Halloween Happenings

2016-10-30: A special Halloween show teeming with spooky tricks and treats. Be thrilled by the eerie sound installation Requiem for 114 Radios! Be chilled by a sickly pumpkin pie recipe! Cower as Jarvis attempts apple-bobbing accompanied by a classic monster mix! Feel a creeping sense of unease at the short story, The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury by Neil Gaiman! And if all that's not enough to make you carry on screaming, tremble at some terrifying film music, and the nastiest record Jarvis has ever heard. It's not all scary stuff though — there's also a lovely personal message for Jarvis from radio legend Desmond Carrington. Phew.

States of Mind

2016-02-07: Curator Emily Sargent talks to Jarvis about States of Mind, an exhibition at the Wellcome Collection. It explores issues around consciousness, including identity, perception, synaesthesia, somnambulism and memory disorders. Throughout the show, Jarvis reads from the book which accompanies the exhibition; and the music bed comes from William Basinski's Disintegration Loop series, music archived on magnetic tape which has deteriorated rather beautifully. And listeners suggest music tracks that can alter our own states of mind. On This Day, a film premiered about a puppet who gains consciousness, Disney's Pinocchio. We also hear an extract from Stephen Hawking's recent Reith Lecture. Birthdays: Danny Goffey, Ray Mears (on his fascination with forests), Charles Dickens (Armando Iannucci enthuses about the author), King Curtis, Ashton Kutcher, Emo Philips (on visiting the school psychologist), Ossip Gabrilowitsch, Juliette Gréco and Eddie Izzard. Valete: Maurice White.

An American Earworm in London

Photo by Michael Ivankay on Flickr

Jarvis is back after a trip to California, where he sang at the Disney Hall for Beck's Song-Reader project. He offers an audio postcard of his time in sunny LA, featuring music inspired by cars and driving, records he found in LA record stores and some Hollywood film music. We also talk about earworms, songs that get stuck in your head — and the lyrics of one earworm give us this week's recipe, for johnnycakes.

Look Back On Lou

Jarvis pays tribute to the life and work of rock legend Lou Reed, who died last week. Featuring archive interview clips and quips from the influential Velvet Underground band leader, and praise from colleagues and admirers such as Andy Warhol, David Bowie and Brian Eno.  Also, we try some alternative instrumental tracks to accompany fireworks displays, and sample a recipe for Yorkshire Parkin, a fiery ginger cake.

Spooky Sunday Sounds

It's time to get in the mood for Hallowe'en, so we hear a horrifying story of vampirism read by Christopher Lee. Jarvis quizzes us on our knowledge of monster sounds and there's a recipe for pumpkin pie. 

The Sound of Cinema

As part of the BBC's Sound of Cinema season, Jarvis visits Pinewood Shepperton's sound effects studio to meet Foley professionals Peter Burgis and Glen Gathard. They provide him with an insight into how cinematic sound effects are created and mixed, why films require ambient sounds both big and small, and who gave the process the name of Foley. Then they draw on their vast array of props to aurally 'illustrate' a spooky story scribbled by Jarvis. On This Day, Jason Lewis finished pedalling his way around the globe, and the first talkie, The Jazz Singer, opened. This week's recipe is for apple strudel. Birthdays: Le Corbusier, Carole Lombard (a clip from 1942 film To Be or Not to Be), Glenn Branca, William Butler (remembering his first guitar), Britt Ekland (what is the enduring appeal of The Wicker Man?) and Stanley Kramer last week.

International Coffee Day

Caffeinated songs are sprinkled like coffee granules through the frothy milk of this International Coffee Day programme. This Day also saw the sausagey-sounding Battle of Salamis. Just how do you design an aspect of everyday urban life? Jarvis interviews the audio designers who are creating a new sound for electric cars. We check out the Bright Phoebus Revisited project. Richard Hawley reads a story, The Crimson Kite by Michael Ward, musically accompanied by I Monster. Jarvis shares a devilish recipe for tiramisu. And has this drummer drunk too much coffee? Birthdays: Michelangelo Antonioni, Caravaggio, Brett Anderson (on striving to sing Suede songs), Alan McGee (iPhones are 'technological psychedelia'), Billy Butlin (archive ads and a redcoat in action), Sebastian Coe (running as a vocation), Gilles Peterson yesterday (considering his name), Mike Post, Jean-Luc Ponty, László Bíró, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ian McShane (on baddies) and Scout Niblett.

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).

The Maudlin Megamix

With a major birthday approaching, Jarvis muses over the autumnal change in the air. He asks listeners about our must-have music for birthdays. The BBC's Sound of Cinema season gets a mention, and On This Day, Lehman Brothers imploded. We wonder whether the unearthly beauty of the glass harmonica ever really sent anyone mad. Then it's time for a 50th birthday Maudlin Megamix, during which Jarvis reads the story Forever Overhead by David Foster Wallace, about an adolescent boy taking his first tentative dive into the unknown. Today in history, Winston Churchill reminds us, was the climax of the Battle of Britain. And we cheer ourselves up with this video. This week's recipe: pizza. Birthdays: Oliver Stone (arguing that we are addicted to greed), Ben Wallers, Cannonball Adderley, Bruno Hoffmann, Sophie Dahl (on why she loves cooking) and Jimmy Carr (with a quick quip).

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.

