Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: GUEST,Jack Warshaw
Date: 31 Mar 15 - 01:01 PM

Charles, often credited with being the father of the modern radio documentary made a great many programmes beside the radio ballads, sometimes outside the BBC, perhaps even using BBC equipment to work on them. Not lost, but buried in the Birmingham Library's Charles Parker Archive are the overt anti-war programmes he made with the Critics Group, intended for transmission to GIs in Vietnam. My role in them, with other CG members was field recordist, co-script writer, songwriter, singer, musician and actor, all welded by Charles into a hard-hitting opus which our state controlled broadcasting system could not handle and now can only be listed to at Birmingham Library. When I heard the clip of the CG being encouraged to produce anti-war material by Ewan MacColl in "How Folksongs Should be Sung" I thought the actual material would make a great follow-up. But the Beeb would have none of it. So I have posted a copy of my original tape of one of the programmes, called "Off Limits" on my Soundcloud page, https://soundcloud.com/jackaro/off-limits-2
       etnam.

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 01 Apr 15 - 06:12 AM

Thank you for posting Off-Limits-2." What a brilliant programme and amazing survival. I certainly think that these 'lost' programmes should be revived and placed into the public domain where they belong; not locked away in a dusty archive inaccessible to anyone. Other Radio Ballads that have made a miraculous reappearance recently are 'The Jewellery,' 'A Cry From The Cut,' and 'Romeo & Juliet.' Please consider uploading any more that you have. CJB.

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: GUEST,Natural History Of Folk ...
Date: 01 Apr 15 - 06:36 AM

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hdkqnqea6h6g0fj/AAC31FzrWPdbkrIl2d_Z6Izda?dl=0

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: Rain Dog
Date: 02 Apr 15 - 08:48 AM

There was a short item about Charles Parker on Broadcasting House BBC Radio 4 on Sunday 29th March. Starts approx. 17.30 into the programme and last for about 5 minutes

Broadcasting House

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 02 Apr 15 - 05:51 PM

Re: "There was a short item about Charles Parker on Broadcasting House BBC Radio 4 on Sunday 29th March. Starts approx. 17.30 into the programme and last for about 5 minutes"

Not much about Charles Parker though. And the clips were a bit haphazard. No mention of the Radio Ballads "Cry from the Cut" nor from "Off Limits." And the short clip of Sam Larner was strangely out of place. Not worth the effort of listening to.

CJB

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 02 Apr 15 - 06:57 PM

"Not worth the effort of listening to."
Not really surprising.
Because Charles and Ewan refused to remove the suggestion that Travellers who refused to conform should be "exterminated" (this from a Birmingham J.P.) from the end of 'The Travelling People', the Radio Ballads as MacColl, Seeger and Charles conceived them, they became an embarrassment to the Beeb establishment.
The Features Department was wound down and Charles was sacked - bet there's no mention of that either.
One of Charles' most memorable programmes in his latter days was, 'The Iron Box', based around the murder of American Civil Rights activist, George Jackson - I can't ever remember that getting a repeat airing, as good as it was.
The more recent 'Radio Ballads' as well-meaning as they were, were comfortably 'safe' and as such, somewhat ineffectual.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: GUEST,Susie
Date: 03 Apr 15 - 01:05 AM

My mate Julie Henigan stayed with me for 6 months back in the early 80s when she was cataloguing the Charles Parker Archive in Birmingham. She's on Facebook, if anyone wants to contact her - in KS, USA.

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 03 Apr 15 - 06:09 AM

But Off Limits (2) was a remarkable programme about the colour / race / poverty issues surrounding the Vietnam War. Sh!t I well remember those days and incidents - and yet learnt a hell of a lot from the programme. Now the recording is in the public domain where it belongs. Jim - do you know anyone who has 'The Iron Box' perchance?

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Apr 15 - 06:30 AM

BTW "Off Limits" is here:

https://soundcloud.com/jackaro/off-limits-2

Info. on the Radio Ballad "Travelling People" is here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/radioballads/original/travellingpeople.shtml

And then there is the "Ballad of the Miners Strike" - still available - at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00r33b2

BTW what was the programme mentioned in the comments called "Close the Coalhouse Door"?

