Music Television 6.5

Glastonbury '24 - IDLES
An hour or so of songs I wasn't really familiar with, but which largely sounded fine enough.

Radio 2 In The Park '23 - Rick Astley
A tidy little half-hour from an 80s legend who seems to be in the good graces again.

From The Vaults - Protest Songs
A 5th series begins with a themed round-up, and footage from the 1960s and 1970s for a change, and at least they take the chance to play Glad To Be Gay.

Reading & Leeds '24 - Fontaines DC
Fairly popular Irish rockers with some familiar tunes, pushing their recent album.

Radio 2 In Concert: Talk Talk
They played Hammersmith Odeon in 1986, and it's quirky to hear them play their two biggest hits as though they're just another tune. They open with Talk Talk as well.

BBC Proms '24 - Mancini, Bacharach & Friends
Edwin Outwater conducted the BBC Concert Orchestra through a general mish-mash of somewhat easy listening classics from Henry, Burt and others. Entertaining enough, but maybe a curious choice for telly viewers.

Glastonbury '24 - Sampha
A short and unannounced set which I had to research a while to unravel. A good show, though.

Radio 2 In The Park '23 - Tears For Fears
They got an hour in Leicester as headliners, pushing their then-latest album, but making sure to include plenty of, in their words, "bangers".

Reading and Leeds '24 - Kenya Grace
A good opportunity for someone who seems to have been otherwise silenced despite scoring a #1 hit.

The Heritage Chart 4th Anniversary Show
Mike Reid introduced a studio show with almost 2 dozen acts battling through recent hits of theirs (I did spot Mike Nolan still with the Fizz, at least for now).

Glastonbury '24 - Avril Lavigne
She was another young-ish American singer who made a successful noise this year. Odd to think she's 20 years into her career, given her peak could arguably be said to have been that first year.

Radio 2 In The Park '23 - Beverley Knight
She was pleased to be in Leicester and rattled through her hits, such as they are.

Witness History: Fight The Power
Matt Pintus talks to Chuck D about Public Enemy's zenith, 35 years on.

Prince - The Fan's Story
A number of musicians talk about what the late legend meant to them, meeting him, seeing him in concert, getting his seal of approval, and picking favourite tracks of his. Included Jessie Ware, Midge Ure, Mick Hucknall, Lemar and even Richard Marx.

Radio 2 In Concert: The Verve
They played something of a homecoming show in Wigan in 1998, still in the afterglow of the triumph that was Urban Hymns.

Glastonbury '24 - Ayra Starr
The last of all these spots, quite an appealing little showcase, a pity she didn't get more respect at the time.

BBC Proms '24 - Symphony of Lungs
Florence Welch was joined by Jules Buckley conducting his Orchestra through a 15th anniversary celebration of her debut album Lungs. Something different.

al Jazeera World: Sisters in Song - Yemen & Oman
Saw 2 eps on this theme last year, not sure if this was part of the series I missed, or more of the same. Passion of the Heart were the Yemeni band, and the Omaniyat Band weren't. Both had a lot to say in their favour.

Radio 2 In The Park '23 - James Blunt
He seemed to have a lively time in Leicester, got his big monster out of the way well before the end, and seemed to be in a good place.

Idea Generation: Joe Budden
He grew up in Jersey, went to school in North Carolina, and then returned to Jersey. He got into rapping and mixtape culture, had success with Pump It Up, but got mired in record company politics. He went digital and then quit performing around 2016, and became a podcaster, where he seems to be really very successful now.

BBC Proms '24 - Unmissable Moments
A 2 hour round-up of highlights from the season of shows, or at least from telly shows, linked by 8 different presenters, though Tom Service must have missed the call.

Radio 2 In The Park '24 - Travis
They did a steady half hour on the Sunday afternoon, with a couple from their current album, a cover of Somewhere In My Heart, and various other famous numbers of theirs.

Isle of MTV  - Malta 2024 Highlights
A round-up with bits from Nelly Furtado, Raye and DJ Snake.

Paralympics GB Homecoming
A slightly drabber and talkier tribute concert, with Sugababes headlining, and other inclusions from Craig David, Aitch, Caity Baser, Jonas Blue and Keala Settle.

Great Lives - Gilbert & Sullivan
Dillie Keane advocated for the musical duo, with director Mike Leigh also adding his thoughts, in this 2004 profile.

