton accompanied by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Featuring Robert Burns classics such as Ae Fond Kiss, My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose and Auld Lang Syne.
Recorded at the London Palladium and hosted by Sheridan Smith, this joyous celebration of musical theatre is packed with showstoppers from the West End’s biggest productions, performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra and guests including Elaine Paige, Michael Ball, Amanda Holden, Nicole Scherzinger, Josh Groban and Lea Salonga. Idina Menzel and Elaine Paige reveal the Top 10 songs from musicals, as voted for by BBC Radio 2 listeners, and there’s even a special performance from Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s next big show, Cinderella.
Director Julien Temple turns his lens towards the London-Irish punk and Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan in this revealing documentary. Interviewing his sister and father – who are at turns incredulous and dismissive of the singer’s fame – Temple traces MacGowan’s beginnings on the 70s punk circuit, his stint in a psychiatric unit and his battles with alcohol and substance abuse. MacGowan is a reluctant interviewee but famous fans such as Bobby Gillespie and Johnny Depp help draw out his legend.
A collection of classic performances from the BBC archives to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, featuring some of the Emerald Isle’s finest and best-loved musical acts. This selection reflects the huge impact that music from Ireland and Northern Ireland has made across the globe, with performances from U2, Sinead O’Connor, Van Morrison, The Pogues, The Corrs and The Cranberries. And it reminds us of the island's dominance of the world of pop, with the likes of boyband behemoths Boyzone and Westlife.
Documentary showcasing American legend Billie Holiday, capturing her depths and complexity through the voices of those who knew her best.
Handel’s much-loved masterpiece comes from the stunning London Coliseum in a version created by English National Opera specially for audiences at home. Petroc Trelawny and saxophonist-composer YolanDa Brown present this imaginatively staged, socially distanced production of Messiah, featuring the famous Hallelujah chorus, with the ENO Chorus and Orchestra and a stellar line-up of some of opera’s most exciting talent. Celebrated soloists including countertenor Iestyn Davies and mezzo-soprano Christine Rice are joined by rising stars Nadine Benjamin, Anthony Gregory, Nardus Williams, John Findon, William Thomas and Benson Wilson, while the conductor is renowned Handel expert Laurence Cummings. Although now more commonly performed at Christmas, Handel wrote Messiah as an Easter work, and its themes of hope and rebirth after dark times resonate strongly as we emerge from lockdown.
Paul Weller joins forces with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and multi-talented arranger and conductor Jules Buckley for a special one-off concert of his music. It features songs drawn from Paul’s long career – with classics from his early days fronting The Jam through the 80s with The Style Council – and majoring on his four decades as a solo artist, including material from his most recent album. Presented by Edith Bowman and filmed at London’s Barbican Centre, the concert also includes performances of some of Paul’s best-loved songs by three very special guests - Boy George, James Morrison and Celeste. With behind-the-scenes footage and specially shot interviews, this is Paul Weller’s music as never heard before.
6 Music presenter Craig Charles celebrates arguably one of the greatest albums ever recorded - Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ which turns 50 this year.
In November 1981, with Under Pressure topping the charts in the UK, Queen arrived in Montreal following dates in Japan and their record-breaking tour of Latin America. It was to be the only concert by Queen that was ever shot on film. Always a great live band, with arguably the greatest frontman of all time in Freddie Mercury, they excelled themselves with the cameras rolling.
Using music, archive and new interviews this is the story of 2 Tone – a unique musical phenomenon that exploded out of Coventry in the summer of 1979. 2 Tone not only dominated the charts and got the nation dancing to a ska beat, it played a vital part in the movement against racism in Britain and beyond. Including a rare interview with Jerry Dammers, the architect of 2 Tone, and contributions from other key players, the film explores the music style and ethos of the genre, and charts the remarkable story of how this independent ‘do it yourself’ record label from Coventry, went on to have a global impact and a unique place in popular music. 2 Tone’s distinctive look and sound, heavily influenced by 1960s Jamaica, was the brainchild of Jerry Dammers, founder and keyboard player of The Specials. Along with fellow Coventry band The Selecter, The Specials spearheaded 2 Tone from their hometown. The record label also went on to launch the careers of other bands too including Madness and The Beat. Jerry Dammers reveals how he came up with the ideas behind the 2 Tone revolution. Calling for unity at a time of growing racial tension in the UK, this was music with a message, featuring multiracial bands. With the unlikely blend of Jamaican ska and punk rock, the film explores how a brand-new musical genre came seemingly out of nowhere and went mainstream overnight as legions of fans adopted the rude boy/girl image and propelled the bands up the charts. It also considers why Coventry was the perfect place for the movement to begin. But it wasn’t just about the message – it was about fun, and live gigs renowned for their energy. The last 2 Tone release, ‘Nelson Mandela’ by The Special AKA saw Jerry Dammers' anti-racist message go onto a global stage and was in his words, ‘the culmination of 2 Tone’. The film also hears from Jerry’s bandmate in The Specials, Neville Staple; Pauline Black and Neol Davies of The Selecter, proud Coventrian and one time Special’s manager Pete
On 19th September 1981, Simon & Garfunkel reunited for a free public concert on the Great Lawn of New York City's Central Park, raising awareness and funding to help restore the world’s most famous urban park. The duo had rarely performed since their breakup in 1970, but their music continued to resonate with the city from which they came. This unforgettable performance, which drew one of the largest audiences ever assembled for a single concert, features all of Simon & Garfunkel’s greatest hits as well as selections from their solo catalogues, newly arranged with an expanded 11-man band. Songs performed include Mrs Robinson, America, Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, Bridge Over Troubled Water, The Boxer, Old Friends, The Sound of Silence and Late in the Evening.
To celebrate Beyonce reaching her fortieth birthday, this gift to her fans takes a trip through the archives for a selection of the best of Queen Bey at the BBC. The collection shows why we are all Crazy in Love with her and features several iconic live performances, with hits like Naughty Girl, Irreplaceable and of course Single Ladies, underlining how she has become one of the biggest musical stars on the planet.
It’s time to Canuck n’ Roll as we celebrate Canada Day with a trip through the best of the BBC’s music archives, exploring some of that great nation’s finest music stars. It’s a collection encompassing song-writing legends like Joni Mitchell, k.d. lang and Leonard Cohen, with added pop perfection in the shape of Justin Bieber and Avril Lavigne. You Oughta Know, we’ve also got Alanis Morisette, Arcade Fire, Nickelback and Bryan Adams, and with some added Celine Dion, Michael Buble and Shania Twain, the one thing you won’t be saying is: “That Don’t Impress Me Much.”
Cerys Matthews takes us on a journey through the archives to celebrate one of Britain's greatest drummers and his musical projects and passions. Including a Later… with Jools Holland performance from his side outfit The ABC & D of Boogie Woogie, a recently recorded jazz session for BBC Four, and a Rolling Stones gem.
A musical celebration for International Pride Month, with a collection of the BBC archives' biggest stars - including Kylie, Elton John and Lady Gaga. Our Pride playlist features controversial classics like Relax and Smalltown Boy; enduring anthems like Born This Way, I Will Survive and Glad to Be Gay; and the unforgettable sounds of disco, Dolly and Dusty. These are the songs and performances that helped to create some of the entertainment world’s greatest icons - capturing the delight, desire and defiance of the Pride movement, whilst also dominating the charts.
To mark St George’s Day, join BBC Four for a trip through the archives and a selection of songs celebrating English history, landmarks and places. This eclectic mix features a huge array of musical styles and tastes, ranging from Elton John to Maddy Prior and Joe Strummer, as well as one of English football’s oddest cheerleading combinations in The Spice Girls and Echo & The Bunnymen.
Gary Barlow brings together a top group of artists and musicians to perform classic songs from past and present. The ensemble comprises Jamie Cullum (piano and vocals), James Bay (guitar and vocals), Mica Paris (vocals), Guy Chambers (keyboards and musical director), Tom Fletcher (guitar and vocals), Danya Fisher (bass) and Donavan Hepburn (drums), and of course Gary on keys and vocals. Gary also welcomes special guests Anne-Marie and Craig David to the show to talk about their careers, reveal their musical heroes and perform new versions of classic tracks.
A collection of the some of the finest female voices and performances ever broadcast, showcasing those special superstars who, thanks to a combination of tonsils, talent and temperament, are so much more than just singers. Featuring the likes of Whitney, Beyonce, Mariah, Grace, Cher, Aretha, Tina, Diana and Adele: it’s a list of leading ladies all music fans are on first name terms with - and all crazy in love with too.
At the end of a decade when the world was in crisis and inspiration needed resurrecting, an influential duo released a masterpiece of popular music, Bridge over Troubled Water. Through darkness and light, the album takes its listeners on an emotional ride that echoes its era, and has proved to be a work that continues to inspire an audience the world over. Its symphonic hymn of a title track became an anthem for a generation. This film tells the story behind what is widely considered Simon and Garfunkel's greatest work. The influential duo's last studio album has its legacy shrouded in rock'n'roll mythology, complete with legendary tales of inspiration, innovation and separation. Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel and their collaborators share the journey in their own words and reflect back on its impact 40 years later, using never-before-seen film, photos and memorabilia.
