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

Hello, yes that Frank Zappa Doc storms onto your screens on Friday "Having seen it I'd say you would want to be a serious fan to enjoy it" said Smurf492 recently. Also a few other bits and bobs including a new 80s thing on Saturday nights on BBC2 ...

Thursday

12.15am Supertramp Live In Paris 1979 (Sky Arts)

2.15am Classic Albums: Gil Scott Heron - Pieces Of A Man (Sky Arts)

Friday

7pm & 2.20am Sings Stevie Wonder (BBC4)

Stevie Wonder Covers from the BBC archives

8pm Too Young To Die - Karen Carpenter (Sky Arts)

8pm & 1.20am Top Of The Pops 1991 - October 17 (BBC4)

Tony Dortie and Mark Franklin present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 17 October 1991 and featuring Bryan Adams, Slade, Enya, Lisa Stansfield, U2, Dannii Minogue, Scorpions, Paul Young and Monty Python

8.30pm & 1.50am Top Of The Pops 1991 - October 24 (BBC4)

Tony Dortie and Mark Franklin present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 24 October 1991 and featuring Queen, Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, Bryan Adams, 2 Unlimited, Kenny Thomas, Vic Reeves & The Wonder Stuff, Kiri Te Kanawa, Mariah Carey and Tin Machine

9pm Film Zappa (BBC4)

The first all-access documentary - years in the making - about Frank Zappa. It conveys the scope of his prodigious and varied creative output, and the breadth of his extraordinary personal and political life. The documentary team was granted exclusive access by Gail Zappa to a vast collection of Zappa's unreleased music, movies, incomplete projects, unseen interviews and unheard concert recordings. Much of these were deteriorating and in danger of being lost for ever

9pm Classic Albums: Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley (Sky Arts)

10pm Classic Albums: Cream - Disraeli Gears (Sky Arts)

10pm Britain's Biggest Hits - 1970 (Channel 5)

Ep 1of 10 Celebrating the biggest-selling singles of the 1970s, beginning with 1970 - the best pop videos, the artists who appeared in them and the stories behind the songs - from Jimi Hendrix and Shirley Bassey to the Beach Boys and the Moody Blues. Followed at 11.30pm by 'The 70s Greatest Pop Groups' which looks like a TOTP2 clone

11pm Rudeboy - The Story Of Trojan Records (Sky Documentaries)

11.05pm The Old Grey Whistle Test - Janis Ian In Concert (BBC4)

Bob Harris introduces American singer-songwriter Janis Ian in concert at the BBC Television Theatre, London. First broadcast in October 1976

11.30pm An Fhidel Bheo - Cheoil An Northern Fiddler (TG4)

Fiddle players discuss the legendary 1979 book, The Northern Fiddler, a unique compilation of music, photos, illustrations and interviews of Donegal and Tyrone musician

11.50pm On Drums - Stewart Copeland! (BBC4)

The former Police musician explores the drums as the founding instrument of popular modern music. Beats that travelled from Africa, via New Orleans and across the world, are the consistent force behind musical evolution. Stewart plays with some of the most inspiring drummers of the past 50 years, including John Densmore of the Doors, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Prince's musical director Sheila E, New Order's Stephen Morris and the Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins

12.50am Cigar Box Blues - The Makers Of A Revolution (BBC4)

Documentary about the creators and players of hand-made guitars, which have a long history in American blues music but have only recently become popular in the UK. The film meets the fervent advocates of the 'cigar box guitar revolution', such as blues guitarist and singer Seasick Steve, and shows how the democratic, pro-recycling, local production ethos of the movement inspires new recruits, and that the emotional connection they feel for their instruments creates a unique and evocative sound

It's also on Youtube ...

1.55am Other Voices (RTE2)

Unique hip-hop artist Nealo, singer-songwriter and multi instrumentalist Peter Broderick, alt-pop star Luz and grunge-rock musician Mark Lanegan

2am The Pretenders - Austin City Limits (Sky Arts)

Saturday

6.30pm Simon And Garfunkel Live In Central Park 1981 (Sky Arts)

8.30pm Discovering Music - Little Richard (Sky Arts)

8.30pm Frank Sinatra: Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back (TG4)

A TV special from 1973 in which Frank Sinatra performs a selection of classics and is joined for a couple of numbers by Anchors Aweigh co-star Gene Kelly, with I've Got You Under My Skin, I Get a Kick Out of You and Send in the Clowns among the songs

