Music Television 6

Glastonbury '23: Sunday afternoon/evening
The main plank of this broadcast was Yusuf/Cat Stevens' "legends" slot which was shown in its entirety. Then time was filled with Becky Hill, Yazmin Lacey, Cat Burns, Alison Goldfrapp and the Teskey Brothers.

50 Years of Hip-Hop Mixtape
A one hour special bringing together 467 tracks from all kinds of sources, compiled by DJ Beat-a-maxx apparently.

Tchaikowsky
A 2-part repeat from 2007, as the ever-busy Charles Hazlewood told the tale of the Russian composer in a somewhat docu-drama format, with actors playing the composer, his friends, his ill-fated wife, and so on. Whether that entirely helped is moot, really. His musical triumphs, like the 1812 Overture or redefining the music in ballet, have left their marks.

The Great Songwriters: Tom Odell
A 4th series, apparently, and a somewhat odd choice to lead off with. His Another Love has become one of the songs of the War in Ukraine, hence its return to the UK top 40 in the last year or so. He had a modest story to tell, and still enjoys the piano.

The Avett Brothers - Love. Vol Four
An unexpected concert from some kind of folk rock outfit I've not previously heard of. This was seemingly shot partly (or wholly) over the New Year of 2014 into 2015, and included Herbie Abernathy dressed as Old Father Time to join them on stage for a bash at Auld Lang Syne and The Boys are Back in Town. Fair enough.

Greatest Albums Live - Frampton Comes Alive!
Peter wisely shot this at the Tucker Theatre in Nashville, with a warm crowd, and did his chats to Miranda Sawyer over sat-link.

Rewind: 60 Years of Welsh Pop - Mike Peters & The Alarm
I'm glad this 2nd series has been a bit less generalised. They didn't even have to include Rain In The Summertime, such was the breadth of material.

Take Me To The Opera: The Power of Glyndebourne
Zeinab Badawi helps promote a leading opera hot-spot of the UK, but as well as talking to Danielle de Niese, she did at least meet some newer faces on a mentorship programme. The poor lady working on the costumes didn't get a named credit, though.

Hanson: Our Career In Music
Unsure what year this might have been, but the three brothers seemed well adjusted and to have found some longer-term success in music, even if well out of the spotlight.

Saturday Night with Hayley Palmer: Antony Costa
The other one from Blue spoke about the band in this 2022 series, as well as his musical theatre success after the band initially went on hiatus. He appeared on ITV show Surprise Surprise at the age of 13 and got to meet Sonia, a clip which resurfaced during lockdown. This was at the time of their most recent album comeback.

Bach - Goldberg Variations, BMW 988
There's all sorts of odd music bits kicking around. This came from the Leipzig Bach Festival in 2014, with Zhu Xiao-Mei doing the piano honours.

Arena: Tony Bennett's New York
Reggie Nadelson managed to get the great man to accept a profile in 1997, where he retold his tale, and visited old haunts, and sang a few numbers along the way. Mario Cuomo, David Hockney, Wynton Marsalis and the inevitable Elvis Costello all spoke warmly of him.

Artist to Icon: Whitney Houston
Another low-budget series looking at celebrities, not just musicians. At least some archive of her, Bobby Brown, and Clive Davis, broke up the overuse of backing singers, band members, and journalists.

Mariama Goodman: My Career in Music
A short show since Solid Harmonie didn't have many hits. In an overcrowded girl-band market, particularly forgettable.

MTV World Stage: French Montana
From last July, he managed to fit in more songs (or bits from songs) into his time-span than most do.

Yo! MTV Raps: 2pac
As part of the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop, some lesser-seen repeats, like this January 1993 meeting of host Fab 5 Freddy with the hip-hop legend, who had a new album imminent, as well as the film Juice. Tupac seemed a bit too pleased with himself, I was more interested that one of his crew was Coolio, who went on to be bigger in the UK, though also now gone.

Behind The Music: LL Cool J
The most middle-of-the-road hip-hop star? Easily overlooked in debates about rap and hip-hop, but massively successful and able to diversify into acting triumphs too. This show culled editions from 2004 and 2013, and was done in 2021.

Glastonbury '23: Barrington Levy / Candi Staton
A mixed double bill with Staton getting about twice as much footage as Levy did.

Yo! MTV Raps - Salt N Pepa
Another repeat from 1992, but no Fab 5 Freddy. They were talking about their new album being their 4th in 6 years, which included Let's Talk About Sex. They did eventually do You Showed Me live.

Idea Generation: Tay Keith
Noah Callahan-Bever talked to the rapper turned director who had a rough start, but whose brother was a DJ. Youtube made him money, which enabled him to get a 2nd hand laptop, and he never looked back. 2018 was a banner year for him, and he's worked with Drake, Travis Scott and Lil Wayne.

Richie Blackmore's Rainbow - Memories In Rock
An entertaining show from a festival in Germany with the then-current line-up working through classic tunes, and even a few from Deep Purple. Richie seemed in a good mood.

African Voices-Changemakers - South Africa's Classical Musicians
Larry Madowo introduces profiles of flautist Wolter Kellermans, and cellist Abel Selaocoe.

Primal Scream - Screamadelica Live
From the Olympia Grand Hall in London, the band run through their greatest effort (without Denise Johnson) in 2010, though not in strict play order as they finished with Loaded and Come Together.

Big Brovaz - Our Career in Music
I spent most of this muddling them with someone else. They turned out to be a four-piece but besides Nu Flow, a lot of this was lost on me.

Antony Costa - My Career in Music
Much like a similar format show I caught a few weeks back, but without a few big hits like If You Come Back and including a solo effort of his.

Yo! MTV Raps: Shenseea
The show these days seems less focused on one artist rather than a magazine format. But in this edition from last year, they also had a good chat with three video directors too.

Luzerne Sinfonieorchester
A show with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Neeme Jarvi, in a program of Dvorak, Schedrin, Franck and Shostakovich. Nice enough.

The Great Songwriters: Ian McCulloch
The Echo and the Bunnymen frontman was caustic enough but did at least do The Killing Moon and Bring On The Dancing Horses.

MTV World Stage 2016: Wiz Khalifa
A brief set from someone who was briefly successful.

Stormzy - Live In London: This Is What We Mean
On Aug 18th, "Big Mike" appeared at the All Points East festival in Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets, London. He did a lot from his latest album, but a few other hits from elsewhere. The rains fell, but the show went on.

al Jazeera World - Sisters In Song: Jordan & Egypt
Two features on female bands from the Middle East. Firstly, Naya, from Jordan, and then The Lady's Drum, from Egypt. Band members talked about how they came together, the struggles with a patriarchal society, and their hopes for future success. I hope they make it.

Return of the Architect: Glyndebourne Opera House
Michael and Patty Hopkins were a couple who rebuilt said building in the early 1990s, and were here revisiting for the first time, in 2002. Some ideas worked well, some were changed by experience, some were contentious.

Storyville: 8 Bar - The Evolution of Grime
A pretty comprehensive look at a familiar story of the last 20-25 years, thought they managed not to interview Trevor Nelson for once. The early 2000s heights of garage, and how the scene was compelled to evolve, and how things got to where they are now with Stormzy as a flag-bearer, were well told.

Booty Luv: Our Careers in Music
They were a female duo, they didn't really last longer than a few years, but they seemed to still be happy with it, and still performing.

al Jazeera World: Sisters in Song: Syria & Morocco
Much like the previous edition, this time with The Takht Ensemble, and the Chechaouen Hudra Ensemble, both of which seemed decent enough.

Behind The Music: Lil Wayne
He nearly shot himself to death as a child, but rallied enough to hit the big time. Maybe one of New Orleans' odder sons, but Drake, Nicki Minaj and Kendrick Lamar all praised the Young Money bod, and he won 4 Grammys in 2009 when this was originally made (though had a short jail term soon after). He had a good decade thereafter.

The Great Songwriters: Mike Scott
The Waterboys frontman was charming and garrulous, but unwilling to do The Whole of the Moon. I hadn't realised/known that he wrote How Long Will I Love You? but he was complimentary about Ellie Goulding's hit version. 

Gwyl Y Dyn Gwyrdd 2023 (Green Man Festival)
Huw Stephens and Aleighcia Scott presented highlights from Obongjayar, The Gentle Good, Melin Melyn, First Aid Kit, Sister Wives, Self Esteem, and Aleighcia herself.

The Quay Sessions - The Selecter
The sort of short show I might well have seen before, but have no recollection. This 2017 show was lively enough, and they blended Too Much Pressure with an old Proclaimers hit for some audience buzz too.

Glastonbury '23 - The War on Drugs / Queens of the Stone Age
A lengthy set from the former, which was OK, then a headline set from the Other Stage for the latter. Despite his health issues, Josh was in rocking good form, joking about their being on the same time whilst Elton John was doing his thing elsewhere.

MTV Asks: Doja Cat
A chat from 2020 in fact. She started back in 2013, and didn't get her first hit until 2018. She's a Cali girl from LA. She started writing raps at high school. Say So had some 70s disco to it. She took ballet and tap lessons from 6. 

MTV World Stage: Snoop Dogg
Never easy to tell if I've seen shows like this before. As it was from June 2011, there's a good chance. He got through plenty of material in the run-time, though.

Bertholet Sisters at the Theatre de Champs-Elysee
One plays cello, one plays violin. They had quite a lengthy and varied program, from Schumann to Vivaldi, to Brahms, Schubert and Massenet, and many others.

BBC Proms '23: Bollywood & Lata
A special concert with Michael Seal conducting the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra through a tribute to Lata Mangeshkar, who died recently after a multi-decades career as one of the main voices of Bollywood films. Palak Muchhal handled most of the singing duties, to an appreciative and packed crowd.

Glastonbury '23: Sunday night
The last live round-up, taking in Lil Nas X, alt J, Caroline Polachek and Rudimental, with CMAT coming in for an acoustic spot.

Glastonbury '23: Highlights
Final 2 hour round-up with a few folk not already featured to death in the main 3 days. 

BBC Proms '23: Bomsori Plays Bach
Bomsori Kim is apparently another ace new violinist , here making her Proms debut. Otherwise, Anja Bihemaier conducted the BBC Philharmonic through works by Brahms, Bartok, and Coleridge-Taylor.

African Voices/Changemakers - AfroNation Miami
Larry Madowo again, meeting Black Sherif, Fireboy DML and Bnxn, learning their stories and their hopes for Afrobeat.

Jennifer Lopez - Let's Get Real
A lengthy and perhaps unauthorised profile of the Latin star, which filled time with her speaking at some very minor events. She's in her mid-50's now and sings about as often as she acts.

Rewind: 60 Years of Welsh Pop - Dance Hits
Rather less than 60 years, though Nomad and K-Klass were comparatively old school, and also nice to see some lesser lights like Bright Light Bright Light and Jean-Jacques Smoothie get the nod. Oh, and Scritti Politti's Wood Beez, a staggeringly charitable inclusion really.

The Great Songwriters: Steve Earle
I don't see him as a country star, he either straddles genres or he's just more my idea of mainstream. He has had his fair share of struggles, but is clean and content these days, and sang Copperhead Road, so what more do you want?

Saturday Night w/Hayley Palmer - B*Witched
In the first half, she interviewed Edele & Lindsay, whilst the others watched from across the venue, and in the second half, she spoke to Sinead & Keavy. This made the band seem a lot more interesting than a more usual format would.

Behind The Music: DMX
A final wrap-up from 2021, recapping both his shows in 2010 and 2019. He had a tough old upbringing, but turned it around and found love and family, but couldn't quite conquer his demons. A huge #1 act in his heyday, and a sad loss now.

6music Live: Pretenders
From 2016, with Mark Radcliffe briefly chatting to Chrissie Hynde onstage about how her new album started as a solo one and became a team effort. They ended on Brass In Pocket, but was mainly new stuff, I think.

BBC Proms '23: Prokofiev & Tchaikowsky
Ryan Barcroft conducted the BBC National Orchestra of Wales through an uncomplicated bill, notable for the Proms solo debut of Isata Kanneh-Mason, another of the talented siblings.

Radio 2 In Concert: a-Ha
Hopefully a new/old one, from 2016, pushing their then-current Cast In Steel album, but with plenty of other oldies along the way up to an double-ending of The Sun Always Shines On TV and Take On Me.

