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

Hi, Marc Bolan died 40 years ago on Saturday and BBC Four decided this weekend would be a good time to show a new Doc about him ... and Sky Arts thought exactly the same thing! They don't clash so if you have both channels you can enjoy them both and compare and contrast. All that Bolan material doesn't leave time for much else, but here's what there is ....


Thursday
9pm Best Album Of The Year: Mercury Music Prize 2017 (BBC4)
Lauren Laverne hosts the annual ceremony to decide the best album of the year, live from the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, including performances from some of the artists. The 12 shortlisted acts are Alt-J, Blossoms, Dinosaur, Ed Sheeran, Glass Animals, J Hus, Kate Tempest, Loyle Carner, Sampha, Stormzy, the Big Moon and the XX

10.15pm Indie Classics at the BBC (BBC4)
A trawl through the archives, revisiting some of the classic hits of the indie music genre through the 1980s and early '90s. Performers include Joy Division, Depeche Mode, the Smiths, Cocteau Twins and Primal Scream

11.15pm The Kate Bush Story: Running Up That Hill (BBC4)
Documentary exploring the singer-songwriter's career and music from her 1978 debut single Wuthering Heights to her 2011 album 50 Words for Snow with testimony from collaborators, fellow artists inspired by her work and fans. Featuring David Gilmour, the guitarist who discovered Bush, as well as Peter Gabriel, Elton John, Stephen Fry, Outkast's Big Boi and Steve Coogan

12.15am Music Moguls: Masters of Pop (BBC4)
Ep1/3 Money Makers The secret history of pop and rock from the men and women who pull the strings behind the scenes. The first of three programmes tells the story of the maverick managers who controlled the careers of major artists, from Colonel Tom Parker (Elvis) up to Scooter Braun (Justin Bieber). Along the way are tales of industry legends such as Led Zeppelin's Peter Grant, and Don Arden, who managed the Small Faces, Black Sabbath and ELO. Contributors include Andrew Loog Oldham, Jon Landau, Bill Curbishley, Paul McGuinness and Jonathan Dickins

1.15am I'm Not In Love: The Story of 10cc (BBC4)
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of their hit song, the original members of 10cc reunite to tell their story. Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme share the secrets to some of their most successful records, from the writing and the recording, to the tours and the tensions. Other contributors include the band's manager Harvey Lisberg, lyricist Tim Rice, broadcaster Paul Gambaccini, producer Trevor Horn, and musicians Stewart Copeland, Graham Nash and Dan Gillespie Sells



Friday
5.30pm Discovering Music: The Smiths (Sky Arts)
Documentary charting the intriguing rise and enduring legacy of the Smiths. Formed in Manchester in 1982, the band combined Johnny Marr's unmistakeable guitar riffs with the haunting vocals of Morrissey to rack up numerous hits on their way to becoming one of the most influential bands of the 1980s

7pm Trailblazers: Nuclear Protest (Sky Arts)
A look at how the threat of nuclear war prompted a series of protest songs, with contributions by Trevor Horn, Billy Bragg, Bob Stanley, Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys

7.30pm Pat Shortt's Music From D'Telly (RTE1)
S1 Ep4 Variety is the order of the day as Pat Shortt discovers footage of everyone from Debbie Harry to Christy Hennessy as he reviews rarely seen performances and much-loved songs from six decades of RTÉ music television production

7.30pm & 12.50am - Top Of The Pops 1984 - July 12th (BBC4)
John Peel and Tommy Vance introduce performances by Shakatak, Tina Turner, Alison Moyet, Phil Fearon and Galaxy, Neil from The Young Ones, Echo and the Bunnymen, the Bluebells and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. First shown July 12, 1984. Full details here https://www.thetvdb.com/?tab=episode&seriesid=78332&seasonid=653476&id=5857825&lid=7

8pm The Live Lounge Show (BBC4) New!
Ep 1/4 Live Lounge Special: Foo Fighters and More Clara Amfo heads behind the scenes of Radio 1's Live Lounge - the twice-weekly studio event showcasing an array of some of the biggest and best artists on the planet. In this edition, she heads to Los Angeles to the legendary 606 Studio to host the Foo Fighters in session and to catch up with Dave Grohl. Plus, music from Chris Martin, the Script, the XX and 30 Seconds to Mars

9pm & 1.25am Marc Bolan: Cosmic Dancer (BBC4) New!
Intimate biography, narrated in the pop singer's own words, marking the 70th anniversary of his birth and the 40th of his death. With the dawn of the 1970s and the break-up of the Beatles, Bolan became the gender-bending glam rocker whose band T. Rex revitalised the British music scene. However, this film - incorporating hitherto unseen home movies shot by record producer Tony Visconti and Bolan himself - reveals a far more complex and driven figure whose life was cut short at the age of 29. Contributors include the singer's partner, Gloria Jones http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b094mcwl

9pm & 3.30am Rock And Roll: Love (Sky Arts)
Part 3: Love A look at how love has always been a key component in the history of rock 'n' roll, featuring interviews and music from Carly Simon, Martha Wainwright and Wilko Johnson

