In many ways Joyce Grenfell was the pioneer of British female comedy. Through her radio broadcasts, her St Trinian's films, and her regular appearances on BBC TV's Face the Music, Joyce was one of the most popular and enduring performers of her generation. But who was Joyce Grenfell and what was she really like?
Michael Brandon narrates a profile of one of the big screen's more enduring legends. Doris Day has often been dismissed as an actress and overlooked as a singer, despite career highs such as Calamity Jane and Pillow Talk. Contributors include James Garner, Richard Carpenter, Terence Davies and Don Pippin.
Profile of Alma Cogan, the tailor's daughter who was a bestselling 1950s star and TV light entertainment pioneer. With Bruce Forsyth, Maureen Lipman and Andrew Loog Oldham.
A revealing and film about a singer who continues to occupy a distinctive corner of the nation's heart. It follows the dramatic story of Vera Lynn's rise to stardom, from the almost forgotten world of the big band singers of the 30s with songs that were dismissed as sentimental twaddle to her battles with the BBC, her struggle to survive the musical chaos of the 50s and 60s and her phenomenal ability to communicate with her audience.The film uses rare and previously unseen footage and exclusive interviews with Dame Vera and her daughter, Virginia Lewis Jones, to narrate the complex and professionally turbulent portrait of a legendary entertainer. More than any other singer, Vera Lynn personifies the moment history met popular music. Her three key songs during the war years epitomised the mood of the time - We'll Meet Again was the optimistic one, The White Cliffs of Dover was the patriotic one and Yours was the love song. Completely untrained as Vera was, it was her gift to convey a belief in the lyric which endeared her to her fans. Today, her name remains synonymous with the values of an era long gone.
Profile of singer Carmen Miranda, forever remembered as the lady in the tutti frutti hat, charting her remarkable rise from humble beginnings to become Brazil's most famous singer, before going on to conquer Broadway and Hollywood. However, like many Hollywood success stories, there was sadness behind the smiles. Featuring interviews with her biographer Ruy Castro, her niece Carminha and Mickey Rooney, who impersonated her in the 1941 film Babes on Broadway.
Neil Pearson narrates a documentary telling the story of Matt Monro, the young Londoner born Terry Parsons who became one of the world's most popular ballad singers. Contributors include Paul Gambaccini, Don Black, George Martin, John Barry and Monro's family.
Profile of the debonair 1930s crooner Al Bowlly. Listening to his songs today, one is transported back to the dreams, aspirations and style of the inter-war years. The film tells the colourful and chaotic story of how a South African barber travelled halfway across the world to become Britain's first pop star. From busking on the streets of London to his own radio show in New York, it tells how Bowlly led a life of extraordinary success that ultimately ended in disappointment and tragedy.
Profile of dramatic Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel, who mesmerised audiences in the 1950s and 60s with the sheer ferocity of his performances and by deep, dark lyrics that widened the definition of what a popular song could be about. Though his work is revered throughout the French-speaking world, he is still seen as a cult figure in Britain. The film uses archive footage and interviews with family, friends and celebrity fans to tell the story of his brief yet extraordinary life.
Profile of American entertainer, singer, actor, songwriter and trumpeter Louis Prima. Immortalised as the voice of King Louis in Disney's Jungle Book, Prima was a musical chameleon whose career spanned more than five decades. Born in New Orleans, he became a star on New York's 52nd St during the 30s, had countless hits with his Big Band in the 40s and in the 50s teamed up with wife Keely Smith to create a Las Vegas lounge act that quickly earned a reputation as the hottest act in showbusiness.
Profile of the husband and wife jazz duo Cleo Laine and the late John Dankworth. John was one of Britain's best-known jazz musicians, composers and commentators, and Cleo is a singer and actress who has done just about everything - together they performed everywhere from jazz clubs to the world's major concert halls and theatres. For years they toured the world and became established as one of the most popular double acts in music. Over the years they developed the Stables Arts Centre in the grounds of their home in Wavendon, Buckinghamshire. The venue has been host to many world famous artistes, from Vladimir Ashkenazy to George Shearing, and some of today's top professional musicians and singers have benefited from its education projects in the early stages of their careers.Both John and Cleo have been awarded numerous honorary doctorates and are great believers in musical education. To this end, the Wavendon Foundation was formed with the objective of raising funds to benefit both individual young artistes in need of financial aid and organisations seeking support for music education projects. This documentary follows their progression from dance halls and jazz clubs to the world stage. Their ongoing story is documented with rich archive, rare stills, footage and recordings from their private collection (seen for the first time), interviews with family and friends, and unique musical performances throughout.