TRNSMT '23
6 hours of compiled highlights, introduced by Edith Bowman, but still no Pulp or Sam Fender. Plenty of others through, usually spread to one track per act per show. As George Ezra, Kasabian, Niall Horan and Becky Hill were just a handful of those featured, there was plenty to be enjoyed.

BBC Proms '23: Yuja Wang & Klaus Makela
The pianist and conductor were billed as a "power couple", and her bash at some Rachmaninov led to 2 encores and she briefly joined the studio panel to offer post-performance thoughts. The concluding piece was by William Walton.

BBC 6music Festival: Sparks
From 2017, around the time of their "Hippopotamus" album, at the O2 Academy in Glasgow. Russell introduced some but not all of the tracks, many of which came from said new album, but others were a mix from across their career.

The Great Songwriters: Linda Perry
She talked about how her solo ambitions were slightly mangled by the unexpected success of 4 Non Blondes and What's Up? She did talk about how one of her songs caught the attention of Christina Aguilera, but nothing about Pink. She had a long hiatus without performing when she felt she'd lost her identity as a writer & performer. But she's over that now.

Lorraine - Damian Lewis
Popular actor recently released a first album, Mission Creep. He did some busking in the early part of his career, but started writing seriously during lockdown. He's on tour.

300 Years of Brandenburg Concertos
From Kothen Castle, a baroque ensemble called Colleginas 1704, conducted by Vaclav Luks, performed all 6 works in numerical sequence. Fair enough.

The Great Songwriters - Kenny Loggins
The last of this series saw Mr Footloose play that, and also tell how he co-wrote What A Fool Believes, both songs will should endure as long as music does.

Yo! MTV Raps: Wu-Tang Clan
From 1994, Fab 5 Freddy struggled to keep order with the likes of Method Man, ODB, RZA, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, plus the other 36 (!) members stood outside a studio.

The Old Grey Whistle Test: Toyah
A special concert from Christmas Eve 1981, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. After a quiet start, Toyah did bother introducing her songs, which was a big help. Someone who still endures but whose music career has been rather forgotten from the usual narratives.

BBC Proms '23: Schiff & Budapest Festival Orchestra
Ivan Fischer was the conductor, with works from Weber, Mendelssohn, and a star turn on piano from Sir Andras Schiff, with whom said conductor has had a long friendship. Encores ensued.

Marcel Somerville: My Career in Music
He was one of the 10 original members of short-lived UK boyband Blazin' Squad, who managed to reach #1, but not long-term success. Marcel perhaps hinted at the key problem with the band as he reached later tracks which featured less and less members, until near the end when there's just him and some other bloke. He seemed to have enjoyed the band life, though.

MTV World Stage: Isle of MTV Highlights
From this actual summer, when the usual Malta crowd got to see Mimi Webb, Tom Grennan, OneRepublic, Delta Goodrem (!) and a curious headliner in Alesso.

The CNBC Conversation - Mathew Knowles
Tania Bryer talked to the philanthropist and public speaker about his claim to fame as the father of Beyonce and a prime mover in the success of Destiny's Child. This might have been an old chat, as he seems keen that Idris Elba should play him if there's a Destiny's Child biopic of some sort. He runs the imaginatively named "Be Good Foundation".

Tony Bennett's 85th Birthday Concert, at the London Palladium
From back in 2011, Tony handled things ell, and was joined on a couple of numbers by Cleo Laine, and Leona Lewis. He obligingly ended by singing Fly Me To The Moon without microphone assistance, a good trick.

BBC Radio 2 In The Park: Best Bits
From last weekend, a wide line-up saw Lemar, Texas, Shalamar, Sam Ryder, Busted, Tears For Fears, Soft Cell, Deacon Blue, Bananarama, Kylie Minogue, and more.

BBC Proms '23: MYO at the Proms
The annual run-out for the National Youth Orchestra, conducted by Carlos Miguel Prieto. They had vocal help from soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, who was there for the premiere of a new work by composer Errolyn Wallen. 

The Barrowland Roar
Iain "Spanish" MacKay checks out the story of one of Glasgow's greatest venues, and how acts like Simple Minds and others have helped its fortunes, prior to him making his own debut alongside Trail West. 

