A year-long documentary series is starting on Radio 2 tonight charting the audio history of the last five decades of the last millennium.
Sounds Of The 20th Century is the first major commission for independent production company TDC, run by the former Radio Academy Chief Executive Trevor Dann.
The 50-part series has been produced by Trevor along with Heather Davies, the team responsible for the weekly industry podcast RadioTalk.
Radio 2 tell us to expect 'nothing that wasn't heard, seen or read at the time' from each edition of Sounds of The 20th Century, which also comes with an [link=http://sottc.wordpress.com/]accompanying blog[/link]. We're also told there is 'no presenter, no explanation, no hindsight, no "I heart the Eighties" reminiscences, just the music, news, radio, TV and movies as they were first experienced.'
The series is the culmination of months of intensive research and planning by the team at TDC. Trevor stood down as Chief Executive of The Radio Academy last year to return to programme-making and is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Lincoln.
Radio 2 lunchtime presenter Jeremy Vine introduces the first programme tonight, which features the real King's speech (as he opens the Festival of Britain); a General Election victory for the Conservatives and their Liberal allies; the first hit single with multi-tracking (Les Paul's How High The Moon); the first rock 'n' roll record (Jackie Brentson's Rocket 88); screen heroes from Marlon Brando to The Lone Ranger; and more.