September 1, 2013

Jarvis returns with tales of his summer adventures! Including surviving the absolutely boiling weather; the Venice Biennale; the Big Melt in Sheffield; the End of the Road Festival; a Beck-inspired concert at the Barbican; the Despacio project in Manchester; the Rory McEwen exhibition at Kew; and at a lakeside cocktail bar, an entertainer making a surprising song choice. Today in history, World War II began — Stephen Fry recites WH Auden's poem about that day — Martha the last Passenger Pigeon died, the Cod Wars started, and Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea was published. Plus, what could replace The A-Z of Peel: perhaps recipes for Sunday lunch? Birthdays: Edgar Rice Burroughs (we learn Tarzan's language), AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (founder of Krishna Consciousness), Johann Pachelbel, Violet Carson (in character as Ena Sharples), Barry Gibb (recalling the Saturday Night Fever premiere), Bruce Foxton (on lyric-writing), Gloria Estefan and Armi Aavikko (video).

Blue Monday Recipe

Resistance is futile: let the Sunday Service flow through your circuits. The Melomics organisation created music for us using the keywords 'relaxing/Sunday/mellow': was it successful, or can the listeners do better? On This Day, the Miners' Strike ended, the second Opium War started, HSBC was founded and the opera Carmen premiered. Jarvis shares nocturnal sounds from his tropical holiday. This week, New Order's Blue Monday is 30 years old. But what were the secret ingredients of this groundbreaking hit? Its creators give us a flavour. We hear about disappointing birthdays from This American Life. Also today in history, the USA adopted The Star-Spangled Banner as its national anthem and 1933 film King Kong was released. The Peel U is for The Ukrainians. Birthdays: Robyn Hitchcock (discussing religion and belief), Tone-Lōc, Arthur Machen, Ira Glass, Jennifer Warnes, Brian Cox (contemplating Saturn), Ronald Searle (with some wise advice) and Alexander Graham Bell.

Art and Lux

 

Clips from Lux Interior's 1984 Purple Knif radio show feature throughout the programme. Guest Art Garfunkel unfortunately couldn't make it, but Jarvis still shares related facts and tracks, and reads the poetic sleevenotes from Garfunkel's retrospective new record The Singer. Today is both National Apple Day and International Day of the Nacho: could the two be combined? The Peel G is Gallon Drunk. Sheffield's Site Gallery has an exhibition by Pilvi Takala — there's audio from one of her films, a Finnish professional poker player describing his life in Bangkok. And do you regard Jarvis as a part of the furniture? If so, he hopes you find him comfortable. Birthdays: Lux Interior, Leonard Rossiter (his daughter considers Rigsby), Julian Cope (on his bad eyesight), Georg Solti (on peace), Steve Cropper, Rose McDowall, Peter Mandelson (is politics like showbusiness?) and Matthew Friedberger.

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)

With Film Director GRANT GEE

1-2-0-2-2-0-1-2: today's date sounds like a soundcheck!  Jarvis asks listeners for film music recommendations, as tonight is the Baftas.  Director Grant Gee talks about his film Patience: After Sebald.  He describes WG Sebald, his unique writing style, and the trippy journey through Suffolk which Gee tries to recreate in the film – we hear a chilling clip.  This Day was the Battle of the Herrings, and Munch's painting The Scream was stolen: there's a [3m37s] soundpiece of the best screams in rock.  Jarvis reads some of Darwin's favourite poem The Excursion by Wordsworth, which is about the origins of mankind.  Anticipating Valentine's Day, Raina Lampkins-Fielder reads a romantic menu from The Futurist Cookbook.  Birthdays: Grant McLennan, Lisa Hannigan, Joseph Jordania (his theory of choral singing), Charles Darwin (poetry), Raymond Kurzweil (on the fusion of people and machines), Ray Manzarek, Franco Zeffirelli, Abraham Lincoln and Darren Aronofsky (aural inspiration from Black Swan).

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.  

ANDREW LOGAN

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.

Leonard Cohen on How He Got His Song

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.

Guillermo del Toro at Hallowe'en

Vincent Price reads a recipe for a ghoulish spell. Jarvis talks about Samhain ('Sauwan'), a Celtic harvest festival featuring costumes, bonfires and restless spirits. Then there's a recording of him reading the quietly creepy MR James story Rats. After dark, a spooky announcement heralds a spine-tingling Monstermix. Lastly, Guillermo del Toro, director of Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy, tells Jarvis about his love of fairytales, horror stories and videogames. He also considers why we like to scare ourselves with stories and talks about movie soundtracks, his favourite kind of music. Birthdays: Jarvis' dad, Adam 'Ad-Rock' Horovitz, Jimmy Savile, Annabella Lwin, John Keats (Robert Donat reads Ode to Autumn) and Peter Jackson.

Father's Day

An appropriate haiku begins this Father's Day show. On This Day, a British garrison was imprisoned in the Black Hole of Calcutta and Samuel Morse patented the telegraph. Raina Lampkins-Fielder reads Sam Shepard's story about a forgetful father, Berlin Wall Piece. Jarvis shares more theories about blancmange, celebrates midsummer, and marks Team Green Britain Bike Week by reading from David Byrne's Bicycle Diaries. Richard Harris declaims a passage by Kahlil Gibran about parenthood - and John Shuttleworth adds his two-penn'orth. And Joe Cocker: Is He Any Good? Birthdays: Johnny Morris (doing animal voices), Anne Murray, Terence Young, Jacques Offenbach, Chet Atkins, Wendy Craig, Kurt Schwitters (reciting his tone poem Ursonate) and Erroll Flynn (gathering lilacs in the spring). Valete: Conrad Schumann (the sound of propaganda being blasted eastwards and westwards at the Berlin Wall).