Bryan Burnett's blog (Radio Scotland)

The name game...

2009-01-07T17:42:12Z

This week's theme seems to be going well. We've already done songs with two words in the title, songs with three, so tonight it's four word titles.
I was looking forward to playing The Four Tops doing The Same Old Song which was suggested by Alan in Kirkcaldy, but when I looked it up I realised the actual title is: It's The Same Old Song.
Lizzie,who produces our Zones content has suggested we do a similar theme with band names. I like the idea although we may struggle a bit by the time we get to Thursday.Mind you Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers could feature as could The Jesus And Mary Chain.
We could keep the theme running over two weeks as the band with the longest name are the brilliantly named: And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead.
Don't think anyone can match their ten word name, but it could have been a whole lot more impressive. Their original band name was The Clouds That Fondle Jagged Crags And Raging Storms Conspire And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead.
Catchy!

Born to boogie...

2009-01-06T17:30:13Z

A trolleyload of shortbread, a Dashing White Sergeant and a lot of Hot Love made for the best party in town on Hogmanay. The 250 listeners of BBC Radio Scotland were up on their feet for most of the night dancing to Tom Orr and his band and our T-Rex tribute act Hot Love.
I didn't realise the music of T-Rex had such broad appeal but we truly had six year old and sixty year olds all on the floor at the same time. Get It On was a highlight (Well, I would say that!) but maybe it was Robbie Shepherd that Marc Bolan had in mind when he wrote about wearing " a tall hat like a druid in the old days" in Ride A White Swan.

A man of few words...

2009-01-05T18:04:03Z

I've just finished putting together tonight's 'theme montage' and realised that the King was the king of 'two word titles' ( that's tonight's theme by the way).
I did start off with some Beatles, Springsteen and Prince but then after listening to Hound Dog, King Creole and Burnin' Love I decided to go for an all Elvis montage.
Searching for some background material I found the the online Elvis search engine. You just type in a word and it will search all the Elvis sites to locate your topic. For instance, a search for the word Scotland brings up Elvis Touch - the Glasgow branch of his fan club.
Better still, you can while away a good half hour clicking on random Elvis sites covering everything from Elvis' journey in the 'afterlife' to sites offering quite remarkable Elvis jewellery. The diamond pendant is a must for me. At only £53.12, you'll be thrilled to hear that "The movable frame around the portrait means that it dances with your every turn."

Next week's themes...

2009-01-03T17:53:10Z

A happy new year to all who listen in, email, text call or blog and make Get It On such fun to do. I hope we've got some good themes to tempt you with this year. The first week of themes has been suggested by Jim in Erskine. At least I hope it's Jim in Erskine***. I've left the 'themes folder' in work and I'm trying to up date the blog at home on Saturday teatime so I have no way of checking!
Jim ( hopefully!) has suggested that we do a week long theme of two word titles, three word titles, four word titles and on Thursday's show five word titles. Simple idea but I think it's a cracker. We could start with 'Beat It', move on to 'Life With You', follow it up with 'God Save The Queen' and round off the week with 'A Day In The Life'. Let's see what you come up with...

*** Ooops.It wasn't Jim after all but Joe in Linlithgow. See comment no 28 for his suggestions.

Monday 5th Jan
It's two word titles tonight...

Tues 6th January
That makes it three for Tuesday...

Wednesday 7th Jan
Four for Wednesday...

Thursday Jan 8th
and five for tonight.

Next week's themes...

2008-12-26T08:31:59Z

Thanks you for all your contributions to the show in 2008. It's your enthusiasm for the show that keeps us going. You can hear some of the best themes on Thursday night's show. In the meantime start thinking about your suggestions for the rest of the week and don't be shy about leaving them on the blog.

Monday 29th December
What was your best buy of 2008? Was there any new music you discovered or was there a classic album you got round to buying on CD?. Email getiton@bbc.co.uk or leave your message on the blog.

