BeebRock II - Music Shows on BBC Four, Sky Arts and everywhere else

Hello, this weekend sees the start of a new series on BBC4 which is very vaguely themed about the people behind the scenes of the music business. The people who made this already did a similar programme about Music Moguls and it's hard to see how three hours of this won't include a whole lot of filler. I'd prefer to see some new shows about specific bands or genres, but BBC4's commissioning is tending towards generic fluff at the moment, alas.

Elsewhere, that splendid Marshall Amps Doc is back, but there an evening of Neil Sed**a shows which will bring a chill to anyone who sat through them the first time. Possibly the worst shows ever to be shown on BBC4. Although it's all subjective, if that's your thing you are in luck ...





Thursday
Midnight: Play It Loud: The Story Of The Marshall Amp (BBC4)
In the early 1960s drum shop owner Jim Marshall launched the loudest amplifier in the world at a point in time widely perceived to be the birth of rock. Young musicians like Clapton and Hendrix rushed to adopt the revolutionary `Marshall sound', and the electric guitar spoke for a new generation, while stacks and walls became an essential backdrop at concerts. The company was rescued from financial meltdown by comic exposure in the 1984 movie This Is Spinal Tap, and the electronic boxes were propelled to iconic status. This documentary charts the amp's history, with contributions from rock musicians Pete Townshend, Lemmy and Slash, plus an interview with the founder himself

Midnight Phil Collins: Going Back To Detroit (Sky Arts)
The singer explores the roots and legacy of Detroit's unique music scene in the 1960s and 70s, as he joins the Funk Brothers to record an album of his favourite Motown hits

1am Tony Visconti's Unsigned Heroes (Sky Arts)
Ep 2

1am Top Of The Pops 1981 - May 14th (BBC4)
Tommy Vance introduces TOTP appearances by Toyah Willcox, Thin Lizzy, Department S, Tenpole Tudor, Sheena Easton, Kim Carnes and Adam and the Ants, plus a dance performance by Legs and Co. Full details here https://www.thetvdb.com/?tab=episode&seriesid=78332&seasonid=580876&id=5509761&lid=7

1.20am Top Of The Pops 1981- May 28th
Simon Bates presents the chart show from May 28, 1981, featuring the Polecats, UB40, Hazel O'Connor, Coast to Coast, Tenpole Tudor, Adam and the Ants, and Kim Carnes. Full details here https://www.thetvdb.com/?tab=episode&seriesid=78332&seasonid=580876&id=5509763&lid=7



Friday
7.30pm Fleadh Ceoil (RTE1) New!
John Creedon and Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhain present from the Ennis Fleadh Cheoil, introducing music by Duchas, the Nesbitt Family, and Co Clare musicians Therese McInerney, Brian and Keith O'Loughlin and Brian Donnellan

7.30pm & 11.50pm Top Of the Pops 1985 - January 17th (BBC4)
Peter Powell and Gary Davies introduce performances by the Limit, Prince, Amii Stewart, Smiley Culture, Russ Abbot, Grandmaster Melle Mel and Foreigner. First aired January 17, 1985 Full details here https://www.thetvdb.com/?tab=episode&seriesid=78332&seasonid=655748&id=5857943&lid=7

8pm Live From The Artists Den - The National (Sky Arts)

9pm & 1.30am Hits, Hype & Hustle: An Insiders Guide To The Music Business (BBC4) New!
New series Ep 1/3. Having spent over 25 years in the music industry, agent Emma Banks has worked with some of the world's most famous artists and seen first-hand the fine line between success and failure. The secret to success and stardom is an elusive formula of luck, timing talent as well as the team behind the talent - the record executives, label bosses and A&R gurus. Here, Emma offers a behind-the-scenes insight into how the industry finds talent and creates superstars. Contributors include Motown legend Martha Reeves, Blur's Alex James and Labelle's Nona Hendryx
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2018/03/hits-hype-hustle

10pm & 2.30am Radio 2 In Concert: Paloma Faith (BBC4)
The award-winning British singer-songwriter takes to the stage of the BBC Radio Theatre, central London, performing songs from her latest album The Architect, a release that has seen her collaborate with fellow artists including Sia, John Legend, Rag'n'Bone Man and Samuel L Jackson. She also performs material from her previous best-selling albums