Between 1989 and 1994, Nirvana introduced a new and exciting brand of rock music to the UK – one that changed the musical landscape and influenced a generation of British youth. Thirty years on since the release of their seminal album Nevermind, this documentary examines the special relationship between Nirvana and the UK – including the role Britain played in paving the way for their global success. Featuring rare and unseen archive footage - as well as home movies shot by the band themselves - the film charts Nirvana’s rise from their very first British tour, performing in pubs and tiny gig venues, through to legendary (and infamous) TV appearances on The Word and Top of the Pops that helped cement their status as one of the biggest rock bands on the planet, taking ‘grunge culture’ from the underground to the mainstream.
The word 'diva' is used to describe otherworldly talent - a term bestowed upon the best of the best in the world of opera. But somewhere along the line, the meaning got polluted by the male-dominated world of showbiz. In this programme, Ana Matronic reclaims the word by presenting five legendary artists.
First broadcast on the centenary of his birth, legendary jazz trumpeter and vocalist Louis Armstrong in performance.
The first all-access documentary - which was years in the making - about the legendary icon, Frank Zappa. It conveys the scope of his prodigious and varied creative output and the breadth of his extraordinary personal and political life. The documentary team was granted exclusive access by Frank's wife Gail to a vast collection of unreleased music, movies, incomplete projects, unseen interviews and unheard concert recordings. Much of these were deteriorating and in danger of being lost forever.
A collection of classic hits from the stable of one of Britain’s greatest and most successful music producers, the legendary Trevor Horn. From his early days as frontman with The Buggles right up to recent collaborations with the likes of Robbie Williams, this film examines how Trevor has become the go-to producer for acts keen to tap into the musical genius that defined the sound of the 1980s. Featured artists include Yes, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Grace Jones, ABC, Seal and Pet Shop Boys, and of course the song that kicked things off for the MTV generation, Video Killed the Radio Star.
Following the ups and downs of Del Amitri's 1996 US tour on the back of their hit single Roll To Me. With the tour in full swing, the pressures and exhaustion caused by cobnstant touring sent singer Justin Currie into a downward spiral that would take him back to his roots in Partick.
Guy Barker and the EFG London Jazz Festival Orchestra are joined by a fantastic host of guest singers as they perform jazz classics drawn from the world of film.
Documentary that provides a fascinating portrait of Keith Jarrett, whose music straddles classical and jazz. With contributions from those he has worked with, his family and from Jarrett himself.
Brit Award winner Sam Fender goes in search of a musical hero from another era - the late, great, Alan Hull of Lindisfarne. Sam is amazed how few people, outside of his native north east, know much about his hero’s work. He’s now on a mission to win back Hull’s place in music history. In this film, he traces the career of the man whose words and music put Newcastle and supergroup Lindisfarne on the musical map in the 1970s. Alan continued to write classic songs until his early death in 1995. He spoke of love and life, championed the underdog and the misunderstood, and celebrated working-class people and his hometown - both of which he loved with a passion. Alan lived and wrote through turbulent times - writing eloquently about the troubles in Northern Ireland, the Falklands War and the miners’ strike. Sam digs out great archive interviews, performances and unseen footage, and meets friends, family and bandmates who knew Alan Hull best. Sam also hears from top stars like Sting, Elvis Costello, Mark Knopfler, Dave Stewart and Peter Gabriel. All were huge fans of songs such as Lady Eleanor, Fog on the Tyne, Winter Song, Clear White Light and Run For Home. But he also finds that Alan inspired an entire new generation of musicians like Kay Greyson: a young rapper from Tyneside. To his surprise, Sam discovers ‘Hully’ also took the lead role in an acclaimed BBC TV primetime drama. He reveals a complex man - a political animal, a drinker and an agitator, beset by his own insecurities but someone who could break hearts and inspire minds with his lyrics and melodies.
A compilation of TV appearances from the post-Beatles career of Britain’s most successful singer-songwriter. This playlist shows how the Fab Four’s split didn’t stop the hits and features some of Paul McCartney’s most popular songs and iconic performances on some of the biggest BBC shows of the past five decades, from Top of the Pops to the Electric Proms. Alongside tracks like Band on the Run, Jet, Coming Up and Live and Let Die, there is rarely seen backstage footage, interviews and a range of familiar faces, including a recent encounter with die-hard Beatles fan Bob Mortimer.
A look at Christmas with the talented Kanneh-Mason family, seven brothers and sisters who are taking the classical music world by storm. Coming home to Nottingham to celebrate, their unique seasonal celebration is an exciting fusion of family traditions from the UK, Sierra Leone and the Caribbean. They perform their favourite festive music such as Mary’s Boy Child, We Three Kings, Santa Baby, Sugar Plum Fairy and In the Bleak Midwinter, as well as versions of Bob Marley’s Who the Cap Fit, Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah and Eric Whitacre’s The Seal Lullaby
The sound of Phil Collins is in the air tonight as we take a trip through the BBC’s archives with the man who, against all odds, went from being the drummer in Genesis to one of the biggest solo performers of the 1980s and 90s. This collection features Phil’s performances on a range of BBC shows, from Top of the Pops to Parkinson and The Two Ronnies, as well as the hits that saw him top the charts multiple times here and in the US, including You Can’t Hurry Love, A Groovy Kind of Love, One More Night, I Missed Again and Two Hearts
Filmed live at the Barbican in London, this major new production of the classic musical comedy features an all-star cast led by renowned Broadway actress Sutton Foster, reprising her Tony-winning performance as Reno Sweeney, alongside the award-winning Robert Lindsay and Felicity Kendal, as well as beloved West End legend Gary Wilmot. A heart-warming romance, featuring spectacular dance routines and some of theatre’s most memorable songs. When the SS American heads out to sea, etiquette and convention head out of the portholes as two unlikely pairs set off on the course to true love- proving that sometimes destiny needs a little help from a crew of singing sailors, a comical disguise and some good old-fashioned blackmail. This hilarious musical romp across the Atlantic, directed by the multi-award-winning Broadway director and choreographer Kathleen Marshall, features Cole Porter’s joyful score, including I Get a Kick Out of You, You’re the Top and the show-stopping Anything Goes.
The finest film themes and scores from the Berliner Philharmonie. Expect Jaws, Superman and Star Wars.
Years & Years singer Olly Alexander throws a spectacular New Year's Eve party as we build up to the midnight moment. Olly performs many of his hits and some surprise cover songs as well as duetting with a special guest, pop superstar Kylie Minogue.
This collection of Lady Gaga's appearances on a selection of BBC programmes from over the years underlines why she's considered one of the most creative and innovative stars of the 21st century.
Cathy Macdonald and Niall Iain Macdonald warmly welcome you to a great Hogmanay ceilidh with special guests. They bring in 2022 in great spirits with plenty of entertainment and songs from the likes of Iain 'Costello' MacIver and New Tradition, South Uist singer and piper Chloe Steele, Emma MacLeod from Scalpay who won the Traditional Gold Medal at the Inverness Mod, Iain 'Spanish' Mackay and the Glenfinnan Ceilidh Band. Adding to the festivities are recorded pieces of music from Stornoway Town Hall including tracks from Wille Campbell, the Lewis and Harris Youth Pipe Band and singers from the island's choirs known as Lewis Gaelic Choir. And a ceilidh would not be so enjoyable or complete without a song or two from ‘Boydie’ MacLeod, Innes Scott and Uilly MacLeod who you might recognize as Peat & Diesel. A great sing-along is guaranteed!
Ever since its premiere in Turin in 1896, La bohème has been a huge hit with audiences across the world. Within two years, it had been seen in Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Prague, Berlin, Manchester and beyond. With over 500 performances chalked up at Covent Garden alone, this opera is one of the most popular and enduring in the repertoire. Poverty and passion collide in a story of friendship and fellowship, love and loss. In this performance from 2020, Sonya Yoncheva stars as the doomed seamstress Mimì, with Charles Castronovo as Rodolfo, who falls in love with her at first sight. Simona Mihai and Andrzej Filonczyk perform the roles of the on-off lovers, Musetta and Marcello. Richard Jones’s period production brings to life the garret flats and shopping arcades of 19th-century Paris, with designs by Stewart Laing, pitting the rags of the bohemians against the riches of the swanky shopping arcades and restaurants of Paris. This performance is conducted by Emmanuel Villaume.
Turn back time on a journey through the BBC archives to celebrate singing superstar Cher with a selection of songs and chat show moments featuring many of the her greatest hits.
A look back at a selection of magical Madonna moments on various BBC shows, from her first Top of the Pops appearance with Holiday in 1984 right up to the present day.
A collection of performances from one of the greatest singers and live performers in modern music - the legendary Tina Turner. This selection of tracks comes from appearances Tina made on various BBC programmes over the years, featuring some of her biggest hits from the 1970s, 80s and 90s.
The extraordinary story of Freddie Mercury’s battle with Aids and the groundbreaking tribute concert Queen staged in his memory after he died.
