BBC Archives

The BBC Archives are collections documenting the BBC's broadcasting history, including copies of television and radio broadcasts, internal documents, photographs, online content, sheet music, commercially available music, press cuttings and historic equipment. The original copies of these collections are permanently retained but are now in the process of being digitised. Some collections are now being uploaded onto the BBC Archives website on BBC Online for viewers to see. The archive is one of the largest broadcast archives in the world with over 12 million items.
== Links To Peel ==
Peel's Night Ride show grew out of an idea by producer John Muir for a "non-needletime" programme drawing on the BBC's store of archive recordings from around the world. This meant that not only were the shows cheaper to produce (because no royalty payments were needed), but that they also reflected the hippy era's growing interest in exotic cultures. Most of the archive material was by unknown artists and had been recorded by national radio stations or folklorists, rather than for commercial release. After Night Ride finished in September 1969, there was a positive audience response to some of the "Archive Things", as Peel would call the World Music archive material, so a selection of the most popular pieces appeared on the John Peel's Archive Things LP a year later. As the individual track credits on the Archive Things LP sleeve show, they arrived in the Archives from various non-commercial sources. The playlist for the 19 February 1969 Night Ride includes some items supplied to the BBC by the Voice Of America radio network.
Once Night Ride had been taken off the air, Peel no longer used BBC Archive material until the Peel's Pleasures series of the early 1980s, which included vintage spoken word clips from the archives alongside some of his favourite records and sessions. But it was not until 1998 that the BBC began to systematically preserve and archive shows by Peel and other Radio 1 DJs. As Ken Garner recounts in The Peel Sessions (pp. 184-5), the Information and Archives Unit was set up at Maida Vale, with the aim of digitising "both the Radio 1 archive and as much radio drama and comedy as possible, anticipating the planned launch of the BBC's digital radio stations 6 Music and BBC7 (now Radio 4 Extra), whose programmes would rely on the archives". Indeed, Peel sessions from the archives are frequently repeated on 6 Music, in the shows of DJs such as Marc Riley, Gideon Coe and Peel's son Tom Ravenscroft. The station has also broadcast a few complete Peel shows, while Radio 4 Extra has featured programmes paying tribute to Peel, which went out on the anniversary of his death and were complied from archive interviews and other spoken word material.
== Shows Played ==
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;1968
*06 March 1968: North Vietnamese music by unknown artists: 'A Joyful Northern Air'
*06 March 1968: Unknown Indian Artist: Thillana Jinjote Ragam (played on veena, mridangam and tambura)
*19 March 1969: Traditional Indian music
*19 March 1969: sitar music
*27 March 1968: Unknown Vietnamese Artist: Instrumental
*27 March 1968: North Indian Classical Music: Raag Kirwani - Surbahar Solo
*03 April 1968: Unknown Indian Artist: South Indian music played on the Gottuvadhyam
*03 April 1968: Unknown Indian Artist: Temple music from a Buddhist morning service from South India
*03 April 1968: Vietnamese Girl: Flower Song
*10 April 1968: Unknown Chinese Artist: Winter Bird Sporting Over The Stream (15th century Chinese music played on a "cheing")
*10 April 1968: Unknown Indian Artist: South Indian music played on the Gottuvadhyam
*17 April 1968: Japanese Folk Music: Song For Hammering Straw
