A Look Back at Leonard

2016-11-13: A special tribute to the late Leonard Cohen. Jarvis admires the depth and range of his songwriting talent, and listeners share how his music touched their lives. There are also excerpts from a live interview Jarvis conducted with Cohen in 2012, and a reading from his novel The Favourite Game. In memory of the events in Paris one year ago, there's another chance to hear Paris I Love You and Jarvis reads from You Will Not Have My Hate, a memoir by Antoine Leiris, whose wife was killed at the Bataclan theatre. Plus: be gentle with each other, as today is World Kindness Day.

I Love You

2015-11-22: Following the recent terrorist attacks on Paris, Jarvis pays a heartfelt tribute to the city he loves. He plays a selection of upbeat French music, as well as a jamma session he performed with Serafina Steer, in which he records his personal experience of the events of that day and the emotions it stirred. On This Day: The Beatles released the White Album; Ravel's Boléro premiered in Paris; and the film Toy Story was released. Birthdays: Benjamin Britten, Karen O, Scarlett Johansson, Ethel Smith, Aston Barrett, Boris Becker, Billie Jean King and Tina Weymouth. 

Fête de la Musique

2015-06-21: Jarvis celebrates Fête de la Musique — a day when anyone in France can play music in the street — with a sonic journey around Paris. He rifles through the racks of Parisian record stores, rummages in a vintage clothing shop, and passes un magasin de fruits et légumes. He also visits the Phonogalerie in Pigalle to view old gramophones and discuss all kinds of early playback machines with curator Jalal Aro. Plus, quotes from Jean-Paul Sartre, a jazz approach to International Yoga Day and Jane Russell tells a Hollywood version of Little Red Riding Hood. Birthdays: Jean-Paul Sartre, Lalo Schifrin, Michel Platini, Eumir Deodato, OC Smith, Jane Russell, Ray Davies, Ian McEwan, Françoise Sagan and Lana Del Rey.

Conny Plank, Erik Satie and Magna Carta

Jarvis Cocker and Cornelia Parker find his phrase ‘Common People’ on Magna Carta (An Embroidery). Photograph by Joseph Turp

2015-05-17: Remembering the musical talents of German music producer Conny Plank, and composer and 'velvet gentleman' Erik Satie. Jarvis mentions some upcoming live gigs, exhibitions and shows on BBC radio; celebrates Norway Day; and asks listeners to suggest a song that was sampled. This year is the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta and we hear about an embroidered tribute to this document devised by artist Cornelia Parker which is on display at the British Library. Birthdays include Enya, Josh Homme, Dennis Hopper, Paul Whitehouse, Dennis Potter and Trent Reznor. Valete: BB King.

From Paris with Love

Jarvis is handed the keys to the Radio France vinyl archive, armed with a record player and a list of rarities. Rummaging around the vinyl vaults, he blows the dust off lost moments of Gallic greatness, guided by archivist Luc, and DJs Clovis and Guillaume of Dirty Sound System. Jarvis also takes us on a whistle-stop tour of Paris and shares a recipe for croque-monsieur.

Autumn Equinox

It's the autumnal equinox, and as the nights begin to lengthen, we hear music and facts to do with darkness. Jarvis hopes that on dark Sunday afternoons, we will all stay in and cosy up by the radio — although ideally not playing sudoku... This day in history was significant for the founding of Mormonism; also On This Day, the UK television channel ITV launched. Arthur Lowe narrates another Mr Men story, the tale of trembling Mr Jelly. Jarvis teaches us how to bake scones, in a musical tribute to The Great British Bake-Off. Today is International Car-Free Day; and the listeners are asked which songs make us feel autumnal. Birthdays: Toni Basil, Joan Jett, Nick Cave (with clips from his Sunday Service interview), Tony Drago, Chesney Hawkes, Gideon Coe, Arthur Lowe, Fred and Richard Fairbrass, and Sue Perkins (remembering coming out).

BOB LIND

Jarvis returns to Paris and instructs us in the French tradition of 'à la rentrée'. On This Day, Michelangelo's David statue was unveiled, but how did the V&A make their plaster cast decent? Jarvis's guest is folk-rock musician Bob Lind. They debate the differences between poetry and lyrics. Bob remembers his relationship with Charles Bukowski. They discuss songwriting and Bob says he prefers performing live to recording — he explains why he's returned to recording after a break of 40 years. Also On This Day, Star Trek first aired and sticky tape went on sale. This week's recipe is for meatballs. Birthdays: Aimee Mann (on writing sad songs), Peter Sellers (performing a sketch), Harry Secombe (with a classic Goon Show gag), Benjamin Orr, Neko Case, Jimmie Rodgers, Patsy Cline, Asha Bhosle, Alfred Jarry, Siegfried Sassoon (a reading of his poem Attack), Martin Freeman (on his career choice) and Peter Maxwell Davies.

