Posted by Radiocafé on 23 Mar 2009 at 11:49 am |
Category: 5. CDs, 3. Light & Easy, 2. Vocal Gems, 1. General Music
Now here is a timely treat for lovers of Real Music. Just when mainstream broadcasters have decided that anything made before 1965 is out, and music companies assume we all want low quality MP3s of even lower quality pop music, along comes a superb new double CD to show quite how it should be done. Pennies From Heaven, entitled “44 original songs from the golden era of music“, is just that - golden nuggets from a time when music was melodic, tuneful and crafted with love.
We know that there is a huge… Continue reading
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Posted by Radiocafé on 18 Mar 2009 at 3:19 pm |
Category: 1. General Music
He found a whole new generation of fans as the man behind Meck’s reworking of the classic “Thunder In My Heart”. Pop legend Leo Sayer shares his thoughts with Radiocafé about the music business, his influences and we he is fully in support of the Campaign For Real Music.
Q: Do you support the Campaign For Real Music?
It’s good to know someone is campaigning for real music - I’m fully in support of anything that promotes proper musicians. There’s always worthy artists who don’t get the promotion and publicity, maybe because they weren’t… Continue reading
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Posted by Radiocafé on 17 Mar 2009 at 1:00 am |
Category: 1. General Music
Dance bands are the latest to get the chop from the new “supercool” Radio 2. Malcolm Laycock’s producers have decided to (or, we suspect been forced to) dump the dance band section of his 10-11pm show on a Sunday evening. The first half hour is now dedicated to the modern swing bands instead. What a shame for the genre!
In fact, it may mark the demise of this type of music altogether, as it now has no presence whatsoever on mainstream national and DAB radio. A few tokens will feature on BBC local… Continue reading
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Posted by Radiocafé on 15 Mar 2009 at 4:52 pm |
Category: 3. Light & Easy, 1. General Music
Good news for all fans of light music! Colin Berry has told us that he is doing another ”A Little Light Music” show on Easter Monday on BBC Three Counties Radio. This is set to be a real treat for those of us who appreciate the wonderful and overlooked light music sound. Colin promises some true light music gems, including what he calls some “class” commercial items too. Show details are:
A Little Light Music
Easter Monday (13 April)
8-10pm
BBC Three Counties Radio
A show not to be missed, so please spread the word!
Details of the first programme is set… Continue reading
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Posted by Radiocafé on 15 Mar 2009 at 12:33 pm |
Category: 3. Light & Easy
For lovers of light music, many of the recordings of the Longines Symphonette Society are among the finest ever made. In particular, the items that feature on the six record “Evening Serenade” box, produced in the 1960s by the “Symphonette Strings”, set standards for quality and production that have never been bettered.
Fans of Alan Dell’s wonderful “Sounds Easy” radio show throughout the 70s through early 90s will be familiar with a number of these recordings, although they may not have realised it at the time. Alan’s much-missed Sunday show featured the perfect… Continue reading
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Posted by Radiocafé on 15 Mar 2009 at 12:12 pm |
Category: 4. Soul Sounds, 1. General Music
The world of soul and jazz- funk owes so much to Robbie Vincent, who has pioneered the good music cause for decades. And, following hundreds of emails and posts to us at Radiocafe from fans who missed his presence on our airwaves, Robbie is now back doing what he does so magnificently - see the update at the end of this article with news of where you can now find Robbie. Below you can also read earlier comments from those who so passionately supported the our campaign to “Bring Back Robbie Vincent”.
During… Continue reading
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Posted by Radiocafé on 15 Mar 2009 at 12:43 am |
Category: 1. General Music
According to RAJAR (the people who work out how many people are listening to what stations), BBC 6 Music forms a one fifth of one per cent share of the radio we listen to. To put that in a bit more perspective, as of June ‘07, BBC Radio 2 is listened to about 63 times more than BBC 6 Music.
Why does BBC’s fellow digital-only station BBC7, which provides re-runs of old comedies, get almost twice as many listeners as 6 Music?
What in fact does BBC 6… Continue reading
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Posted by Radiocafé on 13 Mar 2009 at 10:48 am |
Category: 1. General Music
Do you remember when albums contained the deadly skull and crossbones warning symbol “home taping is killing music”? This was one of the biggest myths of the day, as it was home taping that actually kept a lot of the music alive at all.
