The Twangmasters : The Art of the Lead Guitarist

All the attention is usually on the lead singer, but so often a song has been transformed by a great piece of lead guitar playing. Nick Barraclough tells the story of the lead guitarist; from Chuck Berry and BB King's licks to Ritchie Blackmore and Jimi Hendrix's riffs. What's more, he reveals the difference between and riff and a lick.

There's more to it than just twanging those strings, though. He's got to have the right attitude, swagger- and volume.

Three of today's working lead guitarists sit round a kitchen table and strum their way through a few stories, we hear how Deep Purple recorded with the police beating on their door, and the ways in which lead singers treat their lead guitarists.

We hear from Frank Zappa's 'stunt' guitarist and we hear of Ian Gillan's submission, and there is a discussion on whether the colour of a guitar's paint affects its tone and, a question that has been asked by lead guitarists since 1964 is answered: exactly what was that chord George Harrison played at the beginning of A Hard Day's Night?

Producer: Nick Barraclough
A Smooth Operation production for BBC Radio 4.

Last broadcast on Sat, 14 May 2011, 10:30 on BBC Radio 4.


©BBC Radio Productions 2011

Dear Judy

Join Rufus Wainwright to celebrate the 50th anniversary of "the greatest night in show business history" - Judy Garland's legendary concert at Carnegie Hall on 23 April 1961.
An ardent fan, who recreated the Carnegie Hall setlist in his Rufus Does Judy show, Wainwright leads us on a beautifully evocative journey, charting the story of the event and its implications for one of the best-loved performers of all time.
Judy Garland lived a famously complicated life. Performing from the age of two, she was catapulted to international fame by The Wizard of Oz. Life would never be the same again. Every romance, success and stumble - professional and otherwise - was seized upon by the press and it was almost more than Garland could stand. Plagued by self-doubt, she couldn't recognise the talent that was plain for everyone else to see.
Suddenly, in January of 1960, the pressure was off. A severe illness led doctors to tell Judy that she'd come close to death and would never sing again. They were startled when she responded that she was "greatly relieved". For the first time in her life, she was about more than simply performance. For the first time, she had the opportunity to fall back in love with the extraordinary talent that she'd grown to resent.
Join Rufus and friends as they celebrate Judy and the "greatest night in showbusiness".

Last broadcast on Tuesday 26th July, 22:00 on BBC Radio 2.

http://www.fileserve.com/file/WPDNW3y

©BBC Radio Productions 2011.