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R.E.S.P.E.C.T. - The Art of Backing Vocals

From 50s doo-wop, via The Beatles, to multi-tracked Joni Mitchell, Nick Barraclough celebrates the unsung singers. From 2009.

Nick Barraclough pushes aside the lead singer and delves into the world of the backing singer.

With the help of musicians, composers, and vocalists, he draws a straight line from the medieval canon to 50s doo-wop, celebrating the innovations of The Beatles and the multi-tracked world, inhabited by the likes of Joni Mitchell, along the way.

Producer: John Leonard

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2009.

Available now

30 minutes

Last on

Wed 8 May 2019 01:30

Broadcasts

  • Sat 23 May 2009 10:30
  • Thu 24 Sep 2009 11:30
  • Fri 4 Dec 2015 06:30
  • Fri 4 Dec 2015 13:30
  • Fri 4 Dec 2015 20:30
  • Sat 5 Dec 2015 01:30
  • Tue 7 May 2019 06:30
  • Tue 7 May 2019 13:30
  • Tue 7 May 2019 20:30
  • Wed 8 May 2019 01:30

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Radio 4 on Music

Re-releasing music documentaries from the Radio 4 Archive.