Here’s how home taping would ordinarily work. You would buy a pack of TDK D90 cassettes from Woolies, load one up into your Amstrad twin cassette tower system, and tape your favourite show off of Radio 1 (or in my case, also Radio 2). You would listen to the recording you made… Continue reading
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Posted by Radiocafé on 11 Mar 2009 at 2:22 pm |
Category: 4. Soul Sounds
Martin bought his first decks in 1985 and hasn’t looked back since. First playing soul, funk and hip hop with various sounds around North London. Then in 1988 Martin was bitten by the bug that is HOUSE music, joining his very first Radio station in 1989 Moonlight 101fm following up with various stints on Time fm, Rude fm, Touch fm, internet station CNSOHO Live and HouseFM. Martin is also a… Continue reading
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Posted by Radiocafé on 10 Mar 2009 at 2:34 pm |
Category: 4. Soul Sounds
The late eighties has seen this ex-jazz dancer become a well respected name on the scene. Marcia’s pedigree speaks for itself. Marcia Carr has graced the decks at many events and social soirées over the years to recent haunts like IsItLIVE, Mind Fluid, Whistle Bump, Right Area, Southport Sessions, HouseHuntin and Weekending amongst others. She also plays regularly on the international circuit too. That’s aside from having spun with some honourary names over the years within dance… Continue reading
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Posted by Radiocafé on 26 Jan 2009 at 4:22 pm |
Category: 3. Light & Easy
Neil Richardson is the man behind some of the most evocative arrangements and compositions of all time. Neil ranks up there with the best arrangers this country has ever produced. He created much of the BBC Radio Orchestra’s output during the 70s and 80s, and has worked with many of the leading orchestras in the world, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
If you listened to any decent radio during the 60s, 70s and 80s, you will have undoubtedly heard plenty of Neil’s work, even though you may not have known he was the master… Continue reading
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Posted by Radiocafé on 10 Jan 2009 at 10:08 pm |
Category: 6. Other Music, 1. General Music
Few broadcasters are more fondly remembered than Ray Moore, who entertained millions of listeners for years with his regular early morning show on Radio 2.
Ray looked after the 5 to 7.30am slot throughout the seventies and eighties in his uniquely special way. He was one of the highlights of radio, even managing to make travel forecasts and sports reports entertaining.
Common Moore references included “Gatport Airwick”, “Moore’s ‘Orse”, “Old Moore’s Alma Nag” (a pun on the name of his beloved wife, Alma) and referring to a fellow broadcaster, “the Truckers’ Flussey” (Sheila Tracey).
Part… Continue reading
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Posted by Sole Intent on 03 Jan 2009 at 1:33 pm |
Category: 4. Soul Sounds
In today’s current climate of manufactured bands and genetically modified music I find myself constantly disgruntled and wondering “Whatever happened to the SOUL?” Whatever happened to the goose bumps, the prickles on the back of your neck and the urge to shout out loud “sing it sister/brother…I feel you”, when that certain song would play? When you would close your eyes with arms extended outright into the air absorbing the sensations emitted by soulful vibrations. Remember soul?
I do.
Genetically… Continue reading
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Posted by Radiocafé on 29 Dec 2008 at 1:17 pm |
Category: 5. CDs, 4. Soul Sounds
Probably Radiocafe’s favourite Roy Ayers recording, the 1980 classic “No Stranger To Love” is now available on CD. You will have to fork out for a Japanese import, but if you are a fan of the good groove and are not familiar with this Roy rarity, it is twenty quid very well spent indeed.
What makes this our favourite of Roy’s recordings? For starters, the album kicks off with “Don’t Stop The Feeling”, which is up there with the very best dance tunes ever. We don’t know why this didn’t become as popular… Continue reading
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Posted by Radiocafé on 29 Dec 2008 at 12:34 pm |
Category: 1. General Music
Did anyone catch the fantastic concert on BBC Four recently featuring Judy, Frank and Dean? This was entertainment at its very best. Three of the finest singers, each at his or her peak, with sublime arrangements and spine-tingling performances.
The producers of the X Factor’s “swing” show, its contestants and those who think this genre of music suits their style, could all learn much from studying the Judy-and-pals show. Ms Garland’s performance of “The Man That Got Away” is a master class in voice control and how to use power in a ballad… Continue reading
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