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Born
in the USA is a celebration of the cream of American pop, rock and soul
music from the 1950's to the present day.
The
show doesn't just cover the classics from the 1960's, 70's and 80's - we
celebrate current and new artists who contribute to the rich variety of
music produced in the USA.
The
show is produced and presented by Philip Grant.
Listen Again
You can
listen again to some of the longer features from the programme.
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Philip Grant writes:
Having produced a series
looking at the best British pop and rock music from the last 60 years
(The Best of British) I decided to explore the musical heritage of the
USA. The USA gave us rock n
roll in the 1950's, flower power in the 60's and a whole range of
musical styles since. This show celebrates everything from Buddy Holly
to Tamla Motown, rock artists such as the Eagles and singer-songwriters
such as Carole King, Paul Simon and Harry Chapin.
I'll be featuring, not just the recording artists, but the producers,
the songwriters and putting the music into context to the time they were
made. There are 52, one
hour programmes planned and I wonder how much I can fit in. I
hope you enjoy what I've chosen and if you have any suggestions I would
love to hear from you. Email
Philip
Listen
Again
Bob Dylan
Widely regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan
has been a major figure in popular
culture for more than 50 years. Much
of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when his lyrics
incorporated a range of political, social, philosophical, and literary
influences. Songs such as "Blowin'
in the Wind" and "The Times
They Are a-Changin'" became
anthems for the civil rights and anti-war movements.
(first broadcast on Wey
Valley Radio 20 September 2020)
American Radio
American radio played a large part in the development of Rock and Roll
and pop music from the 1950's. This feature plays a number of songs
about the radio including tracks about maverick DJ's (Tom Petty's Last
DJ and Mark Germino's Rex Bob Lowenstein) and there is a tribute to the
legendary American DJ Wolfman Jack.
(first broadcast on Wey
Valley Radio 20 September 2020)
Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson is an
American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who
co-founded the
Beach Boys. This feature looks
at some of his creative work including the 'Smile' project, his
interpretation of classic Gershwin tunes and his take on classic Disney
songs.
(first broadcast on Wey
Valley Radio v13 September 2020)
Hal Blaine and other influential
drummers
This feature celebrates
some prolific American drummers including the late Hal Blaine, Steve
Gadd and Bernard Purdie. You may not of
heard of them but their work can be found on countless songs by artists
as diverse as Paul Simon, Steely Dan and the Ronettes.
(first broadcast on Wey
Valley Radio 6 September 2020)
Harry Chapin
Harry Chapin was an American
singer-songwriter and philanthropist. He achieved worldwide success
in the 1970s and became one of the most popular artists selling over 16
million records worldwide. As a dedicated humanitarian, Chapin fought to
end world hunger. He was a key participant in the creation of the Presidential
Commission on World Hunger in 1977 and is credited with being the
most politically and socially active American performer of the
1970s.
(first broadcast on Wey
Valley Radio 6 September 2020
Rupert Holmes
Rupert Holmes, is a British-American composer, singer-songwriter,
musician, dramatist and author. He is widely known for the hit singles
"Escape (The Piña Colada Song)". This feature looks at some
of the highlights of his career.
(first broadcast on Wey
Valley Radio 6 September 2020)
Phil Spector
Phil Spector is an American record producer, musician, and songwriter
who developed the Wall
of Sound. It’s a music production formula
he described - as a Wagnerian approach to rock and roll.
He’s regarded as one of the most influential figures in pop
music history.
(first broadcast on Wey
Valley Radio 30 August 2020)
Motown
Motown is the hugely successful American record label founded by Berry
Gordy Jnr. It created the
Motown Sound, a
style of soul music with
a mainstream pop appeal. Many
successful artists, such as Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and Michael
Jackson, started their career with Motown. This feature looks at the
history of the record label and plays some classic Motown tracks.
(first broadcast on Wey
Valley Radio 23 August 2020)
Carol King
A
musical prodigy and one of the most influential and
successful female songwriters of the latter half of the 20th century in
the US, Carol King's written or co-written 118 hit songs that made the
Billboard Hot 100 and 61 hits that charted in the UK. NOTE: This programme features the disturbing song by the Crystals - He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss).
(first broadcast on Wey Valley Radio
17 August 2020)
Stevie Wonder
An American singer, songwriter, musician and record
producer, Stevie Wonder's use of synthesizers and other electronic instruments
during the 1970's reshaped the conventions of R&B music.
(first broadcast on Wey Valley Radio 9 August 2020)
Buffalo Springfield
This short feature looks at the
story behind Buffalo Springfield's second album "Buffalo
Springfield Again"
(first broadcast on Wey
Valley Radio 2 August 2020)
Stax Record label
Stax
Records were a major factor in the creation of Southern
soul and Memphis
soul music. By
1962, the pieces were in place that allowed Stax to turn from a
successful regional label - into a national R&B powerhouse –
alongside Motown and Atlantic Records. This feature looks at their
heyday in the late 1960's with music from the likes of Arthur Conley,
Isaac Hayes and Otis Redding.
(first broadcast on Wey
Valley Radio " August 2020)
Beach Boys
If you think of California, the sun and the sea, you no doubt will think of the Beach Boys.
Distinguished by their vocal harmonies and early surf songs, they are one of the most influential acts of the rock era. Philip Grant looks at the bands career and celebrates their music.
(first broadcast on Wey
Valley Radio 26 July 2020)
Classic Album - King and
Queen by Otis Redding/Carla Thomas
King and Queen is an album by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas, released in 1967.
In this feature, Philip Grant looks at the story behind the album and some of it's songs.
(first broadcast on Wey
Valley Radio 26 July 2020)
Paul Simon
Paul Simon is one of the most influential singer songwriters to come out of America. He started off performing as part of a duo until he pursued his solo career from 1970.
In 2018, Paul Simon gave up live performing - his farewell tour was called Homeward Bound. This feature celebrates his music.
(broadcast on
Wey Valley Radio 12 July 2020)
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