From the Vaults - 1983 Revisited
More familiar treats, from big names like OMD, REM and Depeche Mode, to the lesser lights like the Assembly and JoBoxers. Simple Minds and U2 also made the cut.

Last Night of the Proms
In 2 halves, Sakari Oramo conducted the BBC Symphony Orchestra through works by Puccini, Walton, Coleridge-Taylor and Faure, before the usual favourites. Angel Blue was the big guest singer, and Sir Stephen Hough contributed some piano magic too.

Radio 2 In The Park '24 - Haircut 100
Nick moaned a bit about it raining, but they do have some new songs amongst the old favourites.

Songs of Survival at the BBC
Another epic 2.5 hour compilation, including a few videos again (Don't Give Up, The Show Must Go On, fair enough).

Radio 2 In The Park '24 - Craig David
Southampton's finest had a crap new single, but plenty of reliable old favourites too.

The Entertainers - Tommy Steele
One of the UK's first rock stars in the mid-1950s, partly achieved by simply bringing American hits to London before anyone else. Rock With A Caveman was his big number, and he got his own biopic within the decade. Movies and theatre took his time more after that.

This Much I Know To Be True
Nick Cave plays hits from two recent albums (Ghosteen and Carnage), with help from Marianne Faithfull, shows off his pottery project, answers e-inquiries from fans, and mentions his son Earl.

From The Vaults - 1985 Revisited
A few surprise choices like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Propaganda, a few words from Morrissey, and tracks from Echo & the Bunnymen, King, Prefab Sprout and the Associates.

Yo! MTV Raps - The Beastie Boys
Fab 5 Freddy went to Chinatown in 1989 to talk to the lads, they having made a record with Biz Markie; topically there was a shout-out for the San Francisco earthquake. They had a tour planned to start January.

Cyndi Lauper - Live... at Last
She played New York's Town Hall in 2004. with plenty of old favourites big and small.

Classix Nouveaux - In Concert
A 2-part show from Plymouth, in which Sal Solo and gang try to show they were about more than just Is It A Dream?

Radio 2 In The Park '24 - Snow Patrol
They have a new album out, and played some of it amidst their massive hits.

The Interview - Janet Jackson
She talked about her career and current tour (this had been done before Tito's death). She felt some of her messages were still as relevant after almost 40 years.

Radio 2 In The Park '24 - Sugababes
Having seen them at several festivals over the summer, this felt very slick and organised, the same show regardless of where it was.

MTV World Stage '24 - Nelly Furtado
The veteran is back with a new album and gave a busy old show with some newies, and a lot more oldies.

MTV Family Legacy - Linkin Park / Van Halen
Another show using old footage in a new way. Draven Bennington discussed his late father's band via MTV appearances, whilst Andrew Hagar was joined by his dad Sammy as he also considered highs on live turns on MTV.

Idea Generation: Big Sean
Seem to have more musicians on this series. Mr Anderson talked about his early years in Detroit, being ahead of the curve, battling depression, keeping his publishing when he signed a record deal, coming to sobriety, hitting paydirt with his 3rd record, overcoming writer's block, and family life. Likeable.

Radio 2 In The Park '24 - Sister Sledge
They did the hits, basically.

Who Do You Think You Are? Olly Murs
His great-grandfather had a musical leaning, doing a circus act with his wife, in Latvia earlier in the 20th century.

Living Lyrics: Ghetts
Host Kenny Allstar talked to the MOBO award winner about his new album. He did a couple of tracks, talked about his London home studio complex, working out regularly and so on.

Nothin' But A Good Time - The Uncensored Story of 80s Hair Metal
A 3-part look into 1980s USA where some desperate musicians found a way to success, inspired others, had some lively times and made some emphatic records, and then they were all destroyed, partly by Beavis & Butt-head, but mostly by Nirvana.

MTV Family Legacy: Brandy / Melissa Etheridge
Sy'rai Smith first appeared on MTV whilst her mother was pregnant with her, which is a rare claim to fame. Bayley Cypheridge also had an intriguing origin story too, with David Crosby as her genetic father.

Radio 2 In The Park '24 - Manic Street Preachers
Quite a decent band booking, to be honest, and they had plenty of hits to do from their 30+ year career.

Plymouth Rock - Murray Head
Another surprising turn-up, from the early 1980s, including tracks like Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat, and How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live?