Gwylian '23
Another Welsh festival, and Heledd Watkins fronted highlights which happened in a number of towns and venues, and acts ranged from Lemfreck and Melin Melyn to No Good Boyo and Adwaith.

BBC Proms '23: Celebrating Rachmaninov
John Wilson conducted the Sinfonia of London in this show, which also included works by Boulanger and Walton, and encores from Stravinsky and Gershwin. They've made sure to emphasise that despite being Russian, Rachmaninov is still worth celebrating as one of the good ones 

Tears For Fears - In Concert
Can't quite be sure if I've seen this before, or if it was a cut down version of same, or what. They covered Radiohead's Creep and spoke to Jo Whiley inbetween times. Mainly solid 80s hits the rest of it.

MTV World Stage: Tom Grennan
A longer bit from Malta, with a few of his hits.

Behind The Music: Remy Ma
She worked with Fat Joe and Big Pun, but had a sort of impostor syndrome, and ended up getting 8 years in jail. But she was forgiven after changing her ways in prison.

BBC Proms '23: Northern Soul
A lengthy concert with Edwin Outwater conducting the BBC Concert Orchestra and several singers through a couple of dozen classics of the genre.

Rock The Bell$ Festival - Celebrating 50 Years of Hip-Hop
LL Cool J main evented, but the line-up did include Salt N Pepa, Monie Love, Queen Latifah, Run DMC, Method Man & Redman, as well as Big Daddy Kane and Rakim. Pretty solid.

BBC Proms '23: Mindful Mix
Voces8 were joined by the Carducci String Quartet through a series of covers that ranged from Philp Glass to Radiohead. A change.

Songs of Praise: The Sacred Sound of the Organ
Katherine Jenkins talked to Anna Lapwood and others about the value of church organs, their dangers and their salvations.

Lorient 2023
The InterCeltic festival in Brittany featured the likes of Endro, the Trials of Cato, Vri, Kim Carnie, as well as presenters Al Lewis and Mari Matthias making their festival debuts.

BBC Proms '23: Sir Simon Rattle's Finale
His last time conducting the London Symphony Orchestra at the Proms, for which he put together a programme with some Poulenc and then his favourite Mahler. Various celebrities etc paid tribute in a montage.

Radio 1 @ Hackney Weekend 2012 - Rihanna
The R&B legend came to headline and even brought Jay Z along for three tracks, which was a treat for the crowd.

Oasis - Live at Wembley
Despite being billed as from their last tour in 2009, this turned out to be from 2000 which would explain the emphasis on the then-current Standing on the Shoulders of Giants album. Both Liam and Noel seemed in spiky form.

Yo! MTV Raps Classics: Queen Latifah
Fab 5 Freddy met the R&B legend in 1989 and observed her at work in a studio. Also various videos by other artists. Her new album was All Hail The Queen, and included Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children, of course.

Maes B 2023
Another Welsh festival, with acts ranging from Morgan Elwy and Pys Melyn, through Gwcci and Chroma, to Mared and Bwncath. Mirain Iweridd talked to many of the above acts, and more.

Musical Masterpieces - The Four Seasons
Another new series, with Myleene Klass and Errolyn Wallen discussing Vivaldi's masterpiece, with Sinfonia Cymru doing a new performance that includes percussion, and talk of versions which take climate change into account.

Yo! MTV Raps - pilot episode
A worthwhile treat, with Run DMC basically hosting, and guest spots from Public Enemy as well as DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince - both acts were supporting Run DMC on tour.  A wild mix of videos from the Beastie Boys and Run DMC themselves, through to N.W.A. and now-forgotten girl-band J.J. Fad.

Classica: Dvorak - From The New World
Andris Nelsons conducted the Gewardhausorchester in Leipzig through a predominantly Dvorak program, with a little bit of Smetana thrown in.

Radio 1 Presents: Reading & Leeds - A Rite of Passage
A handful of teenage girls are followed making their first visits to the famous 3-day festival (some in the north, some in the south). Also a few Radio 1 DJs spoke fondly of the show, whilst acts like Foals, Rina Sawayama and Nothing But Thieves spoke warmly of past good experiences there.

Classica: Budapest Festival Orchestra
Ivan Fischer conducted works by Prokofiev, and Stravinsky.

