The Weekly DiScussion: How great is the BBC?
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DiS was surprised and excited to hear news that the BBC are working on a project to make all their glorious audio and video music content available to download.
The download service being developed by BBC Worldwide will offer streamed and paid download material from it's vast music archives.
This is a very exciting prospect. All the Peel sessions, Led Zeppelin's performance on the Old Grey Whistle Test, grunge hammered out on Top Of The Pops direct to your computer's video library.
With potential to be bigger than the iPlayer, DiS is naturally gagging with excitement. Details of the launch date have not yet been made available but that's not gonna stop us celebrating the news of this new music download service.
So in anticipation we thought we'd raid the YouTube archives and bring you some BBC music highlights that have inspired, awe struck and left DiS generally motived to keep pushing the good musical word.
Have a look below and see what you think of our selection. If you have any better ideas post them below and we'll soon let you know if you're right or wrong.
1. At The Drive 'One Armed Scissor' (Jools Holland 2000)
No-one was expecting At The Drive-In to incorporate a piece of seating furniture so creatively into the performance. This one track set was ground-breaking and sent jazz-grunge shockwaves far beyond television centre. Watching it back again it hasn't lost any of it's aggression and appeal.
2. Blur 'Universal' (Glastonbury 1998)
One of many Glastonbury performances you could pick from the Beeb's extensive annual coverage of the festival. The song's explicit optimism struck a cord with everyone in the audience both in the field and the armchair. This track especially seems to marry the message of every Glasto undeniably well.
3. Nirvana 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' (Top Of The Pops 1991)
Probably one of the funniest clips you'll see in the list. Kurt can already be seen giving fame the cold shoulder here as he refuses to tow the TOTP party live and perform conservatively. He deliberately puts on a Morrissey-esque low voice to either poke fun or entertain. Either way his efforts to fail failed as The Observer newspaper listed the performance as the third greatest in the programme's history. Amazing!
4. David Bowie 'Fame' (Bowie at the Beeb 2000)
The thin white Duke returned to his old stomping ground just days after his incomparable headlining set at Glastonbury 2000. The exclusively recorded intimate gig would be the blueprint for other, more contemporary performances from The Streets and Coldplay's outdoor show at Television Centre (youtube). This was easily the best time to see the most influential man in rock do a unbelievable greatest hits set.
5. The Maccabees 'First Love' & 'Latchmere' (BBC Collective 2007)
Bringing us bang up-to-date and coincidentally with a bunch of lads much loved by DiS are The Maccabees. The band performed in 2007 as part of the BBC Collective Sessions, a culture magazine that was available on the website (bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/). Unfortunately closed now but that doesn't mean we still cannot adore the amazing sound and visual quality of the magazines extensive archives. This is what live music should sound like.
DiScuss: What do you think of our list then? Have we missed anyone? Think you can do better? Anyone remember when Symposium were on Top of the Pops? Should Pete Doherty's Newsnight interviews have been included? Hmmmm...
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At The Drive-In
Blur
Nirvana
David Bowie
The Maccabees
From the archive
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Okkervil River: questioning what's really genuine
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The Music: "We will not be away as long this time"
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Refused progress: how Dillinger Escape Plan carry a torch for New Noise
Tweet This
Share on FacebookMary Anne Hobbs is the queen of BBC Radio One
Check out her youtube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/maryannehobbstv
I esspecialy love the Generation Bass videos, Joker's set is awsome as is Starkey, Chef, Silkie & Quest, well they all are to be honest.
Rob da Bank is the king of BBC Radio One
Check out his show:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank
Check out his podcast:
http://www.sundaybestpodcast.com
Check out his myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/robdabank
Peace!
:D
he is alright
I still prefer Mary Anne by quite some way.
This is ace
Especially for the Whistle Test possiblities. All depends on how much they are charging tho...
isn't the Old Grey Whistle Test stuff
all available on DVD and that anyway and has been for ages? I'm sure I have seen it.
That moment
in the 1st Maccabees video at 0:56 when Felix and Orlando look at each other when the crowd sing the words for them really made me shiver, I can't imagine that feeling. Truely great live sound as well!
The Little Killers
Live at Peel Towers, circa 2004 I think. Amazing.
Sebadoh doing 'Flame' on TOTP!
In fact, whatever episode this was got taken over by the indie acts of the day, and was brilliant - I think NME and the 'Maker (ah!) even ran news stories about it!
Eh?
Since when was Blur's The Universal "explicitly optimisic"?
