Music Television 4

Radio 1xtra: The New Sound of Jamaica
A compilation of performances from the last few years, showcasing a plethora of acts from Chronix and Popcaan, to Lila Ike and Tarrus Riley, and also Beres Hammond and Alkaline.

HARDtalk: Harvey Goldsmith
The legendary promoter discusses the prospects for there being a culture sector to rebound once the pandemic eases and people are allowed to go out and play again. Presenter Stephen Sackur played devil's advocate a lot, which was a bit unnecessary. Goldsmith mentioned it being a £5.8 billion industry. They also mentioned post-Brexit problems, and how they might be overcome.

St David's Day at the BBC
A compilation of Welsh acts to mark March 1st. The usual stuff like Bonnie Tyler, Tom Jones, Mark Hopkin, and more recent acts like Catatonia, Super Furry Animals and Goldie Lookin Chain.

Oasis: (What's The Story) Morning Glory? - Track by Track
Noel again, quite glad of what the band achieved, even the less remembered tracks like Hey Now had something he liked or was impressed about. 22 million sales can't be wrong, perhaps. Even mentions of a few b-sides recorded around the time in the sessions too.

Katherine Jenkins at 40
A curious reflection on her career up to now, perhaps more abstract than the usual form. Kath mentioned appearances at Proms events, acting in a film with Johnny Depp and Bill Nighy, working on a film soundtrack, a few tales of her younger years, rather more on being a Forces Sweetheart and connecting with Vera Lynn. Her father died when she was young, her mother was a radiographer.

The Big Interview w/Dan Rather - Kid Rock
He spoke of seeing successes and failures, learning from experience. He didn't talk much of his brief marriage to Pamela Anderson. He came from Detroit, but was interviewing in Nashville, and sang an acoustic number Tennessee Mountain Top. He favours Jim Beam. He met Sheryl Crow at the Grammys and they worked on a collaboration. He talks about his family life, and the story of All Summer Long. His dalliances with politics. Reluctance to take his hat off. He did some kind of public service thing with Sean Penn.

If you can't put things down, don't pick them up.

He learned how to downsize and likes to live in a double-wide.

Anniversary - 1978-2018 : The Cure - Live in Hyde Park, London
A lengthy concert from the "British Summertime" festival thing, the gang ran through a lengthy and varied set, including High, Just Like Heaven, Fascination Street and Never Enough.

Lwp - Curadur - Mared
Unsure which town she was from, but she performed numbers on her own, with Morgan Elwy, and Gwenno Morgan, whose name I recall from a previous edition.

When Kim Met KanYe
How a socialite met a rapper. This 2017 effort didn't take either of them as seriously as they take themselves, but who could? 

The Art of Architecture - Andermatt Concert Hall
Christina Seilern was the main figure here, an architect with projects in Zimbabwe, Egypt and Oxfordshire, but has been part of a regeneration effort for a Swiss location, Andermatt. Daniel Barenboim has already used said concert hall in his ongoing Beethoven mission.

The Most Powerful Women in Pop
A top 20 rundown with some surprising inclusions and very surprising positions. Ariana Grande was rated top, ahead of Dua Lipa.

Zara Larsson - Late Night Concert
Back in Stockholm, near some amusement park, to run through some old hits, and plug her new album.

The Big Interview w/Dan Rather - Ice Cube
In 2017 he was promoting a film, Fist Fight. But Dan asked him about N.W.A., about mainstream acting, his film franchises like Friday, his solo records, his family values, and so on.

Folk Hibernia at the BBC
One of a few repeats marking St Patrick's Day. This was from 2007, and ran the gamut from the Clancy Brothers in the 60s, to Damien Rice in the 00's, passing the Chieftains, Altan and Clannad along the way.

Music Legends - Del Shannon
Another "play us a medley of your hit". It says something that the most exciting part of his best song is the instrumental break. He had a rough time after his heyday, and was almost brought into the Travelling Wilburys after the death of Roy Orbison (making an album with Jeff Lynne would increase his chances there), but he took his own life in 1990. He made it to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.

Witness - Casteless Collective
A group from Tamil Nadu, in India, who operate to make a political gesture in their own way, against a sometimes pernicious system. Through singing and usage of other instruments.

