Brierly Hill 90210

The year begins with George W Bush celebrating a second term as US president while the world mourns and prays for those effected by the massive Indian Ocean tsunami at the end of 2004. On the personal front, by February, we were pregnant again and, after many nervous months, this time it stuck. Looking back, I don't remember a direct connection but find it hard to believe it's a coincidence that I wanted to do something musical and creative while we were expecting. I was experiencing a slow realization that I no longer liked the music that I liked, if that makes any sense. I didn't want to listen to the music that was being offered through mainstream outlets so I started searching out new and interesting music, not paying attention to whether it was actually released by a record label. That concept of “record label” was disappearing and the DIY essence of punk rock that I fell in love with as a teenager was once again to the fore, more so than ever. Folks could record whatever they wanted in their bedrooms,

While 2023 starts with a continuing war in Ukraine and there are horrific events in the Middle East on the horizon, I'm struck by what a relatively uneventful year it has been. While I clearly don't want you to switch off, and there is some great music and significant moments to enjoy in this episode, I do find myself asking, is this the most uninteresting year ever? But, having said that, there were personal events that will forever shape my memories of 2023. My father passed away in September, just shy of his 84th birthday. While I was pleased I got over to the UK in 2022 to see him, I will always regret not going back again since then while he was ill. I did rush over to help out with funeral arrangements and such, and ended up staying for a month. Even though it was for a very sad reason, I did enjoy that time spent mostly with family and there is a large chunk of this episode heavily influenced by that time spent in the UK.

1973 is another of those years that feels like one chapter is ending as another begins. That may have something to do with personal memories. I turned 7 and, while I certainly have earlier memories, they're just glimpses and fragments. There are stories in this 1973 episode that have a concrete “time and place” to them. But there's a flip side to this. While I have distinct memories of Australia and New Zealand protesting French nuclear testing, the energy crisis, Goodies and the Beanstalk and a host of the other TV sound-bites, I am struck by how many times I found myself saying, “how did I not know this?”. I did not know that there was a referendum in Northern Ireland about whether to remain in the UK or not. I have visited Bermuda several times but never knew that the Governor was assassinated in 1973. I vaguely remember Skylab but did not know that Skylab 1 was shortly followed by Skylab 2, launched to repair Skylab 1. I did not know about an arson attack on a gay bar in New Orleans that killed 32 or t

My name is Jon Miller. I was born in 1966 in the idyllic countryside of the Cotswold Hills in the south west of England. I have a brother who is two years younger than me and soon after he was born, my parents moved from the tiny village of Salperton, to the slightly less tiny village of Hazelton about 2 miles away. I was 5 as 1972 begins and attended school at Northleach CofE. I spent most of my time riding my bike, climbing trees (or onto the roof of my dad's shed) or kicking a football around. I have vague musical memories of seeing artists such as Slade, T Rex, Gary Glitter, Roxy Music and Gilbert O'Sullivan on Top of the Pops. But I couldn't swear they were the songs you'll hear or later ones. I do remember Gordon Banks car crash, a world of airplane hijackings and Mark Spitz winning lots of gold medals. But I do not remember some of the bigger news stories carrying over from the previous year; Bangladesh seeking to separate from Pakistan, the British stepping up activities in Northern Ireland or the c

In this episode you going to hear from artists that are the epitome of 1970s music; T Rex, Rod Stewart, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, what have you. But there's a new sound creeping in that doesn't even have a name yet! Discotheques had been popping up in Europe as early as the second World War. The shortened term “disco” first appeared in 1964 to describe a fashion and a certain type of LA night club. It wasn't used to describe a style of music until 1973 but there's a prelude to that in a couple of songs you'll hear in this episode. You've probably heard bits of it previously (Sly and the Family Stone comes immediately to mind) as the sounds of rhythm and blues, soul, gospel and funk started to align. Motown had added a distinctive sound of their own, bringing in disco elements, including the bass and orchestra. Contributions come out of Philadelphia and New York plus the role of the UK can't be misstated either with the sounds of northern soul and the newly emerging glam-rock also playing their part. But be

The music of the early 70s does not have the greatest of reputations. You can judge for yourself if that is well-founded or not. But there certainly seemed to be less good songs to draw from as I put this episode together. But, if you're of a similar age to me, a child born of the 60s, there's something that starts to feel more familiar now. See if you agree.

