Friday night is music night on the UK’s BBC Four channel and this coming Friday, 4th September, the focus is on soul!
Beginning at 9.30 pm, Four airs the first episode of what is a three part series… ‘SOUL AMERICA’ – a chronicle of the rise of soul music. We’re told that this first instalment describes the role of Memphis, Muscle Shoals and Detroit and features contributions from people like Mavis Staples, Candi Staton, Duke Fakir, Martha Reeves, Mary Wilson, Otis Williams, The Holland Brothers, Clarence Carter, Al Bell (pictured in his studio, above), Steve Cropper and Spooner Oldham The narrator is Carleen Anderson.
Fridays’ first episode is followed at 10. 30 by the self-explanatory ‘Kings Of Soul’ which itself is followed by a recording of Smokey Robinson’s 2009 concert at the Electric Proms.
Earlier in the week (Tuesday 1st September) Film 4 will be screening the 2014 movie, ‘Get On Up’ – a James Brown biopic directed by Tate Taylor and starring Chadwick Boseman, who, of course, sadly died this weekend. Transmission time is 11.15 pm and we’re presuming that it will still be aired despite the sad news.
