Rockin' Shockin'

[will vine]

Quite what made me flick over to BBC Radio Two just before noon today I don't know. A news bulletin, then on to the airwaves comes the excitable call-in host Vanessa Feltz. "Today, " she announced "we're abandoning matters of the day (no call-in) and instead we're looking at the three R's - Rockabilly, Reggae, and Random music....first up, live in the studio.. J.D. Mc.PHERSON."
F*** Me ! I nearly drove into a ditch. (JD is a big favourite on No Reason Podcast).

There followed, in the next hour, two more great songs from JD.
Ms Feltz also conducted a hamfisted interview with Richard Hawley, there to promote his own upcoming Radio 2 show which seems to consist of him playing his mum and dads old rockabilly records. The producer then bizarrely chose to illustrate the nature of Rockabilly by playing Little Richard's Lucille.
David Rodigan was similarly called upon to sell reggae to the nation.

Other programmes followed. I caught a bit of Ken Bruce folking about in.....The Shetlands I think, and Simon Mayo playing Country. What this was all about was Radio Two showcasing its evening schedule to its daytime audience, mixing all the presenters around and giving it all a slightly carnival air.
The weirdest thing about all this apart from the idiot questions was the unbridled enthusiasm the presenters demonstrated for what was referred to on a number of occasions as "specialist" music.

It is only specialist in terms of it being packaged up into little parcels and broadcast as such by the BBC. Given free rein to mix things up a little like they did today would improve the life of the nation no end.

Try Listen Again for JD McPherson.

[Chris P]

Given free rein to mix things up a little like they did today would improve the life of the nation no end

I hear ya!

[AndyM]

There's been a TV promo/ad for today for the last couple of weeks, with presenters 'miming' to each other's voices - Dermot O'Leary 'being' Claudia Winkelmann, Trevor Nelson 'being' Wogan, etc etc.

The thoughts of David Rodigan having to negotiate La Feltz is mind-boggling.

[will vine]

The thoughts of David Rodigan having to negotiate La Feltz is mind-boggling.

He carried it off very well.

There was another guest, Huey Morgan, who has a R2 show midnight to 3, friday night into saturday who apparently plays a very eclectic mix there. Don't know him but he sounds cool and played a bit of guitar alongside JD. He also chose to play Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears on the Vanessa show.

[Chris P]

Huey Morgan, who has a R2 show midnight to 3, friday night into saturday

also has show on Radio 6 on Sunday afternoons 1pm to 4pm

The day job:
http://youtu.be/1AVTjHlRiP4

[Con Murphy]

The thoughts of David Rodigan having to negotiate La Feltz is mind-boggling.

He carried it off very well.

There was another guest, Huey Morgan, who has a R2 show midnight to 3, friday night into saturday who apparently plays a very eclectic mix there. Don't know him but he sounds cool and played a bit of guitar alongside JD. He also chose to play Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears on the Vanessa show.

I was sceptical about Huey Morgan at first, but he is excellent, possibly even better than the divine Cerys on 6 Music, which is certainly the daytime musical place to be on Sundays. Maybe R2 are endeavouring to catch up, but the narrow confines of "specialism" seem like an anachronism set against the intra-show genre variegation offered by 6 Music. Long may it continue!

[Rob Hall]

Huey Morgan's show was recommended to me by none other than Mr Cartwright of this parish. But beware: his R6 show is, in my opinion, much more interesting than his R2 show. (Both are available on Listen Again.) I get the impression that the R6 show is him playing pretty much anything he wants, but his R2 show - while still pretty eclectic - seems to be geared to a more MOR audience.

(Hi Con!)

[AndyM]

Huey's been silly. Having failed to win a Sony award last night, he vented on Twitter abusing those that did. The morning after, damage limitation is underway.