Music Television 4

BBC Proms '21: Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla Conducts the CBSO
An intriguing set rounded off by some Brahms, preceded by the London premiere of a work by Thomas Ades, and kicked off with the first piece from Ruth Gipps to get a Proms performance since 1942 (!) This 2nd Symphony was written in 1945, and she died in 1999, so 2021 seems a case of better late than never.

Taith Lle-Chi
Ifor Ap Glyn anchors a show about the attempt to get UNESCO world heritage status for Welsh slate quarries, through the medium of getting six Welsh acts to come up with a poem or song about the industry. So, different, but informative.

The 30 Greatest Songs of 1991
Vernon Kay fronted this, which heralded a few surprises  like Guns N Roses or R.E.M., and whilst Bryan Adams inevitably was judged to be 1st, it was ahead of Nirvana in 2nd.

BBC Proms '21: Saint-Saens and Brahms' Fourth Symphony
Ryan Bancroft conducted the BBC National Orchestra of Wales through a set which included works by Purcell and Dvorak, as well as the titular two. There was a discussion on the rare use of an octobass, and a debate about when inspirations becomes borrowing, or quotation or plagiarism. Chi-Chi Nwanoku kept Suzy Klein company.

Billie Eilish - Up Close
Since learning she is American, the hype has suddenly made more sense. She hails from Highland Park in Los Angeles, and discussed the last 5-6 years of her journey, the help of her brother Finneas, and her new album.

BBC Proms '21: The Golden Age of Broadway
Richard Balcombe conducts the BBC Concert Orchestra through a selection of numbers from shows ranging from South Pacific to Carousel to My Fair Lady to High Society. Clarke Peters was among the singers, and Bonnie Langford joined Neil Brand in commentary.

Maes B - Merched Yn Gwneud Miwsig
The annual Eistedfodd event was somewhat curtailed again, but this show presented by Eleri Sian brought together several acts to perform a track or two, and often chat to Eleri about how and where they're at. Acts included Adwaith, Eadyth, Hana Lili and Thallo.

Music Icons: Rockabilly
Missed this when the series first aired a few months back, so glad to get a chance to catch it. They never quite came out and said it was a rockier version of hillbilly. The acts focused on were the Everly Brothers, Ricky Nelson and Brenda Lee, so a few less familiar stories for a change.

MTV Diary: Enrique Iglesias
More repeats for their big birthday. Julio's lad was followed in April & May 2002, as he did a gig in Dallas, and then started a European tour in Dublin, and found time to record a French language version of "Love to See You Cry".

Southern Journey (Revisited)
In 1959, Alan Lomax and Shirley Collins visited some small towns in Virginia, Kentucky and Mississippi, and heard the tales of acts like Texas Gladden, Uncle Wade Ward, Ada Combs, Mississippi Fred McDowell and Otha Turner. In 2019, some Brits retraced their journey and met relations of some of those acts, as well as more modern ones like The Local Honeys and The Como Mamas.

Urban Myths - Grace Under Pressure
One night in New York in 1979, when Grace Jones was briefly held hostage with her partner Jean-Paul Goude, and what might have happened. Andy Warhol and Debbie Harry made cameos. I was impressed by David Ajala as a burglar (and hostage-taker).

Queens of Song at the BBC
Another rummage through the archive for no particularly good reason. Adele and Beyonce were the most recent names on the list, too.

The 30 Greatest Hits of 1996
Again notable for differences with the sales list, so more prominence for tracks like California Love, Insomnia, Ironic and even Freedom '96. Wannabe got the top nod ahead of Don't Look Back In Anger. Fugees were down in 5th.

BBC Proms '21: Discovering Stravinsky's Firebird Suite
Tom Service helped Nicholas Collon as he conducted the Aurora Orchestra, not so much during their Rachmaninov piece, as the subsequent Stravinsky. They seem to do a piece like this every season.

Soundstage: Tori Amos
Even as I work through collecting her albums, most of these were tracks I didn't recognise that much, though she did Precious Things and Cornflake Girl towards the end, so that helped.