Celtic Connections 2012: Songs of Ireland
Deacon Blue's Ricky Ross introduced this show from the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, featuring a wide variety of acts from Brian Kennedy and Luka Bloom, down to Finbar Furey and Dick Gaughan. Enjoyably pleasant stuff, mostly new to me.

Saint Patrick's Day at the BBC
The last of these compilations, some repeated clips (like Thin Lizzy and that Pogues/Dubliners effort), but some lesser-recalled names like the Saw Doctors, Divine Comedy, Ash and B*Witched.

Rob Brydon's Now That's What I Call Comic Relief
Another compilation of a sort, marking 30+ years of records or musical performances; some which weren't funny, some which weren't musical, and some which weren't either. The original 1986 redo of Living Doll probably still stands as the test for how good these things should get (and seldom do). Some amusement in seeing the tracks omitted.

Music Legends - Dion and the Belmonts
Named after Belmont Avenue in the Bronx, Dion had drug issues, but still had some big success when he went solo. But not enough to hold off the occasional reunion with his old backing band. He cleaned up his act later and found religion, and made the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. His later blues stuff at least showed promise.

Blitzed - The 80s Blitz Kids Story
Seem to have seen variations on this repeatedly lately. Here Midge Ure, Rusty Egan, Robert Elms, Gary Kemp and La Roux, besides others, talked fondly of the brief blaze of fun they had, the night Bowie came, and the night Jagger was not let in.

Noo That's What A Call Music Scotdisc - The Story of Scotdisc
A quirky and somewhat parochial Scottish record company who valued the likes of Sydney Devine and Tommy Scott, and signed up Lena Martell after her brief hitmaking heyday. Tourists were a big target audience.

Ellen 18 - Gwen Stefani
She was via satellite from Oklahoma. She talked about her pandemic year, and her recent new material like Let Me Reintroduce Myself. They expressed mutual amazement that No Doubt's breakthrough album was 25 years ago. She mentioned finding ska in her life at 14.

Michael Kiwanuka at the 6Music Festival
He did a solid half-hour of fine material.

Reel Stories: Dave Grohl
The Foo Lord spoke via satellite to Dermot O'Leary about his early bands, times in Nirvana, and then his Foo years. They had some highs in headlining festivals or playing major shows like Live Earth, and also the White House. Had some notable fan covers too.

Michael Kiwanuka and Laura Marling at the 6 Music Festival
A selection introduced by Cerys Matthews, and also including a brief turn from electronic outfit Bicep too.

Paloma Faith - As I Am
Mostly looking at her 2018 tour to push her 4th album The Architect, which Paloma hoped would be her 4th double-platinum album in a row, which would be a record. But it didn't happen. She also had to deal with taking her young child on tour, trying to adjust her work-life balance. Ultimately, it didn't. That said, she has recently had a 2nd child, so hopefully as her career evolves it will come right.

Lwp - Curadur - Osian Llyr
He's a member of Sybs, and as well as singing with them, he also pushed Thrillo, Bandicoot and DJ & booker Elen Evans, who had helped some of them along on their journey.

HARDtalk: Sir Vartan Melkonian
He was a refugee from Lebanon where he had a harsh life living on the streets, but made it to the UK and went on to become a conductor. He got into busking, and then won a talent competition. He was self taught for reading music, and suffered with a speech impediment.

Failures must be the foundations of your success.

He was concerned about the fate of street children during the pandemic, and in light of the 2020 explosion in Lebanon.

Handel's Messiah, from English National Opera
To London's Coliseum for an amended version of the full piece, with social distancing and eight soloists instead of the usual four.

Dennis Miller Plus One - Rob Zombie
He's got a new album out, and was in Connecticut. The album has no common thread to it. Feels rock music is on the lowest rung. He's 56. He discussed the influence of Alice Cooper, and growing up with AM radio. Described early heavy metal as having a sloppy swing feel. He was at college in New York in 1983. He talked about some film works, hating working with the Weinsteins.

The John Wilson Orchestra presents Cole Porter In Hollywood
A pleasant show from 2014, a few instrumentals amongst the classics like Begin The Beguine, Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? and I've Got You Under My Skin.

