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Private Notes
A look at the history of British reggae music.
This edition charts Britain's journey from the austere post-war years, when popular music meant 'light entertainment' and was dominated by the conservative tastes of the establishment, to the early 1960s when British pop ruled the world. Contributors include Cliff Richard, Marty Wilde, Ray Gosling, Bruce Welch and Helen Shapiro.
In the 60s Britain went pop mad. The architects were a group of artists and entrepreneurs who would prise pop out of the grasp of showbiz interests to create a truly authentic British sound of the Beatles, Stones and Who and at the same time prepared the way for a new, more corporate pop business. With Pete Townsend, Sir George Martin, Bryan Ferry, Sandie Shaw and Lulu.
This last part looks at the constant struggle between the forces of art and commerce. In the early 80s, punk-inspired art students such as The Human League and ABC took British pop to the top of the world's charts, but from the late 80s onwards, dynasties of star-makers such as Stock Aitken and Waterman have tried to mould British pop into a highly-profitable production line.
Continuing the critically-acclaimed Britannia music series for BBC Four, this documentary tells the story of the emergence and evolution of the British music festival through the mavericks, dreamers and dropouts who have produced, enjoyed and sometimes fought for them over the last 50 years. The film traces the ebb and flow of British festival culture from jazz beginnings at Beaulieu in the late 50s through to the Isle of Wight festivals at the end of the 60s, early Glastonbury and one-off commercial festivals like 1972's Bickershaw, the free festivals of the 70s and 80s and on through the extended rave at Castlemorton in 1992 to the contemporary resurgence in festivals like Glastonbury, Isle of Wight and Reading in the last decade. Sam Bridger's film explores the central tension between the people's desire to come together, dance to the music and build temporary communities and the desire of the state, the councils and the locals to police these often unruly gatherings. At the heart of the documentary is an ongoing argument about British freedom and shifts in the political, musical and cultural landscape set to a wonderful soundtrack of 50 years of great popular music which takes in trad jazz, Traffic, Roy Harper, the Grateful Dead, Hawkwind, Orbital and much more. Featuring rare archive and interviews with Michael Eavis, Richard Thompson, Acker Bilk, Terry Reid, the Levellers, Billy Bragg, John Giddings, Melvin Benn, Roy Harper, Nik Turner, Peter Jenner, Orbital, amongst others.
Focusing on the roots of British reggae, from the importing of Jamaican music from independent labels such as Island Records in the mid-1960s, through the first reggae songs to top the UK charts, specifically "My Boy Lollipop" reaching #2 in 1965 and "Israelites" reaching #1 in 1969, to the genre being adopted by the mod and skinhead communities and used as a symbol of identity by the British black youth in the early '70s, allowing Jamaican reggae artists to escape their home country's violent political turmoil by emigrating to Britain. Spotlighting Desmond Dekker, Dave and Ansell Collins, Max Romeo, Toots and the Maytals, Millie Small, Nicky Thomas, Bob and Marcia, Big Youth and Al Capone.
Focusing on the emergence of homegrown talent and development of the British reggae sound, from the wider audience appeal that came with the fusion of roots reggae with pop and rock music in the early 1970s, through the emergence and popularity of British sound systems, to the use of music to protest the inherent racism in British society in the mid '70s. Spotlighting Bob Marley and the Wailers, Eric Clapton, Matumbi, Aswad and Steel Pulse.
Focusing on the integration of black and white music, from the kinship felt between the angry youths of the reggae and punk communities, culminating in the Rock Against Racism campaign and punk-reggae collaborations in the late 1970s, through the birth of the 2 Tone ska revival subgenre, to the success of mixed-race political reggae bands using their music as social commentary on "Thatcher's Britain". Spotlighting Steel Pulse, The Clash, The Slits, Linton Kwesi Johnson, The Police, The Specials, The Selecter and UB40.
Focusing on the shift away from reggae as angry protest music towards the mainstream pop market, from the genre's decline in popularity following the death of Bob Marley in 1981, through the emergence of lovers rock, to the assimilation of reggae into other genres in the '80s, specifically electronic dance music. Spotlighting UB40, Winston Reedy, Sugar Minott, Carroll Thompson, Janet Kay, Culture Club, The Police, Musical Youth, Smiley Culture, Tippa Irie and Soul II Soul.
