Charlie's last World on 3, 8 Jan 2010 - solo flight

[Alan]

posted on behalf of CG

The last World on 3, 8 Jan 2010 - solo flight

I didn't realise it at the time, but this was to be my last show for World on 3.

It was actually meant to have been a showcase for Martha Wainwright, but she had a baby two months earlier than expected and was not fit for a radio show.

Unusually, I had played records at two live events in the previous two weeks, firstly at the Kurdish Short Film Festival Awards at Spring House in Kentish Town, and then at the UK debut by the Honduran singer Aurelio Martinez at the Union Chapel, promoted by the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative.

Caught by Martha's surprise no-show, I grabbed the CD case carrying records for the two events and decided to busk it, to improvise a show featuring records that had worked a few days earlier.

It has been a long time since I was free to play whatever seemed apt, without structure or predetermined logic, and by the end I felt like I had fallen into a groove of some kind. Somewhere towards the middle, I found myself wanting to link together Buika and Lhasa, both of them champions of Chavela Vargas, a big star in Mexico in the 1960s and more recently celebrated by the Spanish film director, Pedro Almodovar. Several of my favourite Lhasa songs are in Spanish, but it seemed better to choose one in French. But now comes the devastating news that Lhasa has died of breast cancer, leaving an unfillable hole.

I had hoped for several years to do a radio show with Lhasa, and finally had my wish when she came to do a World on 3 show last year in which the live songs were spontaneously introduced rather than used as book ends at the start and finish of the Radio Ping Pong encounter. It all felt very magical, especially when Lhasa sang 'A Change is Gonna Come', more commonly associated with great soul singers such as composer Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and Aaron Neville of the Neville Brothers. Nonchalantly, Lhasa made it hers too.

After recording this programme, I sent a letter to Roger Wright, Head of Radio 3, announcing that I was retiring from the World on 3 rota on grounds of ill-health. At the time, I intended to complete the final pair of programmes but as it turned out, I was closer to ill health than I realised and was admitted to hospital on New Year's Eve. Lopa Kothari stepped into the breach to do the second of the final pair.

Just as well, really, I don’t think I would have held myself together so well if I had known that this was to be the end of another line.

I expect to have recovered in time to pick up the threads at the World Service and to continue the much simpler format of that programme for some time to come. See you over on that other side..

CG

Charlie Gillett's final World on 3 was broadcast on Friday 8 January at 11.15 pm (23.15) on BBC Radio 3, and is available online for the following seven days at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/worldon3 http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00pjl8q


Seq - Artist - Song Title - Album - Country - Label - Cat no -

1 - Mitchell Torok - When Mexico Gave Up the Rhumba - When Mexico Gave Up the Rhumba - USA - Acrobat - ADDCD024 -

2 - Lord Cobra - Colon Colon - Panama 3 - Panama - Soundway - SNDWCD018 -

3 - Kottarashky - Tebe - Opa Hey! - Bulgaria - Asphalt Tango - CD-ATR 2609 -

4 - Matha Wainwright - La Foule - Martha Wainwright's Piaf Record - Canada - Drowned in Sound - VVR723066 -

5 - Andy Palacio - Nabi - Keimoun - Belize - Stonetree - GLPD 17 -

6 - Queen Ifrica - T.T.P.N.C - Montego Bay - Jamaica - VP - VPCD1841 -

7 - Imam Baildi - De Thelo Pia a anarthis - Imam Baildi - Greece - Capitol - 509992 3680425 -

8 - Şiwan Perver - Sebra Mala - Şiwan Perver - Turkey - Caprice - CAP 214614 -

9 - Sam Baker - Menonite - Cotton - USA - SamBaker - MRRCD104 -

10 - Buika with Chucho Valdes - Vamanos - El Ultimo Trago - Spain - Warner - 2456 468 6147 -

11 - Lhasa - J'Arrive a La Ville - The Living Road - Canada - Totoutard - 505 0467-0122 2 -

12 - Ibrahim Maalouf - trumpet/saz improvations - Disoriental - France - IM - IMB 2 -

13 - Queen Ifrica - Daddy - Montego Bay - Jamaica - VP - VPCD1841 -

14 - Fat Freddy's Drop - The Raft - Dr Boondigga & The Big B.W. - New Zealand - Fat Freddy's drop - DRP013CD -

15 - Odadewethu - Kazi Ngiyobafihlaphi - Kuyaoxaban' Amadoda - South Africa - Gallo/Warner - 5051865-1745-5-4 -

16 - Derrick Morgan - Tougher Than Tough - Tougher Than Tough - Jamaica - Island - IBXCD1 -

17 - Smadj - Toi et Moi (feat Minino Garay, Erik Truffaz, Talvin Singh) - Selin - Tunis - MVS - 3 760148 282 2894 -