To mark 25 years since Geri, Emma, Victoria and the Mels first exploded onto the world stage, we take a trip into the music archives to uncover the performances that every Spice Girls devotee really, really wants to see again. These are the Fab Five’s finest appearances on a range of BBC shows from over the years and includes all the favourites, from their breakout number one Wannabe through to their final release as a girl band, Headlines. Our playlist also contains a selection of the hits the girls enjoyed when they’d said ‘Goodbye’ and launched themselves as solo stars.
To celebrate St David’s Day, this trip through the BBC’s music archives features a selection of tracks from some of the most important and innovative Welsh artists of the past few decades. The programme includes performances by Manic Street Preachers, Catatonia, Super Furry Animals, Marina and the Diamonds, Stereophonics, Feeder, Shakin’ Stevens, Bonnie Tyler, Dame Shirley Bassey and Sir Tom Jones.
An electric Tina Turner performance from Arnhem, Netherlands, in 2009, as part of her blockbuster 50th Anniversary Tour. During 2008 and 2009, Tina completed 90 shows in over 40 different cities across North America and Europe, celebrating 50 years of being in music. She performed to over a million adoring fans throughout the tour, in a set that contained some of her most-loved songs, including The Best, What’s Love Got to Do With It, Proud Mary and many more.
The legendary band’s huge international status and punishing touring schedules meant that over the years they made surprisingly few appearances on programmes like Top of the Pops, and tragically for their fans, several of those performances were either lost or never recorded. Songs featured take us from the band’s first ever UK hit, Seven Seas of Rhye, through to These Are The Days of Our Lives, Queen’s last hit before Freddie’s untimely death, as well as all the biggest hits, including the iconic Bohemian Rhapsody, frequently voted the nation’s favourite ever song.
From Texas to Travis, Annie Lennox to Lulu, and Primal Scream to The Proclaimers, this collection of the best of Scottish rock and pop is the perfect way to celebrate St Andrew’s Day. With performances from a range of BBC shows across the decades, this selection also features the likes of Emeli Sande, Simple Minds, Sheena Easton and Deacon Blue.
The New Year party continues as Years & Years' Olly Alexander returns to the stage to perform more of his hits and collaborates with the legendary Pet Shop Boys on an all-time 80s classic.
In a unique collaboration between BBC Introducing and BBC Radio Scotland’s Travelling Folk, Bruce MacGregor and Phoebe I-H bring you some of the finest and freshest talent emerging from the Celtic crossover music scene in Scotland today.
The Motown child prodigy who evolved into a true genius, Stevie Wonder is one of soul music’s all-time legends, a groundbreaking master blaster responsible for some of the best – and best-selling – songs to grace the pop charts. This collection gathers together some of Stevie’s best BBC moments, from huge hits like I Just Called to Say I Love You and Happy Birthday to fan favourites like He’s Misstra Know-It-All and Love’s in Need of Love Today. Together, these songs underline why Stevie remains one of the music world’s most respected artists and showcase how, even after all these years, this most aptly named star still leaves audiences with a true sense of wonder.
Franz Schubert's masterpiece, his song cycle Winterreise, bewildered his friends when he first played it to them. Two centuries on, it still challenges musicians of every generation. In this beautiful film, baritone Benjamin Appl and pianist James Baillieu make their own winter journey, reimagining Schubert's songs at the top of a mountain pass in Switzerland in a setting that emphasises the timelessness of the composer's music.
A selection of Sondheim's finest songs performed by some of the world's greatest stars at the BBC, including Shirley Bassey, Sammy Davis Jr, Michael Ball and Liza Minnelli.
One of the finest of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operas in a sumptuous production by Scottish Opera. Sunny, funny and with more 'tra-la-las' per square inch than any other opera in the canon, The Gondoliers is a joy from start to finish. This witty satire is jam-packed with unforgettable star roles, musical highlights and dancing, including numbers such as Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes, Regular Royal Queen and the Cachucha. The Gondoliers is a charming poke at the appeals and pitfalls of rulership, privilege and cronyism. Two happy-go-lucky Venetian gondoliers, Marco and Giuseppe, discover that one of them is, in fact, heir to the throne of a distant kingdom. True to their (adopted) republican roots, they set off together to rule in idealistic if somewhat chaotic style. Marco and Giuseppe have just chosen their brides, Gianetta and Tessa, when their lives are thrown into turmoil by the arrival of the grand inquisitor, Don Alhambra, who informs them that one of them has acquired the throne
They’re Britain’s best-loved and most enduring boys-to-men band, and here we celebrate a selection of Take That’s greatest BBC appearances from their long and varied career. This collection contains all the biggest hits that you’ll never forget, from both phases of the band’s existence: the glorious early days of nonstop number ones, when Gary, Robbie, Mark, Howard and Jason were everyone’s favourite pop pin-ups; and then the 21st-century comeback that nobody expected, where the fans’ patience paid off and the band reinstated themselves at the top of the charts. Of course, everything changes over the years, and we capture them as a five-piece, a quartet and a trio, but what shines through at all times is the quality of the songwriting and performances, and that magical connection with the audiences that’s made them such a hit for so long.
An all-star concert event at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, honouring Kenny Rogers's historic 60-year career and featuring the final performance together by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, one of popular music’s most beloved duets of all time.
She’s been one of the world’s most successful and talked about performers of the century, and last year’s triumph of the #FreeBritney campaign means she’s still relevant more than two decades after she first grabbed our attention. Her explosive arrival on the music scene aged just 16 made Britney a frequent visitor to some of TV’s biggest shows, and here we’ve captured the biggest and best of those performances, with hits including Crazy, Overprotected, Toxic and Oops! I Did it Again. So, why not join us and revisit her best BBC moments One More Time?
She’s got one of pop’s most powerful voices and has belted out some of the greatest love songs of all time, so prepare to swoon as Celine Dion gets the At the BBC treatment. This collection of Celine’s best performances from the biggest shows includes all her most famous hits and moments, from the 1988 Eurovision performance that first introduced her to British audiences to the Oscar-winning soundtrack smashes she enjoyed with Beauty and the Beast and, of course, Titanic’s My Heart Will Go On.
Created to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the consecration of Coventry Cathedral, Ghosts in the Ruin is a performance work that features original choral music, projections of archive imagery and poetry by local writers. The piece takes audiences on a physical journey between the new cathedral and the ruins of the original site, retelling the history of the space and exploring themes of reconciliation and sanctuary that characterise the city. This is the film of the site-specific performance, commissioned by Coventry Cathedral and the Coventry City of Culture Trust, and created by Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement recipient Nitin Sawhney CBE with the people of Coventry. Ghosts in the Ruins received its world premiere on 27 January 2022 in Coventry Cathedral.
The third day of the platinum jubilee celebrations continues with a spectacular evening of entertainment. The concert at Buckingham Palace features a glittering array of global stars and performers from the worlds of music and dance to celebrate 70 years of HM the Queen’s reign. As darkness falls, stunning projections illuminate the palace during the performances. Kirsty Young is in St James’s Park in London with special guests, and backstage Roman Kemp and Richie Anderson catch up with some of the performers taking part.
Welsh rock royalty Stereophonics return home to Wales to headline a special performance live from the iconic Principality Stadium.
Recorded in 2003
A classic concert from 1978 - from a tour fans consider to be one of their best.
The Stones perform in Los Angeles in 2002, treating fans to a set heavy on rarities.
This programme captures a truly unique event in the long and eventful history of The Rolling Stones. On 20 May 2015, at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, the band performed the entire Sticky Fingers album live in concert for the first, and so far only time, in their career. The show celebrated the reissue of the Sticky Fingers album and was the opening night of the band's Zip Code Tour of North America that would run over the next two months. The intimate setting of the Fonda Theatre was in contrast to the huge stadiums in which the band would perform for the rest of the tour and made this an incredibly special occasion for those fans lucky enough to get a ticket.
Celebrate the rich legacy of reggae legend Bob Marley in a concert filmed live at Birmingham Town Hall, featuring some of his most celebrated songs and special guests including his grandson Skip Marley. Presented by Trevor Nelson, this one-hour special reimagines Bob Marley’s greatest hits, including Get Up Stand Up, Exodus, Redemption Song and Waiting in Vain, all layered with new orchestration by Chineke!, Europe’s first majority black and ethnically diverse orchestra. Chineke! are joined by singer-songwriter JP Cooper, gospel and R&B legend Ruby Turner, and Skip Marley, who makes his debut UK solo performance. Featuring interviews with the performers and members of the Marley family, this concert both honours and brings fresh interpretation to the beloved music of Bob Marley.
The band's headline set from the festival, which sees the band celebrating 20 years since their formation and their first appearance at Reading & Leeds since 2014. Featuring hits from their six albums including Do I Wanna Know?, R U Mine?, Crying Lightning and I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor.
Enjoy the Thrill of It All and Dance Away the evening for this dive into the BBC’s archives to look over some of the finest performances from both Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry. As a band, they were innovative, helping create the look and sound of the 1970s, and Ferry’s solo career saw him hit new heights as the embodiment of sophisticated cool. Amongst the hits included are classics like Do The Strand, Avalon, Slave to Love and In Every Dream Home a Heartache... but the programme covers their entire careers, so do prepare for More than This.
