
23 Nov 1979

Rockers
Horsemouth, a drummer living in a ghetto of Kingston, plans to make money selling records. After his prized motorcycle is stolen, his plans fall through and he's forced to adapt.
The Wailers, featuring the legendary Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, became the most influential band in the history of Reggae music. "Catch a Fire," their first Island album, released in 1973, introduced them to an international rock audience. The principal figures in the creation of the album tell the story of how this record was designed to "cross-over." The program features a unique interview and performance with Bunny Wailer, rare archive interviews with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh and contributions in words and music from many of those who performed, Rare home movies of the Wailers in Jamaica, unseen footage lots more.
Self
Self
Self
Self
Self
23 Nov 1979
Horsemouth, a drummer living in a ghetto of Kingston, plans to make money selling records. After his prized motorcycle is stolen, his plans fall through and he's forced to adapt.
01 Sep 1972
Ivanhoe Martin arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, looking for work and, after some initial struggles, lands a recording contract as a reggae singer. He records his first song, "The Harder They Come," but after a bitter dispute with a manipulative producer named Hilton, soon finds himself resorting to petty crime in order to pay the bills. He deals marijuana, kills some abusive cops and earns local folk hero status. Meanwhile, his record is topping the charts.
09 Aug 2013
Awake Zion explores the connections between Rasta, Reggae and Judaism, through one woman's beat-laden adventure into the meaning of identity. All the way back to the alleged sultry affair between the Jewish King Solomon and the African Queen of Sheba, Jewish influence is evident in the spiritual history of Ethiopia - turning up subtly in Rastafarian lifestyle and then, inevitably, in reggae. Unravelling the story of this unlikely kinship, Awake Zion unites Jewish and Jamaican musicians, scholars, and historians in a celebration roots and culture - traveling from Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where Caribbean and Jewish cultures share a history of adversity - to Jamaica, the birthplace of reggae - and ultimately to Israel, where a sizzling reggae scene thrives today. Awake Zion examines the preconceptions of what it means to be Jewish, what it means to be Rasta, what it means to be white or black - and, most importantly, the universal search for what it means to be "home".
01 Oct 1981
Recorded in California at the Santa Barbara County Bowl, this live concert appearance from Bob Marley and the Wailers was filmed on November 25, 1979. One of the last shows to be recorded before Marley's untimely demise, the gig is a scintillating mix of reggae classics and provides a fitting epitaph to the influential musician. Tracks include "I Shot the Sheriff," "Exodus," "Is This Love" and many more.
07 Nov 1981
Urgh! A Music War is a British film released in 1982 featuring performances by punk rock, new wave, and post-punk acts, filmed in 1980. Among the artists featured in the movie are Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), Magazine, The Go-Go's, Toyah Willcox, The Fleshtones, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, X, XTC, Devo, The Cramps, Oingo Boingo, Dead Kennedys, Gary Numan, Klaus Nomi, Wall of Voodoo, Pere Ubu, Steel Pulse, Surf Punks, 999, UB40, Echo & the Bunnymen and The Police. These were many of the most popular groups on the New Wave scene; in keeping with the spirit of the scene, the film also features several less famous acts, and one completely obscure group, Invisible Sex, in what appears to be their only public performance.
28 Jun 2010
The story of how the classic album "Paranoid" was made, with stories from band members to those who were influenced by its content, form and vitality. Paranoid is the second studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath. Released in September 1970, it was the band's only LP to top the UK Albums Chart until the release of 13 in 2013. Paranoid contains several of the band's signature songs, including "Iron Man", "War Pigs" and the title track, which was the band's only Top 20 hit, reaching number 4 in the UK charts. It is often regarded as one of the most quintessential and influential albums in heavy metal history.
01 Jun 2003
Released to coincide with the 30th anniversary of this classic album, learn how Pink Floyd assembled "Dark Side of the Moon" with the aid of original engineer Alan Parsons. All four band members--Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright--are interviewed at length, giving valuable insights into the recording process. The themes of the album are discussed at length, and the band take you back to the original multi track tapes to illustrate how they pieced together the songs. With individual performances of certain tracks from Roger, David, and Richard included, this is an essential purchase for any Pink Floyd fans, and a fascinating artefact for rock historians everywhere.
22 Jul 1997
Formed in 1975 from the remnants of a British blues band and a California soft-rock duo, Fleetwood Mac evolved into one of the most successful pop-rock groups of the 1970s--a reputation no doubt cemented by their 1977 masterpiece RUMOURS. One of the bestselling albums of all time, RUMOURS' impeccable songwriting, lush vocal harmonies, and polished production stand as testament to the band's cohesive powers--a fact made even more remarkable by the romantic tensions roiling amongst its members at the time (Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks were ending their long-term romantic relationship; Christine and John McVie were getting a divorce). This episode of the CLASSIC ALBUMS series recounts the making of Fleetwood Mac's career-making opus through interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and live performances of timeless gems such as "Don't Stop," "Dreams,""Go Your Own Way," "You Make Loving Fun," "The Chain," and more.
03 Apr 2020
Exploring how punk influenced politics in late-1970s Britain, when a group of artists united to take on the National Front, armed only with a fanzine and a love of music.
18 Feb 2011
An archive celebration of great reggae performances filmed in the BBC Studios, drawn from programmes such as The Old Grey Whistle Test, Top of the Pops and Later... with Jools Holland, and featuring the likes of Bob Marley and the Wailers, Gregory Isaacs, Desmond Dekker, Burning Spear, Althea and Donna, Dennis Brown, Buju Banton and many more.