18 - Jo-El Sonnier - Tear-stained Letter - 45 single - USA - RCA - SON 1 -

19 - Blue Asia - Gudinpu - Sketches of Myahk - Japan - Vivid Sound - VSCD 9692 -

20 - Seasick Steve - The Banjo Song - Man from Another Time - USA - Atlantic - 505186 5615828 -

21 - R U N N Family - Hatichina Wekutumba Naye - 45 single - Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe - ZIM 410 -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00pjl8q

[Chris P]

It all felt very magical, especially when Lhasa sang 'A Change is Gonna Come'

It surely did, one of last year's radio highlights, and caused by your requesting it, having heard them warming up with it earlier iirc.
Best wishes for your recovery Charlie, I hope your condition is being managed well, and some recovery is occuring.
Your World on 3 programmes are irreplaceable, this last one sounds like it'll be terrific

[Dayna]

Sorry about how things have gone with this, Charlie. I sincerely hope you get your good health back again.

[Chris P]

17 - Smadj - Toi et Moi (feat Minino Garay, Erik Truffaz, Talvin Singh) - Selin - Tunis - MVS - 3 760148 282 2894 -

Looking forward to hearing this. Hear's some info from Smadj's MySpace:

Smadj realized his dream of recording his last album(Selin) with Erik Truffaz and Talvin Singh for a repertoire dedicated to his love, the most acoustic and melodic album of Smadj(out in a few days)

[Hugh Weldon]

Sorry to hear this, and best wishes for a speedy recovery Charlie. World on 3 when you were on had become an excellent replacement for the Saturday night programmes, I do hope you'll be able to return to a longer format again at some stage.

[Rob Hall]

Wow, that's a blow. Sorry to hear this Charlie, but it's got to be the right decision: your health must come first. Stay strong, stay cool, and keep us posted on your progress.

Best wishes

Rob

[Tom McPhillips]

WISHING YOU A SPEEDY AND COMPLETE RECOVERY CHARLIE!

Rest up, and enjoy the remainder of the fabulous British winter!

[Neil Foxlee]

To borrow a line from Jackson Browne, all good things got to come to an end.
How appropriate to sign off with a musical reference (Charlie Christian).
Thanks and warmest wishes for a soft landing.

[garth cartwright]

Lovely show, Charlie. Hopefully not yr penultimate on R3 but if so then a wonderful way of unconsciously signing off with music that covered the great range of your listening passions - lots from Jamaica, nice! The opening track about not doing the rumba in Mexico was brilliant - who is that cat? Joe El Sonier - what a swamp pop classic! I packed my backpack whilst listening, a really good soundtrack to getting ready to travel. Thanks for all the great music!

[Ian M]

Way to go, Charlie. I had read the rather poignant thread about this being the last show just as I tuned into R3 to hear it (in the gloriously snow-covered landscape of the North of Scotland). In one of those quirks of fate, it seemed entirely appropriate that it should have been as free and unstructured as you remarked, since I think that represents your wonderfully open-minded and inclusive approach to music, something I have always enjoyed enormously. Some great segues in there, from downtown Jamaica to the oud, then countrybilly and on to Japan. As a celebration of diversity, it doesn't get much better, or make as much sense as it seems to in your peregrinations around the world. I always like how different music sounds when it is surrounded by unlikely bedfellows, a classic instance being Blue Asia and Seasick Steve together and happily co-existing. A wonderful musical metaphor for how the world should be, and can be.

Very sorry to hear about your health, but rest assured that very many people will be thinking of you and wishing you well. I hope you can put your feet up and watch the African nations cup, looking forward to your return to this board when you are ready. Your presence is greatly missed.

[John Leeson]

Again, sincere best wishes for a return to health, Charlie, and also a very big thank you for all you've done to enhance my knowledge and enjoyment of music for many years -- ever since I picked up a copy of Sound of The City while living in Tokyo for a time almost 40 years ago. I expect I will continue to appreciate your perspectives on this website, and "World of Music", but I'm certainly very sorry to lose (for the second time in a few years) my favourite radio show. It was one of the joys of the Internet to be able to catch your broadcasts.

If you're not on my computer speakers as often now, hope to see you back on the board, and in any other way as your health permits.

[john poole]

Can't add much to what has already been said - an especially good show last night. Many thanks to Charlie for the past few years on World on 3 - hope you'll soon be out of hospital and feeling better.

[dave o]

sad news but they make them of tough stuff where you come from (no, not sw4) so I know you'll be back sooner than you think but in the meantime get well and listen to some good music.

[liz molony]

a really magical show Charlie - taking us up onto mountain tops, sharing what you care so much about... with Lhasa's soulful brightness.... thank you
Over Christmas we thought of how you might be spending your holiday and hoped it was restfully with your family and friends. So it came as a shock to hear of your ill health.
Wishing you now the comfort and strength of the many who care about you.
Liz

[David Flower]

there can't be many better ways of signing off this particular chapter than with RUNN Family, a reminder of all that's best

Espero que te recuperes cuanto antes de esta molestia. Ya es el momento para dedicarte al castellano! Abrazos