The John Peel Cassette

A whistling dawn chorus gently awakens us. There's an excerpt from The Ballad of Reading Gaol because today in 1897, Oscar Wilde was released. And in 1802, Napoleon established the Légion d'honneur. Jarvis presents almost a whole hour of the John Peel show from 19th May 1977. At that time, this enormously influential show was the only place to hear alternative music on the radio. Jarvis found the recording in his mum's garage while helping her to move house, and excitedly saved it for this Sunday. Lastly, we revisit This Day in 1962, when Marilyn Monroe sang a sultry Happy Birthday to JFK, and finish with a little more birdsong. Birthdays: James Fox, Pete Townshend (on songwriting), Grace Jones (being self-effacing), Joey Ramone (discussing glue-sniffing), Martyn Ware (on how steelworks inspired the synth beat), Malcolm X (expressing some radical views), Mickey Newbury and John F Kennedy.

The Sound of the Underground

Celebrating 150 years of the London Underground, Jarvis takes us on an exuberant ride through the subway systems of London, Paris and beyond. There are Tube facts and a recording of Jarvis's Metro ride today. Emma Clarke explains how she became one of the voices of the Underground network. We travel further: today is the beginning of Chinese New Year, we glimpse Russia, then we reach the deepest realm there is. Back to reality with the rubbish morning commute; it's time to spice up the journey with Poems on the Underground and some naughtiness on the NY Subway. The Peel S is for The Sabres of Paradise. We take a detour into the world of chess, as On This Day Garry Kasparov was beaten by Deep Blue. We alight and our magical Tube train hurtles away. Birthdays: Bertolt Brecht, Boris Pasternak, Roberta Flack, Jerry Goldsmith, Jimmy Durante. Valete: Reg Presley.

Paris Trip

On a crisp winter's day, Jarvis takes us sightseeing around Paris. He walks us from the BBC's Paris studio, up the Champs-Élysées to a record shop. Then he reads about the Gare du Nord and its statues representing European destinations. Today in 2009, Barack Obama was inaugurated, and in 1986 the first Martin Luther King Day was celebrated. There's arcane spoken word from The North Sea Scrolls. The rowdy Peel P is for Panacea. 16 January is when the French do their New Year's thanksgiving: pianist Nils Frahm gives thanks for his unbroken digits. After the Louvre, we warm up with a hot toddy. Birthdays: Clarice Cliff, Hachidai Nakamura, Eric Stewart, David Lynch (who discusses his creative process), Gary Barlow (lamenting his early lyric-writing), DeForest Kelley, Buzz Aldrin (marvelling at the moon landing), Tom Baker (Jarvis does an impression of him), Federico Fellini (considering neorealism), Slim Whitman and Josef Hofmann.

Emylia Hall Story

This show comes pre-recorded from Paris, so Jarvis scatters in un peu de chansons françaises. There's another chance to hear 2LO Calling, Damon Albarn's audio homage to 90 years of BBC radio. On This Day in 1307, William Tell was ordered to shoot an apple off his son's head, and Mickey Mouse made his first appearance today in 1928. Emylia Hall reads her short story about a carefree hitchhiker who encourages an old man to live a little — it's from the latest Book Slam publication, Too Much Too Young. The Peel K is for Kanda Bongo Man. Birthdays: Alan Moore (on creating realistic superheroes), David Hemmings, Amanda Lear, Owen Wilson, Tim DeLaughter, Bruce Conner, Johnny Mercer and Margaret Atwood (talking about Twitter).

Sheffield Sunday

It's Sheffield Sunday on the station, so tek yer jesses off and fly free. Jarvis reads HV Morton's The Call of England. Plus, as it's spooky October, we hear an Edgar Allan Poe poem set to music. There's a lesson in Yorkshire dialect titled 'Teach Thissen Tyke'. Jarvis considers his hometown's definition of fishcakes. We hear from Turner Prize topic RD Laing, and On This Day the dark side of the moon was first photographed. The Peel F is for Fairport Convention. Richard Hawley pops in and plays Digital Roulette. And over music created for Forced Entertainment (see also), Jarvis reads Bill Drummond's Sheffield Sparrows. Birthdays: Tim Minchin, Jayne Torvill (on ice skating), Judee Sill, Simon Cowell (on feeling overwhelmed), Thom Yorke, Flying Lotus, Archbishop Desmond Tutu (on being a rabble rouser), Vladimir Putin, RD Laing (remembering his father's breakdown), Luke Haines and Ulrike Meinhof. Valete: Edgar Allan Poe. (See also)

