Radio 2 to celebrate the world of songwriting

In November and December, BBC Radio 2 Celebrates Songwriting, exploring the art and craft of the world’s songwriters, hearing from some of the most famous names.

The season runs from Saturday 20 November to Sunday 12 December, launching with Adele At The BBC, looking back at her history with Radio 2. This is followed by a series of specials with Ed Sheeran, Cerys Matthews, Gary Barlow, Emeli Sandé, John Legend and Craig David and many more. The spotlight is very much on the talents of those who write the music that listeners love so much.

“Fabulous music is played on Radio 2 from start to finish every day, so Radio 2 Celebrates Songwriting is our way to pay tribute to the incredible talents and skills of those who start with an empty sheet of paper – the people who help make our station sound so brilliant, superb songwriters from the UK and across the world!” – Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2

Adele at the BBC sees Zoe Ball introduce a special programme looking back at Adele’s history with Radio 2, including her very first appearance on the network, her first national radio studio session and radio concert, plus Zoe’s own recent exclusive conversation with the singer on The Breakfast Show. Songs include Make You Feel My Love, Chasing Pavements, Crazy For You and Right As Rain. Saturday 20 November, 9-10pm, on Radio 2 & on BBC Sounds from Friday 19 November.

Ken Bruce presents, Tracks Of My Years: Songwriters Special, featuring some of the composers and lyricists who have appeared as guests on Tracks Of My Years, a feature of his show each day from Monday to Friday. The programme includes established giants of the music industry such as Diane Warren, Richard Carpenter, Smokey Robinson, Brian and Eddie Holland and Jimmy Webb who will feature alongside today’s generation of writers including Ryan Tedder, Ed Sheeran, Amy Wadge, John Legend and Becky Hill. On BBC Sounds from Saturday 20 November.

Also Michael Ball meets Richard Carpenter brings a one hour special to air as Michael chats to one of his all-time musical heroes, Richard Carpenter. Michael has selected his five favourite Carpenters recordings and will ask Richard the story behind them, from one recording artist to another. This promises to be an intimate chat as Michael shares his experiences of how The Carpenters’ songs have influenced his life and his own musical career, and delves into the finer details of these timeless tunes. And Michael’s dream comes true as he asks Richard to accompany him on piano as he sings the songs, guided by the writer himself. Sunday 21 November, 12-1pm.

It’s a Kind of Magic is a spectacular demonstration of the incredible songwriting of one of the world’s greatest rock bands, Queen, and the legends who inspired them, including Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Aretha Franklin and more. Hosted by Radio 2’s Gary Davies and recorded at the outdoor venue of The Granaries in Malta earlier this year, the whole of the legendary Queen Live Aid set from 1985 at Wembley Stadium is recreated on what would have been Freddie Mercury’s 75th birthday and the 50th anniversary of Queen. The 60-piece BBC Concert Orchestra and rock band are joined by Tony Vincent and the star of the hit Queen musical We Will Rock You, along with other leading vocalists. The singers and orchestra perform hits including Killer Queen, Somebody to Love, Don’t Stop Me Now, Under Pressure, We Are the Champions and Bohemian Rhapsody, in celebration of Queen’s music. Sunday 21 November, 7-9pm.

In an exclusive interview, John Legend talks about the influence that John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison have had on his music, from learning to play Yesterday at the age of eight to the way that they shaped his songwriting and methods of working in the studio. In between he picks his own favourite Beatles’ songs, discusses the songwriting of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison at length, gives listeners a unique insight into his own songwriting and picks the one song that he believes encapsulates John Legend more than any other! John’s Beatles picks include Something, Blackbird, Yesterday, Eleanor Rigby, Come Together, Across The Universe, Golden Slumbers, Hey Jude, Here Comes The Sun. John Legend on The Beatles, Sunday 21 November, 9-10pm & on BBC Sounds from Friday 20 November.

Singer songwriter Michael Bublé joins Claudia on her Saturday morning show to discuss the perfect ingredients for a festive hit and his role as the unofficial king of Christmas! Sunday 27 November, 10am-1pm.

Pete Paphides is on a mission to find the perfect formula for making a bona fide hit by talking to the people who make them – the songwriters.  In How to write a perfect… he takes a close look at superhits from four genres: Power Ballads, Girl Power Anthems, Dancefloor Fillers and Break-up Tracks. The programmes will be available as four thirty-minute shows on BBC Sounds. Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 November, 9-10pm.

Nashville Songwriters with Ed Sheeran, Saturday 4 December, 9-10pm. Ed Sheeran – a long-time fan and supporter of country music – introduces this special look at the work of Music City songwriters. Nashville is the country songwriting capital, home to thousands of the globe’s most successful commercial songwriters and the ‘must visit’ destination for countless more wanting their own work sprinkled with some of the city’s fairy dust. Nashville is a song factory, utilising an almost industrial level of organisation to ensure that hits are generated on a daily basis every day of the year.

Edith Bowman talks to guests including Alan Cumming and Sigrid – about the song that makes them cry happy tears and the song that makes them cry tears of sadness. Sunday 5 December, 9-10pm, & on BBC Sounds from Saturday 20 November. First and Last is a two-part series that gives a fascinating insight into the lives, hearts and minds of some of today’s most successful songwriters through the first and last songs they wrote and the journey in between. Presented by Cerys Matthews Saturday 11 & Sunday 12 December, 9-10pm.

It wouldn’t be the BBC without a good old repeat for good measure so we can all enjoy once more Sunday Night Is Music Night: Leslie Bricusse. Sir Michael Parkinson presents a special Sunday Night is Music Night celebrating the life and career of recently deceased composer Leslie Bricusse.

The concert was originally recorded to celebrate Leslie’s 80th birthday. As a composer and lyricist, and with Anthony Newley, John Barry and John Williams, Leslie wrote an astonishing catalogue of songs. These include Goldfinger, Feeling Good, You Only Live Twice, Pure Imagination, If I Ruled The World, Can You Read My Mind from Superman. There’s also The Candy Man, My Kind Of Girl for Matt Monro, and the groundbreaking musicals Stop The World I Want To Get Off, and The Roar of The Greasepaint The Smell of The Crowd.

Mike Dixon conducts the BBC Concert Orchestra, with star singers from the West End including Emmy award-winning Hannah Waddingham, John Owen-Jones, and Michael Jibson, as well as the 40-strong Finchley Children’s Music Group and Annie Skates’ Capital Voices. The show was first broadcast in 2011. Repeated Sunday 12 December, 7-9pm.

All the programmes will be available on BBC Sounds as a full collection as well as the BBC Radio 2 transmissions.