BeebRock - The BBC4/BBC3/BBC2/BBC1 Music Programmes thread

Ol' Donie wrote: »

Never actually listened to much Ray Charles, till I bought a double cd best of for €3 in Heatons a few months ago.

I believe every single person should add it to their collection, probably the best thing I bought this year.

Mark Radcliffe delves into the BBC vaults to present a selection of Christmas music, featuring perennial classics from the likes of John & Yoko, Slade, Wizzard, Wham!, Jona Lewie, the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl and Paul McCartney. Plus, there is a new festive performance by Boyzone, a peek at the Killers' annual Christmas video and archive performances by Teardrop Explodes, Darts, Mud, Depeche Mode, Emeli Sande, the Hollies and Jimmy Osmond

Welsh Megaman wrote: »

Not bad so far, some non-Christmassy curveballs thrown in...Free Nelson Mandela?!

Welsh Megaman wrote: »

HERE WE GO!

Documentary exploring how pop legends Abba raised the bar for their music genre in the 1970s and early '80s, popularising the sound of Swedish melancholy. The programme explores how the quartet of Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad came to dominate the British music charts with simple, catchy melodies, but also divided opinion due to the mass-produced prolificacy of their output

A collection of memorable performances by the group on the BBC. Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad were thrust into the limelight in 1974 when Waterloo triumphed at the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton, marking the start of their meteoric rise. Various outings were captured by the corporation's cameras over the next few years and several are featured here alongside their Top of the Pops dedbut, archive interviews and fly-on-the-wall footage. There is also a chance to see the foursome on a 1982 edition of Noel Edmonds' Late, Late Breakfast Show, which was Abba's last televised appearance in the UK

Documentary telling the story of Agnetha Faltskog's music career as both a member of the Swedish pop group and a successful solo singer in her own right. Including interviews with Gary Barlow, who features on her new comeback album, plus Abba's Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, DJ Tony Blackburn and lyricist Tim Rice

Archive performances of disco classics by acts including Chic, Rose Royce, Labelle, Gladys Knight and Village People, from shows such as Top of the Pops, The Old Grey Whistle Test and Later with Jools Holland

Fearne Cotton and Reggie Yates review the year in music, remembering the stars who burned brightly during the past 12 months and introducing the first number one of 2014. Artists include Little Mix, James Arthur, the Vamps, London Grammar, John Newman, Jessie J, Arctic Monkeys, Ellie Goulding, Chase and Status, Tinie Tempah and John Martin

he rounds off the year with a live gig at the Central Hall in London's Westminster, joined by a few special guests as he performs favourites from his Take That back catalogue as well as numbers from his new album Since I Saw You Last. Gary will also take a break for the chimes of Big Ben and the traditional fireworks display over the Thames, before returning with a few more songs to see in the new year

The line-up features former Kinks frontman Ray Davies, singer-songwriter Lisa Stansfield, Edinburgh duo the Proclaimers, Spice Girl Melanie C, Jamaican vocalist Dawn Penn, who teams up with Madness saxophonist Lee Thompson, east London outfit Rudimental and Colorado band the Lumineers. Others to watch out for include rising soul star Laura Mvula, Haim, Charlie Wilson of the Gap Band, North Yorkshire lad John Newman and a woman who's become a fixture on the annual show - veteran Ruby Turner.

As usual, Jools' own Rhythm and Blues Orchestra will be backing many of the solo stars, and as the clocks strike 12, the Pipes and Drums of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards help ring in the new year in their own rousing fashion. As well as the musical entertainment, Jools chats to the celebrity audience members, asking them to share their thoughts on the past year and give their predictions for 2014

Daithi O Se and Sinead Kennedy are in Dublin to see in the New Year at the Countdown Concert in College Green, alongside artists including Ryan Sheridan,Madness, The Strypes and MKS (The original Sugababes). Meanwhile, Will Leahy welcomes Limerick City of Culture from a concert on the banks of the Shannon with special guests Dolores O'Riordan, the Coronas and the Strypes

Gradam Ceoil TG4 2013
Footage of TG4's annual trad awards ceremony from the UL Concert Hall in Limerick, featuring Seamus Beaglaoich, Dermot Byrne, Tommy Peoples and Donal McCague, with performances from Altan, Sharon Shannon, Mary Black and Matt Molloy. Presented by Aoife Ni Thuairisg and Paidi O Lionaird

It's The Saw Doctors, live in their home county at the Black Box, Galway, entertaining a loyal audience with songs including N17, Red Cortina, What a Day, Same Oul' Town and Tommy K

David Heffernan presents footage of the Pogues and the Dubliners in session with former Clash frontman Joe Strummer

Go Harvey Go wrote: »

Just caught up with the TOTP Christmas special.

I strongly doubt that I'm the only one who feels that the Beeb are keeping the thing going simply because it's tradition (you have to go all the way back to 1966 for the last TOTP-less Christmas Day). No matter that the brand is stained now, or that the format just doesn't work as well in the 21st century as it did in the 20th.

Or, indeed, that the last decent Christmas episode was ages ago.

This year's was awful in more ways than one. Not only did Fearne Cotton and Reggie Yates present for the tenth year running, and just say the same old stuff about all the songs being really, really great - but there was a bland new title sequence, featuring an equally bland new logo, and a ROTTEN remix of "Whole Lotta Love".

Not that the members of the target audience will mind too much. Many of them wouldn't be tremendously interested in the history of TOTP, anyway - indeed, many of them were still in nappies, or even still to be born, when the show had its last truly great days under Ric Blaxill in the mid '90s.

They won't mind the New Year's episode too much either, even though it'll be more or less the same as the Christmas episode and hence hardly any better.

As for the 50th anniversary, it's no real surprise that very little is being done to celebrate it.

Sources declined to elaborate on why the BBC would refuse to sell Top of the Pops to Mr Desmond. However, BBC Worldwide, which owns the brand, said that it would not enter into negotiations with him.

Paul Dempsey, who oversees BBC Worldwide's Audio & Music division and is the "guardian" of Top of the Pops, said: "I don't think we would lead that discussion, from a BBC perspective. It's a brand that is very precious to the BBC and they have got no intention of it being in anyone else's hands."

Ol' Donie wrote: »

I think I'm in a minority here, but my memory of TOTP (mostly from late 80's and early nineties) is mostly just a feeling of disappointment. I really struggled with the idea that so many of the most popular songs in the UK seemed to be rubbish. (I now realise this is because chart music is usually pretty bad).

Anyway, Happy New Year everyone!!