BBC Radio 2 - Kylie : Live in the Park
She's got a new album out, and obligingly headlined for a good long set here, with Jessie Ware as a guest on one track, but few random surprises.

BBC Proms '23: Fantasy Film Music
Hannah Waddingham had been supposed to introduce this, but the Hollywood strike was still on at the time, so she pulled out, and was replaced by Katie Derham and Ali Plumb instead. Or maybe just Katie, I don't know. Anna-Maria Helsing (!) conducted the BBC Concert Orchestra through versions of tunes from productions like Good Omens or Game of Thrones, though there were reliable old favourites from Grieg and Mussorgsky too.

Artist to Icon: Cher
This 2020 effort looked more about her early years with Sonny, and then solo, though at least some attention was paid to her big 1990s UK #1's. Nino Tempo was perhaps a starrier contributor than these sorts of shows usually find to offer.

Africa Voices: Changemakers - Asake
Larry Madowo spoke to the rising Afrobeats star when they were in Miami back in May. He became the highest-charting Nigerian star on the Billboard album chart in 2022. His stage name derives from money, an elision of a fuller name. His father was a singer, and mother a dancer. He knew Fireboy DML at university. He moved from being a dancer himself to singing because he would make more money. 2020 was his breakthrough year. Olamide is both an inspiration and his label boss.

MTV Push presents... Olivia Rodrigo
From 2021, this coincided with her 1st album, but had to make 3 videos stretch to fill the time-slot. She was a former Disney star, and came from California. She started writing songs at a very young age, and had piano lessons at 9. She works with a main collaborator who is a writer-producer. She works on song ideas on her phone.

Later...with Jools Holland: Amy Winehouse
A new rehash of all the songs she did on either Later or the Hootenanny specials, linked by Jools. Beehive Amy may have been more popular, but she seemed a lot more interesting (and talented) before then.

BBC Proms '23: Horrible Histories - 'Orrible Opera
A special for kids, with Keri-Lynn Wilson conducting the English National Opera, no less, through a vague ramble through the story and history of opera, ranging from Verdi and Puccini in the 1st half, then some more modern stuff like Gershwin, Gilbert & Sullivan, and Glass in the 2nd.

Jiving & Jammin'
A short from 1948, apparently, with some tracks sung by Dinah Kaye, and the rest performed by the Maurice Arnold Sextet. 

Tony Bennett Sings... (His Personal Hit Songbook)
From 1979, and repeated for explicable reasons. He rattled through many familiar numbers in the time, and a few less familiar, too.

Yo! MTV Raps Classic: De La Soul
From 1993, as a somewhat disinterested Dave, Mase and Posdnus thinly tolerated Fab 5 Freddy whilst they played video games, though things got more serious as the show went on. They were touring with A Tribe Called Quest in support.

Reading & Leeds '23: Billie Eilish
The wunderkind headlined another festival, with Finneas on hand at times, and an appreciative and largely female crowd loving it.

Yo! MTV Raps Classic: Slick Rick
Fab 5 Freddy met up with him in 1989, who was apparently from England, having moved to the USA in 1976. They went to a shoe shop, mentioned Rick's new "The Great Adventures of Slick Rick" album and played videos from Gang Starr to MC Hammer.

David Byrne's American Utopia
An entertaining stage show mixing some old Talking Heads tracks with others, here directed by Spike Lee, no less.

Jeff Buckley - In Concert
From Chicago in 1995, a quite long if uninspiring show. I like Hallelujah less and less each time I hear it.

What Next For The Wellerman?
Nathan Evans' 2020 novelty UK #1 may have made his name, but can he break out of the sea shanty mould? Success in Germany would suggest he has a chance.


Later w/Jools Holland - Women of Hip-Hop & Soul
As good an idea for a round-up as any, even if it felt like I'd seen it before. Good to see less obvious choices like Jill Scott or Ms Dynamite, though, even if the Fugees were included presumably because Lauryn Hill never came on solo.

Hansh - Yn Cyflweyno - Sage Todz: The Message Not The Language
He's a Welsh rapper who sometimes sings in English too. He talked to other acts trying to make it in non-English languages, including Hammy Sgith and Seamus Barra. He was barred from a couple of festivals for using English, so he took Juice Menace to go to one where he was allowed to perform.