Even though I've seen that At The Drive-In clip loads
it's still fucking brilliant. I like how Omar just chucks his guitar away near the end and get's a tamborine.
kurt wasnt doin a
morrissey impression ya nugget
it was meant to be an ian curtis impression (at least thats what he told mtv when asked about it?
when exactly did morissey sing with a really deep voice ?
craigx
^or Rocket from the Crypt doing On a Rope
2 of the best bits of tv I've seen- indie heroes having a day in the sun...
or Eels doing Novocaine For The Soul...
or Idlewild doing Actually It's Darkness
or Super Furries doing Northern Lites
etc.
i'm going straight to the Peel sessions
mostly from this century
Bearsuit
electrelane
Hyper Kinako
Cowcube
etc.
and oh my
it would be great if their Glastonbury recordings all went up. Super Furries around the time of Phantom Power where they headlined the second stage and Flaming Lips the same year are probably the first two i'd look for.
fancy opening up the discussion? :o)
bbc vs. sky
oooh no dean stop. that's my journalism coming in there.
x
i wanted to put the white stripes first jools holland outing but ran outta space, so here you go:
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/76YGpy0s8tw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/76YGpy0s8tw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
I fucking LOVE
that ATDI video. Makes me laugh everytime. Brilliant :D
Mary Anne Hobbs was really crap
presenting the metal show when it first started, she couldn't have sounded more bored with the bands she was playing or interviewing.
ALL the Peel sessions??
This is really, really bad news for my bank balance!
I do'tthink her heart is in Metal
to be honest she sounds nothing bt excitd and in love with all he music she plays on the experimental show.
Oh wow
who do I speak to at the BBC about helping compile all of this archive ?
also
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjLYt_MSQ9Q
:)
christ, that atd-i song
was recorded when i was 14, this makes me feel old...although i'm still as excited as i was back then when i see it.
SKITZ
skitz in session on lamacq : a session version of inner city folk. the last 2 minutes, my favourtie 2 minutes of music of anything ever
lost the tape i used to have with it on...........
:(((((((((((((((((((((
SKITZ
off a lamacq session about the time Pyramid Song came out. Taped pyramid song off of the radio and just before it was this amazing song by skitz in session called "inner city folk".
The session version of it contains my favourite 2 minutes of music of anything ever.....
... but i lost the tape...... :((((((((((((((((((((
ATD-I are jus pure
class!! that is all!
Yeh this was
awesome, also The Lilys doing Nanny in Manhatten on TOTP was pretty memorable
hey
that's crap, i pretty much religiously listened to the metal show when she was doing it.
got into the blood brothers because of her!
was much better than whoever they got to replace her.
A word of caution
I can't believe they'd be allowed to do this without clearance from the artists. For instance, Peel could never play the old classic Beefheart sessions because the man was reluctant to give his permission.
ATD-I
Love that bit after ATD-I finish One Armed Scissor and Robbie Williams goes "Can me mate have his chair back?" - chief.
literally...
the best piece of music ive ever seen on tv ever.
Surely
once Beefheart (or anyone else for that matter) recorded something for the BBC, the BBC then own all future rights to it? Or was it just Peel being courteous?
Van Morrison
was on that show too, he looked scared.
Prospect of this: Dribble.
Dave Grohl
Looks as if he's just hitting whatever he feels like and making it quite obviosu its a backing track.
O RLY?
"Kurt Cobain on "Smells Like Teen Spirit" dropped his voice an octave and changed the opening line to "Load up on drugs, kill your friends"; the band also made it very clear that they were not playing their instruments. (Kurt later said during an interview that he wanted to sound more like Morrissey during the performance) — it also exposed a number of poor live singers, and was dropped as a general rule."
Desperate Bicycles
peel sessions would be absolutely amazing.
Could have been
Peel respecting the man's wishes, come to think of it. It would fit in with the guy's attitude. Hope you're right anyway, there's a great big candy shop out there...
That ATD-I video
is so many kinds of awesome!
conclusions -
The Mars Volta blow.
I miss Blur.
DiS is receiving cash/blowjobs from the Maccabees.
Manics doing Faster on TOTP was stunning.
I want more Tim Buckley whistle test stuff.
damn right
i went out and bought the EP the very next morning and to this day i still can't think of a good reason why songs should have more than one riff
beeb rights
when you do a maida vale session they buy the rights to the recordings off you so it belongs to them. They give you one copy of it for your self so they know who to blame if it gets leaked
How Generous...
...of them to allow us access to stuff we already own - we paid for this stuff, not Father Xmas.
It's a bit like the concept of 'Government Money' - there's no such thing - it's OUR money.
So thanks a lot for nothing!
also
looks like its all already available on you tube... soooo.
~
Novocaine for The Soul on TOTP was ace. Didn't The Jesus Lizard also play when the split with Nirvana charted?
Yeah, you're right Keith
Lifted from the enemy:
TOTP's Greatest Moments.
The Jesus Lizard (1992)
Such was Kurt Cobain’s influence, when he made good on a promise to do a split single with grungers Jesus Lizard, TOTP were forced to book the Chicago band. “It was fun" said singer David Yow, “but Nirvana were the only reason we got on the show.”
seriously
check this out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFFOKFG4m2I
Unbelievable power. This performance reawoke my love for a song I thought I was bored of.
For about one second at 3:32 you can see how much rain is coming down on him when he moves his mic down.
All for free,
presumably? Seeing as we've paid for all this content via the license fee, no?
I'll be angling for all the Breezeblock DJ sets.
& Th Faith Healers' Peel Sessions.
In Photos: Royksopp @ Shepherds Bush Empire, London
In Photos: Grizzly Bear @ Leeds Metropolitan University
In Photos: Sinner's Day @ Ethias Arena, Belgium
In Photos: The Wave Pictures @ The Garage, London
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