Century of Folk BBC Radio2

Subject: Century of Folk BBC Radio2
From: Llanfair
Date: 25 Aug 99 - 03:01 PM

Starts tonight on British Wireless, John Peel presenting a series starting with C. Sharpe. 10pm our time, should be good, although the TVguide described Peel as a folkie. Hmmmmmmm Hwyl Bron.

Subject: RE: Century of Folk BBC Radio2
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 26 Aug 99 - 03:32 AM

And who better to present it? He's always been known for liking "funny" music! I listened to it, but I wasn't much impressed ... it seems to have been a series of anecdotes interspersed with soundbites from known "respectable" folk persons, and a few songs (recordings, but not archive) thrown in. Come to think of it, isn't that how all documentaries a made up (apart from the songs)? Maybe I'm just getting old, but I didn't learn anything I didn't already know.

Steve

Subject: RE: Century of Folk BBC Radio2
From: KingBrilliant
Date: 26 Aug 99 - 03:52 AM

What can we expect in just a half-hour slot. It was OK. Perhaps it will spark some interest somewhere. How many weeks is it on for?

Subject: RE: Century of Folk BBC Radio2
From: Llanfair
Date: 26 Aug 99 - 04:57 PM

I'm not sure how long the series is to run, but perhaps it will spark some interest. Whilst I was tuning in beforehand, who should be on but Mike Harding, whom I knew in my Manchester days. His accent was much posher, and there were no dirty jokes or innuendos, but otherwise much the same. Good show, I shall tune in regularly. Hwyl, Bron.

Subject: RE: Century of Folk BBC Radio2
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 09 Sep 99 - 03:51 AM

I listened again last night, about the growth of UK folk clubs in the sixties, when there were tens of thousands of 'em. Ignore my earlier comments a little; it was very interesting. (And I was there from 1968 on!)

I htink it might be worth going over some of the things that were said ... although my memory isn't really up to giving a coherent account.

Steve

Subject: RE: Century of Folk BBC Radio2
From: GeorgeH
Date: 09 Sep 99 - 08:30 AM

Having missed the first programme but recorded progs 2 and 3 I have to say they are excellent. You do have to remember this is Radio 2 - the lightest of light entertainment - and in that context I find them remarkable. Any programme which has proclaimed its subject as "skiffle" and plays, for its first recording, Elizabeth Cotton performing "Freight Train" has a lot going for it, IMO. (This did, of course, lead into a skiffle cover of FT - and nothing wrong with that.)

As I said over on uk.m.f., there's a lot of details you could cavil over, but if all Radio 2's output was of this quality then we really would have a public service radio network to be proud of!

G.

Subject: RE: Century of Folk BBC Radio2
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 09 Sep 99 - 12:13 PM

All right, I admit it - "Freight Train" (the Nancy Whiskey/Chas McDevitt version) was the first song I learned to play on the guitar. I'm glad to get that off my chest after all these years!