Profile of jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, one of the most popular artists of the 20th century. The film looks at Fitzgerald's 50-year career from her winning turn at the Harlem Apollo's amateur night in 1934, through her rise as the definitive exponent of scat singing, her celebrated Songbook albums and triumphant stage career which continued almost up until her death in 1996. Features archive footage of Ella in full flight, alongside interviews with her closest friends and collaborators.
James Last is one of the most successful bandleaders and arrangers in the history of popular music. In a career lasting more than 50 years, he has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. This documentary goes behind the James Last phenomenon to ask why his music is loved by the public but often loathed by the critics. The music is often described as easy listening or happy music, but what is the James Last sound? Is it just a string of revamped Beatles hits, non-stop Abba medleys, updated classics and polka parties, or is his achievement in popular music being under-estimated and dismissed unfairly by the musical elite? Influenced by jazz, swing, the Beatles and rock and roll in 1960's Hamburg, Last would soon become one of the most famous bandleaders of all time. This programme explores the music, the musicians and the life of the man who invented the non-stop party and re-invented the classics.
Pauline McLynn narrates an affectionate portrait of popular Irish entertainer Val Doonican, as famous for his props such as cardigans and rocking chair as for his easy-listening style. From 1964-1986 he led the BBC1 ratings, his particular brand of laid-back entertainment surviving the revolutionary 60s, IRA campaigns and a variety of changing musical styles. His hits included Walk Tall and The Special Years as well as a number of comic 'Oirish' songs. At the age of 80, Val still performs but the sweaters and his faithful rocking chair are nowhere to be seen. Includes interviews with Rolf Harris, John Williams, Gerry Anderson and Gloria Hunniford.
A celebration of Mario Lanza's incomparable talents, and the tragic story of his brief life. With clips from his classic MGM and Warners movies, including The Great Caruso, Serenade and For the First Time.
A revealing look at the long and remarkable career of Petula Clark, best known for her classic 60s hit Downtown. This documentary traces her many reinventions - from child star to 50s film star, through to her later starring roles in the West End and Broadway. Arguing that there's more to her than just another 60s beat girl, the film reveals a restlessly creative artist with a tenacious capacity for reinvention, including lost masterpieces such as her unpublished country album Blue Lady.
Profile of legendary French chanteuse Edith Piaf, whose talent for re-inventing herself was second only to her phenomenal voice and who used her difficult upbringing to feed her art and create the iconic performer the world came to know simply as Piaf. She found a generation of great songwriters to help her tell her story and nurtured singers including Charles Aznavour, Georges Moustaki and Yves Montand. Includes contributions from Ute Lemper, biographer Margaret Crosland and critic Gene Lees.
Profile of the band who helped to save Irish traditional music from disappearing and spread its sound and popularity across the world over the last 45 years. Featuring interviews with the current four members - fiddler Sean Keane, vocalist and bodhran player Kevin Conneff, flautist Matt Molloy and band leader Paddy Moloney, who plays pipes and whistle - and tributes from fans including Keith Richards, Sting, Elvis Costello, Sir James Galway and Andrea Corr.
Marty Feldman was one of the forgotten greats of British Comedy. Uniquely, Feldman's journey took him from the golden age of BBC Radio comedy, with Round the Horne, the show he co-wrote with Barry Took, through the hothouse of 1960s television comedy, where Marty worked alongside the Pythons on The Frost Report and At Last The 1948 Show before getting his own series. He went on to Hollywood with classic movies like Young Frankenstein. Marty was a writer first and foremost, but he was also a great physical clown, who idolised Buster Keaton. In moving to Hollywood, he hoped to emulate Keaton, but the Hollywood system quickly withdrew its support when they couldn't contain his talents. Featuring a cast of close friends including John Cleese, Michael Palin, Sir David Frost, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Dom DeLuise (and parrot), Larry Gelbart (who produced a series for US television for Marty) and the great director Barry Levinson, who was one of his writers.
A profile of the late jazz musician, band leader and broadcaster Humphrey Lyttelton's 60-year career. As a jazzman, 'Humph' composed and performed Bad Penny Blues - the first jazz recording to enter the charts - and was feted by no less a figure than Louis Armstrong, who described him as Britain's top trumpeter. For more than 40 years, he hosted some of the BBC's most successful radio shows, including Radio Two's Best of Jazz and the hugely popular antidote to panel game shows, Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, in which Humph propelled the art of the double entendre to new heights. His family, friends and colleagues pay tribute to this enormously popular entertainer in a documentary featuring some unseen home movie footage, archive films of his finest performances, and interviews with regular guest panellists Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Barry Cryer, Jeremy Hardy, Rob Brydon and Sandi Toksvig, as well as Humph's son Stephen.