A journey back in time for a selection of Kylie’s best and biggest performances on the BBC. It’s a journey from the early, girl-next-door days with Stock Aitken Waterman to the boundary-pushing dance sounds of the 90s, 00s and beyond.
One of the world's greatest singer-songwriters, Joan Armatrading, does what she does best. Filmed at Asylum Chapel, London, in 2021.
A tribute to the star, who died in August 2022 at the age of 73, after a music career spanning five decades, and years spent raising awareness of breast cancer and creating music to help those affected by the disease. It was the success of Grease that turned Olivia into an international sensation, but she was already familiar to BBC audiences thanks to appearances like many of those captured in this collection. These include her own TV specials, guest appearances on some of the biggest entertainment shows of the day, and the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, where Olivia represented the United Kingdom, going into battle with eventual winners Abba.
Chineke!, Europe’s first majority Black and ethnically diverse orchestra, perform the glorious music of two historic Black composers in a special concert filmed live at Birmingham Town Hall.
A look back at the singer's finest moments on the BBC, shown to coincide with her 95th birthday. Britain's 'First Lady of Jazz" became a star after joining The John Dankworth Seven in the 1950s, later marrying the bandleader. Internationally renowned for her mastery of the scat singing style, Cleo has now enjoyed over six decades of success and acclaim here and across the world. Featuring renditions of Send in the Clowns and I Love You Porgy, and duets with John Williams, Dudley Moore, Tony Bennett and her late husband Johnny Dankworth.
Coldplay fans will be in Paradise with this trip through the BBC’s archives, which follows the incredible journey that’s taken the band from promising new talents, whose first hits coincided with the start of a new century, right through to stadium-filling global superstars. With all the key songs and anthems taken from a selection of their finest TV performances, this Coldplay mix looks and sounds Magic.
A look at the singer's extraordinary career that has stretched across eight decades and made her one of the our most popular, successful and enduring stars. This collection of Petula's finest moments at the BBC ranges from 21st century performances with Jools Holland on Later right back to 1940s - when 'Britain's Shirley Temple" as she was dubbed was just a teenager, showcasing her talents on early broadcasts from Alexandra Palace. Songs featured include Downtown, Don't Sleep in the Subway and This Is My Song.
Chronicling Jimi Hendrix’s visit to Maui in July 1970, this documentary tells the story of an ill-fated independent film produced by Hendrix's manager, Michael Jeffery. Originally released in 2020.
A chance to look back at an amazing 12 months of live music at the BBC. Lauren Laverne leads us through a year of unforgettable performances – from the 6 Music Festival to Glastonbury.
An archive performance of Nina Simone playing at the 1976 Montreux Jazz Festival.
Presented by Annie Macmanus, this one-off special celebrates the twentieth anniversary of Ireland’s Other Voices Festival. Each winter since 2001, Other Voices has gathered music’s brightest voices together to perform to an audience of just 80 people in the tiny St James’ Church, located along the Dingle peninsula on the most westerly tip of Ireland. Everyone from Amy Winehouse to Young Fathers, and St. Vincent to The National, have made the musical pilgrimage to west Kerry to play intimate sets on the church’s iconic stage. This special anniversary film takes a look at the history and foundations of the acclaimed festival with never-before-seen interviews and stunning performances from Sam Fender, Sigrid, John Grant, Villagers, Dermot Kennedy and Kay Young. Annie will also open the Other Voices vault to showcase remarkable archive performances from Fontaines D.C., Little Simz and Arlo Parks.
A collection of songs from the kings and queens of the keyboards, whose performances have captivated audiences over the decades across a selection of the BBC's best-loved music programmes. From piano pioneers like Little Richard, Nina Simone and Ray Charles, who showed the world that the new sounds of pop and rock didn't just revolve around guitars, right through to modern maestros like Elton John, Lady Gaga and Jools Holland.
Using previously unheard interviews and told in her own words, When Tina Turner Came to Britain is the story of Tina Turner’s 50-year relationship with the UK, also featuring interviews with British musicians and fans who shared her journey. From her first visit, alongside Ike Turner, supporting the Rolling Stones in 1966, to her legendary 1983 comeback performance on C4’s The Tube and working with Heaven 17, Tina has always had a soft spot for the UK. With powerful and revealing testimony from the likes of Martyn Ware, Glenn Gregory, PP Arnold, Arlene Phillips and Skin, this one-hour documentary charts Tina’s incredible journey, overcoming challenge after challenge to become the undisputed queen of rock with a little help from her many British friends
Elaine Paige: I’m Still Here is a special concert that was filmed at London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall, and features ‘The First Lady of British Musical Theatre’, with the 60-piece BBC Concert Orchestra.
To celebrate the singer who conquered the 1990s and changed the sound of pop and R&B forever, we delve into the BBC archives to bring you all of Mariah Carey's best-loved hits.
A look back at the best BBC moments of Ed Sheeran, who’s been bringing his A game to viewers and listeners since before his first big hit, The A Team. Since that debut, he has enjoyed 13 number ones and had so many hits that the rules on how many singles could enter the charts had to be rewritten. It’s a career that’s seen Ed dazzle audiences on a huge range of BBC shows and special concerts, so prepare for Shivers with this selection of his most Perfect performances.
Join us for this celebration of pop’s greatest LGBTQ+ stars whose gender and sexuality are central to the story of their individual careers and the amazing songs they have created. Our rainbow alliance of amazing artists includes George Michael, Boy George, Freddie Mercury, Beth Ditto, MNEK, Lil Nas X and Barry Manilow. Some pushed boundaries and challenged gender stereotypes from the very start, others only revealed their true selves after years of success and speculation – but all have played their part in changing the world of popular music and the sounds that we listen to and love.
When British pop star Charli XCX finds herself in quarantine in Los Angeles with her boyfriend Huck and best friend Sam, she embarks on an ambitious journey to create and release a new album during the 40 days of lockdown. Filming the whole process, Charli XCX: Alone Together captures the highs and lows of isolation, the anxiety of modern life, moments of intimacy and Charli’s digital relationship with her global fanbase. The project tests the artist’s emotional limits and unites her community of fans, referred to endearingly as Charli's Angels. The end result is the release of her acclaimed album How I’m Feeling Now.
Captured during his live appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in July 1980, this highly energetic concert reinforces Marvin Gaye as the undisputed prince of Motown. He performs many of his timeless classics, including Let’s Get It On, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, What’s Going On and I Heard It Through the Grapevine, resulting in thundering appreciation and applause from his audience. One of the most gifted talents to come up through the ranks of the Motown label, Marvin Gaye paved the way for the unrelenting progression of popular black tracks.
Live from Vienna. The Vienna Philharmonic perform their traditional feast of waltzes and polkas.
A multi-platinum artist. An iconic venue. One unforgettable show. Sam Smith - the artist whose music you’ve danced to, cried along with and loved - performs at the Royal Albert Hall. Sam takes to the stage with their band, dancers, a full choir and orchestra to play an extremely special show, filmed in October 2022, coinciding with the success of unstoppable smash hit single Unholy - Sam's eighth number one - and their fourth studio album, Gloria. Sam performs songs spanning all four of their albums, including chart-topping smashes Stay With Me, Dancing with a Stranger and I’m Not the Only One, and new material from Gloria. And there is an appearance from a very special guest as pop diva Kim Petras – Sam’s co-singer on Unholy – joins them on stage.
Classic heart-breaking BBC performances from some of music's biggest stars, including George Michael, Amy Winehouse, Sam Smith, Taylor Swift and - of course - the queen 'Heartbreaker" herself, soul legend Dionne Warwick.
Legendary Welsh band The Manic Street Preachers return to perform in their hometown of Blackwood for the first time in over 25 years. This intimate gig at the historic Miners' Institute features exhilarating live versions of hits that span three decades, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, and an insightful interview with the band themselves.
To mark his 75th birthday, the composer takes a nostalgic journey through the BBC archives, looking back on a collection some of his biggest and best-loved songs, with performances by stars like Barbra Streisand, Elaine Paige, Diana Ross, Michael Ball and Michael Crawford. Andrew also shares stories from behind scenes of his most popular works, shedding light on how he knew Madonna would perform Evita years before she did, how the cast of Starlight Express ended up on roller-skates, and how Jason Donovan and his Technicolour Dream Coat had a new generation falling in love with musical theatre.
British choir Tenebrae perform a specially created programme combining Bach’s motets with a newly commissioned work by celebrated Scottish composer Sir James MacMillan.
When Burt Bacharach passed away in February 2023 at the age of 94, the world said goodbye to one of the all-time songwriting greats. This celebration of the man and his music features a selection of the finest songs from his extraordinary back catalogue and some ‘magic moments’ from the BBC’s archives. With performances from artists like Aretha and Adele, Dusty and Dionne, Cilla Black and the White Stripes, this is a collection that highlights exactly why Burt was considered a legend by fans, critics and fellow artists, demonstrating once again why he and his compositions are universally loved by ‘anyone who had a heart.’
