Dreamtime - Stranglers Night BBC4 *
Auntie Beeb finally lightens up, sees the funny side, takes the rod out her arse and celebrates the national institution that is The Stranglers. With over 5hrs of classic and never before seen footage and searing performances from the vaults, along with specially commissioned documentaries, programmes and surprises galore.
8pm: The NightInBlack will kick off with a special Rock School masterclass programme, originally recorded in 1980, where Jet, Hugh and JJ join the hosts to explain away all those devilishly tricky bass lines, fiddly "angular guitar" parts and unusual time signatures in the song Genetix, while keyboard maestro David Greenfield shows how to play every key on a Hammond in 1.27 seconds. A must see for any budding teenaged muso, sadly never transmitted at the time due to the scenes of violence, harsh language and prolific drug taking that amply fill the half hour show.
8.30pm: The Black Documentary. Classic, rarely seen rock-doc made by the band on the colour black.
8.50pm: Fan's Favourites- The Raven. Live footage from 1979.
9.00pm: We Are TheFansInBlack. Hard-core MIBs and WIBs from around the globe, selected from regulars at the outstanding Stranglers website, Burning Up Time give their memories and views on what it means to have been Strangled.
9.50pm: Linsey Dawn McKenzie Does It Every Time. The first of a choice selection of supermodels, actresses and pornstars trying their hand (and other bits) at performing an erotic dance routine to the Stranglers classic Nice N Sleazy. An ongoing phone-in poll will decide the winner by the end of the night.
10.00pm: A Lot Of Noise. Uberfan and original Finchley Boy "Big" Al Hillier and cyber punk web monkey "Slim" Jim Radley lead viewers into the dark, seedy world of the pubs, clubs, venues, stomping grounds and locals made famous in Stranglers songs and mythology in this specially commissioned film. Contains scenes of extreme violence.
10.50pm: Fan's Favourites- Down In The Sewer. Live footage from 1977.
11.00pm: Norfolk Roast. Stranglers drummer and all round good egg Jet Black takes viewers on a culinary odyssey up and down the country, from the Little Chef, Watford Gap to Fat Malky's greasy spoon in Govan in search of the worst pie in Britain. Parental advisory.
11.20pm: Salma Hayek Does It Every Time. More celebrity stripping.
11.30pm: Shut Up ! Definitive and hard hitting documentary that explains once and for all, and in plain fucken English how The Stranglers were a mirror to their times, accurately reflecting the zeitgeist and social mores of Britain in the mid to late 1970's. Containing wry wit and biting social commentary originally missed by most critics at that particular period in history, the programme also includes illustrative footage from news reports and popular prime time television shows of the time including The Benny Hill Show and Love Thy Neighbour.
11.50pm: Fan's Favourites- Toiler On The Sea. Live footage from 1979.
12.00 midnight: Celebrity Fight Club Special. The Stranglers lean, mean scrapping machine Jean Jacques Burnel takes on, single handedly and at the same time, Chris Martin, Robbie Williams and Bono in a caged free for all death match. Only one will walk away at the end. No prizes for guessing who.
12.05am: Mean To Me. Jon Savage, Julie Burchil, Tony Parsons and "London Lady" Caroline Coon piss and moan, airing their collective tired old gripes about The Stranglers in a manner reminiscent of recently scolded school kids. All of it no longer relevant.
12.10am: Angelina Jolie Does It Every Time. Mrs.Pitt gets them out for the MIB.
12.25am: Anyone for Peaches? T.V chef Keith Floyd's playful look at the impact that The Stranglers' music has had on cookery programmes on the BBC over the last three decades.
12.40am: Bitching Around. Very rare rehearsal footage filmed prior to the aborted reformation tour of 2007.
12.45am: MIB Covered. A "Later..." special featuring a variety of acts performing their versions of tracks from The Stranglers opus The Gospel According To The Men In Black. Includes Radiohead's acclaimed version of Turn The Centuries Turn , Kraftwerk's radical reworking Hallow To Our Mensh, as well as groups such as The Residents and the Chemical Brothers.
1.15am: Fan's Favourites- Walk On By. Live footage from 1977 of The Stranglers own wondrous cover version.
1.30am: Ugly. The true story of the Nice University riot. With previously unreleased audio and video footage, along with new interviews with the band, road crew and other witnesses including police and students.
2.00am: Rock Goes To College. The Stranglers complete performance on this show, recently uncovered after being thought lost forever. With new introduction from that twat that originally introduced it explaining what a twat he was.
2.30am: The Story of No More Heroes. Hugh Cornwell explains, once again, who the fuck Elmyra was and what was so great about him, and the reasons behind the writing of this classic track. Includes rare footage of the comedian Lenny Bruce.
3.10am: Milla Jovovich Does It Every Time. The rauncy Ruskie gets her turn bumping and grinding along to Dave's massive swelling organ bleeps and squelches.
3.20am: In His-Story. The NightInBlack draws to a close with acclaimed homosexual rock scribe Jon Savage as he tries vainly to justify the vitriol and disproportionate resentment he has harboured over the decades for The Stranglers. Includes his plea to re-write the history books and concludes with an extended public apology for the way the band have been treated by the media, music journalists and him in particular.
3.25am: Fan's Favourites- Hanging Around. Live footage from 1982.
