The JCSS Archive: 2011

A Christmas Gift for You from Jarvis Cocker

The first half of a look back over the Sunday Services of 2011. Michael Horovitz performs a mulled wine recipe in the form of a poem; Bobby Gillespie introduces Loaded; Caroline Coon discusses the politics of partying; Paul Morley signs off; and Alan Vega remembers the early days of his band Suicide. There's an hour of music and chat from Brian Eno's celebration of gospel music. We hear Justin Bieber slowed down by 800%; Steve Davis advising on snooker; an Elvis anecdote retold by Nick Hornby; and Adam Curtis on how computers are making us all into curators of pop's past. Simon Reynolds considers freedom and the internet; Marianne Faithfull praises the power of music; and Lawrence of Felt finishes by describing how much he loves The Velvet Underground.

This tinkly, twinkly festive special opens with Roger McGough's dotty gift suggestions from The Dada Christmas Catalogue. It includes a megamix themed around Dylan Thomas's story A Child's Christmas in Wales, featuring readings by Thomas; plus Jarvis reads The Journey of the Magi by TS Eliot and Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost. We also hear the eerie sound of a satellite, because the first communications satellite was launched today in 1958: it carried a peaceful message with a Cold War edge. Birthdays: Keith Richards (on songwriting), Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Charles Wesley (who wrote the words for Hark the Herald Angels Sing) and Michael Moorcock (talking about his deranged dystopian song with Hawkwind, Sonic Attack...)

Cash registers ping a carol: but is shopping the true spirit of Christmas? Jarvis asks what gets you into the spirit of things. On This Day, Llywelyn the Last died; The Rolling Stones staged their Rock 'n' Roll Circus; Che Guevara addressed the UN; Indiana joined the USA; and Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson had his last drink. Jarvis reads a story by Grace Paley about her mother, and explains how you can help ATP Recordings make a music video. Astronaut Gene Cernan reflects on Apollo 17, the last manned moon landing -- Jarvis thinks about space and the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. This week, Ted Hughes was honoured with a plaque in Poet's Corner, so we hear him explain how to capture the essence of a creature. Birthdays: Marco Pierre White (on what makes a great chef), Jon Brion, Grace Paley, Jermaine Jackson, Kamehameha V and Brenda Lee.

American novelist Padgett Powell joins Jarvis to talk about his new work, You and I. Synopsis to follow.

Bruce Lee advises us, 'Be water, my friend,' while Jarvis serves up a mint julep. We hear the characteristics of Sagittarians. Artist Andrew Logan pops by to talk about his life and work, dressing up, his Alternative Miss World pageant and the documentary film about it, The British Guide to Showing Off. Jarvis also pays tribute to the music of Jimi Hendrix. Birthdays: Bruce Lee, Arthur Smith (who says that people can't like all kinds of music), Eddie Rabbitt, Al Jackson Jr., James Agee, Charlie Burchill, Anders Celsius (we hear some facts about temperature), Kathryn Bigelow, Tony Green, Jimi Hendrix, Mike Skinner and Ernie Wise. Valete: Jackie Leven and Shelagh Delaney.

A sparky Jarvis notes that Spirit in the Sky marries a super badass dirty riff with pious words: can the listeners suggest other incongruous musical/lyrical pairings? On This Day, the Queen and Prince Philip married, Windsor Castle caught fire and the Velvet Revolution began. Jarvis talks about the student march he attended and considers the mood of protest that's in the air. This week, Leonard Cohen received a prestigious Prince of Asturias Award in Spain, so we hear part of his acceptance speech. Jarvis talks a bit about wrestling and mentions that Smile for London is looking for new poems. In the story Nail Broth, Danny Kaye shares a recipe which a clever tramp teaches a mean old woman. Birthdays: Norman Greenbaum, Duane Allman, Joe Walsh, Mike D, Dick Smothers (who sings a brief comic song), Alistair Cooke (some excerpts from Letter from America), Meredith Monk and Chester Gould.

A relaxing and French-tinged show. On This Day in 1841, father of modern hypnotism Dr James Braid first became interested in his specialist subject: so we're soothed and refreshed by Dr Michael Dean's self-hypnosis record. Joe Dunthorne reads his story inspired by the Beatles hit When I'm 64, which reflects on how friendships change as time goes by; it's from a collection published by Bookslam. Serge Gainsbourg's classic record l'Histoire de Melody Nelson is being re-issued to mark its 40th anniversary, so we hear some exclusive tracks, including one that wasn't on the original release. Plus, musical treats from Jarvis's special drawer. Birthdays: Jarvis's mum, John Hammond Jr, Terry Reid and Nikolai Fraiture.