One of the reasons for looking back to pre-rock'n'roll in this series was to learn more about the styles, trends and back-stories that shaped the music of the punk rock movement and beyond. I've mentioned before that there's clearly never an alignment to musical styles starting or ending with how the calendar falls. But there was almost a dividing line in the middle of 1968 that signified the end of what I think of as “60s music” and what feels like the 1970s. You hear commentators talk of the “end of an era” and the “end of innocence”. But there is a sense of weariness, cynicism and down-right anger as we bear witness to the death throes of the 1960s. The big news story is the moon landing and is something, as a 3-year old I do vaguely remember being woken up for. There's little in the way of music or other current events I recall. But we're starting to hear TV that was a large point of my childhood. Listen out for Mary, Mungo and Midge, Scooby Doo, Pot Black, The Clangers, Ask The Family, Chigley, and Das

From the start of this series, I've included clips from television shows, mostly from when they first broadcast. Even though I was born in 1966, I have memories of shows that debuted as early as the mid-50s; The Woodentops, Andy Pandy, The Flowerpot Men. But as we get to the TV of 1968, I'm starting to have more direct recollection of watching them. As I was only 2, it may not have be right away. But you'll start to hear shows that I remember watching when I was small, maybe only a few years after they first came out. Listen out for snippets from Hector's House, Lamb Chop, Joe 90, Wacky Racers, The Herb Garden and The Banana Splits. You'll also hear one of the first movies I remember as a child. See if you can spot that towards the end of the episode.

As a child, I had a fascination with the year 1967. Why would that be do you think? Having plunged into the music and sounds of the year to bring you this episode, I'm still not sure I know the answer. It is undoubtedly a year of dramatic change. Musically, the best that the 60s had to offer transitions into the drippy, hippy nonsense that become the navel-staring self-indulgence of the early 1970s. But the other side of that coin sees the development of a harder rock n roll while there are soul performances that show-case some of the best song-writing ever. Documentary film makers are starting to tell a different tale about Vietnam and you'll hear great contradictions in America as the summer of love competes with Vietnam protests and the long, hot summer that saw racial tensions become violent in many US cities. Maybe it's that sheer number of contradictory and complimentary story lines and musical numbers that appealed to the young Miller. For this episode, more than any other, there were too many songs

Back in 1953, many British homes bought TVs for the first time so that they could watch the coronation of their new Queen. But there are also TV-related changes afoot in these episodes from the mid 1960s. Filmed news reels are increasingly being replaced by TV news coverage. Maybe this happened earlier and it's only becoming apparent because technology hadn't allowed earlier TV news to be retained for posterity. But it's evidenced in 1966 with the US coverage of Vietnam and the British coverage of the World Cup and the Moors Murders.

As another year gets underway, there's a striking change in tone for stories that have been running for a while. There's a difference in the action taking place in Vietnam but also in the way it is being reported. Similarly, race relations are being addressed more directly as steps are taken, both forward and back, in all corners of the world.

1964 is a year without the single, big-impact story of other years. The assassination of President Kennedy is still a fresh, raw memory as Americans go to the polls later in the year. Political change is coming to the UK also with a general election on the horizon. Children are going missing in the Manchester area, close to Saddleworth Moor. That's a story that gets very little attention in '64 but, while nobody know Brady and Hindley yet, they're names that make headlines later and will remain in infamy to the present day. Having conquered England, four mop-tops from Liverpool lead British bands charge across the Atlantic. It's tempting to say they're “top of the pops” but that's a phrase given to us early by the gift-giving year that is 1964.