13 Sep 2006
A powerful portrait of the leaders of the reggae music Movement, and how Reggae has become a worldwide phenomenon. The film showcases performances by the best Reggae and Dance Hall artists ever assembled. From their native ghetto to international fame, "Made in Jamaica" is the story of the artists who represent the Jamaican Dream.
05 Feb 1999
Release in March 1987, U2's The Joshua Tree quickly became the fastest-selling album in British chart history, selling almost 250,000 copies within the first week of release. In the US, it was equally successful, topping the Billboard album chart for nine weeks, spending 58 weeks in the Top 40 there and earning a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. The story of the making of The Joshua Tree is told here, via interview and archive film footage, with contributions from band members Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. U2’s long-time manager Paul McGuinness reveals how the album catapulted the band into the category of rock superstars, and there are contributions from Elvis Costello in the role of a major U2 fan, re-mix producer Steve Lillywhite, and of course co-producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. Packed with reminiscences and powerful performances, this is the story of one of the most famous and best records of the Eighties, a true Classic Album.
01 May 2007
This episode focuses on Zappa's early 70s albums, Overnight Sensation (1973) and Apostrophy (') (1974). Together they encapsulate Zappa's extraordinary musical diversity and were also the 2 most commercially successful albums that he released in his prolific career. Included are interviews, musical demonstrations, rare archive & home movie footage, plus live performances to tell the story behind the conception and recording of these groundbreaking albums. Extras include additional interviews and demonstrations not included in the broadcast version, 2 full performances from the Roxy in 1973 and Saturday Night Live in 1976, and new full live performance done specially for these Classic Albums.
06 May 2011
Primal Scream's seminal album "Screamadelica" defined a generation. It's mix of rock, dance, dub, gospel and more caught the zeitgeist of the early nineties to perfection and it went on to win the inaugural Mercury Music Prize in 1992 and consistently be named as "Best Album Of The Nineties" and appear in numerous "All Time Best Albums" lists. This latest addition to the acclaimed Classic Albums series tells the story behind the making of this legendary album. There are contributions from all the band members, main producer Andrew Weatherall, Creation Records founder Alan McGee and many others involved in the creation of this masterpiece.
06 Nov 2001
Had Judas Priest released just this one album, it would still go down in history. Judas Priest was one of the most influential heavy metal bands of the 70's. BRITISH STEEL made them a world-famous band. The welding of BRITISH STEEL is told in this exclusive program in the band's own words, and by their once long-term producer Tom Allom. Featuring archive footage, interviews and rare live performances, plus all of BRITISH STEEL'S finest songs, including "Living After Midnight", "Breaking the Law", "Metal Gods", "The Rage", "United" and "Grinder", this is a compelling, witty and exhilarating look at the making of one of heavy metal's most artful creations, a true Classic!
28 Sep 2010
2112 was the album that saw Rush break through to major chart success, going to No.1 in their native Canada and Top 75 in the USA where it would eventually be certified triple platinum. Moving Pictures opened them to a mass audience for the first time and remains the biggest selling album of their career. It also went to No.1 in Canada and went quadruple platinum there while hitting No.3 in both the UK and USA. Rush members Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart talk us through the making of the albums, together with original producer Terry Brown via interviews, demonstrations, archive videos and use of the original multi-track tapes.
02 Jun 2007
Studio engineer Geoff Emerick challenges modern musicians to recreate songs from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles, to celebrate the album's 40th anniversary.
01 Jan 1999
Never one for understatement, the aptly named singer known as Meat Loaf (aka Marvin Lee Aday) teamed with operatically-minded pianist-composer Jim Steinman to produce a bombastic slab of 1970s classic rock that has become one of the biggest selling albums of all time. Fueled by Steinman's epic compositions, Todd Rundgren's grandiose production, and Meat Loaf's own soaring vocals, the singer's 1977 debut BAT OUT OF HELL elevated the rock-opera genre to appropriately theatrical heights with its extravagant orchestration and a melodramatic narrative celebrating teenage rebellion. This episode of the CLASSIC ALBUMS series recounts the making of this monumental work through interviews, archival footage, and live performances of album tracks such as "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth," "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad," and, of course, the adolescent opus "Paradise by the Dashboard Light."
02 Dec 2002
This musical biography tells the story of the making of Deep Purple's classic album "Machine Head. Exclusive interviews with Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, John Lord and Ian Paice take us through a track by track making of the album. The performers demonstrate riffs & licks from the songs and explain the genesis of the songwriting. Also included are featured songs, archive footage of Deep Purple in concert, including American footage of "Smoke on the Water" and "Space Truckin'", TV performances and promotional videos, more.
04 Mar 2002
This program takes a track by track look at the making of the album. We speak to Joe Elliott, Rick Allen, Phil Collen, and Rick Savage who lead us through the original multitrack tapes. Joe and Phil play acoustic versions of 'Pour Some Sugar On Me" and "Hysteria," and Sav and Phil demonstrate riffs and licks from the songs, and explain the genesis of the songwriting. Features songs: Animal, Rocket, Love Bites, Hysteria, Women, Armageddon It, and Pour Some Sugar On Me. In this episode of the CLASSIC ALBUMS series, the surviving members of Def Leppard discuss the making of HYSTERIA as they sort through and explain the original multi-track tapes. In addition, some impromptu acoustic performances and musical demonstrations further dissect this classic album