Nautical Show

Ahoy there! Jarvis has been resident in A Room for London, a boat perched atop the Queen Elizabeth Hall on London's Southbank. Michael Morris of Artangel explains the concept and aims of this unique space. Cellist Philip Sheppard uses his eerie electro-cello to accompany Jarvis reading from Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Intertidal archaeologist Fiona Haughey discusses Thames beachcombing and brings some historical artefacts found on the foreshore. The Southbank is hosting Parisian nude cabaret Crazy Horse, so Jarvis and Philip improvise sexy music for two of the dancers. Jim Trimmer of the Port of London Authority chats about moons, tides and how the river can help London to flourish. There's archive of Elizabeth Taylor reading Wordsworth. Historian Dan Cruickshank reveals which bridge has a sinister suicide-strewn past. Busker Don Crown remembers performing as 'Budgieman'. Soumik Datta talks about introducing Indian ragas to QEH audiences. And we hear David Byrne's musical collage of sounds from the Southbank. The Peel E is for East of Eden, and there's a reading by John Peel for T-Rex. As the moon is reflected on the water, Antony Hegarty muses on lunacy and spirituality. Birthdays: T-Pain, Marc Bolan and Truman Capote. Valete: Andy Williams.

Oscars Music with JONNY TRUNK

As tonight is the Academy Awards, Jarvis describes the Oscar statuette: more facts about it appear throughout the show.  This Day in history was significant for road signalling, so the Monty Python team drone mournfully about traffic lights.  Jarvis talks to record expert Jonny Trunk about Oscar-winning music, and we hear tracks from Dumbo, The Elephant Man, Doctor Zhivago, The Sterile Cuckoo, The Sting and The Artist.  Marking Johnny Cash's 80th birthday, there's a megamix tribute.  In the inaugural 'settee theatre', Raina Lampkins-Fielder and Jarvis act out the story In Reference to Your Recent Communications by Tessa Brown, about a love affair which has deteriorated rather alarmingly.  Birthdays: Bob Hite, Sandie Shaw (Morrissey praises her), Levi Strauss, Michel Houellebecq, Johnny Cash, Fats Domino and Erykah Badu.

In Memoriam: Dory Previn

Music and dialogue from The Valley of the Dolls open the show.  On This Day, Thomas Edison patented the phonograph, which enabled us to listen to recorded music, and New York exchanged hands.  Songwriter Dory Previn died this week on Valentine's Day.  We hear a megamix of her songs and clips of an interview in which she discusses mental health, Judy Garland, songwriting and how sad songs can be funny.  Jarvis tells the controversial story of Tyneham House in Dorset; and talks about film, including a new documentary about Serge Gainsbourg.  Plus another chance to hear Jarvis reading from The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.  Birthdays: Carson McCullers, Tony Iommi (remembering the day he lost his fingertips), Seal, Lee Marvin (on his screen persona), Nicolaus Copernicus (why he was so groundbreaking) and Beth Ditto.

Kraftwerk Special

On this snowy Sunday, the station is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Kraftwerk's first UK No 1. Today in 1924 the BBC first broadcast the Pips, so we hear a Kraftwerk track mimicking radio time signals. And this week Jarvis was the DJ at a children's party, so he plays musical statues with us. Jarvis recalls how he first heard Kraftwerk thanks to his mum. In archive clips, the band discuss why they began making 'electronic folk music'; how they played live, occasionally in two places at once; and how they tried to find a new, creative way to engage with computers. David 'Kid' Jensen asks a baffled Ralf Hütter why The Model found UK success long after its release – Jarvis looks for clues in the previous week's chart. Finally, Taylor Parkes returns with an essay on Right-Wing Rock. Birthdays: Nolan Bushnell (we hear some Pong noises) and Charlotte Rampling. 

LEONARD COHEN

Jarvis nervously interviewed his hero Leonard Cohen on stage this week, to mark the release of his 12th studio album, Old Ideas. The show also features material from John Peel's session with Cohen on Radio 1 in 1968, including a clip of the news report that day. In the interview, Cohen is humorous and modest about his musical skills, repeating that he finds writing laborious and discouraging. He seems to be wary of analysing his working methods too deeply. But he's found touring invigorating and he also fondly remembers the support of his formidable London landlady in his early days. Then there's a megamix of Cohen songs, archive clips and related music, followed by some artists influenced by his work. Birthdays: Horatia Nelson, WC Fields, Sacha Distel, Bettye Lavette, Tony Blackburn and Germaine Greer (discussing the Female Eunuch).

L'automne à Londres

 

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.

Celebrating John Lennon's Birth

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).

ANDREW HUSSEY

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.