Dylan Jones is in the driving seat for this authoritative four-part look back. No stone remains unturned, as he revisits the New Romantics, rap, modern dance music, hip-hop, indie jingle, synth-pop, house music and club culture. He makes the case that the 1980s was the most radical, innovative and creative decade in the history of pop because ..., unlike other decades, unleashed a myriad of new musical genres in just 10 years. In the first part, Dylan Jones explores how in this decade the world-conquering genres of rap, hip-hop and modern dance music were launched, while guitar-driven indie flourished in a constellation of scenes spread out across the world. And a technological revolution was changing how music was made, filling the charts with a starburst of innovative records. Meanwhile, the launch of MTV turned pop into a visual medium, allowing artists as varied as U2 and Eurythmics to take charge of how they presented themselves. Featuring interviews with Nile Rodgers, Bananarama, Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie, Mark Ronson, Trevor Horn and Soul II Soul's Jazzie B.
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The 80s was also an age of innovators and icons, of style and substance. In this chapter, Dylan Jones celebrates some of the stars who created the timeless legacy of the 1980s. From stellar BBC archive performances from the likes of Madonna, Depeche Mode, Sade, Duran Duran, Pet Shop Boys and Tina Turner to iconic MTV-era gems from Billy Idol, ... Eurythmics, U2, Janet Jackson, Prince and many more. It also features rarely seen archive television footage from the BBC vaults, including Terry Wogan interviewing Grace Jones, Bruce Springsteen on the Old Grey Whistle Test and Adam Ant performing his own stunts in a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Prince Charming video.
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The 1980s was a time when artists in both the UK and US were delivering powerful social commentary in their songs. Dylan Jones selects some of the finest alternative voices from this era. From The Cure on Top of the Pops at the beginning of the decade to The Stone Roses' debut TV performance in 1989, this episode takes a comprehensive look at ... the alternative music of an entire era. It also features powerful live performances from Billy Bragg, Tracy Chapman, Bronski Beat and The Selecter. In addition, there are archival gems from Pixies, The Smiths, Suzanne Vega, The Fall, REM and many more.
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The 1980s was an era in which a fusillade of new genres emerged, and many are still with us today, such as hip-hop and house. Dylan Jones has mined the archives to select some of the most crucial tracks in the rise of these two genres. From a young Kurtis Blow making his Top of the Pops debut to the sonic bombardment of Public Enemy and ...the sampling skills of Bomb the Bass, this episode showcases the evolution in rap and house music across the decade. There are rare archival interviews and stellar performances from Run-DMC, Salt 'N' Pepa, S'Express, Cookie Crew and Neneh Cherry, as well as iconic videos from Herbie Hancock, The Beastie Boys, M/A/R/R/S, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and many more.
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This documentary is part music film, part historical record created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture, and fashion. Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just 100 miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was never seen a ...nd largely forgotten--until now. 'Summer of Soul' shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past and present. The feature includes concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension, and more.
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(click CC for subtitles) 'a-ha' is Norway's only international pop band and their hit 'Take On Me' is still one of the most-played songs of the last millennium. The film follows the band over a period of four years, telling the full story of how three young men followed their impossible dream of becoming Norwegian pop stars. When 'Take On Me' ... reached number 1 on Billboard in the US in 1985, the dream came true. Or did it? Almost 35 years after their breakthrough, a-ha still creates magic on stage with their melancholic and timeless music. They tour the world but drive in separate cars and stay in separate hotel rooms. They only meet on stage, doing the one thing they love. The film closely portrays the challenging creative and personal dynamics of a group of three strong individuals who have grown up together, but in different directions. What does success do to friendship? Why are they not capable of creating new music together anymore? This is a story of great music, big ambitions, broken friendship--and maybe forgiveness.
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In the first part, Dylan Jones explores how in this decade the world-conquering genres of rap, hip-hop and modern dance music were launched, while guitar-driven indie flourished in a constellation of scenes spread out across the world. And a technological revolution was changing how music was made, filling the charts with a starburst of innovative records. Meanwhile, the launch of MTV turned pop into a visual medium, allowing artists as varied as U2 and Eurythmics to take charge of how they presented themselves. Featuring interviews with Nile Rodgers, Bananarama, Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie, Mark Ronson, Trevor Horn and Soul II Soul's Jazzie B. Show More