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Mix It Up and Start Again

Episode 3 of 3

Series exploring the alchemy that creates great songs reaches the modern era, when music was transformed by digital technology and the computer.

Composer and musician Neil Brand's series exploring the alchemy that creates great songs reaches the modern era, when a revolution in how they were made took place. From the synthesisers of symphonic rock to the mixes of disco and the samplings of hip hop, music was transformed by the arrival of digital technology and the computer, which gave some songwriters more power but others much less. Along the way Neil talks synths with Rick Wakeman from Yes, samples with Public Enemy's Hank Shocklee, uncovers the surprising lo-fi origins of Bruce Springsteen's stadium-busting Born in the USA, and finds out how Cher changed the sound of her voice on the smash hit Believe.

58 minutes

Last on

Sat 7 Dec 2019 01:45

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Music Played

  • Kraftwerk

    Autobahn

  • Incredible Bongo Band

    Apache

  • Jefferson Starship

    Rock Music

  • Cher

    Believe

  • Nirvana

    Smells Like Teen Spirit

  • Bruce Springsteen

    Born In The USA (18 Tracks Version)

  • Bruce Springsteen

    Born In The USA (Born In The USA Version)

  • Chic

    Good Times

  • Pink Floyd

    Breathe (In The Air)

  • Yes

    Yours Is No Disgrace

  • Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes

    The Love I Lost (A Tom Moulton Mix)

  • The O’Jays

    Backstabbers (A Tom Moulton Mix)

  • Gloria Gaynor

    Reach Out, I’ll Be There (Album Mix)

  • Gloria Gaynor

    Never Can Say Goodbye (Album Mix)

  • Queen

    Another One Bites The Dust

  • The Sugarhill Gang

    Rapper's Delight

  • Louis Armstrong

    I Cover The Waterfront

  • James Brown

    Funky Drummer

  • Public Enemy

    Rebel Without A Pause

  • The J.B.’s

    The Grunt

  • Public Enemy

    Fight The Power

  • Bruce Springsteen

    Nebraska

  • Pixies

    Brick Is Red

  • Guns N’ Roses

    November Rain

  • Whitesnake

    Here I Go Again

  • Nirvana

    Come As You Are

  • Nirvana

    All Apologies (Demo)

  • Nirvana

    Rape Me

  • Nirvana

    Heart-Shaped Box

  • Daft Punk

    Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams)

  • Shellac

    Dude Incredible

  • The Isley Brothers

    Fight the Power (Parts 1 & 2)

  • John Grant

    Pale Green Ghosts

  • Hot Butter

    Popcorn

  • John Grant

    GMF

  • ¸éö²â°ì²õ´Ç±è±è & Robyn

    Do It Again

  • Taylor Swift

    Shake It Off

  • Gloria Gaynor

    I Will Survive (A Tom Moulton Mix)

  • Robyn

    Fembot

  • Kraftwerk

    Autobahn

  • Pink Floyd

    Breathe (In The Air)

  • Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes

    The Love I Lost

  • Bruce Springsteen

    Born In The USA

  • Whitesnake

    Here I Go Again

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Neil Brand
Executive Producer Michael Poole
Series Producer Alastair Laurence
Director Jake Hayes

Broadcasts

Sound of Song ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Music Playlist

Discover music from the show our ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Music Playlist

Enter the Machine Age: Where will the song go from here?

Neil Brand writes on the breakthrough sounds of Kraftwerk and the purist backlash.

Manipulating the music: Get in the studio with Al Green

Neil Brand on the growth of a new creative personality in the studio - the producer.

How new stars came to prominence through the birth of recorded music

Neil Brand on an explosion in sound recording - read more at ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Arts.