From The Vaults - 1979 Revisited
A febrile time, and some lesser lights got to shine here, like Judie Tzuke and Joe Jackson, and even some early Chris Rea. Not to mention rarer ones from Roxy Music and David Essex, and Tina "that comeback's not going too fast" Turner covering Every 1's a Winner.

Idea Generation: Tinashe
Noah talks to the R&B star whose career seems to suffer from record company matters, but who keeps being creative to cope. Her new album project is in 3 parts. Collaborations give ideas, too.

Music Rediscovered: Millions Be Free
Oscar Jensen looks into the story of an obscure 18th century tune from London, which gained words, popularity in France, and finally became adjusted in the USA as the Star-Spangled Banner.

Radio 2 In The Park '24 - Delta Goodrem
The Aussie actress only had a few hits here, but did a nice medley of Aussie works along the way, which the crowd were presumably bemused by.

Yn Y Lwp
Molly Palmer had videos from Buddug and Roswell Cofwch, plus a segment on the business of gig promotion.

Saturday Night w/Hayley Palmer - TJ Jackson
The former 3T member was in London, and talked the old days of hits, and also his solo career. He was the youngest of his brothers (Hayley also a youngest - me as well). He appeared on a reality series called The Big Reunion, which introduced him to many other acts.

I Want My MTV: Clean Bandit
Luke, Jack and Grace talked about their memories of MTV, rating other tracks from Daft Punk, Kaoma and the Flying Pickets (Rockabye's video included a nod to Only You, which came as a surprise).

Radio 2 In The Park '24 - Shed Seven
They're in somewhat of a resurgence, and had several oldies to liven up their new stuff, and even covered Suspicious Minds too.

Soul Music: There is a Light That Never Goes Out
Understandably most of the stories here came from people with sad moments to share (Mark Gatiss was one of them).

Music Planet: Joe Boyd
He has a new book out, And The Roots of Rhythm Remain, and this show somewhat exemplified it by featuring acts and music he's worked with and on over his 50+ year career, from Cuba to South Africa to Spain to Sweden and many others.

Kirsty MacColl at the BBC
A round-up marking what would have been her 65th birthday. She had more misses than hits, but her works with the Pogues, the Happy Mondays and French & Saunders were all present.

Radio 2 In The Park '24 - Gabrielle
Another 1990s veteran still releasing new material after all these years, she had a couple of #1 hits to spare too.

From the Vaults - 1988 Revisited
A strength with this show are seeing lesser-seen acts like Derek B or Pop Will Eat Itself, let alone House of Love and Wedding Present.

Soul Music - Abide With Me
Famously played in the UK at the FA Cup final for almost a century, it has plans from Malawi to India, and its inspiration came from the Gospel of Luke.

Lorraine - Craig David
The UK R&B legend was pushing his new In Your Hands single, forthcoming tour, and talked old times with Ms Kelly.

Radio 2 In Concert: UB40
They went to Brighton in 1985, when they'd had their 2nd #1 with I Got You Babe (no Chrissie Hynde here, Ali handled most of it, the crowd helping out at times). 

Radio 2 In The Park '24 - Best Bits
A fairly lengthy highlights show with 16 different acts, thus including a few like Kim Wilde and Pixie Lott who I'd otherwise missed.

Radio 1 - Live Lounge @ 25
Presenters past and present picked favourite performances of the radio spot, mostly with more recent acts like Doja Cat or Sabrina Carpenter, though there were a few outliers like Elbow or Jay Z in there too.

MTV World Stage: Raye
She got a long-ish set in Malta, and it still didn't impress me much.

Boxed Set - Kirsty MacColl
Reportedly her last such show before her untimely death, pushing her latest album in Glasgow, but with some other tracks like Walking Down Madison and New England.

MTV Family Legacy: The Backstreet Boys / N Sync
Baylee Litrell was the likeable son of Brian, also now a singer in his own right. Briahna Fatone was the daughter of Joey, and pursuing a non-music destiny. Both dads were present to some extent.

Radio 2 In Concert: Culture Club
They played Golders Green in 1999, just as their big comeback was going well. George was in fine mood, which helped.

Soul Music - You'll Never Walk Alone
This 2001 edition was a bit vague on contributors, but Gerry Marsden was definitely in there. They told how the song went from Carousel to become a pop hit, covered over a hundred times, and a football anthem in Liverpool.