A country at war. Economic dire straits. An oil crisis. Sound familiar? Find out how today’s headlines parallel the conditions that helped create British pop music in the 1950s and ‘60s. Ethnomusicologist Gordon Thompson of Skidmore College joins us to talk about his book “Please Please Me: Sixties British Pop, Inside and Out.” Also: Elizabeth Pitcairn joins us to perform on her Red Violin, the Stradivarius famed for its dazzling sound and mysterious history and the inspiration for Francois Girard's film The Red Violin.
Sixties British Pop: A Look Back
In “Please Please Me: Sixties British Pop, Inside and Out," Gordon Thompson journeys to the center of the British pop-making establishment in the 1960's through conversations with the major players themselves. He joins us to share his insider's view of the distinctly British songwriting and production techniques that developed during ...
CD Picks of the Week
Three new releases picked by the Soundcheck staff. Read the full reviews of our picks here.
Brighton Port Authority, "I Think We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat" (Southern Fried Records)
--picked by John Schaefer [Amazon]
Joshua Redman, "Compass" (Nonesuch)
--picked by Brian Wise [Amazon]
Animal Collective, "Merriweather ...
Brighton Port Authority, "I Think We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat" (Southern Fried Records)
--picked by John Schaefer [Amazon]
Joshua Redman, "Compass" (Nonesuch)
--picked by Brian Wise [Amazon]
Animal Collective, "Merriweather ...
The Red Violin
Violinist Elizabeth Pitcairn is the owner of the Red Violin, crafted by Stadivarius in 1720 and one of the finest instruments in the world. It is also one of the most mysterious, having vanished for more than 200 years until its re-appearance in the hands of an heir of Felix ...
Birth of Britpop
The Beatles and the Stones were always about more than the music. Maybe that’s not how they intended it, but that’s how society made it. Parents – including my own – in the 60s and 70s may have objected to the music on purely aesthetic grounds, but I suspect it ...
CD Picks of the Week
Brighton Port Authority – I Think We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat (Southern Fried Records)
Norman Cook is counting on you NOT recognizing his name. Otherwise, the whole crazy story of his band, the Brighton Port Authority, falls ...
Connect with Soundcheck: