h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Here in the studio we're throwing our hats in the air for The Smiths. That's from the new LP, What She Said. This is an old favourite... actually I've got more LPs by Sam Lightnin' Hopkins than any other artiste. This is from an LP on Folkways, quite an elderly one, it's called Fan It.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8aprESdsjU#t=22m30s

(22m 30s - 25m s13)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KmYY65ZGEQ

Radio One, where the hits keep happening. That's Guadalcanal Diary from an LP called Walking in the Shadow of a Big Man, and Trail of Tears is the title of that, the LP to be issued in this country pretty darn soon I think.

No John Peel track today, just this http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b018fljy

It's absolutely adorable and you have seven days, starting now, to listen to it.

This is the last from our classic session from The Beat, from September 1980, Walk Away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_aaL7Vw0NI#t=4m10s

(4m 10s - 7m 15s)

The Beat in session in 1980, and that's called Walk Away, and of course these days people spurn any record that doesn't come out of Washington DC, so here's a record from Washington DC.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY-xn2b61pE

Yes yes yes yes yes. Well, adoring hordes, that's the sound of the go-go music from Washington DC from the LP Boycott Stabb, Government Issue, and here's the last from Minimal Compact. it's The Well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNCKMqhPoOA

Minimal Compact sinking into the sunset, that's called The Well, and we're going to end the programme with another track by The Smiths. This one's called That Joke Isn't Funny Any More.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIyXJxPFVz4

Those old Dandelion Record production tricks never let you down. The Smiths from the LP Meat is Murder, more tomorrow night, that's called That Joke Isn't Funny Any More, the end of tonight's programme. Tomorrow night's sessions are from The Blue Orchids, another classic session, and a new one from The Men They Couldn't Hang. Coming up shortly the midnight news summary, thanks very much for listening to this, goodnight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpAoX6IxoFo#t=0m26s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpAoX6IxoFo

I'm sure a great number of you were as horrified as I was at the beginning of the week to hear of the death of Viv Stanshall, and I had a look in Ken Garner's book and Viv did seven sessions for the programmes over the years with The Bonzos, and twelve in his own right, and er, I'd like to be able to play extracts from a lot of these things. Gratifyingly, quite a few of the Bonzos things are going to be coming out on record in a month or so's time, I was listening to a tape of these in the car as I was driving in and, er, some wonderful moments there including the classic Craig Torso Show which I'm really looking forward to being able to play you again when the LP comes out, but we though it'd be more appropriate to play you one of the Sir Henry at Rawlinson End things, and of course, as I'm sure you know, Sir Henry was an entirely fictitious character, but then again was he, because there was a real Sir Henry Rawlinson, and I was astonished to be told by someone from Radio 4 that the real Sir Henry Rawlinson died 100 days *to the day*, before Viv did. Rather, er, spooky in fact. This is a piece that Viv recorded on the 24th of March 1978, and er, well I'll tell you more about it after we've heard it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_BmOCa-Wy8

Well, now, as then, I never knew what to say when these things were finished. This is Viv Stanshall from 1978, the 29th of March, and Julian Smedley and Jim Cuomo on various musical instruments, produced by John Walters I think, who was always able to get the best out of Viv, and don't forget there's that LP of Bonzos things coming out in a couple of months time. This is John Fahey.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7_kn3tqp4Y

Worried Blues, that's John Fahey from the double CD set on Rhino Records called Return of the Repressed. This is Remmy Ongala, or it will be in just a moment... yeah, there he goes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDBSm9ab8q8

Very nice too. That's Remmy Ongala and the Orchestra Super Matamila, Tupedane is the title of it, and it's from an LP called The Kershaw Sessions. And I was talking to The Pig while that was going on and she said that when I was talking about Viv Stanshall's piece and Sir Henry at Rawlinson End and all that, and I mentioned the original Sir Henry Rawlinson I said that he died a hundred days, er, before Viv Stanshall, of course I meant a hundred years, but to the day. Uncanny stuff really, and er, I admired Viv so much that at time I actually wanted to be him, I thought he was just so cool. This is Ash, Jazz 59.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIBceuCO5TI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO00fkjCNhc

Not a dry eye in the house I'll be bound. That's The Oldham Tinkers and, well, something like Come Wom to Thi Childer and Me.

Now, I've had a request to play this next record, but I'm having a certain amount of trouble finding the right track, because the information on it is limited and, er... somewhat confusing, and er, as always, these things are peppered with rude words, and my goodness me I certainly don't want to be broadcasting you any of those! Er, now, hold on a second... this is from Bill Lockhart from Berghead I think it is, in Scotland, and he mentions Emily's Sassy Lime and an EP on Christmas Records called Summer Vacation, and a track that I played called Teenage Superstar, and I'll be able to tell if this is it because there should be a cough... no, hold on a second... no, there's not a cough on the beginning of that side, let me try the other side and see if there's a cough on there. This is highly unprofessional and I apolo... no, that doesn't sound like it either. Tell you what, we'll go back to the other side and, er, play you a little bit of that until rude words come up and I have to fade it down rather than ruin your evening. Take it away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpQpym4wlSE

I just thought that, as Bill Lockhead goes on to say, are there any other songs as good as this which start with a cough? Well, now there's something to keep you, er... for something to think about during these spring evenings cos I can't think of any other records that start with a cough at all, but there are bound to be loads of them. This is Rude Bwoy Monty.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXTV1RGN-tg

That's Tom's Tip for tonight, Rude Bwoy Monty, the Pascal remix, Out in da Streets on Frontline Records, and a fax from William Dunmore from the band National Heroes, whose new LP arrived this week, so recently that I've only heard the half of it but there's a track from it in tomorrow afternoon's programme between five and seven right here on Radio 1, and William says they play tomorrow night at Hull University, and, er, no great distance actually from where the John Peel Roadshow will be working, er, in Scunthorpe, and, er, well I suppose it's a distance but it gives me an opportunity to plug my gig as well as theirs, and they play on Wednesday the 22nd of March at St John's Tavern, Archway, London, and on the 1st of April, a Saturday, at Shake Some Action record shop in Croydon. That's, er, National Heroes, and as I say, you can a track from their LP tomorrow afternoon right here on Radio 1. The Dub Specialists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCbMdzeat8Q

The Dub Specialists on Crispy Records, from an LP called Dub to Dub, Break to Break, and that's called All Nations Dub. This afternoon's sessions come from, no, I mean tomorrow afternoon's sessions between five and seven come from Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and er, The Orchids. Next weekend, while I'm thinking about it, during this programme it's DJ Hell, a first on the programme, plus The Faith Healers, a golden gasser from yesteryear, and er, next Saturday, the 18th I think it is, it's Spiritualised and Hooton 3 Car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHyEoYx2yus

I hope they're being hounded by major record labels bearing buckets of doubloons, they certainly should be anyway. Hooton 3 Car, a wonderful single, in session in, er, in eight days time on this programme, that's on Rumblestrip Records. This is Wayne Wade, Poor and Humble.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1GTor0u3Yw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpAoX6IxoFo

Well hello again. After the triumph of las... hold on a sec, that's a bit loud. After the triumph of last night's programme we're back to wilful obscurantism and trouble. There's sessions from New Order and Vice Squad, our second session from New Order which you'll not have heard before. Also some bold new reggae, and amongst the other records The Inflatable Boy Clams. Now there's something for you to look forward to. The Gang of Four from the LP Songs of the Free and yes, I know that Neil finished his programme with the Gang of Three, no reason for us not to start ours wqith the same thing though. This is Life, It's a Shame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3tDSCldYvk

Gnag of Four and, and that's from the LP Songs of the Free, Life It's a Shame, and indeed it is actually cos Neil came in while the record was playing and was telling me about how he's been invited to go to the Derby tomorrow. Not me. Nobody invites me to go to the Derby but old Neil, he goes and Mrs Neil and his producer and everybody, just as many people as he wants to take along, but not me. This is from B Team, What is This?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3l2KEkXbDQ

*John really did announce it as Gnag of Four, no doubt a reference to Our Brian's frequent typos on the programme notes, such as The Sex Gnag Children.

That's B Team from San Francisco and a single called What is This? which was raved about in, I think it was the NME a few weeks ago, think it was the NME, and B Team. You can actually write to them if you want to at 2642 22nd Avenue, San Francisco, California, 2642 22nd Avenue, San Francisco, California. Bet they'd be pleased to from you as well. This is Eek-a-Mouse and For Hire and Removal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ovnOYFoI1Y