2011-11-06

(nothing to see here)

...And It Felt Like a Kiss

The ill-starred raven warns of the approach of Halloween! We learn the traits of Scorpio. The notorious Orson Welles radio production of War of the Worlds was first broadcast today in 1938: we discover how much it scared listeners. Jarvis meets Lawrence of Felt, Denim and Go-Kart Mozart. They chat about a new documentary film by Paul Kelly, Lawrence of Belgravia. Avid record collector Lawrence shares some of his favourite lesser-known tracks. He talks about why he's always been drawn to music that makes him want to cry, record sleeve artwork, his career in pop and why he likes pop artists who 'try to take the underground overground'. Then Jarvis spins some spooky tracks — including some mysterious music that he found genuinely frightening when he first heard it, and a ghost story read by Vincent Price. Birthdays: Otis Williams, Paul Valéry, Ezra Pound, Charles Atlas and Grace Slick.

Jarvis and Miranda July snapped by naomijade

Amazing facts about the number 23 kick off the show. On This Day, the iPod was launched and the Smurfs made their first appearance; we also hear about Arthur Lyman's rigorous recording methods. At the School of Life secular sermon at Conway Hall, Miranda July discussed connecting with strangers: we hear her suggested conversation-starters. Jarvis recommends some goodies causing a stir at the BFI London Film Festival, including the documentary Lawrence of Belgravia. We keep things relaxing with some chanting, although Jarvis is loathe to shock you out of it. The listeners share their tales of mishearing Stone Roses lyrics and we finish with a few more 23 facts. Birthdays: Ang Lee, Pelé, Diana Dors (on her dreams of Hollywood), Johnny Carson, Manos Hadjidakis, Mike Harding (singing a filthy song!) and Ellie Greenwich.

The show comes loud and clear from BBC Media City in Salford. Oscar Wilde was born this day in 1854: actor Basil Rathbone gives an expressive reading of Wilde's tragic tale, The Nightingale and the Rose. Also On This Day, police TV drama The Bill debuted, and anaesthesia by ether was first demonstrated. Jarvis chats to his guests Marconi Union, whose track Weightless was scientifically designed to be more soothing than a massage. Angela Lansbury goes bobbing along at the bottom of the beautiful briny, and poet Ken Nordine considers what happens When You're Born. And Are They Any Good returns with Bob Mould. Birthdays: Max Bygraves, Bob Mould, Nico (discussed by John Cale), Angela Lansbury, Gary Kemp, Flea (burbling) and Peter Bowles (who found playing a millionaire got him noticed). Valete: Marie Antoinette.

Jarvis was at the Cheltenham Literature Festival yesterday, where he bumped into Edna O'Brien. On a literary theme, Robert Auton reads his poem, Father and Son. To celebrate John Lennon's would-be 71st birthday, there's a megamix with lots of spoken word by Lennon and quotes from his two books of nonsense, In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works. We hear porcine sound art by Matthew Herbert, depicting a month in the life of a pig. On This Day: World Post Day, a lunar impact test and a Gregorian calendar discrepancy in 1582. Jarvis muses about the sadness of returning from tour to find the plants have all died, and talks about finding swing dance music for oldies at a jumble sale. Birthdays: David Cameron, France Gall, Brian Blessed (talking about life and adventure), Jacques Tati and PJ Harvey (on self-reinvention).

Thursday is National Poetry Day, prompting a poetry-packed programme opening with a commission from the Poetry Takeaway. Former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion enthuses about the opportunity to convert people who are scared of poetry. They discuss how poems connect sense and nonsense, how a verse's meaning changes over time and the perils of writer's block. Andrew talks about the National Poetry Archive, which records poets reading their own work. He remembers his mentors WH Auden and Philip Larkin, and how meeting his heroes helped him as a young artist. Plus: how do poetry and lyrics differ? And how important is it to hear every word to understand a poem or song? Featuring readings by Alfred Lord Tennyson, John Betjeman, Michael Horovitz, The Waterboys, WH Auden, Charles Causley, Roger McGough and Emily Dickinson. On This Day in 1959, the Twilight Zone first aired. Birthdays: Phil Oakey, Damon Gough and Leroy Shield.

Shel Silverstein invites us in to the show, where Jarvis hums one of the offbeat tunes from his makeshift birthday playlist. He reads out some Libran characteristics and today's saint days. Robert Donat recites Keats' Ode to Autumn. A journey around the media starts with a radio piece by Glenn Gould, The Idea of North, and Ronnie Barker performing the Mispronunciation sketch. For film, we hear the trailer for The Big Sleep; Michael Douglas giving advice about performance; some tracks connected to Midnight Cowboy; and Mark Hamill remembering acting opposite Yoda. And for TV, it's the Good Life theme. On This Day: the first remote control boat was demonstrated. Birthdays: Shel Silverstein, Bryan MacLean, William Faulkner, Felicity Kendal, Christopher Reeve, Zucchero, Erik Darling, Glenn Gould, Ronnie Barker, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Pedro Almodóvar (with advice about life), Dee Dee Warwick, Richard Harvey, Steve Severin and Jerry Penrod.

Parish Notes:

I'm afraid the BBC iPlayer cut this show off at about the halfway point. If anyone has a file of the full programme, please do share it!

Face it: autumn is coming. Jarvis celebrates this with an autumnal show that's 'even browner than usual'. To mark World Water Monitoring Day, we hear a track featuring children describing a journey by canal. We celebrate a series of female icons, including Audrey Hepburn: On This Day, Tiffany's first opened for business. Plus, the first Blackpool Illuminations were switched on. Jarvis reads from the Carson McCullers novel The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, a passage that captures the experience of falling in love with a piece of music. Birthdays: Arthur Benjamin, Joanne Catherall, Greta Garbo (a tribute by Walter Pidgeon is followed by an excerpt of her on film), Frankie Avalon and Peter Shilton (recalling the Maradona 'hand of God' incident).

Jarvis explains why an unlikely Duane Eddy track reminds him of 9/11; he asks listeners what songs take them back to that day. Recently, Jarvis has enjoyed Super 8 at the cinema, Lang Lang at the Proms and the Mercury Prize coverage. On This Day 50 years ago, the World Wildlife Fund was set up, in 1609 Henry Hudson discovered Manhattan Island and in 1847 the song Oh Susannah was first played – although that's up for debate. There's another chance to hear Laurie Anderson read her story Lolabelle. We finish with an upbeat northern soul song that reminds one listener of 9/11 and also helps him to face the future with hope. Birthdays: Richard Ashcroft, Alan Bergman, Leo Kottke, DH Lawrence (we hear his poem about pianos), Carl Zeiss, Herbert Lom (on a horror film he rejected), Arvo Pärt and John Martyn.

Jarvis returns with a backlog prog of music he's been meaning to play us over the summer. He considers some characteristics of Virgo, his own sign: a creative, fastidious, feminine sign. There's a very dark short story Jarvis recorded for Radio 1 in May 1994, The Last Day of Summer by Ian McEwan. We hear music to accompany dodgems and another wonky calliope tune from SweetThunder.org. On This Day, Google was launched (recalled by co-creator Larry Page), and the city of Los Angeles was founded. There's a song poem called Dreambirds and Jarvis hints that his record hoarding habits might just be driving his partner dotty. Birthdays: Ivan Illich (Jarvis reads his argument against going back to school).

TV talk show host Matthew Wright sits in, playing a non-stop selection of classic tracks and tunes that he's been enjoying during his summer of festival-going. With a little spoken word from Nick Turner's Inner City Unit; plus music from the likes of Cardiacs, Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett, Sparklehorse, Asian Dub Foundation, Viva Voce, Nerina Pallot and Buzzcocks.

Readings from A Clockwork Orange are Jarvis's comment on the recent riots. He also mentions a benefit gig for the labels affected when the indie record stocks burnt down. He offers us a virtual tour of the places he's visited with Pulp lately. From Perth and Melbourne in Australia, where Pulp played the On the Bright Side Festival and Splendour in the Grass; via a Northern Australian B&B where his host knew all about Papua New Guinea... Then they went to Budapest in Hungary; to Norway for Oslo's Øyafestival; to Way Out West in Gothenberg, Sweden; to Portugal's Paredes de Coura; ending up in Greece. And keeping it global, Hawaii became the 50th American state On This Day. Birthdays: Joe Strummer, Friz Freleng, Kim Cattrall, Liam Howlett, Kelis, Christopher-Robin Milne (who hated Pooh), Jackie DeShannon, Kenny Rogers (on having varied creative interests) and Aubrey Beardsley. Valete: Eugene McDaniels.

Artist Jeremy Deller sits in, playing covers, live versions, choral tracks and songs that reward repeated listening. He talks about glam/punk, Björk, Martin Creed, Willie Nelson at hippy hotspot Fillmore West and The Minute Men. At Glastonbury 1984, historian EP Thompson makes a rallying call for liberalism in dark times. Jeremy's guest is Marcus Coates, an artist who's interested in how we use nature to see ourselves. He discusses recreating birdsong using human voices; a trip to Galapagos where he listened to vast turtles mating unsuccessfully; and 'working usefully' by experiencing a South American journey on behalf of an elderly hospice patient. Stevie Smith recites her poem The Galloping Cat. Jeremy talks more about Booker T and the MGs, working with brass bands, a film he's making about artist Bruce Lacey, and Grace Jones. Lastly, he asks young people who prefer reading to sport to contact him at jeremydeller.org

Julian Barratt, one half of comedy duo The Mighty Boosh, sits in. He opens with a wonderfully silly vision of the show as a journey on a silver dragon, backed by the strains of Vangelis. Julian recalls how influenced he was by the cover of War of the Worlds when he was young, sitting for hours drawing intergalactic wars. He plays a song 'about Lego'; some fruity jazz tuba; and plenty of songs by performers who are both actors and musicians, 'for some reason...' He also recommends The Wicker Man; Moondog; vocalist Yma Sumac, who can emulate the sounds of Peruvian animals; John McLaughlin; The Silver Apples; and Lee Hazlewood, who invented the cavernous sound of Duane Eddy.

