I'm sure I'm not alone among the British contributors to this forum in my devotion to BBC Radio 2's Sounds of the 60s, which for the information of non-Brits is on air every Saturday morning between 8 and 10 but is available on line via the BBC's Listen Again facility. For me it's an almost perfect blend of hits and rarities and, needless to say, Bacharach material is often played and in just the last few weeks Carol Deene's 'Who's been Sleeping in my Bed', Peter Gordeno's 'You're Following Me' and Frankie Vaughan's 'Tower of Strength' have all been featured, the first two of which are recordings I'd never heard before or even knew existed. The fact that presenter Brian Matthew was very much around in the 60s and indeed had his own radio (Saturday Club) and TV show (Thank Your Luck Stars) and met everyone that mattered also lends the show a lot of authenticity, and, yes, he's usually very good when it comes to name-checking songwriters.
Re: BBC's 'Sounds of the 60s'
Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 3:21 am
by pljms
Yes, I listen in every week too and agree that's it's essential listening. I can't really complain about the amount of Bacharach played on the show because it could never really be enough, but, yes, they could play more! Indeed, if the producer of the show has a particular favourite among the major 60s songwriters it would seem to be the team of Goffin and King.
Re: BBC's 'Sounds of the 60s'
Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:23 am
by hereiam
Yes, this is a must-listen for me. I thoroughly enjoy that 2 hours every week as Brian could find some real gems
to play each week.
For instance, in the last show, he played the alternate version of Scott Walker's Lights Of Cincinnatti
sung by Long John Baldry which was even better than Scott's version. Played also was Duncan Browne's Give Me Take
You which was a really good song.
Re: BBC's 'Sounds of the 60s'
Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 4:09 am
by hereiam
Another good thing about this radio programme is that it often plays some "one hit wonder" hits which are really
good (btw , there were so many good songs in the 60s that even many obscure songs are not bad at all )
and many of them are fun too.
For instance, there's one guy called Buzz Clifford who had a top 10 hit in 1961 called "Babysittin' Boogie"
and it was played in the Sound of the 60s a few years ago.
BTW There are 2 MV ofs it on Youtube, which are real funny :
Re: BBC's 'Sounds of the 60s'
Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 5:41 am
by pljms
Continuing the show's recent trend of featuring rarely heard Bacharach, this morning's broadcast included the Everly Brothers' recording of Trains and Boats and Planes, which is, I was disappointed to discover, yet another version in which the bridge isn't sung. The song just seems incomplete without it.
Re: BBC's 'Sounds of the 60s'
Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 1:00 am
by hereiam
In yesterday's show (20 June), Brian played a beautiful version of the song People sung by
Dionne Warwick. The arrangement of this song is so Bacharachish.
It's by far the best version of this much sung song I have heard (for my taste at least)
Re: BBC's 'Sounds of the 60s'
Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 4:19 am
by pljms
Aretha Franklin's version of 'Walk on By' also got played, another rarity I'd never heard before.
Re: BBC's 'Sounds of the 60s'
Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:08 am
by pljms
This week's Bacharach rarity was Mark Wynter's recording of 'Another Tear Falls', again something I'd never heard before.
Re: BBC's 'Sounds of the 60s'
Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 8:20 pm
by An Enormous BB Fan
pljms wrote:Aretha Franklin's version of 'Walk on By' also got played, another rarity I'd never heard before.
Here it is:
Re: BBC's 'Sounds of the 60s'
Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 3:08 am
by hereiam
hereiam wrote:In yesterday's show (20 June), Brian played a beautiful version of the song People sung by
Dionne Warwick. The arrangement of this song is so Bacharachish.
It's by far the best version of this much sung song I have heard (for my taste at least)
Yes, pljms, it was interesting hear Mark Wynter's take on 'Another Tear Falls', never a particular fave of mine but a good song all the same and a Top 20 hit in the UK for the Walker Brothers. It would have to be pretty near the top of the list of the most mournful songs Bacharach ever composed. Here's a version of the song by Cliff Richard which I've just discovered on Youtube: