Music TV - April 7 - 13

Hello again, 

This week's highlights include a night of Neil Diamond and a second week of Later with Jools.

Enjoy;

Thursday 7 April - BBC Four

1930 - 2010: Top Of The Pops - 1976

Repeated: BBC Four - Saturday 2520

Classic Top of the Pops performances from 1976, featuring Abba, the Brotherhood of Man,the Beatles, Fox, Tarney & Spencer, John Miles, Diana Ross, Sailor and Pan's People

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zwrn9

2010 - 2100: Top Of The Pops - The Story Of 1976

The nation grew up with Top of the Pops and it was always a talking point, but 35 years ago a particular kind of Top of the Pops programme and tone held sway. This documentary explores Top of the Pops in 1976 - as a barometer of the state of pop and light entertainment TV. It celebrates the power of the programme and observes British society of the mid 70s, British TV and the British pop scene. In 1976, glam was over and nothing had replaced it - the charts belonged to Showaddywaddy, Brotherhood of Man and the Wurzels, all to be found on Top of the Pops hosted by the Radio 1 DJs. If you wanted rock you looked to the Old Grey Whistle Test, while outside the charts a new scene was rumbling.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zwrn7

Friday 8 April - BBC Two

2350 - 2450: Later with... Jools Holland

Repeated: BBC Two - Saturday 2430

Joining Jools in the studio for the first episode of an eight-week run are Elbow, who return to the show fresh from their March stadium tour of the UK, supporting their fifth studio album Build a Rocket Boys! - the follow-up to their breakthrough big seller and Mercury Prize-winning The Seldom Seen Kid from 2008. From Greater Manchester - although now London-based - come Liam Gallagher's five-piece Beady Eye, emerging from the shadow of Oasis to make their Later debut with songs from their first album Different Gear, Still Speeding. Also making her Later debut is the Brian Eno-championed and BBC Sound of 2011 finalist Anna Calvi, leading her trio with her guitar with bluesy, noirish songs from her self-titled debut. Returning to the show fresh from bandleading Mick Jagger's tribute to Solomon Burke at the Grammys is Raphael Saadiq, retro-soul king and former leader of nu-soul classicists Tony!Toni!Tone! with songs from his latest solo album Stone Rollin'. Plus introducing Sweden's The Tallest Man on Earth aka solo artist Kristian Matsson, with his Dylanesque delivery and formidable acoustic guitar picking.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01076qx

Friday 8 April - BBC Four

1930 - 2030: Opera Italia

In the first programme, Antonio Pappano takes a whistle-stop tour of the beginnings of opera, from Monteverdi to Rossini. He also looks at the works of two non-Italian composers, Handel and Mozart, both of whom were pivotal in the development of the art form. Along the way he enlists the help of some of the world's greatest singers - Juan Diego Florez, Joyce DiDonato, Danielle de Niese, Sarah Connolly and Pietro Spagnoli.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00sjdmp

2030 - 2100: Transatlantic Sessions

Folk musicians come together in what have been called 'the greatest backporch shows ever'. Features Cara Dillon with Paul Brady, Darrell Scott, Aly Bain, Jerry Douglas, Michael McGoldrick, Donal Lunny and Bruce Molsky.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0084lmp







2100 - 2200: Neil Diamond -Solitary Man

Repeated: BBC Four - Monday 2345

A 60-minute documentary including an interview and exclusive location filming with Neil Diamond in New York and Los Angeles. Robbie Robertson, Jeff Barry, Mickey Dolenz and other contributors track Neil from his childhood in Brooklyn to his early days in the Brill Building, his nascent solo career and superstardom in the early 70s, the lean years of the 80s, his career reboot via Rick Rubin in the noughties and his Glastonbury success.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vzzst







2200 - 2300: Neil Diamond - Electric Prom

Repeated: BBC Four - Monday 2445

Neil Diamond in concert from London's Roundhouse with his six-piece band performing all the hits and covers from his latest album, which explores the 60s and 70s songs he loves, and reinventing his classics. This is Neil Diamond stripped down with strings in his most intimate performance for years

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vzzsw





2300 - 2330: …Sings Neil Diamond

30-minute archive collection of performances of hit covers of Neil Diamond songs from an eclectic mixture of artists including UB40 (Red Red Wine), Urge Overkill (Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon), Robert Wyatt (I'm A Believer) and Lulu (Boat That I Row).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vzzsy

2330 - 2430: Legends - Herb Alpert, Tijuana Brass & Other Delights

Herb Alpert is probably best known as the trumpet player who created the Tijuana Brass and sold America, and the world, the sound of Mexico. Or the crooner that made the ladies swoon when he sang This Guy's in Love With You. From his first job working with soul legend Sam Cooke to creating A&M records, Alpert's life reads like a wonderful story of dreams come true. This profile follows him today and platforms his music and artwork as he exhibits his sculptures for Hollywood's art elite. Contributors include Lou Adler, Quincy Jones, Richard Carpenter, Sting, Jam & Lewis and Stephen Fry.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tr86l

Saturday 9 April - BBC Two

1930 - 2030: Goldie's Band - By Royal Appointment

Three-part series which follows drum and bass pioneer Goldie on a personal mission to discover young people whose talent and passion for music are at the centre of their lives. In episode three, Goldie's band return to Christ's Hospital for two days of final rehearsals. With the help of expert mentors composer Guy Chambers, jazz artist Soweto Kinch, MC/songwriter Ms Dynamite, music manager/producer Steve Abbott and singer/songwriter Cerys Matthews, the band make their final preparations before travelling to Buckingham Palace.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010flz3

Saturday 9 April - BBC Four

2420 - 2520: Krautrock

Documentary which looks at how a radical generation of musicians created a new German musical identity out of the cultural ruins of war. Between 1968 and 1977 bands like Neu!, Can, Faust and Kraftwerk would look beyond western rock and roll to create some of the most original and uncompromising music ever heard. They shared one common goal - a forward-looking desire to transcend Germany's gruesome past - but that didn't stop the music press in war-obsessed Britain from calling them Krautrock.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nf10k

Tuesday 12 April - BBC Two

2200 - 2230: Later Live… with Jools Holland

Joining Jools for the second show of this series are: Cee Lo Green, whose The Ladykiller album has gone platinum since his solo debut on Later last October; legendary Canadian songwriter and guitarist Robbie Robertson, formerly of The Band, with songs from his first album in a decade, How To Become Clairvoyant; Glasgow's Glasvegas return to perform songs from their second album Euphoric /// Heartbreak \\\; from Lagos, Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 - which sees the youngest son take on the mantle of his legendary father Fela Kuti - with songs from the band's From Africa with Fury: Rise album; plus chat with one of the true legends of funk, Bootsy Collins, who has played with both James Brown and George Clinton, and whose latest album Bootsy The Funk Capitol of the World appears to feature both Snoop Dogg and Jimi Hendrix.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010hhx7

Next week; Robert Plant and Thin Lizzy, 

Take care of yourselves.

Rory