Ben Ayres and Tjinder Singh of Cornershop sit in, having (allegedly) locked Jarvis naked in the belfry. They talk about Marc Bolan, play Andy Warhol's favourite ambient music and praise beardy band Ween. Tjinder recommends a documentary called Sound It Out. They remember recording What Did the Hippy Have in His Bag with the children of Castle Hill School, Bolton. Baxter Dury joins Ben and Tjinder. He says he worries about keeping his songwriting interesting, and talks about a dark song exploring isolation, inspired by Raoul Moat and the Vietnam War. He describes how receptive his Parisian fans are. In an archive Peel Session, John Peel interviews Marc Bolan on the floor of the BBC's Paris studio: Marc talks about universal love and the Godhead. We hear an excerpt of Howl performed by Allen Ginsberg, and finish with a clip of an old US Army radio show.

A surgeon and a nurse bicker in a sketch by Mike Nichols and Elaine May. Jarvis dedicates the Zodiac Leo track to a little Mogwai baby called Leo. On This Day, Mary, Queen of Scots was replaced with her baby son; Salt Lake City was founded; and 24 July was the focus of the film Life in a Day. Brian Eno returns to the show to sing the praises of gospel music and share examples from his vast collection. He pinpoints what he loves about it: how it's deliberately simple and inclusive, open to everyone, passionate and sublimely uncool. He talks about the different techniques of singing found within the genre and where the crossover is between gospel and pop. He also testifies that being an atheist doesn't have to stop you loving gospel. Birthdays: Gus Van Sant.

First, Jarvis talks about clingy-clawed Cancerians and On This Day Handel's Water Music premiered. Then he talks to his guest, poet Roger McGough. Roger explains how he got into music-making, performance and poetry in the 60s. He recalls the success of The Scaffold and their collaborators Paul McCartney and Jimi Hendrix. He remembers being at Hull when Philip Larkin was there, his time in The Grimms, and his uncredited dialogue for Yellow Submarine. He reads poems about Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan, a current political poem and his updated Not for Me a Young Man's Death. Jarvis asks him what he thinks of art colleges and lastly he talks about the work he's done most recently. Birthdays: Jimmy Scott, Donald Sutherland, Spencer Davis, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Angela Merkel, Fern Britton, David Hasselhoff (talking about Baywatch), Terence 'Geezer' Butler, Ron Asheton (on The Stooges) and Gale Garnett.

Steve Davis sits in for Jarvis. "Don't worry, you're in safe hands, I'm a professional... snooker player." The snooker World Champion and cheeky motormouth shares some of his extensive prog/alt collection.

Writer Nick Hornby sits in, playing songs that have been entertaining him of late. He talks about James Brown, Patti Smith and the Elvis Memphis Sessions, and plays some songs about women he knows. He also refers to a film he's writing, his work with the Ministry of Stories and his favourite TV show. His guest is James Walbourne, guitarist of The Pretenders. They discuss Arsenal and the dire economics of the music business. Nick suggests that CDs, by being a bit too long to suit pop, led the way to the preference for downloading single MP3s. James wonders whether artists will bother to tour abroad as much as they used to. And Nick notes that these days, you can keep ahead of new music while only ever listening to the old sounds you're used to.

No Sunday Service this week, as BBC 6 Music continues its coverage of the Glastonbury Festival... where Jarvis is performing with Pulp.

SIMON REYNOLDS

Featuring songs from various artists who are 'the daddy'. Father's Day was launched in 1910, and also On This Day the Heimlich Manoeuvre saved its first life and the Garfield comic strip appeared. Jarvis interviews critic Simon Reynolds about his book Retromania - Pop Culture's Addiction to Its Own Past. He believes that pop's past is overly influencing and even stifling its future, in an endless, meaningless feedback loop. They wonder about the generation who've been able to hear everything from the broad sweep of music history, freely available and decontexualised. But is wallowing in nostalgia a thing of the 00s, a phenomenon that's settling down now? Or are we doomed to repeat ourselves forever? Finally, we punch our way out of the retroscape with some innovative new music. Birthdays: Kathleen Turner (who buys her own roses), Wallis Simpson, Louis Jourdan, Sadie Frost, Paula Abdul, Nick Drake and Charlie Drake.

Marianne Faithfull sits in, playing her favourite music. She considers how important music is to her and explores some key genres: intense soul (Marianne wonders: could Aretha Franklin be the voice of God?), cerebral jazz and energising punk. Her guest is Patrick Wolf. Both started in the music industry at 17 and they compare how they coped. Patrick suggests that having felt sad, lonely and trapped has made him a healthier songwriter. They reminisce about working with Angelo Badalamenti and Patrick explains the deep spiritual connection he feels with Joni Mitchell's music. Lastly, Marianne shares her memories of Jimi Hendrix and The Clash.

An account of an anxiety dream starring Bruce Lee and a Yorkshire terrier kicks off the show. Jarvis has been at the Primavera Festival in Barcelona. Alan Vega of Suicide talks about how he keeps his performances spontaneous; his creative album names; how Suicide began and how their audiences have mellowed; and Bruce Springsteen covering his songs. He also gives Jarvis tips on coping with pre-show nerves and keeping the band upbeat afterwards. Then there’s a megamix of bands that played at Primavera. On This Day, Elvis scandalised America with his gyrations on the Milton Berle show. A listener recalls hanging out with Aphex Twin at Glastonbury. Birthdays: Spalding Gray (he performs a short monologue), Tony Richardson (there's a clip from the film Ned Kelly), Jacques Demy, Laurie Anderson and Federico García Lorca (Joan Baez recites one of his poems). Valete: Gil Scott-Heron.

Musical activist, artist and Specials founder Jerry Dammers sits in. He presents a potted history of his favourite music, starting from artists who influenced early Jamaican music like Professor Longhair, Sun Ra and Eden Ahbez. He talks about how exotica beats and the music of New Orleans led to the birth of ska. He also explains how gospel music became politicised, as black people identified with the wandering Israelites; and how exotica, which suggested a faraway land, came to symbolise Africa for the Rastas. He also plays a little light French ska, strange library electro reggae from the 80s and brings us up to date with some modern reggae and dub. The show is warmly dedicated to the late great Gil Scott-Heron.

Jarvis mentions Independent Record Stores Day; the characteristics of Geminis; and Pacman. Adam Curtis discusses his new BBC2 series All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace. He thinks that nowadays we all imagine ourselves less as individuals, more as co-operating nodes in a network. But romantically hoping society can be organised in that 'managerial' way is problematic. And he argues that because computers can easily archive material, we've begun to think of culture as something to curate, not to create. Has this made us too conservative and afraid of change? Birthdays: Richard Wagner, Arthur Conan Doyle, Hergé (on Tintin's origins), Sun Ra (who believed he had not been born), Harvey Milk, Kenny Ball, Peter Nero, the Unabomber, George Best (attributing his sporting skills to his mum), Morrissey (on why he'll never reform The Smiths), Gérard de Nerval, Bernie Taupin (who envisages his own birth), Jordan and Charles Aznavour.

DJ Gaz Mayall sits in, spinning his rockin' blues, sharing anecdotes and plenty of eclectic tracks. Including some beatnik madness about a man going into space, a US senator singing Wild Thing, spiritual music by Sam Cooke and 'classic weirdo' Sun Ra, and Linguaphone English lessons from the 1950s. His guest is Chris Salewicz, who has written biographies of Bob Marley, Joe Strummer, Mick and Keith, Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, Billy Bragg and more. Chris talks about screenwriting the remake of The Harder They Come. He remembers spending time with Bob Marley in the violent Kingston of the 1970s and Bob's visit to London in 1976. He also talks about Mick Jones' Rock 'n' Roll Public Library, which is currently touring.

Don't mention the football! Caroline Coon's talk of protest marches reminds Jarvis of a political interpretation of The Wizard of Oz. Footballer Jack Charlton talks technique. Jarvis explains that I Zimbra by Talking Heads is a Dadaist poem by Hugo Ball - he reads another and plays songs in Elvish and Ethiopian. He considers how songs can feel meaningful without us understanding the language. David Attenborough lectures on the subject of singing and the part it plays in courtship. And Jarvis reads from AC Grayling's secular Bible. Birthdays: David Attenborough, Keith Jarrett, Chris Frantz, Mahmoud Ahmed, Mary Lou Williams, Robert Johnson, Tom of Finland, Roberto Rossellini, Sonny Liston, Thomas Pynchon, Saul Bass (a clip from his sci-fi film about ants), John Snagge (describing Westminster Abbey), Gary Snyder (Ian Dury reads his poem Riprap), Ricky Nelson, Michel Gondry (pondering inspiration) and Dave Rowntree.

Jarvis describes traditional May Day customs, including aquatic hijinks at Oxford and St Andrews. On This Day, in 1328 Scotland gained independence, the first cooked meal on a plane was served, and the Penny Black appeared. We hear some Taurean characteristics. Caroline Coon speaks about an exhibition with photographs of protests and discusses many issues surrounding protest. She also remembers reporting on early punk, suggesting that previous generations are often suspicious of the next youth revolution. Taylor Parkes finishes with an audio essay asking whether Prog Rock was all bad. And we hear London's only working carillon, played at times of great rejoicing. Birthdays: Anthony Worral-Thompson (talking about boiling eggs), Wes Anderson, Judy Collins, Rita Coolidge, Joanna Lumley, John Woo, Ray Parker Jr, Calamity Jane, Anna Jarvis, Lewis Hill, Joseph Heller (reading from Catch-22), Una Stubbs and Little Walter. Valete: Ted Lowe.

Bobby Gillespie sits in. He chats about Kris Kristofferson, finding some unexpected Hot Butter, Carole King and discovering music in Camden when he was younger. His guest is Mick Jones of The Clash and Big Audio Dynamite. Mick reminisces about learning to play guitar from Stones records, the first bands he was in and the first gigs he ever attended. He was always ahead of the curve thanks to the American music magazines his mum posted him, and he found a kindred spirit early on in Morrissey. Then Bobby asks him about Big Audio Dynamite and their use of film samples. Mick says he's a film buff and that the structure of songs and films seems similar to him. He explains how BAD managed to perform the sampling live with cassettes, and why the tapes have since had to be put in an oven.

Jarvis investigates the sights, sounds and smells of the BBC Gramophone Library, at the BBC Archive Centre in Perivale. His guide is Broadcast Media Co-ordinator Nigel Griffiths. Nigel shows Jarvis some wax cylinders, including the first million-selling track from 1902 and The King of Italy's Message to Mr Edison. Jarvis asks what filing system could organise such a vast amount of material; whether they have a copy of every record ever made; and what's their oldest recording? They discuss why 78s outnumber vinyl records in the collection and sample the archive's highest and lowest notes. Jarvis admires some huge 16-inch LPs, used for storing dramas and other spoken word — he plays selections from the BBC's 50th anniversary gold disc. We also hear the world's smallest record, made for Queen Mary's dolls house. And what would a record collector make of this treasure trove? Jonny Trunk, founder of Trunk Records, challenges the archivists to locate some extremely rare gems. We hear spoken word by Bobby Charlton, and Margaret Thatcher narrating Copland's Lincoln Portrait. Jarvis closes by reading the sleevenotes from an archive find: Agemo's Trip to Mother Earth by Group 1850. Birthdays: Billy Fury, Lindsay Anderson and James Last.

On a warm April Sunday, Jarvis imagines us sitting in our gardens, listening to the radio in plastic lawn chairs. He talks about the Wilhelm Scream, a 1951 stock sound effect whose use because an in-joke in the film industry - Sheb Wooley, born this day, was that screamer. And he once encountered a Flying Purple People-Eater... Also this day, The Great Gatsby was first published, the first law of copyright was made and the Titanic set out on its maiden voyage. We hear an abridged version of Majesty, an intense story by Miranda July featuring Prince William and some buttocks. The show closes with a stroll around Grantchester Meadows... Birthdays: Eddie Hazel, Jim Bowie, Joseph Pulitzer, Omar Sharif (who discusses his atheism), Paul Theroux (talking about travel writing), Martin Denny, Aidan Moffat, Gloria Hunniford (who discusses her faith), Brian Setzer and William Booth.

It's Mother's Day, so we hear plenty of strong female vocalists. Jarvis admits he recently saw Bryan Ferry in an Indian restaurant and was too shy to say hello; he highlights an exhibition about electro pioneer Daphne Oram; and On This Day, Martin Luther King made his famous Mountaintop speech. Music critic Dorian Lynskey discusses his book, 33 Revolutions Per Minute: A History of Protest Songs. He says that protest songs are a vital part of pop history. He considers their strengths, their capacity to annoy and preach, and their dangers. He talks about the tense relationship between politicians and protest singers. Jarvis also asks about the state of the form today. Birthdays: François de Roubaix, Sally Rand, Iron Eyes Cody, Tony Benn (on poverty and government), Jane Goodall, Jeff Barry, Eddie Murphy, Doris Day (recalling wise words about singing), Jamie Hewlett and Richard Thompson. Valete: Kurt Weill.

After a week of struggle, Jarvis rallies us with the words to The Internationale. On This Day: Robert the Bruce was crowned; Typhoid Mary entered quarantine; and Khrushchev became the Soviet premier. Bobby Gillespie joins Jarvis to talk about the 20th anniversary of Screamadelica. He tries to remember where the title came from! He explains how the band moved from guitars to keyboards, getting into sampling, engineering and remixes. He mentions the energy and influence of acid house, and discusses the anniversary shows at Olympia. And there's another audio essay by Taylor Parkes: Pop Is Not a Meritocracy, in which he warns against the disdain hurled at Rebecca Black's song, Friday. Birthdays: Quentin Tarantino, Sir Henry Royce, Sarah Vaughan, Janis Martin, Fred Foy (the voice that introduced The Lone Ranger), Michael York and Billy Mackenzie. Valete: Elizabeth Taylor (Richard Burton describes his deep love for her).

