1 Topic by Stonebridge (edited by Stonebridge 2008-10-06 12:20:16)

  • From: Cardiff, Wales, UK
  • Registered: 2008-08-25
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Topic: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

I just caught a program on BBC TV last night (Sunday 5th Oct) which was part one of "The Story of the Guitar". It was fascinating and took the instrument from its origins back in the mists of time through to about 1950. Great stuff about acoustic guitars.

Did anyone see this?

The next part (2) is next Sunday (12th October) at the same time (BBC1 10.20 - 11.25pm) and is about the origins and development of the electric guitar.

"Alan Yentob presents on a three-part series examining how the guitar became the world's favourite musical instrument. As the guitar turns electric, music is changed for ever. The world's first electric guitar had nothing to do with jazz or blues, but Hawaiian-style music and was known as the 'frying pan'. Yentob continues his investigation from the blues of the Mississippi to the guitar wars of the 1950s, when the Fender Stratocaster and the Gibson Les Paul were battling for supremacy."

Don't miss it.

Chris

  • From: A black hole in deep space
  • Registered: 2007-10-28
  • Posts: 7,865

Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

Stonebridge I would like to see this program in the USA is it on a public station like PBS? smile

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Russell_Harding's Website

  • From: Cardiff, Wales, UK
  • Registered: 2008-08-25
  • Posts: 182

Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

Russell, all I can find is this page from the BBC website.
It is info about the 1st part. I can't find any mention of any other broadcasting, but these things usually get picked up by other stations a little later on.
Sorry I can't be more helpful but I will keep a look out.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/progin … aced.shtml

  • From: A black hole in deep space
  • Registered: 2007-10-28
  • Posts: 7,865

Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

Thanks for the link I looked but I could not find any US affiliates (darn) looks like I will have to wait and see if PBS airs the program in the US smile

Stonebridge wrote:

Russell, all I can find is this page from the BBC website.
It is info about the 1st part. I can't find any mention of any other broadcasting, but these things usually get picked up by other stations a little later on.
Sorry I can't be more helpful but I will keep a look out.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/progin … aced.shtml

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Russell_Harding's Website

  • arkady
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Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

Hey Stonebridge
I saw the the program.
I must agree that it was excellent. Highly informative but not to stuffy.
Alan Yentob was a great presenter. It was good to see old Bert Weeden still going strong.
Looking forward to next one in the series....
Hope you get to see the series at some point Russ it's well worth a watch.
Ark

  • Registered: 2006-08-12
  • Posts: 1

Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

Hi Russell,
I wached the programme tonight on the BBC iplayer,
you can watch all programmes that have been aired in the last 7 days,
the programme is called imagine,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00dyhyt,
hope this works for you in the US
Duncan.

  • From: Cardiff, Wales, UK
  • Registered: 2008-08-25
  • Posts: 182

Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

duncandem wrote:

Hi Russell,
I wached the programme tonight on the BBC iplayer,
you can watch all programmes that have been aired in the last 7 days,
the programme is called imagine,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00dyhyt,
hope this works for you in the US
Duncan.

I think that should have been
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00dyhyt/b00dyhtx/

but I don't think it works outside the UK

  • From: A black hole in deep space
  • Registered: 2007-10-28
  • Posts: 7,865

Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

Thanks for trying guys but the player dont work for me but I appreciate the effort smile

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Russell_Harding's Website

  • From: Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 6,205

Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

Regretably the BBC iPlayer will not work outside the UK. I have tried, without success, to get it to work here in Portugal several times but I understand that they are working on an International version but it is not available yet.

Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

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  • upyerkilt
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Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

i missed this but thanks stonebridge for lettting us know.
I know most cannot but I will be watching this tonight if cable has it on the catch up option.


cheers

Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • upyerkilt
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Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

now I find myself replying to myself. lol

I just watched the program, I loved it.

Very interesting. King Charles 2nd is responsible for bringing the the  ??? sitarn, sintar? that ended up being the guitar to the UK. It was one of his helpers ( or whatever ye call him) that put a fifth string on the instrument.  Thats if I took that part in correctly.

and that guy, the french guy, the gypsy  ( canny remember his name) that lost the use of all his fingers nd retaught him self to play with 2 fingers on his left hand for chords/ notes. What a guy!!

this program was really really imformative and great to watch.

And there must be some way of watching online outside the UK. theres got to be away. I just dont know.



Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
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Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

upyerkilt wrote:

and that guy, the french guy, the gypsy  ( canny remember his name) that lost the use of all his fingers nd retaught him self to play with 2 fingers on his left hand for chords/ notes. What a guy!!



Ken

I think the person you're referring to is Django Reinhardt. He was badly burned and had to totally redesign the way he approached and played guitar. He is a huge inspriration to me personally, his determination and his musical genius are as good as it gets..............

Give everything but up.

13 Reply by alansheeran (edited by alansheeran 2008-10-07 20:51:09)

  • From: Belfast, Northern Ireland
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 338

Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

Thanks for reminding me about this - just watched it on IPlayer and it is superb. John Williams, Django, Andres Segovia, Pete Townsend. Maybelle Carter, Gene Autry, George Gruhn, some wonderful flamenco sections packed into one hour.

The one thing that gets me is that Yentob has the passion down to a tee - why the guitar pulls people towards it and has done for centuries - but - at one point he says " I'm well into middle age and probably don't have the time to learn now."

"What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understandin' ."    Elvis Costello

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  • upyerkilt
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Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

SouthPaw41L wrote:

I think the person you're referring to is Django Reinhardt. He was badly burned and had to totally redesign the way he approached and played guitar. He is a huge inspriration to me personally, his determination and his musical genius are as good as it gets..............

thats him,
he should be an inspiration to anyone that has had an accident and still wants to continue to do somethng he wants to, as should you too be an inspiration.

Next week they are moving on to the history of the amplified guitar.

Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending

15 Reply by fuzzblue (edited by fuzzblue 2008-10-08 02:57:59)

  • From: Japan
  • Registered: 2008-07-18
  • Posts: 17

Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

It's at times like this I regret moving to Japan! Wish I'd not read this thread now. Django Reinhardt my hero! I have hands damaged
by arthritis and carpel tunnel syndrome.

Learning to play guitar is hard, giving up is near impossible!
  • From: A black hole in deep space
  • Registered: 2007-10-28
  • Posts: 7,865

Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

maybe someone over on the other side of the pond could tape this series and send me a copy like a VHS or DVD I will reimburse for the cost of the DVD and postal shipping just a thought....

"Growing old is not for sissies"

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  • From: Belfast, Northern Ireland
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Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

There's one section of the programme that I really related to. Yentob strolls past the guitar shops around Denmark St in London, just window shopping.

I did that pilgrimage myself for the first time in June this year. I found it hard to leave each shop, there were always two or three "finds" in each - unfortunately they were all at extortionate prices.

"What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understandin' ."    Elvis Costello

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  • upyerkilt
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Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

Russell_Harding wrote:

maybe someone over on the other side of the pond could tape this series and send me a copy like a VHS or DVD I will reimburse for the cost of the DVD and postal shipping just a thought....

Russell,
I dont know what it is like now but when I came back from holiday in america years ago I had taped a few things but they did not work in the UK, also my dad had sent me videos and they did not work here either,
Not too sure but maybe something to d owit hthe difference in power suppliy?


Ken

p.s
my video is knackered anyway lol

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • Registered: 2007-03-24
  • Posts: 1,108

Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

upyerkilt wrote:
Russell_Harding wrote:

maybe someone over on the other side of the pond could tape this series and send me a copy like a VHS or DVD I will reimburse for the cost of the DVD and postal shipping just a thought....

Russell,
I dont know what it is like now but when I came back from holiday in america years ago I had taped a few things but they did not work in the UK, also my dad had sent me videos and they did not work here either,
Not too sure but maybe something to d owit hthe difference in power suppliy?


Ken

p.s
my video is knackered anyway lol

Ken,
Could be the difference in video formats. We use NTSC the rest of the world is PAL. If the video was "scrambled" that may be the case....just a thought

I used to be disgusted; now I try to be amused.
Elvis Costello
  • From: Belfast, Northern Ireland
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 338

Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

Could be completely up-the-left ( Northern Irish for "wrong" ) here, but in Europe we can set TV sets to NTSC or PAL - it's on the Settings Control.

Would that not work in the States ?

Anyhoo - The programme's BBC website is at http://www.bbc.co.uk/musictv/guitars/ . There are some videos available.

It is on again on BBC4 at 11 pm GMT on Friday - again not sure if you can get that in the States.

"What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understandin' ."    Elvis Costello

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  • From: Cardiff, Wales, UK
  • Registered: 2008-08-25
  • Posts: 182

Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

Don't miss tonight's edition:

"Full marks to the film researchers here who have dug out pearls of footage to illustrate the dawn of the electric guitar on modern music. We see T-Bone Walker and BB King in their early years, plus a great clip of Chuck Berry doing Maybellene while blondes whirl around on stage. Rarer still, there's never-before-seen Super 8 footage from around the Fender factory in the late 1950s, where unskilled Mexican labour assembled guitars that today are priceless. And aside from all the stuff that will appeal to guitar geeks, there's the extraordinary story of the cultural rise of the instrument, from being the "starvation box" played by blind buskers in Mississippi to the global symbol of sex and rebellion - with help from Elvis."

I can't wait.

  • From: A black hole in deep space
  • Registered: 2007-10-28
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Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

Stonebridge you really know how  to hurt a  guy lol

"Growing old is not for sissies"

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  • From: Belfast, Northern Ireland
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 338

Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

The programme was very good. Not as broad as the first one - it was on electric guitar.

Started at the cross roads where RJ sold his soul.

There were clips of the first known film of a frying pan being played in a Hawaian Band, Indeed there was some interesting stuff on how Hawaian music influenced the blues. Apparently there was a Hawaian Music boom in the 20's.

Some good clips of Charlie Christian and Jimmy Reed ( playing his guitar like he really wanted to play it like a flat neck dobro).

Interviews with Scotty Moore and BB King ( with a different explanation on why he called Lucille Lucille).

Not sure i'm looking forward to the last programme so much. I'm a bit concerned about them trying to compete with Scorsese's film on British Blues.

"What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understandin' ."    Elvis Costello

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  • Registered: 2008-04-15
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Re: BBC TV prog "Story of the Guitar"

For those who haven't seen it, you can bit torrent it from MiniNova, not that i'm condoning downloading *cough cough* wink