10pm The Music Videos That Shaped The 80s (Sky Arts)
A look at how the introduction of music videos in the 1980s affected the industry, with contributions by Bob Geldof, Herbie Hancock, Roger Taylor and Richie Sambora, and directors David Mallet, Russell Mulcahy and Kevin Godley

11pm Wild Boys: The Story of Duran Duran (Sky Arts)
Documentary about the new romantic band who ruled the charts during the 1980s with hits including Girls on Film, Hungry Like the Wolf, Rio and Save a Prayer. The band's image, relationships and lifestyles are examined, as the programme follows their climb to superstardom before they fell out of the public's favour. Featuring interviews with band members John Taylor, Nick Rhodes and Simon Le Bon as well as contributions by Debbie Harry and Lou Reed

11pm Soul Power! (Sky Arts)
Ep 2/4 Documentary examining the historical and political contexts of the evolution of soul music, featuring archive performance footage from the 1950s and 60s

Midnight Chic and Nile Rodgers: Jazz A Vienne (Sky Arts)
A concert by the band from 2013, featuring a medley of Diana Ross and Sister Sledge classics, as well as their own hits Everybody Dance, Le Freak and Good Times

12.30am The Joy Of The Single (BBC4)
Documentary taking a journey through the decades to celebrate cherished stories and memories associated with the music single. Artists including Jack White, Noddy Holder, Richard Hawley and Suzi Quatro reveal the powerful impact that singles have had on successive generations, from the rock 'n' rollers of the 1950s to the MP3 downloaders of today

12.35am Other Voices (RTE2)
The second of two programmes from Austin features Mumford & Sons, Gregory Porter, Wild Child, Carson McHone, Asleep at the Wheel, Colm Mac Con Iomaire and Aoife O'Donovan

1.35am Phil Collins: Going Back (Sky Arts)



Saturday
3.15pm Free To Rock: How Rock & Roll Brought Down The Wall (Sky Arts)
Kiefer Sutherland narrates a documentary telling the story of how rock music became a symbol of freedom behind the Iron Curtain and how it helped end the Cold War

4.30pm Live From The Artists Den: The National (Sky Arts)

6.30pm Spandau Ballet - Reformation Tour 1989 (Sky Arts)

9pm & 2.45am Pet Shop Boys: A Life in Pop (Sky Arts)
Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe talk about their early days in the 1980s, and artists including Robbie Williams and Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears discuss the influence of the pop duo. From 2006, it's on Youtube ...



10.15pm Pet Shop Boys: Live At The 02 (2009) (Sky Arts)

11.50pm Top Of The Pops 1985 - January 17th (BBC4)
Same as Friday

12.15am The Cure: Live At Hurricane Festival 2012 (Sky Arts)

12.30am Neil Sed**a: King Of Song (BBC4)

1.15am Chic and Nile Rodgers: Jazz A Vienne (Sky Arts)
Same as Friday

1.30am Neil S***aka: All You Need Is The Music (BBC4)





And once again, Sunday sees hardly anything of note. Might be a gap in the market there for one of the channels.

Freesat and Sky Channel Yesterday like to show blocks of old BBC Music Shows on Saturdays https://yesterday.uktv.co.uk/tv-guide/, this week sees the infamous Damon Albarn fronted Britpop Now showcase featuring Blur, Pulp, Supergrass, Menswe@r and all manner of Britpop chancers

http://www.curiousbritishtelly.co.uk/2015/04/britpop-now.html





Finally, it's good to know that Neil Se***a is balanced out by news that The Blues Brothers is back on free television, namely ITV4, Saturday at 9pm

No bouncer in this land would have let Russ in wearing that sweatshirt.

Not tonight, Russ ...

Very sad to read David Kid Jensen has Parkinson's Disease, he has been battling it for five years. Hopefully he will get a lot of support.


https://twitter.com/davidkidjensen/status/955117566095224832

https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/dj-david-kid-jensen-on-his-parkinsons-disease-i-was-afraid-to-speak-out-36510369.html

Veteran broadcaster David Jensen has told of his fear at revealing he has Parkinson’s disease, because he thought people “might think less of me”.

The Radio 1 stalwart and DJ, also known by his nickname ‘Kid’, has been living with the disease for the past five years.

The 67-year-old disclosed his condition in an official statement at the beginning of the week, explaining he wanted “to demonstrate that it is possible to continue with so many aspects of one’s life”.