Paul Morley sits in. He follows Jarvis's instructions to play his favourite songs by his favourite musicians: artists he wishes were in the Top 10 instead of Lady Gaga. His themes include pop music that psychs you up, songs about witches and spooking, his favourite female vocalists and great husband and wife duos. He also muses on whether music about music is a certain form of criticism; and on how odd it is that fairly obscure bands can now, thanks to the internet, get such a vast amount of critical coverage.

Jarvis asks us to submit the song that summed up Saturday night for us. On This Day, Mendelssohn's violin concerto premiered and the Scopes Trial took place — we hear a little about that Creation v Evolution school textbooks case. Two celestial bodies were discovered: Uranus in 1781 and Pluto in 1930; the latter was named by competition-winner Venetia Burney, aged 11. Philip Larkin reads a poem from his Sunday Sessions collection and Sidney Poitier declaims some Platonic philosophy. Then Jarvis talks a little about triskaidekaphobia, a fear of the number 13. Birthdays: Earl Grey, Sir Hugh Walpole, L Ron Hubbard, Geoffrey Hayes (we're treated to the funky Rainbow theme tune), Mike Stoller, Daniel Lambert (the story of this obese man's life as a Victorian freak), Erma Franklin and Sammy Kaye.

Another French-themed show as Jarvis returns to Paris. He reads a story about a clever parrot from Love in the Time of Cholera. Cultural historian Andrew Hussey discusses how French philosophy influenced the British punk scene (with audio input from Elli Medeiros and Vivien Goldman). He also talks about the Situationists and how their ideas - making new art out of wreckage, DIY, reclaiming the poetry of real life, boredom as a revolutionary principle - fed into punk. On This Day, Fort Alamo fell, Muhammad Ali changed his name (he explains why) and Verdi's La Traviata premiered. Jarvis reads a Baudrillard quote on 'the dustbin of history'. Birthdays: Dave Gilmour, Mary Wilson, Frankie Howerd, John Noakes, Dick Fosbury, Gabriel García Márquez, Rob Reiner, Furry Lewis, Wes Montgomery, Elizabeth Browning (Elizabeth Taylor recites How Do I Love Thee) and Kiki Dee. Valete: John Philip Sousa, George Formby and Annie Girardot.

We hear a Justin Bieber track mesmerizingly stretched by 800%, followed by audio of Allen Ginsberg. On This Day in 1812, Lord Byron made his maiden speech in the House of Lords. Poet and artist Michael Horovitz tells Jarvis about the world in which Ginsberg wrote Howl and the Cold War's effect on the Beat generation. We hear poetry performed to music by Michael then Jack Kerouac. Michael discusses an exhibition of Beat photography at the National Theatre and Ginsberg's personal journey as he grew more politically engaged. Then a contemporary radio broadcast considering Howl's censorship and Ginsberg himself performing an extract. Taylor Parkes returns with an essay about foreign musical traditions and their impact on Western pop. Birthdays: David Ackles, Henry Longfellow, John Steinbeck, Laurence Durrell, Paddy Ashdown, Peter Andre, Timothy Spall (on choosing an acting career), Steve Harley and Elizabeth Taylor (reciting Wordsworth).

An insight into Sheffield's musical heritage: Joe Cocker vs Kid Acne, Alex Turner, The Human League (we hear how Phil Oakey was enlisted), Cabaret Voltaire (we hear how they chose their name), Disease, I'm So Hollow, Venacava, Artery, Vice Versa — alias ABC — Alan Smythe and Richard Hawley. Today in 1472, Orkney and Shetland became Scottish. Jarvis plays the Pisces Zodiac Track and announces the Aquarius survey results. A listener explains how Kraftwerk acquired the BeeGees rhythm machine. Jarvis reads from the Futurist manifesto, published On This Day. Plus, beat poetry from Ken Nordine. Birthdays: Robert Altman, Pierre Boulle, Gloria Vanderbilt, Jimmy Greaves, Peter Osgood, Patty Hearst, Cindy Crawford, Tony Wilson (remembering the Hacienda and Joy Division), Ian Brown (on gardening and solo recording), Gordon Brown, Sidney Poitier (on spirituality), Mike Leigh (on his working methods), Poison Ivy of The Cramps and Kurt Cobain.

Jarvis broadcasts live from Paris. On This Day, the album Black Sabbath was released; Israel obtained some of the Dead Sea Scrolls; and the last Peanuts strip appeared. Jarvis reads — and sings — an excerpt from Leonard Cohen's novel The Favourite Game, while many of the listeners play board games. Jarvis praises libraries, mentions the BFI's Flipside series and considers Ouroboros, the eternal serpent. Finally, he reads about the Roman rite of Lupercalia, in which youths whipped women with shaggy thongs to promote fertility. Birthdays: Tennessee Ernie Ford, Dorothy McGuire, George Segal, Robbie Williams (warning of the misery of touring), Jerry Springer (explaining the scuffles on his talk show), Leslie Feist, Oliver Reed, Georges Simenon (he's Belgian, not French, but it makes no difference to him), Peter Hook, Judy Dyble, Costa Gavras, Peter Tork, King Floyd, Henry Rollins (bemoaning how gloomy England is), Eleanor Farjeon and Kim Novak.