Little Richard can stake a claim on having invented rock 'n' roll. A black artist who grew up in the segregated south of the United States, Richard Penniman broke down barriers and took 1950s America by storm. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones supported him and drew inspiration from his musicianship and stagecraft. He went on to influence artists as diverse as David Bowie, Elton John, Michael Jackson and Prince.
A joyful celebration of 17th-century folk music, fiddle tunes, drinking songs and sea shanties, brought vividly to life by virtuoso musicians Bjarte Eike and Barokksolistene.
World-famous jazz club Ronnie Scott’s hosts a tribute to Burt Bacharach - a songwriter, producer and pianist who us widely seen as one of the most important songwriters of the 20th century. Clive Myrie is at the show, which features brand new jazz-inspired arrangements of some of Burt Bacharach’s best-loved music by the club’s artistic director James Pearson. The setlist spans Burt Bacharach’s epic career and includes The Look of Love, Alfie, Wives and Lovers, Do You Know the Way to San Jose and That’s What Friends Are For.
Guy Barker’s Big Band and the BBC Concert Orchestra join forces at this year’s Cheltenham Jazz festival, hosted by Marcus Brigstocke, bringing together the very best in jazz and soul.
It’s the city that gave birth to The Beatles, inspired Gerry to ride that ferry, and spawned Bunnymen and Atomic Kittens. Now with all eyes – and ears – on Liverpool for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, a look into the BBC’s archives for a selection of performances from some of Merseyside’s biggest and best-loved musical stars. Forget house music - this is scouse music, rich and varied, with some songs that conquered charts across the world and others that struck a special chord here – from The Story of the Blues to You’ll Never Walk Alone, and inevitably, in a city with two massive football teams, Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Two Tribes.
A look back at one of British music’s most enduring and significant partnerships, Pet Shop Boys, with highlights from Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe’s appearances on the BBC.
English National Opera’s sparkling new production of the much-loved Gilbert and Sullivan classic, set in the Tower of London. The dashing Colonel Fairfax is under sentence of death. Can his old friend, the Beefeater Sergeant Merryl, save him? And what of Merryl’s daughter Phoebe, who has fallen hopelessly in love with the colonel? A fast-paced caper with forbidden romances, fantastical plots and unrequited love unfolds, with some surprising twists at the end. Widely regarded as one of Sullivan’s finest scores, the opera is full of delightful tunes, including I Have a Song to Sing, O!, When a Wooer Goes a-Wooing and Free From His Fetters Grim. The action has been shifted to the 1950s, the time of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, and the stellar cast includes Tony and Olivier Award-winning stage and screen actor Richard McCabe, who makes his operatic debut in the role of the travelling jester Jack Point, the opera’s comic baritone.
The latest in John Bridcut’s collection of award-winning films about British composers features the life and music of Sir Michael Tippett, who died 25 years ago in 1998. For many years, Tippett dominated the contemporary classical music scene in the UK. His life spanned almost the whole of the 20th century, and embraced many of the social issues of his time, from pacifism to homosexuality. His most popular work, the oratorio A Child of Our Time, made his name in 1944. Provoked by Kristallnacht – the 1938 Nazi-led pogrom against German Jews – it continues to speak powerfully about refugees and persecution. This performance-based documentary features extracts from the full range of Tippett’s music, specially filmed in Glasgow with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Bearsden Choir.
As the excitement builds for Glastonbury 2023, this is a trip down memory lane as some of the festival’s biggest fans take a look at some of their favourite performances and the stories behind them. Noel Gallagher, Self Esteem, Jessie Ware, Nish Kumar, Kerry Godliman, Joe Wicks and more reflect on seeing the likes of Pet Shop Boys, Beyoncé, Janelle Monáe, Foo Fighters, Miley Cyrus and The Killers at Glastonbury.
George Michael was one of Britain’s best-loved and most acclaimed music stars. With Wham!, the group George formed alongside best friend Andrew Ridgely, he created an 80s phenomenon – heartthrob chart-toppers across the globe and the first Western pop act ever to perform in China. His subsequent solo work took his career to a whole new level, making him one of the key cultural figures of the day. This collection of George’s solo performances and Wham! classics comes from his appearances on a selection of BBC programmes that demonstrate perfectly why he remains so fondly remembered, featuring hits such as Club Tropicana, Freedom, Faith, Outside and Amazing.
As a schoolboy aged 14, Nick Broomfield met Brian Jones, by chance, on a train. Brian was at the height of his success, with the world at his feet, but just six years later, he would be dead. This film takes a look at the relationships and rivalries within The Rolling Stones in their formative years, exploring the iconoclastic freedom and exuberance of the 60s, a time of intergenerational conflict and sexual turmoil that reflects on the present day. Featuring revealing interviews with all the main players and unseen archive released for the first time, this documentary explores the creative musical genius of Jones, key to the success of the band, and uncovers how the founder of what became the greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world was left behind in the shadows of history.
A collection of Shania Twain’s biggest moments from the BBC archives, including live performances, her earliest UK TV appearances from the days of her debut hit Still the One and the karaoke classics That Don’t Impress Me Much and Man! I Feel Like a Woman! So grab a hairbrush and - to quote the title of her biggest-selling album - Come on Over.
Bananarama are the girl group with more chart entries than any other in the world, and now they are getting the ‘at the BBC’ treatment with this collection of performances from the BBC archives, featuring many of the 25 Top 40 singles they released over their career. It’s a selection that covers those early days when Fun Boy Three first introduced pop fans to the original line-up of Keren Woodward, Sara Dallin and Siobhan Fahey, as well as the end of the 1980s when Siobhan left and was replaced by Jacquie O’Sullivan. We also bring things right up to date and feature the band’s current status as a duo, with Sara and Keren keeping the flame alive. Over all those years, Bananarama have never claimed to be the greatest singers or dancers, but together they somehow still created pop magic – so fans, settle back and witness how their durability proves beyond doubt that It Ain’t What You Do, it’s the Way That You Do It.
Opera North and Phoenix Dance Theatre power an epic, heart-rending journey of the soul. A contemporary dance staging of Mozart’s great choral lament, choreographed by Dane Hurst.
Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman were the producers who came, SAW and conquered the UK charts in the 1980s, spinning the music scene right round like a record with their instantly recognisable brand of disco floor-filling pop hits. The trio divided the nation between those who loved their Hi-NRG sound and the singers they transformed into tabloid sensations, and a music press that loathed them for turning record producing into a production line. Today, many of SAW’s most memorable hits are considered classics of their time, and the very best of them are celebrated in this new selection, featuring such artists as Rick Astley, Dead or Alive, Donna Summer, Bananarama, Mel & Kim and, of course, Kylie and Jason.
A celebration of one of the most successful Anglo-American musical partnerships of all time with a look into the BBC archives for Fleetwood Mac's finest performances.
A special one-off concert celebrating the music of the iconic sci-fi series to mark its 60th anniversary. Recorded live in Cardiff for Radio 2's Sunday Night is Music Night, Jo Whiley presents with exclusive interviews from showrunners past and present, including Russell T. Davies, Steven Moffat, and Chris Chibnall. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the BBC Singers, conducted by Alastair King, perform fan favourites from composers Murray Gold and Segun Akinola, who give insights into the music that has accompanied the Doctor and the TARDIS on six decades of time travel.
Watch the story behind the last Beatles song, with exclusive footage and commentary. Now and Then's eventful journey to fruition took place over five decades and is the product of conversations and collaborations between the four Beatles that go on to this day.
The relationship between The Beatles and the BBC has always been a special and fascinating one. This programme looks back at some key moments that saw the BBC document the band’s journey as they went from Merseybeat heroes with mop-tops and MBEs to seeing out the sixties as long-haired heroes of the counter-culture. In the early years, an interview on the BBC was something the band would pursue and embrace, but as their fame spread, their TV appearances became increasingly rare. The changing dynamic is captured here through a combination of classic music performances and the very best moments from the BBC’s archives. Songs featured include the fresh sound of She Loves You to the era-defining special performance of All You Need Is Love.
Archive performances by the band, from their first TV appearance on a Saturday morning show hosted by Cheryl Baker of Bucks Fizz right through to their headlining slots at Glastonbury. This collection features Country House, Parklife, Girls & Boys, Coffee & TV, Beetlebum, Tender and Out of Time.
A selection of the Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter's performances on BBC music programmes, featuring the hits Fallin', No One, Girl on Fire and Empire State of Mind.
A showcase of Bob Dylan with his band in an intimate setting as he performs songs from his extensive body of work, including Forever Young, I'll Be Your Baby Tonight, It's All Over Now Baby Blue and many more. This performance film marks Bob Dylan's first concert since 2019 and his first performance since his acclaimed album Rough and Rowdy Ways.
A look at the real Dionne Warwick, the artist behind timeless hits such as What the World Needs Now, Say a Little Prayer and Don’t Make Me Over. Behind the iconic music is a strong woman whose fierce determination not only brought her worldwide success but also a voice she used to fight for humanitarian causes. Featuring heartfelt contributions and interviews from Alicia Keys, Snoop Dogg, Stevie Wonder, Burt Bacharach, Bill Clinton, Cissy Houston, Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, Barry Gibb, Gloria Estefan, Olivia Newton-John, Elton John and Warwick herself.
