This website

[will vine]

It's probably just that it's the bank holiday and you are all preoccupied with other things, but I noticed that nobody has yet picked up on Charlie's plea for ideas to revamp this website.

My presumption is that we want to keep it all together in some form but the absence of the Saturday show and it's playlists to provide talking points will, to state the obvious, change things considerably.

At present I don't have any great ideas myself, so this posting is simply to flag up the need to attend to it, and to make sure I've understood Charlie's plea correctly. What do we think ?

[David M]

I have been thinking about it to but until we know what BBC London have in mind for Sat night I don't really have any ideas either. Charlie will still be doing his World Service stuff but in my opinion this websites link to a live programme by a broadcaster whose musical taste we enjoy will be vital. If we get that & Charlie & whoever takes over the Sat slot are happy then perhaps this website might accomodate them both with only minor tweaking. I'm off to storm the Radio London barricades first.

[ritchie]

I only ever listen to 'Charlies' show's via the internet, sometimes live, but mostly on the 'play again' section. Before the web site started I managed to 'down load a few shows onto my mini disc which I still enjoy listening to, along with reading the old playlists.

I don't always like what Charlie or his guests play but pound for pound it's my favourite radio show.

For me this is the Charlie Gillett web site and forum whether he is broadcasting or not and as I've stated on previous threads I have always liked the 'stand ins' when Charlie has nt been available.....but!

Charlie, just keep sending me my email saying 'this week I listened to....,' and I'll be happy ....let's face it I never won one prize, did nt even get through on the phones....got a nice reply by email once though.

for old times sake ... I will offer a prize of the sound track with "chaiya chaiya" on when this thread has 13.001 hits. (terms and conditions apply)

regards

Ritchie

[Con Murphy]

I’m probably the person who has benefitted most from this site’s existence Charlie, so I’m glad you talk about re-orienting the site rather than letting it grind to a halt altogether.

Everyone’s got a blog these days, so I see no reason why this site cannot continue as a more interactive version of that medium centred around the World Service show, your writing for the Observer Music Monthly and any experience and insight you deem us worthy of receiving regarding the wonderful world of music.

So, I agree with Ritchie, this site should remain first and foremost the Charlie Gillett website – albums of the month, playlists, gig reviews, early drafts of those memoirs that were mentioned elsewhere, musings on the early days, etc, etc. There’s plenty still to comment on, surely….?

And where would we be without Howard’s column, Garth’s kicking over of statues, Norm’s SAOLs, Ritchie’s….well, being Ritchie , Tom’s wonderful postcards from Over There, the DJ Relays and socials, CD Circle, etc etc…..?

Other people will have more idea of how best to present things, but how about publishing the World Service playlists on the front page in the place currently taken up by of the Sound of the World lists? Are you able to post a bulletin to go with these?

I don’t think we should be ashamed of nostalgia, either. I’m really impressed with the number of people from the early to mid 70s who are still listening to you, and discussions about those times are always fascinating for those of us who are (far, far) too young to remember them (the same must go for the early days of what we now call world music). So how about a regular (monthly?) publication of one of your old articles on the front page of the site? Is it http://www.rocksbackpages.com/ that has many of these? I’m sure they don’t hold the copyright.

Just a few thoughts to throw into the mix….

[judith]

I’m so new here and of such a different world, I can’t offer ideas about how to adjust the website. I wouldn’t know what I was talking about (I don’t even know what the hell Jayne is talking about, yet I love her posts. They sound good). But it is so silent here, in this intriguing place...created by an encouraging man - the one who responds to a sound before most of us hear it. Take away the two hour show, the playlists, and the archives, what is left? A half hour show, its playlists and the man himself.

Ritchie would be happy with a list of what Charlie’s listened to each week. Charlie offers more - the World of Music - and expands his offer with the hope the website can be reshaped and kept active. Does the silence on this thread indicate the boundless minds which contribute to this site are already working on it...

[howard male]

Judith wrote -

I can’t offer ideas about how to adjust the website

I have been thinking about it on and off and in a way I don't think much reshaping needs doing. This place has an organic life of its own which, to be honest, I think at least half the time is active with topics that aren't responding directly to the show.

Obviously all the archives, Alan's listings, the links, everything really, should be kept! Surely we can decide sometime down the line if more radical changes need to be made.

[Adam Blake]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Is it broke?

[Con Murphy]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Is it broke?

No, but it's in danger of rusting. The front page is built around the Saturday night show. If it remains as is, browsers in the future will come across it, see nothing's happened since May 2006, and probably drift away. So it needs a new focus, in my very humble opinion, and to continue to attract new forum members - we’ve been blessed with some excellent new contributors recently, so it would be a pity for that to stop happening because of an inactive main page (assuming that's how some of you got here!).

[Charlie]

So it needs a new focus, in my very humble opinion, and to continue to attract new forum members

I agree, Con, and welcome your earlier suggestion that the focus on the home page be shifted to the World Service programme. That would enable a weekly update to keep it fresh, and also allow us to keep adding to the hidden archive which backs up the search engine.

We will move the BBC London section of the forum down to the archive at the bottom.