Andrew McGregor introduces a compilation of performances from the BBC archives of 1962-1979 by the legendary classical guitarist Julian Bream. As well as playing solo, Bream also collaborates with fellow guitarist John Williams and jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli.
Profile of Greek singer Nana Mouskouri, known as the White Rose of Athens and one of the best-selling female artists of all time. The documentary features a revealing interview with Nana herself, rare archive footage and interviews with family and friends including Harry Belafonte, Julio Iglesias and Charles Aznavour. There is also exclusive footage from her July 2008 farewell concert in Athens which, following a four year long world tour, marked her retirement from performing.
To mark the 20th anniversary of his death, this documentary from 2008 celebrates the extraordinary talent of Roy Orbison and his relationship with his most loyal fans, British musicians and the British public. Through a combination of interview and archive, it charts Orbison's career in Britain, from the sell-out tour with the Beatles that rocketed him to superstardom to the collaboration with lifelong friend George Harrison on the Travelling Wilburys project in the 1980's.
Hugh Quarshie narrates the story of one of the greatest jazz saxophonists of all time. Charlie Parker was a pioneer of the postwar bebop school which changed the face of jazz forever, before his tragic death at the age of 34. Contributors include Jimmy Heath, James Moody, Peter King, Slide Hampton, Phil Woods and Mitch Miller.
Documentary revealing what made Motown special in Britain through the lens of two decisive moments in 1965 - the Motown Revue UK tour and the Sounds of Motown Ready Steady Go! television special. Arriving in London in March 1965, the Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder were bussed across Britain on a tough but crucial tour. The television special, recorded during the tour, kicked open the door, thrusting Motown's slick routines and magical music into front rooms across the nation.
Profile of singing trio the Beverley Sisters, charting their rise from their humble beginnings in London's East End to the huge stars they became in the 1950s, at the forefront of the television revolution. Joy, Teddie and Babs are remembered for their sweet image, but behind the scenes they fought several battles about sexy costumes and saucy lyrics, many of which were banned as they were considered too risqué for post-war Britain. Not content with being amongst the highest paid female entertainers in Britain, they were the first British female group to have a top ten hit in America, married dashing sporting heroes, had children and were a constant staple of British television throughout their career. Featuring interviews with Jimmy Tarbuck, Cannon and Ball, Max Clifford and the trio's daughters.
Profile of American close harmony singing trio the Andrews Sisters, one of best-selling female vocal groups in the history of popular music. Collaborating with some of the great names of the swing era such as Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey, they also enjoyed a long and successful recording partnership with Bing Crosby. The film traces Patty, Maxene and LaVerne's journey from a poor Minneapolis background to international fame and includes archive footage of hits including Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. Mary Wilson of the Supremes and British burlesque group the Puppini Sisters are also featured.
Profile of 1950s singing sensation Julie London, the ultimate in vocal sexiness, with her hourglass figure draped across thirty hit albums. She was a simmering stylist who phrased torch songs with impeccable jazz timing, and her anthem to female revenge, Cry Me A River, is still hugely popular. Yet she remains a puzzle - she could be shy and introverted, and with no real confidence in her vocal talent she gave up singing in her early forties.
A look at the life of the black entertainer Josephine Baker, who was a pioneer in every sense of the word and whose impact on the cultural history of the 20th century was profound.
Documentary telling the story of songwriter and performer Neil Sedaka, the man behind some of the biggest smash hits in history, including Oh Carol, Is This the Way to Amarillo, Solitaire, Breaking up is Hard to Do, and Love Will Keep Us Together. Sedaka was destined for life as a classical pianist when he was seduced by the raw sounds of rock 'n' roll. In the early sixties he recorded a string of teenage anthems such as Calendar Girl, Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen and Breaking up is Hard to Do. The arrival of the Beatles on the musical landscape signalled the end of Sedaka's singing career and he turned to writing songs for other artists such as the Monkees, Tom Jones and Tony Christie. But a move to England in the early 1970s was the launch pad for a remarkable comeback. He recorded with British band 10cc in Stockport before returning to the top of the American charts with Laughter in the Rain and Bad Blood. In 2009, at the age of 70, Sedaka still has a huge following. He toured the UK to packed houses and released a new album, The Music of My Life. Singers Tony Christie and Connie Francis, musicians Graham Gouldman of 10cc and Jay Siegel of the Tokens, and Brill Building song-writing colleagues Don Kirshner and Carol Bayer Sager are among those paying tribute to the 'king of doobie-dos'.