When Blondie first exploded onto the music scene with their debut UK hit Denis, they were an immediate sensation and instantly embraced by the British record-buying public. Debbie Harry’s inimitable cool and the band’s pioneering new wave, New York sound made them one of the most significant bands of the era – and gave them an impressive six number one singles. With them every step of the way have been the BBC’s biggest music shows, and this programme takes a trip through the archives to sample the best of Blondie over the years, with appearances from the late 1970s up to recent times and performances confirming the enduring strength of songs like Call Me, Atomic, Picture This, Rapture and The Tide Is High.
In 1977, a small and relatively unknown group called Blondie arrived in Bournemouth ahead of their first ever UK tour. This is the story of the key part Britain played in helping break one of the world’s most influential bands and examines a special relationship that has endured for nearly 50 years. Featuring rare and unseen archive material – including photographs taken by guitarist Chris Stein - this documentary charts Blondie’s rise from that first student union gig in Bournemouth, supported by Squeeze (including a 19-year-old Jools Holland) through to 2023 and an unforgettable performance on Glastonbury’s iconic Pyramid Stage.
Another slice of disco delight with a celebration of nightclub classics taken from the very best of the BBC’s archives, including Rock Your Baby, Ring My Bell and Yes Sir, I Can Boogie.
A celebration of R&B superstar Mary J Blige that spans the highlights of her groundbreaking career and features the very best of her appearances on a selection of BBC shows. From the early songs of the mid-1990s right up to her acclaimed 2015 performance on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage, this collection demonstrates why Mary has been labelled as ‘the queen of hip-hop soul’, featuring such hits as Just Fine, Everything and No More Drama. The programme also includes her collaborations with U2, George Michael and the man who once said Mary possesses 'one of the best voices you’re ever going to hear', Sir Elton John.
Ain’t Nobody quite like Chaka Khan, and the proof of that comes courtesy of the BBC’s music archives, which have been plundered for this celebration of one of the all-time great queens of soul. This selection of Chaka’s finest BBC moments covers five decades of performing, reflecting a career that started in the 70s with her partnership with Rufus and eventually led to the massive number one hit I Feel for You, which helped bring rap right into the mainstream, and I’m Every Woman, an instant anthem that made her a lifelong female icon.
A performance by acclaimed singer-songwriter Gregory Porter.
Country Christmas 2023, hosted this year by country music stars Amy Grant and Trisha Yearwood, brings some of country music’s most beloved artists together for a night full of festive classics. Join Jordan Davis, Amy Grant, Lady A, Ashley McBryde, Jon Pardi, Lindsey Stirling, The War and Treaty, Zach Williams, Lainey Wilson and Trisha Yearwood for a show full of Christmas favourites. Filmed in Nashville in front of a live audience, the holiday special showcases one-of-a-kind musical performances to get you in the Christmas spirit.
Another fantastic selection of dance floor disco classics, featuring a wealth of performances from the BBC’s music archives, including Tina Charles, The Real Thing, Sister Sledge and The Bee Gees.
Aretha Franklin is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest singers of all time, and yet more proof of that can be found in this collection of her performances on BBC programmes from across the decades. From a stunning 2015 performance of You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman) that had President Barack Obama in tears to gems from the 1970s, when Aretha dropped in to be the guest star on shows hosted by Cliff Richard and Lulu, these songs and her voice will remind everyone why she is still to this day considered the ultimate queen of soul.
The former Wham! frontman, George Michael, is filmed at his final two concerts at London's Earls Court arena on 24 and 25 August 2008 in front of 40,000 screaming fans. Part of his 25 Live tour, the shows marked a triumphant return to live performance for the singer, with the songs featured including Careless Whisper, Faith, Fast Love, Jesus to a Child and I'm Your Man, drawn from every stage of his career.
A selection of some of the best BBC moments and classic archive performances from those singers and bands who cracked Hollywood as well as the pop charts. These are the tunes that get hummed when leaving the cinemas over the years from blockbusters, Oscar winners, comedies and family favourites, featuring a selection of soundtrack stars including Destiny’s Child, Paul Simon, All Saints, Simple Minds and Dolly Parto
A stunning selection of perfect performances of love songs from the BBC's music archives, including the sounds of Nat King Cole, Shania Twain, Billy Joel, Ed Sheeran and many, many more.
A trip through the BBC archives for this chance to ‘Shout’ about one of the greatest, best-loved and most enduring entertainers – Lulu. This collection of her most popular hits, covers and classics features magic moments from the 1960s right up to recent years and performances on a huge range of shows, including her own multiple series and TV specials that were a hallmark of the BBC’s light entertainment schedules. This compilation also sees Lulu duetting with a variety of big name singers, including Neil Diamond, Bill Withers, Shirley Bassey and Al Green, and features iconic songs like To Sir with Love, The Man with the Golden Gun and the Bowie-penned The Man Who Sold the World.
Soul singer Dana Masters traces the story of Ottilie Patterson, who for a dazzling few years in the late 1950s and early 1960s was a pioneer of British music. One night in 1959, a 27-year-old female singer took to the stage at Muddy Waters' renowned blues club in Chicago. After a stunning set, a member of the rapturous African American audience called out: 'Hey lady, you sing real pretty. How come you sing like one of us?' The singer was Ottilie Patterson. And she wasn’t black. She wasn’t even American. She was from the small town of Comber, in County Down, just ten miles from Belfast. A rising star of British jazz and blues music, she was the acclaimed singer with the Chris Barber Band who paved the way for bands like The Rolling Stones and The Pretty Things, inspiring their passion for American blues.
A second chance to explore the BBC’s archives with one of British music’s biggest and best-loved stars, Dusty Springfield. The great soul diva and her haunting voice are captured once again in selection of BBC performances from over the years, including You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, Son of a Preacher Man, and Bacharach and David’s Look of Love. Together, these songs underline why Dusty earned her reputation as one of pop’s great talents, who deserves her ranking alongside fellow singing legends like Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick.
Rod Stewart has already been honoured with one BBC celebration of his great career, but the man Elton John called Phyllis has had so many hits and is held in such affection by his army of fans that it's time for another deep dive into the TV archives. This second collection of songs from the gravel-voiced legend brings us up to date with some of Rod’s more recent appearances and features some magic mic-stand-twirling moments from exclusive live shows. Plus rarely seen BBC performances of some of his biggest hits from over the years, including Tonight’s the Night, It’s a Heartache, Have I Told You Lately and Sailing.
She was just 17 when she wrote the pop classic Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow - a calling card that over the years Carole King has delivered on time and time again. The most successful female singer-songwriter of all time, and one of modern music’s standout geniuses, Carole’s catalogue of hits, many written with her songwriting partner and first husband Gerry Goffin for both herself and some of pop and rock’s biggest stars, is second to none. This celebration of the best of Carole King features a collection of irresistible performances from her and a range of other great artists, taken from a selection of BBC shows from over the decades.
Brit Award nominee and Ivor Novello-winning artist RAYE takes to the stage of this legendary London venue to perform new arrangements of songs from her Mercury Prize-nominated album My 21st Century Blues, accompanied by the Heritage Orchestra, conducted by Tom Richards, the Flames Collective choir and organist Anna Lapwood. Highlights include Oscar Winning Tears, the searingly honest Ice Cream Man, a show-stopping version of Worth It and global smash-hit single Escapism.
The Vienna Philharmonic's annual New Year's Day concert.
A celebration of the songs of Cyndi Lauper, who took the charts by storm in 1984 with her debut international hit Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, released in the same week as Madonna’s first hit, Holiday. Cyndi surprised the critics of the day almost immediately and showed she deserved so much more than labels like ‘kooky’ and ‘quirky’, with sensitive songs like Time After Time and True Colors that still resonate as strongly today as they did back in the 1980s. This trip through the BBC’s archives follows Cyndi’s journey from the start, and captures why she became, and remains, one of the most positive female forces in modern pop music.
There's more musical time-travelling through the BBC’s archives with this trip back to 1984 which proves that, unlike Orwell’s predictions, this was a truly great year. Wham! were offering the prospect of Freedom, Frankie were encouraging everyone to Relax, U2 filled us all with Pride, and Phil Collins was battling Against All Odds. And that was just the UK’s biggest chart stars - when it came to American acts, Stevie just called to say he loved us, Madonna was still Like a Virgin and Lionel Richie just offered a simple Hello. All were huge hits then, and they - and many more - remain some of the best-loved and most familiar songs.
A look into the BBC’s music archives to examine the all-time classic tracks that seem to have been around forever, and get everywhere - apart from the UK Top 40. It’s a journey that sees us heading back in time to the Summer of ‘69 with Bryan Adams and takes in Bowie’s Changes, Dolly’s 9 to 5 and Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire – just some of the most surprising favourites to feature in this selection of the biggest, most enduring tracks ever written that mysteriously failed to have an impact on the charts the first time around. With crowd-pleasers that still get everyone on their feet and anthems everyone can sing along to, these songs are forever part of the soundtrack to people's lives but always leave them wondering 'why was this not a hit?'