*17 April 1968: North Indian Classical Music: Raag Kirwani - Surbahar Solo
*24 April 1968: Korean bowed zither music 
*01 May 1968: Unknown Japanese Folk Artist: The Priest Who Committed Suicide
*08 May 1968: Semai Senoi Aborigines: Massed Bamboo Stampers (trad.) (Perak, Malaya) 
*08 May 1968: Sriranjani Ragam: Classical South Indian music played on the Gotuwadyam
*15 May 1968: Ugandan music
*15 May 1968: Tintala Jhinjotti: Raja 
*22 May 1968: Aboriginal music - Children's Song
*22 May 1968: Chinese children's song - The Fearless Bird
*22 May 1968: Ugandan instrumental 
*29 May 1968: SE Turkey City music
*29 May 1968: Malaysian Girls - Hydro Percussion 
*29 May 1968: Gotchie Radjan
*05 June 1968: Turkish love song - Beautiful Things 
*05 June 1968: NW Australia - childrens' song on didgeridoo
*05 June 1968: SW Indian Raga
*12 June 1968: Turkish Spoon Playing
*12 June 1968: Turkish Folk Music
*12 June 1968: The Chicken Has Laid An Egg - Malaya - played on Jews harp
*19 June 1968: Bird Flutes From New Guinea
*19 June 1968: Turkish Jazz Love Song
*19 June 1968: Geisha Girl Song
*26 June 1968: Monks Of Kume Tarsang Monastery: The Eternal Voice
*26 June 1968: Aboriginal Children: Traditional Song
*26 June 1968: Quartet Improvisation for Kwang-go
*03 July 1968: North Vietnamese Peasant Song
*03 July 1968: Pir Sultan Abdal - Bektashi Song
*10 July 1968: Music for an Auspicious Occasion
*24 July 1968: Waltz, played on the kantele, a 5-stringed instrument from Finland
*24 July 1968: Untitled music from the Khyber Pass
*31 July 1968: Thing from Russia
*07 August 1968: Russian Folk Music
*07 August 1968: Mauritanian music
*07 August 1968: Sikh music
*14 August 1968: Macusi Tribe: Savannah Shuffle (British Guyana)
*14 August 1968: French New Guinea Music
*14 August 1968: Russian Music 
*21 August 1968: N.L.F. record - North Vietnamese Lullaby
*21 August 1968: African record Wellington Boots
*21 August 1968: Fire Walking Music
*28 August 1968: Oud music from Bahrain
*28 August 1968: Pharoah Syid: Japan 
*28 August 1968: Tanganyikan comical music
*04 September 1968: Turkish Music - Bechlashi song
*04 September 1968: "Raga Kamast" SW India
*04 September 1968: "Malayan magical-medical music"
*11 September 1968: Khyber Pass Music 
*11 September 1968: African Gumboot music
*11 September 1968: raindrops falling on ?? leaves
*18 September 1968: "To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done"Mantra of the Nigerian leader, General Yakubu Gowon, during the Biafran war.
*09 October 1968: "Cymbalom dance" (Slovakia)
*06 November 1968: unknown North Vietnamese artist: Lullaby (on folk instrument) 
*06 November 1968: unknown Yemen artist: Music From The Yemen (Played on the UD)
*06 November 1968: Sriranjani Ragam: Classical South Indian music played on the Gotuwadyam
*27 November 1968: John Dudley: Poor Boy Blues
*27 November 1968: John Dudley: Poor Boy Blues
*04 December 1968: Imbira wooden xylophone from Africa
*04 December 1968: British Grenadier Guards: Khyber Pass music
*11 December 1968: Azerbaijani Music: Air
*18 December 1968: Music from the Sarawak by the Kayan tribe
*18 December 1968: Radio Brunei Gong Orchestra
;1969
*01 January 1969: Cambodian music
*01 January 1969: Malayan music
*08 January 1969: Music from Belgian Congo
*08 January 1969: Koto music from Japan
*08 January 1969: Penny Whistlers: Iz Dolv (Macedonian)
*15 January 1969: Music from Liberia: Harp solo
*15 January 1969: Music from Gangtok, Sikkim: Flute solo
*15 January 1969: Music from Georgia, USSR: Instrumental
*22 January 1969: music from Southern Czechoslovakia / Southern Bohemia
*22 January 1969: Appleton Bell Ringers
*22 January 1969: Turkish Music
*29 January 1969: Willy Clancy 
*29 January 1969: Kantali from Finland
*05 February 1969: Indian harp solo
