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0120120522Charles Hazlewood takes a personal journey around Britain, uncovering the music that has shaped who we are today. The music of this Island is incredibly diverse and in this six-part series, Charles Hazlewood examines and celebrates our unique pop music heritage.

Through interviews with the musicians who live and make music here, Charles will explore and illustrate musically, some of the themes that have shaped British pop music today.

In this episode, Charles explores folk music and the beginnings of pop. Ray Davies talks about why he started to write songs of social observation and how the themes of nostalgia, class and identity are so important to him.

Sussex singer Shirley Collins describes how her vision and songwriting became refined when she left Britain and how folk music can be enthralled with melancholy.

Charles also gets the chance to play one of the most enduring British folk songs with Eliza Carthy. Plus, interviews from Richard Thompson and producer Joe Boyd, and Charles reveals how singers began to reflect their own personal reflections on life, rather than those that had gone before.

But what does the music reveal about the people that play it? How has it shaped Britain?

Charles Hazlewood asks if there are any common themes or sensibilities in British music.

Charles Hazlewood uncovers the unique pop music heritage that has shaped Britain

02British Pop And America20120529Charles Hazlewood takes a personal journey around Britain, uncovering the music that has shaped who we are today.

In this second episode we look at how we took an American niche music form and made it our own. Steve Winwood talks to Charles about how the blues informed and influenced his own music as he took the formula and created his own British version.

As the British sound matures in the late 1960s and we begin to incorporate more styles, Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones, reveals why musicians began to incorporate the humour and irony of the music hall tradition in their music

Ray Davies from The Kinks explains why we should celebrate the ordinary occurrences in life and how they inform his music. And UK rapper Rodney P, influential in redefining Britishness within hip hop, celebrates the unique, soulful talent of Adele.

But what does the music reveal about the people that play it? How has it shaped Britain?

Charles Hazlewood recruits the help of Steve Winwood, Ray Davies and rapper Rodney P.

Charles Hazlewood uncovers the unique pop music heritage that has shaped Britain

03Sons Of The Sail20120605Charles Hazlewood takes a personal journey around Britain, uncovering the music that has shaped who we are today.

The influence of music from other places has been integral to the history of British music and in this third episode we examine its impact. Reggae producer Dennis Bovell tells Charles about the beginnings of lover's rock and the importance of a distinctly British reggae sound.

We hear from Tricky, who's now living in Paris, about his seminal album Maxinquaye and his thoughts on the formation of a black British identity in music.

And A Guy Called Gerald, the creator of one of the most important tracks in British dance music history, explains how music has been torn free from its location. But what does the music reveal about the people that play it? How has it shaped Britain?

Charles Hazelwood looks at British reggae music, chats to Tricky and A Guy Called Gerald.

Charles Hazlewood uncovers the unique pop music heritage that has shaped Britain

0420120612Charles Hazlewood examines and celebrates Britian's unique pop music heritage.

Charles Hazlewood uncovers the unique pop music heritage that has shaped Britain

0520120619Charles Hazlewood examines and celebrates Britian's unique pop music heritage.

Charles Hazlewood uncovers the unique pop music heritage that has shaped Britain

0620120626Charles Hazlewood examines and celebrates Britian's unique pop music heritage.

Charles Hazlewood uncovers the unique pop music heritage that has shaped Britain