The Pop Scene was a series of ten half-hour programmes surveying the evolution of pop music from the 1950s to the present day, that was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in 1970. The programmes were a part of Radio 3's early evening "educational" strand and took an analytical approach to the subject. The series used several different narrators for the programmes, including John Peel, Ian Grant, Bob Young, composer Tim Souster and writers Richard Mabey and Nik Cohn.
Links to Peel[]
Peel narrated two episodes of the series:
Episode 4: The Mersey Sound first broadcast 28th May 1970, repeated 25th August 1970.
JOHN PEEL talks about the pop explosion in Britain which started in Liverpool and spread throughout the country.
Episode 6: Sergeant Pepper first broadcast 11th June 1970, repeated 8th September 1970.
JOHN PEEL analyses the Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' and illustrates some of the changes which it has produced in modern pop music.
The UK National Archives lists an audio cassette containing "The Pop Scene - Pop Scene, programmes 4 and 6, presented by John Peel, May-June 1970" in the National Archive's copy of a catalogue of material held at the British Film Institute. [1]. Episode 6 is now available online, see below
Episode Details[]
- Episode 6
- Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
- John segment
- Beatles: Love Me Do / Strawberry Fields Forever comparison
- John segment
- Beatles: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
- John segment
- Rolling Stones: We Love You
- John segment
- John Fred & His Playboy Band: Judy In Disguise
- John segment
- Captain Beefheart: Fast 'N' Bulbous
- John segment
- Beatles: I Am The Walrus
- John segment
- Beatles: She's Leaving Home
- John segment
- Beatles: Within You Without You
- John segment
- Pregnant Insomnia: Wallpaper
- John segment
- Beatles: A Day In The Life
- John segment
- Episode Six: Mozart Versus The Rest
- John segment
- Ten Years After: Woodchopper's Ball
- John segment
- Beatles: A Day In The Life