Big Zuu's Christmas Eats - Music Special
Jovial chef talks to and cooks for Loyle Carner, Jme (and his sister Julie Adenuga) and his cousin AJ Tracey. With Vegan and vegetarian options to keep in the mix, it was more out of the ordinary than a show like this would normally be, but good fun which helps.

Team GB Homecoming Concert
A special at the SSE Arena, Wembley, with Rag N Bone Man, Griff, Mica Paris, Bastille, Anne-Marie, Yungblud, KSI, Laura Mvula and the reliable Nile Rodgers & Chic, as well as many chats to some of the medal-winners from Team GB. A half-decent show, some stuff better than others.

The 30 Greatest Hits of 1999
Again more notable for the odd inclusions like N Sync and Travis, then the over-familiar Robbie Williams or Eminem. Baby One More Time was judged top, ahead of Man! I Feel Like A Woman, oddly.

MTV World Stage: MIAWS 2021
Mexico's awards, in its 8th year, with performances from Kali Uchis, Danna Paola, Justin Quiles, Gera MX & Christian Nodal, C Tangana and Rauw Alejandro.

Fflach Yn 20 Oed
Poignant 2001 look at the Welsh band Ail Symudiad, chiefly its brotherly team of Richard and Wyn Jones, who had some success of their own, then started their own label, Fflach, which did wonders for the likes of Ficer, Rocyn, Gwenda Owen and others. They even managed a folk off-shoot. Shown in tribute to Richard's recent death, I was stunned to learn Wyn died the month before his brother, but maybe I missed a specific tribute to him. The music all sounded pretty good, alas I just don't speak Welsh.

MTV Diary: Christina Aguilera - A Girl's True Confessions
A month in the Autumn of 2000, from a charity function at the Ecuadorean embassy (her father being Ecuadorean), to rebutting Fred Durst's claims, working on a Christmas record, and then a charity function for the Tiger Woods Foundation.

Clubbing - We've Lost Dancing
A short look at how the clubbers have been left to swing by lockdown policy, and whether reopening will come soon enough.

Yemi Alade - Empress Live
Some chat, about her 5th album, making music for all the family, collaborations with Patoranking and Estelle among others; but most of the show was her performing the songs, which was good.

Carole King - Welcome to My Living Room
A lengthy show from 2005 in Temecula, California, as she ran through many hits and more, closing out on The Locomotion.

BBC Proms '21: Simon Rattle and the LSO - Rattle on Stravinsky
To mark the 50th anniversary of Stravinsky's death, this concert ran through three pieces by Stravinsky, with a Stravinsky fan in Simon Rattle in charge. They even had footage of Stravinsky himself talking about his work, which added something.

Grace Jones - Bloodlight and Bami
Curious 2017 effort that featured some performance footage, and lots on Grace's life, background, studio works and so on. 

MTV Diary - Pink - A Missundaztood Family Portrait
From October 2001, so as her greatest album was about to take over, and in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. She called Linda Perry a mentor, was pleased to have a better relation with both parents, after some difficult times in the past, doing a shoot for Stuff magazine, shopping in New York, and appearing at a benefit concert for 9/11 (her father having served in Vietnam) where she met Bette Midler and Steven Tyler.

BBC Proms '21: Chineke! with Jeneba Kanneh-Mason
Tom Service presents as the Chineke! Orchestra do works with Coleridge-Taylor, Price and another Proms premiere, this time from Sowande. Jeneba does the Price piece, in what is her Proms debut. Conductor Kalena Bovell was also making her debut at the Proms. You get the idea.

Bobby Darin - I Want to Be a Legend
A curious 2001 effort with some of his children and surviving relations, as well as managers, engineers, and so on. Nancy Sinatra got to say her piece, and mogul Don Kirshner was an old pal who helped put him on the map. He took his name from the word Mandarin. Having been diagnosed in poor health and not expecting to live long, he was motivated in an extreme way, and if Splish Splash was what it took to take off, so be it. A political flirtation with Bobby Kennedy didn't pan out, though, and he was dead by 37.