Lleisiau Eraill
The Other Voices team were at the National Museum in Cardiff because of the current reasons. Amongst the performers were Ani Glass, The Gentle Good, Berwyn, Juice Menace, and Catrin Finch & Aoife niBhriain.

Requiem - Faure
A performance from Winchester Cathedral, notable for Bryn Terfel being part of it, and I would suspect it came from the last century. Re-shown to mark the death of Prince Philip the other week.

Masterworks - The Rite of Spring
From 2002, Michael Berkeley examines Stravinsky's 1913 work with experts, and then the BBC Symphony Orchestra perform it under the conducting of Leonard Slatkin, whilst some dancers interpret the performance too.

Mavericks - The Legendary Promoters of Rock
Frank Barsalona and Bill Graham were the top guys, but the main premise in the USA was the regional system, so that St Louis or Boston or wherever were the fiefdoms of separate bosses. The progress of rock from the British invasion as a touring notion through to the Live Aid experiment, and the rise of Live Nation, a fascinating topic thoroughly explained by many of the surviving players.

Song For Nature
For the London Climate Change Festival, an extended concert mixing songs, poetry, dance, and films about various environmental topics. Brian May, Rob Brydon, Danielle de Niese and others were involved, introduced by David Suchet.

Saint George's Day at the BBC
Rather silly and vague compilation bringing together PJ Harvey, Lily Allen, Eddy Grant, Ed Sheeran, M.I.A., Lindisfarne and Peter Gabriel among others. The captions which mis-spelled the Kinks' frontman as Ray Davis offered some amusement though.

A Life in Ten Pictures: Tupac Shakur
How he went from the mean streets of Baltimore, to stage school, to rap infamy, jail, and the clutches of Suge Knight. His mother supported the Black Panthers, and his stage school friends wondered what changed in his later life.

Hollywood In Vienna - A Night at the Oscars & A Tribute to Gabriel Yared
From Vienna, music from films like The Wizard of Oz, Jaws and Forrest Gump, then music from the likes of Betty Blue, Chocolat and The English Patient. A pleasant enough show.

Kings of Leon - Rocks Special
Tiresome presenter Jack Saunders talked over vid-link to Caleb and Nathan about their new album (before its release). They've won 3 Grammys and 2 Brits, and it's their 8th album. They talked about the themes of the album, and the pandemic pause, as well as playing golf. Not playing means that some tired parts of the set might feel revived when they start again.

Classic Albums: Club Classics Vol. One
Soul II Soul's 1989 gem took in a story of Jazzie B, soundsystems, pirate radio in the 1980s, a US drivetime DJ helping them crack America, and so on. I did have this album and let it go, so should remedy that sometime.

Cymru ar Gynfas - Osian Huw Williams
The painting show saw Christine Mills tackle the lead singer of the Candelas. She had a curious charcoal style, using both hands simultaneously. The finished work took 8 weeks, and he approved of it. There were some covid-friendly touches like masks or visors, but otherwise a format that works well.

Passions: Puccini, by Andrea Colombini
Not sure how I could have missed this 2017 prog before. The conductor from Lucca discusses his hero, also from Lucca, before staging a performance of La Boheme. Puccini was a bit of a rascal.

La Resurrezione
A performance at St John's church in London of the Handel piece, with an introduction by Danielle de Niese, but maybe would have helped with a little longer explanation.

Dale Barclay: All On Black
A fiery Scottish singer who fronted a trio called the Amazing Snakeheads, until the other two came to grief in Bournemouth and forced the cancellation of a big promotional appearance. Barclay formed a new group And Yet It Moves, but then he was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and he died in 2018. His widow Laura, the other two Snakeheads, and Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand helped tell the tragic tale.

Music Icons: The New Orleans Sound
A wide category, focused on the stories of Fats Domino, Little Richard and the Dixie Cups, and thus songs like Chapel of Love, Ain't That A Shame, Tutti Frutti, Blueberry Hill and Iko Iko.

