ef
‘THAT SONG DRIPPED WITH SEX AND POWER AND ST RANGENESS'
From Tin Pan Alley to iTunes, the world of pop music is in constant flux. As a BBC season celebrates this success story, Brian Donaldson whistles along
he end of pop music has been trumpeted loudly
from the rooftops throughout its 50-year
history. The death of the two Brians. Jones and lipstein. the final splitting of The Beatles and the soulless production line of the SAW Hit l’actory are a few of the signposts which marked pop music as heading down the wrong path. But the power of pop is that it continually cats and reproduces itself. dragging otit one more glorious ttme to save the day. In the new BBC-1 season. which accentuates the positive influences of the form. l’np.’ What is it (him! For.” insists that the answer is ‘plentyf
Pop advocate and chronicler of the tips and downs of chart inusic. Paul Morley opens the season with a typically erudite and passionate defence. ‘I love pop music and pop songs in a way that some people might think unseemly for someone of my age. l‘m abotit as old as the music itself if you work to a history of hop that begins around abotit l957.‘ In his documentary. he meets tip with those he believes have provided the benchmarks. sipping Guinness with Suggs in a London boo/er to collaring Sugababes in a BBC corridor prior to their (‘omic Relief appearance.
And perhaps surprisingly. perhaps not. he nominates Kylie's ‘(‘an‘t Get You Out of My Head as the definitive number: a pop tune about pop tunes and the profound (or irritating) effect they can have on both mind and body. ‘I take pop music seriously enough to think that this song with this video answers those questions about pop that a serious fan might be asking when it comes to working out what pop is for.‘ notes Morley. ‘Why is it so special and why does it create these surprises. the kind you can trace back to
78 THE LIST 4—1 7 Jan 2008
the first time that lilvis l’resley curled his lip around a short. smart song that dripped with sex and power and strangeness.~
What many people love about pop music is that very strangeness. when a new sound or different approach
jumps otit of nowhere and shifts the terrain. The
three-part I’o/i Britannia details this to nostalgic perfection. highlighting the 'l'in l’an Alley dreamweavers. the l-‘ab liour‘s psychedelic
soundscapes. the Sex l’istols‘ stimmer-and-a-half of
manufactured hate. the Whils‘ dual ability of fading to grey and exploding into gaudy 'l‘echnicolor. the
Bl‘llpop shoot-out and on to the new wave of
downloadable success stories.
While conductor (’harles lla/lewood can‘t hold a tune to save himself. he is an adept analyst of the mechanics of music and in Hrm‘ Pop Songs ll'nrk. he tinkles the melodies that have shaped our collective pop psyches created by" Abba. John Lennon and Wyclef Jean. But perhaps most entertaining of all is Pop on Trial in which northern wag Stuart Maconie invites various trios ofjudges to nominate and dissect the decade which had the biggest influence and most impact on the pop world. And really". can anyone look beyond the 70s which crammed the wildly diverse forms of prog rock. glam. punk and disco into a relatively short space‘.’ Then again. w bile every decade has its horrible downsides. not even the Xfls produced anything quite so criminal as Showaddy'waddy' and ‘.\lull of Kintyre'.
Pop! What is it Good For? season starts on BBC4 with Pop Britannia, Fri 4 Jan, 10pm.
>l<
O .. "It \
THE BEST TELEVISION
2k City of Vice This drama series set in the 18th century centre of London's naughty goings-on features the work of the Fielding brothers. who were so sick of the crimewave that they set out to create the modern police force. Channel 4, Mon 14 Jan, 9pm.
:k The Kate Moss Years A two-part look at the lass who was spotted on the streets of Croydon and thrust into a jaw- dropping world of glam and rock. Quite where she's headed with the lad Doherty is open to wild speculation. Five, Thu 70 8 7 7 Jan, 70pm.
as Never Better The never rubbish Stephen Mangan stars as a recovering alcoholic who tries his best to get things right for a change. Cue calamity after catastrophe. BBCQ, Thu 10 Jan, 70pm.
:a Bike Squad Mark Addy and Maxine Peake saddle up (quite literally you know) for a daft one-off cop-centred comedy written by Guy Jenkin who previously gave us Drop the Dead Donkey and Jeffrey Archer: The Truth. Not a bad track record. /TV1, Fri 4 Jan, 9pm.
:(< Marc Wootton Exposed The comic behind the face and hair of Shirley Ghostman returns for a brand new series of his very own delusional characters such as a posh rapper called Rufus and demonic schoolboy Ian. 8803, Sun 13 Jan, 70.30pm.
* Greatest Comedy Catchphrases Another of those three-hour extravaganzas as we hear one familiar slogan after another. Am I bowered at being the only gay in the village? If you play your cards right, it'll be super. smashing, great. A-ha! Channel 4, Fri 4 Jan, 9pm.