The year started with something I'd avoided to this point; I came down with COVID the first week of the year. I was very poorly for 24-hours but quickly recovered after that. Others have not been so fortunate. As is always the case as the calendar turns a page to January, one's never sure what kind of year it's going to be. I don't think any of us were expecting what 2022 would throw our way. Happy New Year. Happy 2022.

It's hard writing the introduction for an episode when you know a major news story will dominate it. While the focus will inevitably be on events in Dallas in November, there are other things happening in 1963, some significant, some less so. While the US has had a presence in Vietnam for the last few years, a coup changes the political complexion in that part of the world. At the same time, but much closer to home, Americans hear wise words in the race for civil rights. There's also a bunch of firsts in the race to conquer space. While, closer to the ground, listen out for the introduction of the Hillman Imp, Vauxhall Viva, Ford Anglia. Musically, there is no question that the “sounds of the 60s” arrive with a bang. A 4-piece beat combo from Liverpool are set to have a break-out year. So, with no further ado, welcome to the 1960s. Welcome to 1963.

As a new year begins, the US continues to ramp up it's presence in Vietnam. But Americans are looking closer to home. The previous year had seen the failed invasion of Cuba by former exiles of that country. The invasion, though it wasn't known at the time, has been funded by the US government. Their response to this failure would be a trade embargo of Cuba early in 1962. Let's see how all these twists and turns pan out. Welcome to 1962.

As a new year begins, tensions are rising between the US, led by newly elected President John F Kennedy, and Cuba, two years after the revolution that installed Fidel Castro as it's leader. On the other side of the world, pressure is also building as communism spreads in south-east Asia. The United States is keeping it's finger in that pie as well. Musically, while I didn't expect there to be the flick of a switch to turn off the rock 'n' roll of the 50s and turn on what we think of as the “sound of the 60s”, I did expect a gradual fade of one into the other. But what I hadn't thought through was a musical revolution occurring between the two. R&B artists such as Etta James, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Roy Orbison and The Shirelles were recording hit records that certainly stand-up better today than the awful “bubblegum rock” that it was competing with. That continues into 1961 but, while Johnny Kidd & The Pirates were already, in my opinion, way ahead of their time, there's a single by Tony Sheridan in 1961 t

Something that's struck me throughout this series is the evolving use of language through the decades. It's a fascinating insight into trends and attitudes present in general society of the time. There's a real contrast from the language used in 1960 news reels and even in the TV news of race riots in the late 70s and early 80s to what you're likely to hear as you tune in for information in the 21st century. As this episode unfurls, listen out for some choices of words which wouldn't be considered acceptable today. Ironically, you'll also hear famous words describing a “wind of change”. Welcome to a new decade. Welcome to 1960.

I noticed a musical trend starting in the previous episode. The earnest beginnings of rock n' roll were joined by novelty songs in 1958. You may recall songs about lollipops, splish-splashing and yakety-yakking. Do you see parallels to later musical movements; earnest angst to begin, novelties soon follow but then more serious musicians shape the period after that? I'll leave you debating that one and whether it really matters as you listen to the sounds of 1959.

I was born in 1966, 3 years before man first walked on the moon. I have a vague recollection of my dad getting me out of bed to watch some of those Apollo missions. So it's interesting to hear the prelude to those memories, forged 11 years earlier from America's fear of the Soviet Union. Also aligned to the fear of communism is the west's fear of Arab nationalism. This creates new tensions in the middle-east and elsewhere. Sit back and enjoy these and other historically significant moments while global and musical revolutions continue apace. Welcome to 1958.

As I work on this series, I'm still fascinated by the highs, lows and lulls that are outside of my control. The working title of the series was “chronology” and, as much as possible, I let that tell it's own story. The music, news and entertainment timelines drive the narrative. While there is still excitement and a newness to the music of 1957, worldwide events seem to be taking a pause, to catch their breath after the upheaval of 1956 and social change coming in the 1960s. That's not to say there aren't some significant headlines in 1957. But it still feels like a “filler year” between what came before and what's still to come. See if you agree as you sit back and let the sounds of the year wash over you. Welcome to 1957.