8.55pm The 80s: Britain's Greatest Music Decade? (BBC2)

Ep 1 of 4 Journalist Dylan Jones celebrates the music of the decade, arguing that this maligned era is one of the most inventive periods of pop culture and hearing from leading musicians and producers who were at the forefront. In the first programme he asserts that the 1980s, unlike other decades, was undefinable by monolithic movements such as punk, disco or Britpop, and unleashed myriad new genres in just 10 years. Featuring interviews with Nile Rodgers, Bananarama, Bobby Gillespie, Mark Ronson, Trevor Horn and Jazzie B

BBC Two and BBC Music to broadcast The 80s - Music's Greatest Decade? With Dylan Jones

https://www.musicweek.com/media/read/bbc-two-and-bbc-music-to-broadcast-the-80s-music-s-greatest-decade-with-dylan-jones/084210

BBC Two and BBC Music have today (September 23) announced a new four-part series called The 80s – Music’s Greatest Decade? With Dylan Jones

9pm Buddy Guy - The Blues Chase The Blues Away (Sky Arts)

Documentary about the life and career of the blues guitarist, a pioneer of Chicago's West Side Sound who influenced the likes of Jimi Hendrix and more

9.55pm Later ... With Jools Holland (BBC2)

With Ed Sheeran, Manchester-born singer-songwriter Pip Millett, Glass Animals and Biffy Clyro

10pm Dame Shirley Bassey - A Celebration (Yesterday)

10.40pm Trevor Horn At The BBC (BBC2)

A collection of classic hits from the producer, from his early days as frontman with the Buggles right up to recent collaborations with the likes of Robbie Williams. Featured artists include Yes, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Grace Jones, ABC, Seal and Pet Shop Boys. This is new, being shown to complement the 80s thing earlier

10.45pm Annie Lennox: Diva (BBC Scotland)

The Eurythmics star talks about her life and her personal and musical relationship with Dave Stewart

11pm One Hit Wonders At The BBC (Yesterday)

I think Althea and Donna are included in this and the Reggae At The BBC shown later

Midnight TOTP2 - Popstars (Yesterday)

Midnight Muse: Drones - World Tour (Sky Arts)

12.55am Reggae At The BBC (BBC4)

Acts include Bob Marley & the Wailers, Gregory Isaacs, Desmond Dekker, Burning Spear, Althea & Donna, Dennis Brown and Buju Banton

1.55am Coldplay - Austin City Limits (Sky Arts)

Capricorn One is on Virgin Media 3 at the same time, If you like Moon conspiracies

Sunday

7pm I Am Johnny Cash (Sky Arts)

9pm Johnny Cash - Beyond Prison Walls (Sky Arts)

9.30pm Moya (TG4)

The life and career of Moya Brennan, first Lady of Celtic Music. Featuring exclusive interviews and performances with Moya, Imelda May, Paul Brady, Damien Dempsey and many others

10pm Bob Dylan - The Other Side Of The Mirror (Sky Arts)

Murray Lerner's film documenting Bob Dylan's appearances at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island from 1963 to 1965, revealing a metamorphosis from folk prodigy to rock's fiercely confrontational poet

10.30pm Geantrai (TG4)

This edition, first broadcast in 2004, comes from Sardinos in Derry and features musicians Liz Doherty, Marcus Ó Murchú and Fintan Vallely. Hosted by Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich

11.30pm Isle Of Wight Festival Greatest Hits - Biffy Clyro (Sky Arts)

Midnight Foo Fighters - Austin City Limits (Sky Arts)

Midnight MTV World Stage - Green Day

From Madrid

1.15am Noel Gallagher - Out Of The Now (Sky Arts)

2.45am Oasis Live At Barrowlands 2001 (Sky Arts)

So there you go,

The Examiner is publishing a good series of music articles, here's one about Mic Christopher https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsandculture/arid-40714556.html

Odd performance on the LLS featuring Donovan, Violinist Nigel Kennedy and former member of The Fall Brix Smith (and others) which seems to divide opinion. Those mics might need to be locked down ...

Here's a fairly recently uploaded full two hour Kate Bush concert from 1979, filmed for Granada but never broadcast due to film quality issues

Someone has tidied it up well ...

That's about it, I'll be taking a break next week so no listings from me until the week after

Finally, the best song about Kyle's Mom of the week might be this one from South Park: Bigger Longer And Uncut (Comedy Central Saturday 11.10pm)