Music Icons: Birth of Invention
The freaks, guys like Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart (old pals, apparently), and acts like King Crimson. Rather than songs, it was the albums that had impact here, from Freak Out to Trout Mask Replica to In The Court of the Crimson King.

Music Icons: Teen Idols
Weird to engage with this series on a daily rather than weekly basis. The three selected examples here were Frankie Avalon, Bobby Vee and Bobby Darin. Darin of course was covered in his biopic. Vee got a leg-up in the aftermath of the crash that killed Buddy Holly (once that point was made, the similarities in production becomes obvious). Rubber Ball and Take Good Care Of My Baby might be good, but nothing beats The Night Has A Thousand Eyes.

Classic Albums: Coming Up
Suede's 3rd album, which marked a turning point for them, with teenage Richard Oakes replacing Bernard Butler, and a sudden flurry of Top Ten hits, like it was an indie Thriller. Beautiful Ones has become their theme song, and Trash became the big smash hit that launched the party.

The 30 Greatest Songs of 1981
The provenance of this rundown seemed less clear than the other series, but Suggs presented, and they just played the videos. Don't You Want Me pipped Tainted Love to be #1.

Music Icons: Soul R&B
A familiar story without entirely overtly leaving it all at Motown's door. The three acts covered were Gladys Knight, The Four Tops and Jimmy Ruffin.

Ellen 18 - Adam Levine
She marked her 3000th show with a chat to the Maroon 5 frontman, who mentioned the forthcoming new album Jordi, as well as his new leg tattoo. The band first appeared on her first series, back in September 2003. They played Beautiful Mistakes.

Later w/Jools Holland - Noel Gallagher
A rapid return for this series, and Noel pushing his imminent compilation of ten years of the High Flying Birds project, and several worthy bits and bobs. He's mates with Matt Smith, who appears in his new video for We're On Our Way Now. There were mentions of Paul Weller and Tom Hanks too.

The 30 Greatest Songs of 1984
Suggs again, with a mostly predictable rundown, though Purple Rain at #5 and What's Love Got to Do With It? at #3 were rather unexpected. Do They Know It's Christmas? beat Careless Whisper to the top spot.

Music Icons: New York Hip-Hop
A fairly familiar story, this time through the stories of Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane and A Tribe Called Quest, so some less familiar bullet points to deal with.

Music Icons: Alt Rock
The 80s underground yielded the stories of Jane's Addiction, Smashing Pumpkins, and Soundgarden, who all became the 90s overground. Lollapalooza also came from this scene.

Lwp - Curadur - Lemfreck
A black rapper from Newport, concerned for the bilingual prospects, featuring acts like Lily Beau, Mace the Great, Luke RV and finally Dom James x Lloydy Lew. A hopeful end to this series.

The Stream
Something of a nostalgic catch-up on three acts featured in previous years, with Femi Oke. Lido Pimienta, Maimouna Youssef and Frank Waln all had stories to tell and music to share.

Music Icons: New Wave
Very much the American idea, though, with the B-52s, The Pretenders and Devo used to tell the story; a good move as all three are excellent in their way. I enjoyed the wittiness that Devo once supported themselves under the alias Dove, a Christian rock group doing Devo covers.

Ellen 18 - Pink
Via satellite, plugging her new documentary, and talking about her kids, and life in lockdown, such as actually learning recording techniques. She's celebrated her 15th wedding anniversary. Also on the show via link was Billie Eilish to briefly chat and plug her new album, documentary and book.

My Life on MTV - Hip-Hop Royalty
Another new series repurposing old clips, to tell the stories of Diddy and Snoop Dogg, through the shows and usually award shows they appeared on. A simple enough filler.

From Cradle to Stage - Imagine Dragons
Another new series, with Dave Grohl and his mom Virginia meeting assorted acts and their moms. Here, Dan Reynolds was one of 9 children in a Mormon house, and the only one to really step beyond the pattern of lawyers, doctors, responsible jobs.

Cymry Ar Gynfas - Kizzy Crawford
Seren Morgan Jones was the artist, painting the singer-songwriter. Kizzy started songwriting from 13, and was mixed-race. SMJ's studio was in Greenwich, and she worked from photos she took. Four months later, the unveiling was in Cardiff. Kizzy liked it.