*05 February 1969: Indian cradle song - Bessieur
*19 February 1969: Traditional Music From Norway: Bukkehornet
*26 February 1969: Romanian music 
*05 March 1969: Polish Wedding Song sung by the Polish Radio Folk Music Group
*12 March 1969: Music from Georgia and Azerbaijan - 3 tracks, plus written introductions which JP reads out
*26 March 1969: Musical Box: “Waves Of The Danube”
*26 March 1969: Vielle: “Hurdy Gurdy Music”
*26 March 1969: Sicilian guitar Music
*02 April 1969: Constantinescu: Patuta (Romanian Jew's Harp)
*02 April 1969: unknown - American Indians from Venezuela: Horob
*09 April 1969: Indian chant from Bombay 
*09 April 1969: Japanese music - Bamboo flute - "Water & Stones"
*16 April 1969: Bolognian instrumental
*16 April 1969: Uganda zylophone
*16 April 1969: Paraguayan music
*23 April 1969: Trumpet Imitation - Austria 
*23 April 1969: Tamil Fire Walking music
*23 April 1969: Jews Harp of Bamboo - New Guinea 
*30 April 1969: Jews Harp - New Guinea
*30 April 1969: Radio Ceylon Orchestra: unknown
*30 April 1969: Three little valletas from Madagascar
*30 April 1969: Fijian March
*07 May 1969: Finnish Kantele Music from Karelia
*07 May 1969: The Shepherd Song from Sweden
*07 May 1969: Modernised Folk Song from Ceylon
*14 May 1969: Organ music from Notre Dame church
*14 May 1969: BBC Silver Jubilee poem 
*14 May 1969: Shepherd's Birch Bark Flute From Finland 
*21 May 1969: Music from Afghanistan featuring tambour/tabla
*21 May 1969: Water Cups & Tabla From New Delhi
*28 May 1969: Indian classical music - Whistled and played on a bowed string instrument and accompanied on drum and drone
*28 May 1969: Radio Ceylon Orchestra: Wind, String Instruments and Percussion
*28 May 1969: Romanian Radio And Television Folk Orchestra: The Hora
*11 June 1969: Portuguese Evening Service
*11 June 1969: Automatic Trumpet Made In 1800
*11 June 1969: Portuguese Folk Dance Song
*18 June 1969: Muhammad Al-Kahlawi: Gidi Ya Nor (Burn O' Fire)
*18 June 1969: Setar solo from Persia called Mehour
*18 June 1969: Music from the Firozkohi tribe of Afghanistan played on the Damboura
*02 July 1969: Indian harp music played on a swarmandal
*02 July 1969: Music from Baluchistan performed by the Mazari tribe on traditional drums
*02 July 1969: Traditional Portuguese music played on a Portuguese guitar and viola
*09 July 1969: Portuguese music of folk group from Braga
*09 July 1969: Johannischer Chor Berlin: Berceuse
*09 July 1969: Music of the Sudan by Aisha Al-Falatiya
*23 July 1969: Sidamo Tribe: Heroic Song
*23 July 1969: Gong Gede: Oleg Tambulilingan
*23 July 1969: Bugandan Royal Court: Xylophone
*30 July 1969: Belly dancing music from Morocco sung by Mustafa Nasser 
*30 July 1969: Music from Thailand, an extract from an opera 
*06 August 1969: Zither solo from Vietnam 
*06 August 1969: Franciscan monks
*06 August 1969: Balinese Jews Harp Duet
*13 August 1969: Polka from southern Bohemia 
*13 August 1969: City music from Turkey
*13 August 1969: Indian Harp Solo
*20 August 1969: Ethiopian Lyre
*20 August 1969: Sunday Morning Prayers From Ethiopia
*20 August 1969: Celebration Dance Song From The Ethiopian Province Of Kaffa
*27 August 1969: Traditional Children's Rhyme: I Know A Little Girl 
*27 August 1969: Ethiopia - sansa (thumb piano) (solo)
*27 August 1969: Ethiopian Dance Song
*17 September 1969: Kahne - Mouth Organ Made Of Bamboo
*17 September 1969: Flua Romanian Pipe
*17 September 1969: Musical Bow From Congo
;1970
*04 July 1970: Malaysian Girls - Hydro Percussion (LP: John Peel's Archive Things) BBC REC 68M (JP: And there's one for Jimmy Savile. Sounds like a communal shower actually)
== External Links ==
* Wikipedia
* BBC Archives
* BBC Archive Collection
== References ==
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