CJB

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 03 Apr 15 - 06:45 AM

"Jim - do you know anyone who has 'The Iron Box' perchance?"
As a matter of fact....!!!
Will contact you.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 03 Apr 15 - 02:27 PM

16 November 1971 20.30

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=0&q=%22iron+box%22#search

A Story of Our Time

The Iron Box

The Prison Life and Death of George Jackson , author of Soledad Brother, shot down in San Quentin, 21 August 1971 ' Failure ... means our crowbar has struck the iron box containing the treasure.'

ALEXANDER SOLZHENITSYN

Compiled and introduced by Godfrey Hodgson from tape and documentary records of the events which led up to his death, including interviews with the Soledad Three, their relatives and counsels, and with the Prison Authorities, made available by Pacifica Radio, Berkeley, California

Producer CHARLES PARKER

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 03 Apr 15 - 02:32 PM

BTW here's info. about "Close the Coalhouse Door"

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=0&q=%22Close+the+Coalhouse+Door%22#search

Likely well lost now!!

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: The Sandman
Date: 03 Apr 15 - 03:25 PM

"Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Feb 14 - 02:56 PM

Let's see if we can go a little further.

He married Joan Maud Littlewood (Maudie).

In 1955 she put on a production of The Good Soldier Schweik, which brings us back to where we started!"
How, does it do that?

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 03 Apr 15 - 04:44 PM

Much better programme with MacColl, Seeger and Parker at Archive.org:

Free University Day 5_5 - Resonance 104.4 FM

https://archive.org/details/FreeUniversityDay5_5

Peter Cox: The Radio Ballads. The series of landmark radical works made fifty years ago for British radio are discussed by .the author of "Set Into Song: Ewan MacColl, Charles Parker, Peggy Seeger and the Radio Ballads."

Duration: 69:29

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Apr 15 - 05:02 PM

The legacy of Charles Parker and Ewan MacColl et al lives on. This is a favourite Radio Ballad of mine as part of the BBC's Abolition season in 2014. As Pete Seeger once remarked "The Power of Song" ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/content/articles/2007/03/17/abolition_sound_the_jubilee_feature.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/content/image_galleries/sound_the_jubilee_gallery.shtml

You can listen to the programme via the website above.

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Apr 15 - 05:41 AM

The Iron Box

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: GUEST,Jack Warshaw
Date: 06 Apr 15 - 03:25 PM

Huge thanks CJB for the Off Limits 2 comment and the work you put in to improving the audio. The programme was produced by Charles Parker at Ewan and Peggy's house in Beckenham, Kent. The writing was mostly done collectively by those participating. Actuality was recorded or assembled by Charles and myself- Charles taught me how. Two tape recorders were set up. Charles used one as the singers and musicians used their instruments, with actuality segments coming in on cue and vice versa while the second machine recorded the section live. Charles then took the tapes away to link, cross fade, and work his magic to produce the final programme. Participants were: Charles, Peggy, Me, Brian Pearson, Buff Rosenthal and Steve Mooring. They were intended for clandestine transmission in Vietnam. We knew the N Vietnam Charge d'Affaires Nguyen Van Sao. The search for how artists passionately opposed to the war could make a difference and the N Vietnam connection made it happen. Of the 4 Off Limits made, I think this was the most successful.

Several years later, on the eve of Saigon's liberation, Combine, the group formed by break-away Critics Group members, wrote and presented "The Vietnam Victory Show" using the techniques of interwoven historical fact, commentary and song to tell the story of the liberation struggle from 1945 to April 1975.

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 07 Apr 15 - 02:03 PM

Fascinating history. There's a link here on how other Radio Ballads were made.

http://www.cpatrust.org.uk/bham_ballads/

Meanwhile I'm wondering if there is a recording of "The Vietnam Victory Show" please?

Also are there any more "Off Limits" programmes please?

They deserve a greater exposure than locked away in the dusty archives.

CJB

Subject: RE: Natural history of folk (BBC radio) Attenborough
From: GUEST,iain
Date: 08 Apr 15 - 06:58 AM

When I first started to read the thread my immediate thought was why cannot David Attenborough step aside and make room for younger talent.
However it was an education to realise he actually first started recording folk singers back in the day when for the BBC anything hinting at ethnic was regarded as crawling about under a stone.
   He is to be congratulated for his success. Can anyone answer if he wore his safari suit for making the program?