Dennis Wilson was the drummer in the Beach Boys. And he was the real Beach Boy. In a band of geeks who sang about surfing, cars and girls, Dennis was the only one who surfed, the one who drove hot rod cars in competition and the one who got all the girls. He was married five times, shared a house with Charles Manson (with whom he wrote songs, including one recorded by the Beach Boys) but died, ironically by drowning, at the age of 39. He was also the first Beach Boy to release a solo album, the stunning Pacific Ocean Blue, which after years of being out of print and fetching hundreds on Ebay, was re-released in 2008 to widespread acclaim, being voted No 1 Reissue of the Year by Mojo and Uncut magazines. This documentary tells the story of Dennis's life and music, with unseen archive footage and original interviews with Beach Boys Al Jardine and David Marks, his sons Michael and Carl and many friends and fellow musicians. These include Taylor Hawkins, drummer with the Foo Fighters who provided a vocal for the lost track on Pacific Ocean Blue, Holy Man, for which Dennis never laid down a vocal when he recorded the song in 1977.
Documentary about Dame Joan Sutherland, one of the greatest operatic performers of the late twentieth century, who died in October 2010. Shy and lacking in confidence, she had sung unnoticed at Covent Garden for seven years after arriving from Australia, but over the course of twelve months was transformed into La Stupenda. With a focus on the two roles - Lucia di Lammamoor and Alcina - that launched her, the film features interviews with Dame Joan, Richard Bonynge, Franco Zeffirelli, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti.
This is the story of deals on the beach, accidental pop stars, friendship, comebacks, multimillion dollar deals and new discoveries - the story of musician, producer, record industry mogul and artist, Herb Alpert. Herb is probably best known as the trumpet player who created the Tijuana Brass and sold America, and the world, the sound of Mexico. Or the crooner that made the ladies swoon when he sang This Guy's in Love With You. From his first job working with soul legend Sam Cooke to creating A&M records, Alpert's life reads like a wonderful story of dreams come true. This profile follows him today and platforms his music and artwork as he exhibits his sculptures for Hollywood's art elite. Contributors include Lou Adler, Quincy Jones, Richard Carpenter, Sting, Jam & Lewis and Stephen Fry.
Chicago's Chess Records was one of the greatest labels of the post-war era, ranking alongside other mighty independents like Atlantic, Stax and Sun. From 1950 till its demise at the end of the 60s, Chess released a myriad of electric blues, rock 'n' roll and soul classics that helped change the landscape of black and white popular music. Chess was the label that gave the world such sonic adventurers as Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf and Etta James. In this documentary to mark the label's 60th anniversary, the likes of Jimmy Page, Mick Hucknall, Public Enemy's Chuck D, Paul Jones and Little Steven, as well as those attached to the label such as founder's son Marshall Chess, pay tribute to its extraordinary music and influence. The film reveals how two Polish immigrants, Leonard and Phil Chess, forged friendships with black musicians in late 1940s Chicago, shrewdly building a speciality blues label into a huge independent worth millions by the end of the 1960s. Full of vivid period detail, it places the Chess story within a wider social and historical context - as well as being about some of the greatest music ever recorded, it is, inevitably, about race in America during these tumultuous times.
Portrait of Irish rockers Thin Lizzy, who had success in the 70s with albums like Jailbreak, but were hit by drug and alcohol problems that led to the death of founder Phil Lynott.
A fascinating, high-quality 'home movie', produced entirely in-house by Iron Maiden's own crew led by Andy Matthews, it reveals how to put on an Iron Maiden tour and what goes on behind the scenes at a show. It describes the extraordinary story of one of the most acclaimed and ambitious touring shows in the world, illustrating the day-to-day life and complex tasks of the crew and the other characters behind the scenes. As well as interviews with the Iron Maiden crew, it interweaves anecdotes from the band and their fans, and includes footage of the live show in this comprehensive guide to the intricacies of staging massive, live stadium shows around the world out of the belly of a Boeing 757. Starting in Moscow and performing across the globe from Asia to Australia to South America and finishing up in Florida, the band travel over 60,000 miles with lead singer Bruce Dickinson once again at the wheel of their customised Boeing 757- Ed Force One.