Lewis Durham's exhibit at the Riflemaker Gallery excited Jarvis - it was a 1950s recording studio where you could cut a record. He plays Percy Thrower's February gardening advice and a version of Hey Joe. On This Day, the first integrated circuit was patented by Jack Kilby, who also invented the pocket calculator: Jarvis reveals that in the studio he has the very BeeGees Rhythm Machine on which Kraftwerk played that song. Composer David Arnold pays tribute to his late friend John Barry. As a child, he was thrilled by John's unique music and cool 60s lifestyle - he loved John's use of rasping brass and quirky instruments. He discusses taking on the mantle of composing Bond scores. Birthdays: Mamie Van Doren, Eva Braun, Patrick Macnee, Denis Norden, Rip Torn, Jimmy Tarbuck, Axl Rose, Bob Marley, Christian Friedrich Heinecken (a child prodigy), Thurl Ravenscroft and Jens Lekman.

After demonstrating a fun smartphone app, Jarvis reads Richard Brautigan's story about the search for the perfect lightbulb, Times Square in Montana. Music critic Taylor Parkes drops by, and compares writing for The Quietus website to writing for the Melody Maker. In his audio essay The Monkees and Manufacturing, he argues that the pop machine can offer the world interesting music that couldn't be created otherwise – as long as there's room for happy accidents. He and Jarvis also wonder whether people still care about the pop charts. On This Day, Charles I was beheaded; Cromwell was ritually executed; Carole King's Tapestry was released; The Beatles performed their famous rooftop concert; and Yerba Buena became San Francisco. Birthdays: Richard Brautigan, John Profumo, Horst Jankowski, Franklin D Roosevelt, Percy Thrower, Patrick Caulfield, Nick Broomfield, Phil Collins, Christian Bale, Peter Crouch, Gene Hackman and Vanessa Redgrave. Valete: Gerald Durrell (discussing naturalism and politics).

Jarvis has found more foreign-language song versions and recalls actress and peanut beauty Caroline Munro. For the second Zodiac track, Aquarian listeners are asked to submit their favourite colour, band, vegetable, mode of transport and double act – to help build an astrological profile of 6 Music listeners. Yvette Mimieux recites lines by Baudelaire over music by Ali Akbar Khan. Jeremy Dyson tells Jarvis about his stage adaptation of Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales, his play Ghost Stories, magic tricks and choosing between writing and rock music. There's another mangled fairground organ tune and Jarvis recounts two extraordinary tales: the spine-chilling story of the Green Briar Ghost and how Stephan Eicher recorded an album while locked in a bar overnight. Birthdays: Gavin Bryars, Sonny Chiba (with a related clip of Samuel L Jackson), Django Reinhardt (praised by Stéphane Grappelli), Stendhal, Luisa Casati, Gary Burton and Robin Zander.

This week Jarvis saw burlesque cabaret La Soirée and discovered some new old music from a back copy of The Wire. He decides how to pronounce 2011 and thinks about foreign-language versions of familiar songs. Scott Walker discusses Jacques Brel and Frank Sinatra. Jarvis then announces what record he'll play throughout the year: one listener suggested Frank Sinatra conducting tone poems of colour, another Norrie Paramor's Zodiac Suite, but Jarvis chooses Zodiac by The Cosmic Sounds. On This Day, Ivan the Terrible (or Awesome) was made Czar of Russia; Don Quixote was first published, so we hear an extract from a children's radio adaptation; and Buckminster Fuller won an architecture award and we hear him musing on evolution. Birthdays: Nick Valensi, Jim Stafford, Barbara Lynn, Cliff Thorburn, André Michelin, Susan Sontag, Paul 'Rustin' Man' Webb, Maxine Jones, Kate Moss, Damo Suzuki and Richard Hawley. Valete: Trish Keenan.

As it's Scott Walker's birthday and the show's first anniversary, Jarvis celebrates with Scott songs plus clips from a 1977 interview in which Scott discusses the Walker Brothers' time in Europe, why the group broke up and his struggle with stage fright. On This Day in 1768, Philip Astley set up the first modern circus; and in 1799, the first income tax was levied. Jarvis also asks listeners for songs that are only great in parts. There are clips from the Christopher Hitchens v. Tony Blair debate on religion and a recording of beat poet Kenneth Patchen. Birthdays: Susannah York, Gracie Fields (discussing religion), Kenny 'Klook' Clarke (Jarvis talks about Klook's jazz drumming), David Johansen, Joan Baez, Jimmy Page and Edouard Beaupré (we hear about Edouard's life as a circus freak), as well as George Martin whose birthday was last week.

The Intro/Outro Music

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