BBC Radio 2 - Country Alerts

[Moshe]

BBC RADIO 2 will broadcast an hour long documentary about Bobbie Gentry on Monday 14th May at 10PM. Titled "Whatever happened to Bobbie Gentry?" Presented by Rosanne Cash.

[Smudger]

Thursday 10 May on Radio 2:

14:00–15:00
2DAY 2012
Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo explores the country genre and builds his own supergroup.

[kev]

Thursday 10 May on Radio 2:

14:00–15:00
2DAY 2012
Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo explores the country genre and builds his own supergroup.

"Supergroup"?? Hmmm!

"As 2 Day continues, Simon Mayo explores the country genre and builds his own Nashville-based supergroup with six session musicians of the highest calibre.

With the help of country aficionado and fellow presenter, Alex Lester, Simon delves into a genre, which is not widely explored on our daytime schedule, to find out more about its roots and influences.

The six musicians helping Simon, live from "Music City", are John Wheeler (fiddle/band leader), Mike Daly (pedal steel/dobro), Dave Pomeroy (upright/electric bass), Don Wayne Reno (banjo), and Cathryn Craig (vocals); with each showcasing their instrument, picking an inspirational tune and talking to Simon about their careers.

John Wheeler is the founding member of Hayseed Dixie who has played with many great names in Nashville sessions. With Hayseed, he has toured all over the world playing bluegrass and country, and is currently working on his own album.

Mike Daly is a stalwart of the country music scene, having spent a lot of his career playing for Hank Williams Jnr. He is also the steel player for Travis Tritt, and will be leaving to tour with him straight after our show.

Dave Pomeroy is not only the current President of the Nashville Musicians Union, but has a list of credits as long as his arm. Over the last 30 years he has recorded with hundreds of great country artists, featuring on over 400 albums, including Willie Nelson, Elton John, Alison Krauss and Guy Clark. He has performed with many stars, including Mose Allison, Dr John and has toured on many occasions with the great Don Williams.

Don Wayne Reno is also a member of Haysee Dixie and has played with John for many years. Don's love for bluegrass is evident, and there are no finer banjo players around. His father also co-wrote Duelling Banjos.

Cathryn is no stranger to Nashville, having lived there most of her life. She spends half of her time here in the UK, half in Music City, and has worked with and sung for artists such as Emmylou Harris, Mickey Newbury, Shel Silverstein and Tommy Boyce. The partner of Brian Willoughby, from the Strawbs, she has also put out several records with him under the name Craig & Willoughby.

At the end of the programme, the supergroup will perform a couple of country classics exclusively for Radio 2"

[Smudger]

Thursday 10 May on Radio 2:

14:00–15:00
2DAY 2012
Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo explores the country genre and builds his own supergroup.

"Supergroup"?? Hmmm!

"As 2 Day continues, Simon Mayo explores the country genre and builds his own Nashville-based supergroup with six session musicians of the highest calibre.

With the help of country aficionado and fellow presenter, Alex Lester, Simon delves into a genre, which is not widely explored on our daytime schedule, to find out more about its roots and influences.

The six musicians helping Simon, live from "Music City", are John Wheeler (fiddle/band leader), Mike Daly (pedal steel/dobro), Dave Pomeroy (upright/electric bass), Don Wayne Reno (banjo), and Cathryn Craig (vocals); with each showcasing their instrument, picking an inspirational tune and talking to Simon about their careers.

John Wheeler is the founding member of Hayseed Dixie who has played with many great names in Nashville sessions. With Hayseed, he has toured all over the world playing bluegrass and country, and is currently working on his own album.

Mike Daly is a stalwart of the country music scene, having spent a lot of his career playing for Hank Williams Jnr. He is also the steel player for Travis Tritt, and will be leaving to tour with him straight after our show.

Dave Pomeroy is not only the current President of the Nashville Musicians Union, but has a list of credits as long as his arm. Over the last 30 years he has recorded with hundreds of great country artists, featuring on over 400 albums, including Willie Nelson, Elton John, Alison Krauss and Guy Clark. He has performed with many stars, including Mose Allison, Dr John and has toured on many occasions with the great Don Williams.

Don Wayne Reno is also a member of Haysee Dixie and has played with John for many years. Don's love for bluegrass is evident, and there are no finer banjo players around. His father also co-wrote Duelling Banjos.

Cathryn is no stranger to Nashville, having lived there most of her life. She spends half of her time here in the UK, half in Music City, and has worked with and sung for artists such as Emmylou Harris, Mickey Newbury, Shel Silverstein and Tommy Boyce. The partner of Brian Willoughby, from the Strawbs, she has also put out several records with him under the name Craig & Willoughby.