BBC Proms '21: Joshua Bell's Seasons - Vivaldi vs Piazzola
An intriguing change from the normal performance of Vivaldi's famous "Four Seasons" piece, by doing it alternating with Piazzola's "Four Seasons of Buenos Aires" piece. They even did Gershwin's "Summertime" as an encore.

Dennis Miller Plus One - Donny Osmond
He did a mammoth Las Vegas residency which ended shortly before the pandemic, and is about to start a new Vegas residency, and also a new album, "Start Again". It's his 65th album, and one part of the show he's keen on is a segment where people can pick any song from any album, which he will then sing (part of). He was proud of his turn on the Masked Singer show. He retold the story of how his brothers got a break through Walt Disney, and then Andy Williams, who Donny reveres. He's still only 63, and spoke warmly about his wife too. Of other acts, he loves Coldplay and Billie Eilish.

Al Jazeera World: Istanbul - Songs of the City
How music has adapted and evolved over time amidst the clash of cultures, and how some types will shortly be lost as their practitioners are unable to pass the know-how on.

BBC Proms '21: Carnival of the Animals, with the Kanneh-Masons
In fact a double bill with a new piece, Revel, by Daniel Kidane, which featured poet Lemn Sissay, but the main event included poet Michael Morpurgo reading new poetry to pad out Saint-Saens' master-work, with added performance from Em Williams in both pieces.

Live from Melrose Ballroom - Steven Tyler
The Aerosmith frontman in this 2015 show did a modest set of old and less old stuff, had some guests and finished with what he felt was a Janis Joplin tribute, singing Take a Little Piece of My Heart 

BBC Proms '21: Moses Sumney meets Jules Buckley and the BBC SO
Basically an orchestral-backed pop concert from someone who's big news apparently, though I wasn't really won over.

Kurupting The Industry - The "People Just Do Nothing" Story
How some guys on YT got their own sitcom, and have just made a film version. The same production team who did The Office were important to the show making it to screen, but the PJDN gang themselves deserve good credit too. Craig David and Dizzee Rascal were among fans and contributors too.

BBC Proms '21: John Eliot Gardener and the English Baroque Soloists
The Monteverdi Choir also, as they worked on Handel and Bach, whilst in the studio Petroc Trelawny discussed the need for historical authenticity in performance.

TOTP2: Pop Stars
This 2012 compilation may have come up before. Most were fairly unarguable, though the odd cases like Paul Young or Nik Kershaw showed that the category runs wider than often credited.

Take Me To The Opera
The great Zeinab Badawi looks at the prospects for a return to live performance for the operatic world, talking to old hands like Cecilia Bartoli, and future hits like Benjamin Bernheim. Time will tell, as with many of these post-pandemic mysteries.

Reading & Leeds 2021 - Stormzy
Despite claiming to have vocal troubles, he nailed a solid, confident set, that let him bring on guests like Tion Wayne and Dave.

Sir Simon Rattle at the BBC
A mix of performance clips, and other odds bits of presenting he's done over the years, whether wowing in Bournemouth, Birmingham or Berlin.

Music Legends - Ricky Nelson
The son of star parents, he had several hits besides his most famous Hello Mary Lou (Goodbye Heart), and managed the odd big acting gig like Rio Bravo with the great Dean Martin. Things spiralled down from his peak, and he was on comeback tours in the 1980s. He died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1985.

Radio 2 Live 2021 - Texas
The Scottish legends played a lengthy set at St Luke's, Glasgow, including tracks from their recent Mr Haze album, getting fellow Scot legend Clare Grogan on for a number, and ending with a cover of Come On Eileen.

Michael Kiwanuka - In Concert - Baloise Session 2019
He had good banter with the crowd, and ran through a lengthy set from her growing back catalogue.

BBC Proms '21: John Wilson and the Sinfonia of London
A regular star turn, Wilson this year led his troops through pieces by Strauss II, Berg, Ravel and the lengthy main event from Korngold. Nearly at the end of this season of shows.

A Shanghai Symphony
How the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra was formed and evolved over the past 125 years or so, in tune with the many changes China has also been going through. It seems on a more stable trajectory these days.