It's one of the reasons the music charts have always been so compelling: the cruel reality that the exciting new act that has taken the Top 40 by storm may not in fact be the next Beatles, Beyonce or even Basement Jaxx – but could be one more case of here today, gone and forgotten tomorrow. Or almost forgotten – because this is a look into the darkest corners of the BBC’s music archives for a reminder of songs by the likes of The Las, The Mock Turtles, Joan Jett and Kim Carnes. There are also some surprising names on the list: Don Henley, Patti Smith, Curtis Mayfield and John Denver - stars who perhaps enjoyed hit albums, or success with other groups, but when it came to singles, once was sadly enough.
More of the greatest sad songs ever, featuring classic tracks from the likes of Sade, The Righteous Brothers, Toni Braxton, Lewis Capaldi and many more stars who broke the charts whilst also breaking hearts.
This third volume of romantic hits from the BBC archives includes classic tracks from the 70s, 80s and 90s, with songs from likes of The Carpenters, The Three Degrees, Simply Red, Meatloaf and Sting, as well as some 21st-century songs to swoon to from Rihanna and Harry Styles.
Prepare for a blockbuster show of stars and performances on another trip through the BBC’s music archives, here exploring more of the greatest movie themes to ever light up the UK pop charts. It’s a rich selection from across the decades, with Lulu’s To Sir with Love representing the 60s, Isaac Hayes and the Bee Gees showcasing the best of 70s funk and disco, and a whole host of big names taking us from the 80s to the present - with the songs including Kate Bush’s This Woman’s Work, Lisa Loeb's Stay, Bruce Springsteen's Streets of Philadelphia and a special BBC Piano Room performance of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Murder on the Dancefloor.
Sharleen Spiteri takes a dive into the BBC’s music archives for a look back at some of Texas’s greatest appearances on a selection of programmes and live events from across their 35-year career. It’s a collection featuring all the band’s biggest hits, from I Don’t Want a Lover and Black Eyed Boy to Summer Son and Say What You Want, combined with Sharleen’s memories of several of her own favourite moments, including 2023’s triumphant return to the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, dressing up as Elvis and a key collaboration with hip-hop icons Wu-Tang Clan. For fans, this collection shows exactly how Texas rose to become one of Scotland’s finest groups and demonstrates how they’ve managed to stay on top for so long.
A look back through the BBC’s archives at the work of an artist with whom nothing compares – the acclaimed, unique and always controversial Sinéad O’Connor. This collection highlights how, from the very start, Sinéad refused to be categorised in one single musical genre, and with tracks like Mandinka, Black Boys on Mopeds and Success Has Made a Failure of Our Home, she bared her soul in her songs, using them to challenge expectations of a popular artist with an international following. This playlist also features Sinéad’s collaborations with Shane MacGowan and Eurythmics' Dave Stewart, and some iconic covers of much-loved songs, with that incredible voice tackling The Animals’ House of the Rising Sun and the song that made her a star, Prince’s Nothing Compares 2 U.
Prepare for a musical chain reaction with an hour lit up by one shining moment after another in this celebration of the best BBC performances from soul legend Diana Ross. From The Supremes to some of her most supreme solo hits, this collection from the archives underlines exactly why Ms Ross has been one of the biggest and most enduring names in music. With songs like Baby Love, I’m Still Waiting and Why Do Fools Fall in Love? from Diana’s visits to the BBC on programmes like Top of the Pops, Wogan and the National Lottery show, this is a must for all fans that promises to leave them Upside Down and enjoying a massive Love Hangover.
When Terry Hall died in December 2022, at the age of 63, we lost one of British music’s most influential, unpredictable and adored singer-songwriters of recent times. Here, take a trip into the BBC’s archives to look back on Terry’s extraordinary, genre-hopping career - from his early, decade-defining days as front man with The Specials, to Fun Boy Three, The Colourfield and his acclaimed solo career. Along the way, there were also multiple collaborations, ranging from Mark Ronson to Bananarama, the best of which are captured here in performances of hits including Gangsters, Thinking of You, Sense and Our Lips Are Sealed from shows like Top of the Pops, Whistle Test, Live in Session for BBC 6 Music, Glastonbury, the pioneering Oxford Road Show – and even some Cheggers Plays Pop. What shines through in these performances is Terry’s love of all kinds of music and his desire to never stand still and always try something different.
Ella Fitzgerald was one of the best-loved, most-respected and successful stars of the 20th century – often referred to as the ‘First Lady of Song’ and noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction and improvisational abilities, she recorded more than 200 albums and over 2,000 songs. Those unique qualities are demonstrated here in some her finest performances, captured over the years in programmes like the 1965 BBC special Ella Fitzgerald Sings, a selection of concerts recorded at Montreux, and the legendary London jazz venue Ronnie Scott’s. Among the classic songs included in the collection are her interpretations of favourites like Day by Day, Cheek to Cheek, Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye and Too Marvellous for Words.
Her incredible voice delivered so much more than most other singers, so it feels only right to return to the BBC archives for a second collection of great songs and lung-busting performances from the girl from Tiger Bay. This programme features Shirley’s inimitable take on a rich collection of hits - from pop favourites to film themes and songs from the shows, taken from a selection of programmes she appeared on over the years and her own hugely popular TV show that ran throughout the 1970s. Amongst the classic tracks featured here are My Way, The Way We Were, Copacabana and even her own, unmissable version of The Beatles’ iconic Hey Jude.
Using previously unheard interviews with the band, this is the story of the Swedish super group’s 50-year relationship with the UK. From their first visit, for the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton in April 1974, to their first ever UK concert in Birmingham in 1977, to the groundbreaking ABBA Voyage concerts in London - this documentary looks at Britain’s impact on the band and the legacy they have left on generations of fans in the UK, as well as the influence of British bands like The Beatles on ABBA. Contributors include musicians who performed with ABBA, superfans whose lives were changed after hearing their music, the British Eurovision judge who scored them ‘nul points’ in 1974, the producers behind ABBA Voyage, and a now-famous member of the children’s choir which accompanied ABBA at their Wembley Arena concerts in 1979. The documentary will also feature interviews with musicians who have been influenced by the band, including Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie and Blossoms
As ABBA mark 50 years since winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, it's time to take another voyage into the archives for more of the Swedish supergroup’s best BBC moments. As well as looking back, this collection brings things right up to date, capturing the excitement and sounds of their recent, technologically pioneering stage shows. Sitting alongside the new material are plenty of classics that highlight Benny and Bjorn’s fondness for a song title that repeats itself: Ring, Ring, Honey, Honey, Money, Money, Money and I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do. And there's also an exclusive performance of the song So Long, which had been lost from the BBC archives and was assumed to be missing forever but has been recovered and restored and is shown again here for the first time since its original transmission in 1974.
2024 is the 50th anniversary of ABBA’s iconic performance and victory at Eurovision. With the contest taking place in Sweden, this film celebrates that historic occasion by telling the epic story of ABBA’s greatest period of musical achievement.
A look through the BBC archives for moment after moment from the 'empress of soul’, Gladys Knight. Combining classic tracks alongside The Pips with her own inimitable solo songs, this collection shows why Gladys Knight has powered through seven decades as singer and performer. This hour in the presence of a music legend features such songs as Baby Don’t Change Your Mind, The Way We Were and Help Me Make It Through the Night, drawn from Gladys’s appearances on Top of the Pops, The Old Grey Whistle Test and The Harry Secombe Show.
A collection of hits from one of pop music’s greatest geniuses - Prince, aka ‘The Artist Formerly Known as Prince’, aka ‘the Unpronounceable Symbol’, and more. Whichever alias he assumed, Prince was always fascinating as both a performer and songwriter, and here are the best of his own appearances on a selection of BBC shows, alongside a rich selection of performances from artists who covered his songs over the years. The playlist includes Beyonce, Muse, Tom Jones, The Bangles, Pink, Alicia Keys, Michael Kiwanuka, Chaka Khan and, of course, Sinead O’Connor, all brought together to demonstrate beyond doubt why Nothing Compared 2 Him.
Vienna Philharmonic’s annual Summer Night Concert takes place in the unique setting of the spectacular Schönbrunn Palace Gardens in Vienna.
The singer Jack Jones once said 'there is no greater tribute in the music business than an affectionate nickname'. Known as Sassy, Sarah Vaughan forged a career across five decades, making a reputation in New York clubs, then combining a highly successful recording career with her outstanding work as a live performer. Craig Charles leads us through some of her best-known tracks recorded for the BBC on flagship programmes, including Jazz Scene and Music from Montreux to light entertainment staples, appearing with Jack Jones and Cleo Laine. Once described as ‘the ageless voice of modern jazz', Sarah Vaughan’s sassy interpretations of classic songs, from chart hits like Send in the Clowns to excerpts from South Pacific, will thrill anyone with a love for her music.
An unpredictable but joyous collection of weather-related chart hits, courtesy of two of the BBC’s most formidable forecasters, Carol Kirkwood and Tomasz Schafernaker. It’s a selection that covers all conditions, from Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone, to Why Does It Always Rain on Me, sprinkled throughout with fun facts and crucial context from Carol and Tomasz - clearly relishing this chance to step away from weather charts and test out the music charts
They first triumphed on the 2002 reality show Pop Stars: The Rivals, and over the next decade, dominated the UK charts, the tabloids and the affections of fans of pure pop perfection. Here are the group’s greatest musical moments and biggest hits, from their chart-topping debut Sound of the Underground to Something Kind of Ooooh, Can’t Speak French, Call the Shots and beyond.
