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

If anyone had offered you a bet that Taylor Swift would get at least three mentions on this thread tonight, you would have got decent odds.

Hello, it's a weekend of two halves on BBC Four;


Friday it's French Pop with Petula, then Shirley, Shirley again, then Dusty (And Petula, Shirley and Dusty when they get repeated.)

Saturday sees Queen (part 1), Metal at the BBC and Guitar Heroes at the BBC


Friday

8.30pm Sounds of the Eighties
Showcasing a selection of musical performances from the BBC archives, featuring ZZ Top, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, INXS, the Cult, the Mission and Motorhead

9pm & 1am Je t'aime: The Story of French Song with Petula Clark
The celebrated singer recounts the story of the lyric-driven French chanson, looking at examples of the form and the artists who have exemplified it. Performers considered include Charles Aznavour, Juliette Greco, Anna Karina and Jane Birkin, together with contemporary artists such as Stromae, Zaz, Tetes Raides and Etienne Daho

10pm and 2am Shirley Bassey at the BBC
A compilation of archive performances by the singer first shown to mark her 76th birthday - some 60 years after her vocal talent first achieved public recognition. Featuring footage from Show of the Week, The Shirley Bassey Show, the 2007 Glastonbury Festival and the star's Electric Proms show in 2009. Songs include Goldfinger, Big Spender and Diamonds are Forever

11pm & 3am Imagine: Dame Shirley Bassey: The Girl from Tiger Bay
Alan Yentob celebrates Shirley Bassey's 2009 album The Performance, the David Arnold-produced record that was her first studio release in two decades, by examining a selection of her greatest archive performances. He also meets songwriters who contributed to the album, including Gary Barlow, Pet Shop Boys, Manic Street Preachers, KT Tunstall and frequent James Bond composer John Barry

Midnight: Definitely Dusty
Documentary revisiting the career of Dusty Springfield, the renowned pop diva famous for classic songs such as You Don't Have to Say You Love Me and Son of a Preacher Man. Archive footage shot in both the UK and the US provides an illuminating insight into her glamorous but private personal life, and contributions from her protective inner circle of friends highlight the Dusty behind the panda eyes and blonde beehive. Includes interviews with Tom Jones, Elton John, Burt Bacharach, Lulu and Neil Tennant



Saturday

11pm Queen: Days of Our Lives (part 1)
Documentary telling the story of the extravagant British rock outfit. The band's best-known line-up, consisting of singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bass player John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor, formed in 1971 and went on to become one of the world's most popular rock acts - but their career has been dogged by controversy and tragedy, including the death of flamboyant frontman Mercury in 1991

Midnight: Metal at The BBC
A compilation of memorable heavy-metal performances from BBC shows, including Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Motorhead

12.30am Guitar Heroes at the BBC
Archive footage from BBC music shows of the 1970s. Including electric performances by the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, David Bowie, Motorhead, Nazareth, AC/DC and George Thorogood, as well as acoustic material by Michael Chapman, Horslips and Paco de Lucia


Sounds of Eighties should look for a transfer to Saturday, that's where all his mates are. Horslips on the BBC, that's a rarity. First time since 1974 if you believe this BBC Genome page http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=0&q=horslips&media=all&yf=1923&yt=2009&mf=1&mt=12&tf=00%3A00&tt=00%3A00#search You can search the Radio Times listings since the very first edition there, a splendid invention by the Beeb

Motorhead and Alice Cooper (Friday) and Deep Purple (Saturday) are on Sky Arts, while Alan Partridge:Alpha Papa (BBC2, Saturday 9.20pm) features this classic. A-Ha!