Radio 2 Live 2021 - Manic Street Preachers
They got a long set at St David's Hall, Cardiff, where both James and Nicky mentioned bands they had been to see there in their youth. Their new album is out this week, and they were able to do some tracks off it, amidst 30 years or so of other material, and even a cover of Bring On The Dancing Horses.

BBC Proms '21: St Matthew Passion
Around 3 hours with Jonathan Cohen conducting Arcangelo and various soloists through a lengthy Bach piece.

You Can't Go Back
How Del Amitri got back together after a long hiatus, and made a new album, which then had to wait a year for release. Justin Currie and Iain Harvie are the backbone of the band, and seem happy with their back catalogue and their prospects for the future.

The National Lottery Paralympics GB Homecoming
Jamie Cullum, Ella Henderson, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Birdy and Evelyn Glennie were among the acts here filling in time between chats to the winners, before Madness rounded the show off.

BBC Proms '21: Last Night of the Proms
Got the whole thing this year, for what it was worth. Aussie tenor Stuart Skelton was a charming guest performer, and Sakari Oramo conducted the BBC Symphony Orchestra through words by Malcolm Arnold, Maurice Ravel, and then Wagner, Price, and all the usual last night favourites.

MTV Diary - Eve - Her Side of the Ruff Ryde
In March 2000, she was a rising star, and was seen in Philadelphia, also on TRL and finding a hotel room weird (a famous painting meant nothing to her). She did a show in Hampton too.

Soundstage ft Alanis Morissette
She did a show in 2004, pushing whichever album she had out then. She did some familiar stuff, introduced some others and ended with Thank U.

Reading & Leeds 2021 - Liam Gallagher
The loudmouth Oasis frontman did a good few numbers of his old band, as well from his more recent solo works. He dedicated Live Forever to Charlie Watts.

Vivaldi Unmasked
In this 2002 effort, Charles Hazlewood considered the life of the so-called Red Priest, how his works were rediscovered by Gentili a century ago, and how the Four Seasons soon became such 1 ubiquitous success.

Isle of Wight Festival 2021 - James
A plethora of shows, thankfully. This set started with a few from forgettable Scouting For Girls, and then probably over an hour from James, who've been around since the late 1980s, and had plenty of good material to share. Tim and Saul spoke to a presenter beforehand about line-up changes too.

Amy Winehouse - A Life in Ten Pictures
Friends and family put on a brave face, but there was no mention of Mark Ronson or Rehab even. You could almost believe she did her 2nd album all by herself. That she looks in great health during the 1st album period and less so after, was also a massive clue not discussed really.

Focus On: Bonnie Tyler
A welcome new contender from this series. Amongst more obvious faves was her version of The Best, later made more famous by Tina Turner.

Isle of Wight Festival 2021: Liam Gallagher
A lengthy showcase,as well-tempered as usual, with plenty of Oasis favourites like Hello and Stand By Me, and especially Acquiesce, which he exhorts the audience to join in the chorus of.

MTV Unplugged: Alanis Morissette
She went to the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 1999, and did do Ironic this time, but not One Hand In My Pocket.

Isle of Wight Festival 2021: Becky Hill
As vocalist on a wealth of dance hits, she had plenty of material to work with (and a new album out). Followed by the far jollier Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who did well during lockdown with a special YT series.

Isle of Wight Festival 2021: Saturday highlights
Short sets from the Lightning Seeds and All Saints, followed by a little longer for Maximo Park and James Arthur, and longer still for the upcoming Sam Fender, including him covering Bruce Springsteen's Dancing In The Dark.

Concerto at the BBC Proms
A short repeat from 2012, as Janine Jansen soloed with the BBC Symphony Orchestra on Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E Minor.

Last Man Standing - Suge Knight and the Murders of Biggie & Tupac
Director Nick Broomfield looked at this story back in 2002, but now Suge is locked up, he was able to get more helpful comments from people on camera. Suge was bad news, but Tupac only turned the same way when he was left in jail by Jimmy Iovine and Interscope. Knight took care of him and he went to Death Row. And one thing led to another. Would either the two dead rappers have really gone on to greatness? We'll never know.