10pm & 2.25am Glam Rock at The BBC (BBC4)
A celebration of the outburst of spangly pop and fuzz-filled rock that lit up the British charts in the early 1970s. Top of the Pops provided the genre's primary TV arena, adding some gloriously gaudy visual effects to the singers' already outrageous appearances. T. Rex, David Bowie, Roxy Music, Alice Cooper, Suzi Quatro, Slade, the Sweet, Elton John, Queen and Sparks are among those featured in this compilation, which also sources footage from a selection of BBC concerts as well as shows including Crackerjack and Cilla

10.30pm Tony Visconti's Unsigned Heroes (Sky Arts)
Part 2: Former Police drummer Stewart Copeland observes buskers on street corners, grungy bars and even a church to uncover unsigned artists for Tony Visconti's upcoming concert

11pm Elton John at The BBC (BBC4)
A selection of interviews, news clips and archive BBC session performances from throughout the singer's career, including footage from The Old Grey Whistle Test and Top of the Pops

11.30pm - 1.30am REM by MTV (Sky Arts)
Documentary, charting the 30-year history of Georgia-formed US rock band REM, as recorded by MTV since the channel was launched back in 1981. Making use of archive interviews, performances and previously unused footage of Mike Stipe and company, the film explores how one of America's most popular musical exports developed alongside the `MTV generation'




Saturday
1pm Carole King: Tapestry Live From Hyde Park (Sky Arts)
The singer-songwriter performs her 1971 album Tapestry in front of 65,000 people in the central London park

3.45pm California Dreamin': The Songs Of The Mamas and The Papas (Sky Arts)
Documentary charting the success of the Californian pop group, featuring performance and archive footage, and interviews with band members, including Mama Cass. The band provide accounts of the writing and recording process involved in the creation of their hit songs and how they personally dealt with instant fame and success

6pm Tony Visconti's Unsigned Heroes (Sky Arts)
Same as Friday

7pm Discovering Music: Queen (Sky Arts)
Friends and fans of Queen discuss their admiration for the rock band and reflect on the group's career and music

8pm Queen: Live in Milton Keynes 1982 (Sky Arts)
Highlights from the 1982 concert, featuring many of the band's greatest hits, among them renditions of Flash and Under Pressure

9pm & 1.30am The Making of Marc Bolan (Sky Arts) New!
Documentary telling the story of how East End boy Mark Feld became a glam rock superstar as the frontman of T. Rex. Featuring contributions from friends, family and well-known fans https://www.sky.com/watch/channel/sky-arts/the-making-of-marc-bolan

10pm-Midnight Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story (Sky Arts)
A profile of the guitarist and producer, who helped shape David Bowie's career while a member of the Spiders from Mars and worked with Morrissey, Van Morrison and Bob Dylan


10.15pm The A-Z of Later with Jools Holland (BBC2)
Highlights from the past 25 years of the music programme, including the TV debuts of Adele and Amy Winehouse. The programme features memorable performances by PJ Harvey, Ed Sheeran, Norah Jones, Dizzee Rascal, Gregory Porter, Slaves, Kings of Leon, Sting, Chrissie Hynde, Josh Homme and Rag 'n' Bone Man

11.55pm Top Of The Pops 1984 - July 12th (BBC4)
Same as Friday

Midnight Rock And Roll: Love (Sky Arts)
Same as Friday

2.30am Lynyrd Skynyrd: Live From Jacksonville 2015 (Sky Arts)




Sunday
8pm Tony Visconti's Unsigned Heroes (Sky Arts)
Same as it ever was

9pm The Rolling Stones: Return To Hyde Park - Sweet Summer Sun (2013) (Sky Arts)
In July 1969, the Rolling Stones played in front of 200,000 fans for free at the central London park, a landmark gig that came only two days after the death of founding member Brian Jones. In 2013, having already wowed the crowd at Glastonbury, the veteran band returned to Hyde Park on two consecutive Saturday nights as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations. Here Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the others treat 100,000 fans to their greatest hits, including Gimme Shelter, Jumpin' Jack Flash, You Can't Always Get What You Want and (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, and there is a special appearance by former Stones guitarist Mick Taylor - who made his debut with the band at the original concert in '69

10.20pm The Making of Marc Bolan (Sky Arts)
Same as Saturday

12.20am Film: Bessie (2015) (Sky Arts)
Biopic exploring the life and work of Bessie Smith, the American blues singer who rose to fame during the 1920s and 1930s. Orphaned at a young age, Bessie is left in the care of her stern older sister Viola, and receives her first taste of fame performing in Tennessee vaudeville shows alongside her brother. Determined achieve her ambition of reaching the stage, Bessie struggles to overcome the prejudices of producers unwilling to make a star of a dark-skinned singer, and eventually finds her big break by signing on with Columbia Records. Queen Latifah stars as the legendary singer, with Michael Kenneth Williams, Khandi Alexander and Tory Kittles





Marc Bolan did a lot of Television Shows, and it's nearly all on Youtube. You can type his name in and find him popping up in all sorts of things. Some of his fans must either have had access to Studio Tapes or had early Betamax machines

Here's a clip from an episode of Granada Series 'Marc', featuring David Bowie. It was recorded just seven days before he died, and broadcast posthomously twelve days after he died.

Gary Glitter at no 36 :eek:

Surprised to hear him even mentioned.

This is a cover of a Bananarama song, cowritten by them with the Singer of The Bluebells (who was going out with one of them at the time)

It later got to Number 1, making it the only ever UK Bananarama Number 1. Sort of.