BBC Radio 2 music highlights for Summer 2017

BBC Radio 2 has today announced a wealth of new music programming as part of a jam-packed Spring/Summer schedule featuring live broadcasts, documentaries and specialist music series curated by leading industry names.

Lewis Carnie, Head of Radio 2, says: “Radio 2’s success is a combination of distinctive documentaries coupled with the best in music entertainment. This bumper raft of programming highlights announced today is an absolute treat for music fans, as there’s something for everyone.”

Alan And Mel’s Summer Escape

Alan Carr and Melanie Sykes return to Radio 2 with a season of live Saturday morning summer specials for a ten-week run from 8 July to 9 September (10am-1pm), entitled Alan And Mel’s Summer Escape.

Alan and Mel say: “We can’t wait to return to Radio 2 for a summer of fun on Saturday mornings, and look forward to hearing all about your weekends with loads of great music and some really special games and guests - see you in the summer!”

Ella Fitzgerald

This month, Radio 2 will celebrate the centenary of the birth of music legend Ella Fitzgerald, celebrating her life, career and legacy.

On the actual anniversary, 25 April, in his weekly Jazz show (Tuesdays, 7-8pm, produced by Folded Wing) Jamie Cullum celebrates the life of Ella Fitzgerald on the centenary of her birth. He’ll be picking some of his favourite tracks from her back catalogue. Plus the all-female British collective Nerijá, joined by a brilliant young vocalist Cherise Adams-Burnett, will perform their exclusive re-arrangement of Dream A Little Dream.

This is followed by a two-hour celebration Ella At 100: Remembering Ella (8-10pm) which will celebrate the jazz icon through her best known recordings. Leo Green celebrates Ella’s golden voice with brilliant records and famous fans, including Dame Cleo Laine, Patti Austin, Mica Paris and Imelda May (produced by IMG).

Petula Clark will also present a two-part documentary Ella At 100: The First Lady Of Song, produced by Ping Productions, which tells the story of the singer’s life (25 April and 2 May, 10-11pm).

Friday Night Is Music Night (5 May, 8-10pm) will pay tribute to Ella, featuring performances from Clare Teal, Mica Paris, Louise Marshall and Emma Kershaw. The concert, to be recorded at London’s Hackney Empire on 11 April, will profile one of the 20th century’s greatest vocalists - from her Yonkers origins to her work with jazz impresario Norman Granz, featuring music by Nelson Riddle, Duke Ellington, and Buddy Bregman, as well as later collaborations with Oscar Peterson and Louis Armstrong. The BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Richard Balcombe, will perform plus new interpretations of Ella classics by the country’s leading jazz arranger for orchestra and big band, Guy Barker.

At Home With Gregory Porter

At Home With Gregory Porter will join Gregory in Bakersfield, California, for a four-part series (starts 26 April, 10-11pm). Gregory rifles through his personal record collection and introduces listeners to the jazz singers, songwriters and musicians he considers to be the greatest of all time.

Gregory says: “I'm looking forward to rummaging through my record collection at home and reliving the magic I felt when I heard some of my favourite singers, performers and musicians for the first time.”

The Songs Of The Bee Gees

To mark the 50th anniversary of their first single, Radio 2 will be paying homage to The Bee Gees on Bank Holiday Monday 1 May. Tony Blackburn presents a three hour special, The Songs Of The Bee Gees, that includes many of the hits performed and written by all or some of the members of the famous Gibb Brothers, as well as a selection of the best cover versions of their songs from artists including Barbra Streisand, Take That and Diana Ross.

Deacon Blue: 30 Years Of Raintown

Ian Rankin celebrates the 30th anniversary of Deacon Blue's debut album Raintown being released on 1 May 1987, with a new documentary Deacon Blue: 30 Years Of Raintown. To be broadcast first on BBC Radio Scotland on 1 May with a revised repeat on Radio 2 on 8 May, Ian Rankin, who is celebrating the 30th anniversary of his character Rebus, discovers the stories behind the songs and how Deacon Blue became one of Scotland’s best-loved bands. The show features new interviews with original members Ricky, Lorraine, Dougie and Jim and from the record's producer Jon Kelly. Other contributors include musical contemporaries Hue and Cry, Danny Wilson and Hearts and Minds, plus Aled Jones and DJs Mark Goodier and Johnnie Walker.

Bryan Adams Rocks

On Bank Holiday Monday (1 May), Bryan Adams Rocks returns to Radio 2, playing another selection of personal favourites from the world of classic rock, plus he’ll share many stories, anecdotes and BBC archive interviews from the artists involved.

Bryan says: “As a rock musician and huge fan of rock music, I’m really looking forward to returning to the BBC Radio 2 airwaves to play some of my all-time favourite rock classics for the listeners… with something for everyone - from AC/DC to Jimi Hendrix, The Knack to The Rolling Stones, and Simple Minds to Pink Floyd.”

Ian says: “Thirty years since I wrote my first Inspector Rebus novel and thirty years since Deacon Blue leapt on to the world stage with Raintown. Maybe there was just something in the Scottish water back then. Both have proved their resilience, with Raintown sounding as fresh as the day it was released. It was a joy for me to spend time with the band as they looked back on their achievement. It's an album that belongs in everyone's heart and collection.”

Levi Roots

Levi Roots returns for a four-part series (starts 9 May), playing classic reggae and roots music.

Gene Simmons

KISS icon Gene Simmons will explore rock music in June with a six-part series.

Olivia Newton-John

Four-time Grammy Award-winner Olivia Newton-John will present a two-part documentary series on her 50-year music career (15 and 22 May, 10-11pm, produced by Just Radio). Olivia discusses her early days as a backing singer for Cliff Richard, her foray into country music and dancing with Gene Kelly. Contributors include Cliff Richard, The Shadows’ Bruce Welch who co-produced her early albums, and songwriter John Farrar who wrote many of her greatest hits.

Olivia Newton-John said: “I'm thrilled to be presenting these special shows on Radio 2 to reflect on my 50-year career in the entertainment industry - time sure does fly when you’re having fun!”

The Summer Of I Feel Love

Radio 2 will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of Donna Summer’s iconic dance track I Feel Love (3 July, produced by Wise Buddah). The Summer Of I Feel Love will tell the story of the seminal Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte-produced track, featuring chats with music-makers giving their take on the importance of this pioneering single.

Randy Newman's America

Kicking off on Independence Day (4 and 11 July, 10pm), American singer-songwriter and composer, Randy Newman, will host two one-hour programmes on songs from the USA. In Randy Newman's America, he will talk about his career as an independent singer-songwriter and an Oscar-winning Hollywood composer, and how he has reacted to American historical events and changes in society over his lifetime.

Nile Rodgers' Good Times

This summer, Nile Rodgers' Good Times will see the legendary music producer and Chic frontman in an intimate conversation with music aficionado Vicki Wickham (produced by Sue Clark Productions). Over four hour-long episodes Nile reveals his all-time favourite playlists covering his musical influences and inspirations, to the songs that have made his career, as well as simply music that he loves. This will be a musical voyage like no other, a revealing story of a creative genius told by the man himself and complemented by a fantastic sound track.

BBC Radio 2 is the most listened-to radio station in the UK and has a weekly audience of 15.05m (RAJAR Q4 2016). The output of the station is highly distinctive, with its entertaining popular music programmes and speech-based content, such as news, current affairs, documentaries, religion, arts, comedy, readings and social action output, reflecting the diversity of the UK.

April 26, 2017 3:42am ET by BBC Radio 2  

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

  Shortlink to this content: http://bit.ly/2ouY1ZJ

SHARE THIS

Latest Press Releases