At the end of the programme, the supergroup will perform a couple of country classics exclusively for Radio 2"

A strange mixture - I've seen the Hayseed boys and Mike Daly before - all excellent musicians but whether they class as a supergroup along with the others I don't know - should be interesting listening nevertheless. Curiously, there are only 5 musicians listed, not 6 as stated. Maybe the other one is "??"

[Smudger]

Just been listening to this. I don't think the music would have encouraged many listeners to become country fans if they weren't already - certainly not the younger generation anyway. The "supergroup", in Nashville, each chose a favourite song for Simon Mayo to play in London, none of which was particularly brilliant, apart from maybe "Devil went down to Georgia". Then at the end the band played live "Stand by your man" and "Grandma's feather bed"....................

I feel that this could have been a great opportunity to win people over to country, but it was wasted.

[kev]

Just been listening to this. I don't think the music would have encouraged many listeners to become country fans if they weren't already - certainly not the younger generation anyway. The "supergroup", in Nashville, each chose a favourite song for Simon Mayo to play in London, none of which was particularly brilliant, apart from maybe "Devil went down to Georgia". Then at the end the band played live "Stand by your man" and "Grandma's feather bed"....................

I feel that this could have been a great opportunity to win people over to country, but it was wasted.

Doesn't sound particularly brilliant. I might try and listen over the weekend.

[Space Cowboy]

I enjoyed the show but then I am already a fan, I don't think the 'dated' songs featured would attract new younger converts to CM.
The musicians are well established and first class but I felt it needed a 'star' name, as vocalist, with a current hit to give the show an up to date feel but this was probably too expensive and difficult for the Beeb to set up.

[Moshe]

I agree with Spacey. I enjoyed the show & some great tracks were played, but the hour did not touch upon contemporary country music at all. Still, it was a pleasant surprise. I was on my way home from the shops & tuned into radio 2 shortly after 2 on my phone & continued to listen on the tranny once I got home.
If Radio 2 sounded more like this during the daytime, I'd certainly listen more often. And it wouldn't have to be just country music, but a range of music. Too often daytime radio 2 is banal pop music & inane dj' chatter

[Smudger]

some great tracks were played

If you wanted to promote country music, would you choose these tracks?

If we make it through December - Merle Haggard (Merle has loads of songs much better than this one)
King of the Road - Roger Miller (very dated and not a classic)
You ain't woman enough - Loretta Lynn (perhaps a song by a modern female country singer would have been better?)
Devil went down to Georgia - Charlie Daniels Band (OK this is a good one!)
Teach your children - CSNY (a nice song but not a good example of country music)
Stand by your man
Grandma's Feather Bed - the last two sum up my thoughts completely!

Just my opinion of course, but I'm sure there could have been better ways to fill an hour long country music slot.

[kev]

Hmmm, not an inspiring selection but it probably sums up the typical radio 2 listener/non-country music fan's idea of what country sounds like - I can't imagine Mayo's producer wanting to 'scare the horses'! Bet if this was televised they'd all be sitting on haybales!

[Smudger]

Bet if this was televised they'd all be sitting on haybales!

Actually, it was televised - I watched some of it online. They had CCTV showing Simon Mayo and Alex Lester sitting in the studio (how boring was that!) - didn't see any haybales though. They also showed some still photos of each member of the band which was marginally more interesting.

[Space Cowboy]

There was definitely a touch of "Down Memory Lane" with Mayo's questions to the guests on their careers, influences and choice of tracks to illustrate their instruments - and as such, that worked.

[Moshe]

The selection was slanted towards oldies as the musos were asked, as I recall, to pick a track that got them into country. As they were not spring chickens it would be the older tunes, It could hardly have been Carrie Underwoods' "Good Girl"

[Smudger]

There was definitely a touch of "Down Memory Lane" with Mayo's questions to the guests on their careers, influences and choice of tracks to illustrate their instruments - and as such, that worked.

Yes, but I don't think that was the right choice of tracks and artists to showcase country music, which it claimed was the intention. I might have enjoyed the programme if I wasn't expecting more of it and it wasn't part of the 2day thing. There's no way I'm going to say to non-country music-type friends "Hey did you listen to that great show on Radio 2 about country music?" I can imagine their reaction. Yee-haw!

[Smudger]

The selection was slanted towards oldies as the musos were asked, as I recall, to pick a track that got them into country. As they were not spring chickens it would be the older tunes, It could hardly have been Carrie Underwoods' "Good Girl"

I agree, so I blame the BBC programmers for coming up with a show like that to showcase country music.