MTV Diary: Backstreet Boys - Around the World in 100 Hours
Unlike the others repeated, this was twice the length, as befitted the narrative of globe-trotting over six days in late 2000. To push their 4th album, they visited Stockholm (for the EMAs), then Tokyo, Sydney, Cape Town, Rio and back to New York for the actual launch and to visit TRL. A telling glimpse of how fans react when they only get to see their heroes for a few hours every few years.

Isle of Wight Festival 2021: Primal Scream
A short selection ranging from Loaded to Rocks.

Isle of Wight Festival 2021: Snow Patrol
Quite the lengthy set. I suppose they ought to be bracketed with Coldplay, but never are. They made sure to include their biggest stuff along the way.

Scotland the Rave
Graeme Armstrong relates the story of the Scottish rave scene of the 2000s, how he got carried away with drugs, but came back from the brink. He also talks to fellow clubbers, dancers and DJs about their feelings on the scene. He's written books about his experiences too.

BBC Radio 6music - Charley Says - The Music of 1991
A half hour compilation of the sounds of 30 summers ago, mixing obvious choices like Massive Attack and Primal Scream with less obvious ones like PJ Harvey and My Bloody Valentine.

Manuel Wandji - "Voyages & Friends"
This 2014 doc covered the "global nomad" as he worked on a new record. Born in Cameroon, living in France, he has worked with people in the USA as well. He was a vocal-instrumentalist, and impressive his many friends and collaborators.

Ellen (Farewell Season) - Melissa Etheridge
After a lot of mutual back-slapping, they did mention Melissa has a new album out, and she performed a song from it at the end of the show. She's been cancer free for 17 years.

Isle of Wight Festival 2021 - Sunday highlights
Performances from Seasick Steve, James Vincent McMorrow, Lawson, Imelda May, Ronan Keating, Maisie Peters and a long set and interview from Supergrass.

Dame Fanny Waterman - A Lifetime in Music
This 2012 profile covered the guiding light behind the Leeds International Piano Competition, when she was in her 90s. She started on the piano at 4, saw Rachmaninov play at Leeds, played at the Proms herself in 1942, and eventually became a teacher. The LIPC started in 1963.

Isle of Wight Festival 2021: The Script
They've got a compilation album out, and I think they've had about as long a career as Maroon 5, only with much less of interest.

Classic Albums: Pieces of a Man
Gil Scott-Heron's work was considered by Chuck D, Gregory Porter and Bonnie Greer, among others. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised remains its greatest statement.

Isle of Wight Festival 2021: Razorlight
They're back... perhaps they'll go away again.

Janine Jansen - Falling for Stradivari
An attempt to bring together 12 of the world's Stradivarius violins to play for a recording. Jansen travels to meet some other owners, and also get piano assistance from Antonio Pappano. There is a brief hiatus as she gets covid, but after recovery, continues with the project.

Music Legends: Billy Fury
He died at 42, and his heyday was quite short - certainly shorter than the wilderness years which followed. Halfway to Paradise was saved for the end, though Wondrous Place didn't come up.

Kathy Kirby - My Story
She had a short career, too, thanks to her controlling manager/husband, who gave her substandard material to work with, and wouldn't evolve her career. Many fans and colleagues spoke warmly of her.

HARDtalk: Nitin Sawhney
He had tough times growing up in Kent with Indian parents. Music became an outlet, and he's been a success for 30-odd years. He had a new album to promote, partly brought along through lockdown. He turned down an OBE, but later accepted a CBE. He complained about never being booked for the main stage at Glastonbury, after which he was booked for it. He's the chair of PRS too.

Jamiroquai : Live in Verona
A lengthy set notable for occurring during quite heavy rain. Jay persists, though, and it's a great show. I suspect it might have been from around 2001. He brings Beverley Knight on as a special guest for a fairly undistinguished song.

Janine and the 12 Stradivari
From the Cadogan Hall, London, the performance with piano assistance from Antonio Pappano, through works by Kreisler, Rachmaninov, Ravel, Schumann, Elgar and others.