*Provisionally penciled in for for the Spring programming schedule, 2024. And might actually have happened if The Stranglers hadn't told a few pompus arseholes to fuck off a few times. Dreamtime indeed.
8pm: The NightInBlack will kick off with a special Rock School masterclass programme, originally recorded in 1980, where Jet, Hugh and JJ join the hosts to explain away all those devilishly tricky bass lines, fiddly "angular guitar" parts and unusual time signatures in the song Genetix, while keyboard maestro David Greenfield shows how to play every key on a Hammond in 1.27 seconds. A must see for any budding teenaged muso, sadly never transmitted at the time due to the scenes of violence, harsh language and prolific drug taking that amply fill the half hour show.
8.30pm: The Black Documentary. Classic, rarely seen rock-doc made by the band on the colour black.
8.50pm: Fan's Favourites- The Raven. Live footage from 1979.
9.00pm: We Are TheFansInBlack. Hard-core MIBs and WIBs from around the globe, selected from regulars at the outstanding Stranglers website, Burning Up Time give their memories and views on what it means to have been Strangled.
9.50pm: Linsey Dawn McKenzie Does It Every Time. The first of a choice selection of supermodels, actresses and pornstars trying their hand (and other bits) at performing an erotic dance routine to the Stranglers classic Nice N Sleazy. An ongoing phone-in poll will decide the winner by the end of the night.
10.00pm: A Lot Of Noise. Uberfan and original Finchley Boy "Big" Al Hillier and cyber punk web monkey "Slim" Jim Radley lead viewers into the dark, seedy world of the pubs, clubs, venues, stomping grounds and locals made famous in Stranglers songs and mythology in this specially commissioned film. Contains scenes of extreme violence.
10.50pm: Fan's Favourites- Down In The Sewer. Live footage from 1977.
11.00pm: Norfolk Roast. Stranglers drummer and all round good egg Jet Black takes viewers on a culinary odyssey up and down the country, from the Little Chef, Watford Gap to Fat Malky's greasy spoon in Govan in search of the worst pie in Britain. Parental advisory.
11.20pm: Salma Hayek Does It Every Time. More celebrity stripping.
11.30pm: Shut Up ! Definitive and hard hitting documentary that explains once and for all, and in plain fucken English how The Stranglers were a mirror to their times, accurately reflecting the zeitgeist and social mores of Britain in the mid to late 1970's. Containing wry wit and biting social commentary originally missed by most critics at that particular period in history, the programme also includes illustrative footage from news reports and popular prime time television shows of the time including The Benny Hill Show and Love Thy Neighbour.
11.50pm: Fan's Favourites- Toiler On The Sea. Live footage from 1979.
12.00 midnight: Celebrity Fight Club Special. The Stranglers lean, mean scrapping machine Jean Jacques Burnel takes on, single handedly and at the same time, Chris Martin, Robbie Williams and Bono in a caged free for all death match. Only one will walk away at the end. No prizes for guessing who.
12.05am: Mean To Me. Jon Savage, Julie Burchil, Tony Parsons and "London Lady" Caroline Coon piss and moan, airing their collective tired old gripes about The Stranglers in a manner reminiscent of recently scolded school kids. All of it no longer relevant.
12.10am: Angelina Jolie Does It Every Time. Mrs.Pitt gets them out for the MIB.
12.25am: Anyone for Peaches? T.V chef Keith Floyd's playful look at the impact that The Stranglers' music has had on cookery programmes on the BBC over the last three decades.
12.40am: Bitching Around. Very rare rehearsal footage filmed prior to the aborted reformation tour of 2007.
12.45am: MIB Covered. A "Later..." special featuring a variety of acts performing their versions of tracks from The Stranglers opus The Gospel According To The Men In Black. Includes Radiohead's acclaimed version of Turn The Centuries Turn , Kraftwerk's radical reworking Hallow To Our Mensh, as well as groups such as The Residents and the Chemical Brothers.
1.15am: Fan's Favourites- Walk On By. Live footage from 1977 of The Stranglers own wondrous cover version.
1.30am: Ugly. The true story of the Nice University riot. With previously unreleased audio and video footage, along with new interviews with the band, road crew and other witnesses including police and students.
2.00am: Rock Goes To College. The Stranglers complete performance on this show, recently uncovered after being thought lost forever. With new introduction from that twat that originally introduced it explaining what a twat he was.
2.30am: The Story of No More Heroes. Hugh Cornwell explains, once again, who the fuck Elmyra was and what was so great about him, and the reasons behind the writing of this classic track. Includes rare footage of the comedian Lenny Bruce.
3.10am: Milla Jovovich Does It Every Time. The rauncy Ruskie gets her turn bumping and grinding along to Dave's massive swelling organ bleeps and squelches.
3.20am: In His-Story. The NightInBlack draws to a close with acclaimed homosexual rock scribe Jon Savage as he tries vainly to justify the vitriol and disproportionate resentment he has harboured over the decades for The Stranglers. Includes his plea to re-write the history books and concludes with an extended public apology for the way the band have been treated by the media, music journalists and him in particular.
3.25am: Fan's Favourites- Hanging Around. Live footage from 1982.
*Provisionally penciled in for for the Spring programming schedule, 2024. And might actually have happened if The Stranglers hadn't told a few pompus arseholes to fuck off a few times. Dreamtime indeed.
posted by Alias at 3:03 PM
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