A Seasonal Sunday Service

Jarvis returns for a one-off show looking back over his highlights of 2014.  Featuring tracks by acts he saw live during the year, records he heard in second-hand clothing stores whilst trying on clothes and quotes from books he's enjoyed from the last 12 months. 

Apologies and News!

Sorry things have gone quiet around here!  The deadline for my postgrad dissertation is looming, so I've had to stop doing anything fun while I get my head down and study.  I aim to get back into the Sunday Service swing in 2015.

However, I would still like to share a vintage Christmas episode of JCSS with you, so that's coming very soon. 

ALSO, EXCITING NEWS: there's a new one-off special coming up on Sunday 28 December 2014 at 4.00pm — listen to the trail here:

A Seasonal Sunday Service:  "Jarvis returns for a one-off show looking back over his highlights of 2014.  Featuring tracks by acts he saw live over the year, records he heard in second-hand clothing stores whilst trying on clothes and quotes from books he's enjoyed from the last 12 months."

Watch this space! (The episode will go up here after it falls off iPlayer on 26th January.)  And MORE EXCITING NEWS: the Sunday Service returns to its regular slot in March 2015.  

Newspaper Article

GUARDIAN: Jarvis Cocker's slumber party

Here's a nice article about Wireless Nights, which is back on the radio tonight.

In the past couple of years, Cocker's nocturnal musings have formed the basis of his occasional Radio 4 series Wireless Nights, in which the singer has sat up watching badger colonies, met on-call transplant surgeons and interviewed night-shift workers at the National Grid. His next show – recorded live with the BBC Philharmonic in Manchester – explores his fascination with classical music as a means of making it through the night.
The programme presents a potted history of musical insomnia, narrated by Cocker in a subdued, red-eye monotone: "It's deliberately low-key, as I'd regard it as quite a success if people were to nod off during the broadcast," he says.

• Jarvis Cocker’s Wireless Nights starts on Radio 4 at 11pm on 13 October.  Links:

BBC iPlayer (if you can access it in your area)

Official BBC podcast (available worldwide)

Programme Page (for info)


Thank you to Gordon for sending me the article!



ALSO: on BBC iPlayer at the moment, another chance to hear Peel Acres, a tribute to John Peel.

News Time

Jarvis Cocker takes a year out of presenting his BBC Radio 6 Music Show

Jarvis Cocker is taking a year off 
regular presenting duties on his popular BBC 6 Music show.

The singer confirmed that he wanted to refresh his show, Jarvis Cocker’s Sunday Service which he has presented for three years and that this Sunday's edition on December 29 would be the last for a year.

"Every now and again a field has to be left fallow for a year in order to make sure it has time to recover. In 2014 I will be that field. T’is done with the firm conviction that it will lead to a stronger and more vigorous Sunday Service when I return to 6 Music’s pastures.  Oh yes - and of course I'll keep popping up on 6 Music from time to time just to make sure that you haven't forgotten me."

He will be replaced by what appears to be a rolling roster of presenters. In January it will be performance poet John Cooper Clarke and in February it will be Terry Hall, lead singer of The Specials.  (Will these be under the Sunday Service brand?  Doesn't appear so.)

Sad news for the Sunday Service!  But also happy news, because it means Jarvis will have time to do lots of wonderful creative work elsewhere, and come back refreshed and laden with goodies for us in 2015.

It's not bad news for the Archive either, because we can spend the year getting up to date with requests, revisiting old episodes and doing general housekeeping.

So don't be sad, don't go away.  It's the beginning of a new year, and even without new Sunday Services... it's going to be a good one.