When Zee and I first started the site, we expected that search egine to be the main focus, so it has been a surprise to find that the forum has taken over as the first stop for most people.

We need to look at how better to signpost the forum from the home page.

Lots to do, but in th meantime I'm marshalling my energies carefully, so as not to repeat previous mistakes and wear myself out again.

My own immediate personal priority is to complete the work on this year's compilation World 2006, which had already begun before all this happened.

And Oval is releasing an album by David Lowe's Dreamcatcher, hopefully in time to get it into the WOMAD tent this year.

But I do think about how to rework this site all the time, and will meet with Zee soon to sort it out, so all these suggestions are very helpful.

[jayne]

Charlie wrote:

We will move the BBC London section of the forum down to the archive at the bottom

This seems very final. I can't believe that a line has been drawn under Charlie's Saturday night show.

Of course other presenters will never be able to offer what Charlie has, but BBC London is crying out for a world/roots/blues/soul slot. I bemoaned the loss of Gerry's Planet Mambo a few years back. Nothing was done. There was an excellent world music slot on Radio Wales over a year ago that sank without a trace. If anyone out there can suggest any other progs that are easily available, please could your let me know. Apart from the usual approximate suspects, Kershaw, Late Junction et al... what is the corporation doing to meet listeners' needs in this area? We're not talking real "exotic" here.

Saturday nights will never be the same. I will now have no excuse for charred offerings and will be expected to have the kitchen spick and span before 8pm. All these "listen on demand" and podcast thingies have their place, but that is not in my kitchen on Saturday night.

Regards,
JB

[NormanD]

If anyone out there can suggest any other progs that are easily available, please could your let me know.

Jayne, try this one:

DJ Somcharle presents...

Live in New York @ www.worldmixradio.org Every Friday from 6:00 PM (EDT) UTC/GMT (-4 hours) Running All Weekend Long
WORLDMIX RADIO - Global Beats @ its Best!
The Best of World Music and Global Grooves 24 Hours a Day

It's part of the live365.com music group, which means you get the music, no DJ intros, no song idents (though you can get the weekly playlist by email and, when you're listening, try to work out where you've come in). And not live. So, not exactly organic and certainly no stopping a track after 10 seconds, apologising for putting on the wrong one, and playing a better one instead. Charlie, you can tell I'm missing you.

And don't forget fRoots Radio: http://www.frootsmag.com/radio/
Again, not live, but 15 or so tracks a month that tie in with the mag's current contents or playlists.

Sadly, neither of these is on a Saturday night, unless you move your computer into the kitchen specially for 8.00pm.

norman

[Con Murphy]

Jayne, if you can listen on-line while cooking on Saturdays, try Gerry Godley's RTE show Reels to Ragas:-

http://www.rte.ie/lyricfm/reelstoragas/index.html

[Seb]

An important part of Charlie's show and this site has always been to flag up and comment on live gigs in and around London, and us promoters have always been grateful for his support in that. And of course most of us met Charlie whilst at a gig - he's always supported live music as energetically as his search for the killer track. Maybe this site/forum can develop with this in mind, with a renewed focus on the Live in London scene. This would make sense too - with no show to interact around, the shared factor of a London-based site might become live gigs, with possibilities for advance comment, reviews, free tickets to win as on the radio show. This would prevent it being a forum for everyone just posting their favourite tracks of the moment (which can be good too - as long as not everyone does it..) On the other hand with no show, the site is no longer tied to London I suppose, so would that limit it in the long term?

In fact, why not get the ball rolling - I've got 3 pairs of tickets to give away for the Kal + Kries 25th June concert. Kal would have appeared live on the show on 24th June - and Charlie is one of the few presenters who would risk a band flying in to Stansted at 5.30 to appear on his show at 8pm - without a backup option!

I'll post the competition up a bit later as a separate topic, and won't do it the simple but effective Charlie style (first three to call me...) since we're not all checking this forum at the same time.

[RobHall]

David Byrne produces a monthly themed collection of music that he then streams via his website (http://www.davidbyrne.com/radio/index.php). It's on a continuous loop, so you never know at which point you are coming in, but there's a listing to help you navigate. I believe that this, and the fact that the selection is removed after a month, allows him to circumvent copyright issues. Looking through his archive of past shows, he's produced some pretty mouth-watering selections. Maybe this could be a model for Charlie to push some of what he is listening to in our direction?

[Guest]

I have found this site very useful for information, opinions, cd circle and lot's more. What I was interested in (chatted to Zee about this) is in the gigs, events etc…adding another feature . Many people have digital camera/video to take pic's or small clips of the event or gig and do a little write up. For example a small clip from Jamie's Chilli fried night giving a taste of the ambiance.

Basically what I am saying is. I would like a visual section for people see and not just words. After spending a Saturday on the South Bank playing everything under the sun and getting people wanting to know what is this? and where can I get it ?

It was visual presence that brought people to me and I could give them flyers for the Balkan Fever Festival, Chilli Fried nights, information about world music web sites including this one.

Suggestion aside as long as the web site carry's on I am happy.
On the 22nd at The DJ relay people can exchange views and ideas or dare I say it hold a meeting. Before the music of course (dam I forgot the football is on but then music took over as my first passion years ago)