Thursday 19 April 2018

The First Time With... Series 8 - 5. Grandmaster Flash

THE FIRST TIME WITH... SERIES 8 - 5. GRANDMASTER FLASH (320kbs-m4a/128mb/56mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 28th January 2018


Hip hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash shares his musical milestones with Matt Everitt in a programme first broadcast in 2014.

There's a strong argument that hip hop started at the block parties in the Bronx in New York in the 70s, where lyrical, musical and technical innovation propelled the sound forward with an impetus that changed the world. Joseph Saddler, soon to known as Grandmaster Flash, was there.

Born in Barbados, but moving to NYC, an absolute obsession with music, vinyl and electronics led Flash to experiment with amplifiers and turntable mechanics and techniques, enabling him to open up a whole new world of scratching, cutting, back-spinning and punch phrasing. His skills as a DJ led to the groundbreaking 1981 track The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel, the first time scratching and mixing had appeared on record.

Flash, recalls his journey from bedroom equipment geek to sonic adventurer, covering the early records that shaped his musical aesthetic and the release of The Message. He also talks about his battles with substance abuse, his difficult relationship with the record industry and his feelings about his status as one of the architects of modern music.

Grandmaster Flash & Furious Five - Superappin'
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
Charles Earlan - More Today Than Yesterday
Igor Stravinsky - Rite Of Spring
Nelson Riddle - Route 66 Theme
Grandmaster Flash - The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel [Snapper]
Bob James - Take Me To The Mardi Gras
Michael Jackson - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough [Epic]
Rob Base & DJ E‐Z Rock - It Takes Two [BMG]
Eminem - Lose Yourself [Interscope]
Camp Lo - Luchini AKA (This Is It)
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message
Quincy Jones - Killer Joe

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