This collection of hits features several of Elaine Paige’s personal favourites from the BBC's song and dance archives. Amongst them are some of the world’s best-loved musicals, from Cats and The Lion King to Funny Girl and My Fair Lady, and from Sunset Boulevard and West Side Story to A Little Night Music and The Sound of Music. Together, they promise an irresistible mix for lovers of show tunes, highlighting some of the amazing performances that have lit up stage and screen over the past few decades.
The late 1970s to mid 1980s was a period when, in terms of international success, every little thing The Police did was magic – with Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland enjoying a run of chart-topping singles, best-selling albums and huge concerts all across the world. When the trio went their separate ways in 1986, it was Sting who then became even more of a wanted man, establishing himself as one of the UK’s most respected singer-songwriters. This collection of performances from the BBC’s archives celebrates the solo star and the band that brought him to the world's attention in the first place, including the very best of both careers with hits like Roxanne, Fragile, Message in a Bottle, Brand New Day and Every Breath You Take.
Gloria Gaynor had I Will Survive, Destiny’s Child sang Survivor, and for Survivor themselves it was the classic Eye of the Tiger from the soundtrack to Rocky III. These and many, many more are the songs in this selection from the BBC archives, an epic collection of over 40 tracks. Surviving to the end won’t be a challenge, as all the songs are bona fide classics from some of the biggest, best and most enduring artists of all time.
Described by Bono as 'the Noel Coward of our generation’, the singer and songwriter Kirsty MacColl would have turned 65 this year had her life not been tragically cut short in December 2000. Signed at the age of just 19 after being the backing singer for a failed punk band, Kirsty went on to write and record songs that spanned genres, including rockabilly, pop and South American. She had hits like A New England and Days and sang a key part in one of the nation’s favourite Christmas songs, Fairytale of New York. Respected by those who worked alongside her, including Billy Bragg, Johnny Marr, Jools Holland and many others, she has left a legacy that is still valued today. This programme brings together performances that highlight the wit and intelligence of this unique performer.
Expect the unexpected on this journey through the BBC’s magical music archives, a Top 40 with a difference. In a Top of the Pops-free-zone, these are the surprising songs and rare performances that aren't seen every day, taken from shows that may have been forgotten - but that definitely deserve to see daylight once again. And whilst some of the musical moments may have been hidden away, the talents involved have always been prominent - ranging from Jimi Hendrix to MC Hammer, from Dusty to Tammy, and from The Beach Boys to The Pet Shop Boys.
A journey through a selection of some of the saddest but finest songs from the BBC’s music archives. Amongst the artists performing are Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, The Smiths, Randy Crawford, Coldplay, Dolly Parton and Eric Clapton, as well as Eric Carmen singing his anthem for the lonely, All By Myself.
A celebration of The Cure, Robert Smith and the unique songwriting talents that meant their long list of singles were always destined to break out from the bedrooms of tortured students and be embraced by a far wider audience. This archive collection of the Cure’s performances on the BBC goes from the early days with A Forest through to hits like Lovecats, Friday I’m in Love, Close to Me and Boys Don’t Cry, demonstrating why, in Britain and overseas, they enjoyed – or pretended not to enjoy – such huge success.
It’s time for a return trip through the best of the BBC’s music archives, celebrating more of the songs that are so good, other artists haven’t be able to resist recording their own versions. This extravaganza features the best in pop, rock and soul from the past five decades and features artists ranging from Adele and Annie Lennox to Happy Mondays and Manic Street Preachers.
From Take That to 1D, JLS to BTS, the Backstreet Boys to Boyzone and East 17 to Westlife, this is a celebration of the groups, made up of frequently gorgeous guys, who’ve always played a vital role in pop’s dominance of modern music – sometimes not taken seriously, despite some seriously catchy songs, but loved forever by those who fell for them first time around.
Simple Minds: Everything is Possible tells the inspirational story of how a group of working class kids growing up in post-industrial Glasgow dared to dream. Those kids became Simple Minds, one of the most iconic and influential Scottish bands in history.
To mark 40 years since the release of their festive classic Last Christmas, Wham! icons Andrew Ridgeley, Pepsi DeMacque and Shirlie Kemp present a selection of the band’s biggest and best performances from the BBC archives. From Young Guns Go for It to Club Tropicana and on to The Edge of Heaven and beyond, these are the hits that made Wham! one of the hottest pop groups of the 1980s and first introduced the world to the unique songwriting talents of George Michael.
In celebration of its 40th anniversary, this Christmas special tells the story of how George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s Wham! turned one song into a cultural phenomenon. As well as new interviews with Wham! fans and friends, figures such as Mary J Blige, Sir Bob Geldof, Neil Tennant and Sam Smith give their views on the song’s themes of unrequited love and loss
Forty years on from the release of the hit single by charity supergroup Band Aid, this documentary unearths 75 minutes of rare and previously unseen film footage from the day of recording.
A collection of Eurythmics' best moments from the BBC's music archives, showcasing the bold, innovative, stylish and unpredictable pair who became one of Britain's biggest bands of the 1980s.
Annie Lennox has been described as the most successful female artist in British music history, and this collection is a celebration of the stunning solo side of her accomplishments – which started in earnest with the release of her hugely acclaimed debut solo album, Diva, in 1992. Since then, Annie has shown time and time again exactly why she remains one of Britain's most popular and critically praised artists, and the evidence is shared here once again with a selection of her finest performances plucked from the BBC archives.
A celebration of some of the biggest names in music, offering an epic compilation of 60 songs performed over the past 60 years to celebrate BBC Two's diamond anniversary. All the performances featured originated on BBC Two and have formed an important part of the channel's output over its 60-year history. Featuring such musicians as Joni Mitchell, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Dolly Parton, Stormzy, Sam Smith, Kylie Minogue, Bob Marley, Blondie and Queen.
Alistair Heather presents an incredible line-up of music and spoken word performances alongside the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Joining them are Deacon Blue’s Ricky Ross, Call the Midwife’s Laura Main, Nina Nesbitt, Nathan Evans, Dead Pony’s Anna Shields, Calum Bowie, Becky Sikasa and Jacob Alon. With live recitals from Elaine C Smith and a commanding Immortal Memory delivered by Chief Commissioner Cameron Miekelson from Scot Squad.
Aretha Franklin’s Don’t Play That Song is a message that’s thankfully ignored in this collection of tracks with tears, with some of music’s biggest stars pouring their hearts out in a selection of classic performances from the BBC's archives. Alongside the Queen of Soul are a diverse range of artists, including Dolly Parton, the Arctic Monkeys, One Direction, Boyz II Men and George Michael – all guaranteeing an irresistible musical mix of pleasure and pain.
Actor Shaun Williamson - aka Barry - invites you to enjoy some of EastEnders’ finest musical moments, on a journey through the BBC archives that celebrates 40 years of Walford warblers - from chart-topping Nick ‘Every Loser Wins’ Berry and Martine ‘Perfect Moment’ McCutcheon, to old favourites like Mike Reid, Barbara Windsor and Letitia Dean - who made 'Something Outta Nothing’ with a leap from the Queen Vic to Top of the Pops. Plus there are some rarely-seen showstoppers and Albert Square dancing from the cast’s regular appearances on Children in Need over the years, and a selection of performances from those actors who had tasted chart success before making the move to E20 – including Spandau Ballet’s Martin Kemp, Blue’s Lee Ryan and even Eurovision contender Samantha Womack.
A collection of hits from the BBC archives that highlight how films and movie stars have always influenced the biggest singers, songwriters and bands. These are the songs that were inspired by big screen legends and classic movie moments, some with references that stand out like the Hollywood sign and others that will test film knowledge to the max.
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass play in a BBC special, circa 1967, entitled 'Something Special'.
A feast of carols and festive music from the Royal Albert Hall as star guests Ronan Keating, Alexander Armstrong, Ruby Turner and Shaun Escoffery join hosts Sally Magnusson and David Grant. A 500-strong choir and the Big Sing Orchestra lead the audience in seasonal favourites, including Joy To The World, On Christmas Night and O Come, All Ye Faithful.
One Love Manchester was a benefit concert and British television special held on 4 June 2017, which was organised by 23 year old American singer Ariana Grande in response to the bombing after her concert at Manchester Arena two weeks earlier. The concert took place at Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, and aired live on BBC One in the UK with hosts Sara Cox and Ore Oduba. The concert was attended by 50,000 people. Guest stars included Justin Bieber, the Black Eyed Peas, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Marcus Mumford, Niall Horan, Little Mix, Katy Perry, Take That, Imogen Heap, Pharrell Williams, Robbie Williams, and Liam Gallagher. Proceeds from the event benefit the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, which was established by the Manchester City Council and the British Red Cross following the 22 May bombing, which killed 22 concert goers and injured more than 100.