Tuesday 30th December
As the old year comes to an end we turn to the calendar for inspiration. Songs about dates and years is tonight's theme. Get in touch with suggestions and email getiton@bbc.co.uk or text or call during the show.

Wednesday 31st December
Celebrate Hogmanay with BBC Scotland. We'll get the party started early on Get It On tonight - let us know what you'll be playing at your doo and what are the best party songs of all time. We'll take the best suggestions and play them for the crowd at BBC Radio Scotland's Hogmanay bash

Thursday 1st January
Tonight we take a look back at best themes of 2008 and feature some of our favourite tunes that were suggested over the past twelve months.

The quiet zone...

2008-12-24T17:29:34Z

It's 17:22 on Wednesday. Normally at this time there's a hive of activity in our department as we get ready for the show and our colleagues busy themselves finishing off work before they head home.
This being Christmas Eve it's a somewhat different picture. We've got the tree up, our desks are decked out in tinsel and there are tins on sweeties on every available work space. It does look like Christmas, but there's one thing missing...people!

And, as Mandi and I are both listening to music on our headphones there's not even a bit chat. It's eerie. It's like there's been an emergency evacuation and they have forgotten about us. I am looking forward to getting on air just to have some contact with other people.
It will be a really fun show tonight, with some unusual Christmas songs and some lovely Christmas messages. In case you don't get the chance to listen can I take this opportunity to thank all the Get It On listeners for their input and wish everyone a very merry Christmas....

Keep it perky...

2008-12-22T17:32:52Z

About to get ready to go into studio for tonight's show and I am in desperate need of some uplifting tunes. Tonight's theme (see below) is an interesting one but so far it's fairly downbeat songs that have been suggested. I think because it's an emotional theme a lot of 'meaningful' songs have come up so far. There are some lovely tracks, just not a lot that could be described as perky and upbeat.
Mind you the perkiness will be provided by producer Barbara who is making a return to the show after being off on the sick for a week. Poor Miss B even missed out on the GIO team's Christmas dinner. However, we didn't miss her as the following pic was hung above the dinner table to make sure she was never far from our minds.

Next week's themes...

2008-12-20T12:51:16Z

Only three shows till Christmas so I'm hoping producer Mandi lets us bring games in this week. Maybe if we can get her on the sherry and mince pies there's every chance. I'm joping for a fun week and there have been some brilliant suggestions made already for Christmas Eve. Check them out here and leave yours below...

Monday 22nd December
Tonight's show is dedicated to your musical gifts. Which song do you want to hear, who's it for and why? We'll wrap it up and play it out....email getiton@bbc.co.uk or leave your message on the blog.....

Tuesday 23rd December
Home is where the heart is tonight, as work winds down and the final preparations are being made to celebrate Christmas.It could be The Pretenders '2000 Miles', Chris Rea 'Driving Home For Christmas', or maybe Everything But The Girl with 'Come On Home'....

Wednesday 24th December
Celebrate Christmas Eve with Get It On tonight - let us know which festive songs you want to hear - the classic, the quirky and the downright silly!

Thursday 25th December
Take a night off and let the Get It On team choose the music tonight! Classics from the Ronettes and Barry White, new hits from Alphabeat and Gabriella Cilmi - the perfect antidote to festive overload! And some surprise choices from BBC Scotland presenters Jackie Bird, Janice Forsyth, Fred Macaulay, Annie Macguire and Lesley Riddoch.

Do they know the fairytale of last Christmas everyday?

2008-12-18T18:28:25Z

It's nae Noddy, Kirsty get's KO'd and Bing barely makes into into the top ten. The royalty collecting society PRS has published a list of the most played Christmas songs of the past five years and it's surprising reading. I would have put money on Slade being at number one - either that or Wizzard which seems to be blasted out every time I set foot into a shopping mall.
1. Wham! - Last Christmas
2. Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas? (Original Version)
3. The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale of New York
4. Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You
5. Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
6. Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry
7. Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
8. Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody
9. Mud - Lonely This Christmas
10. Bing Crosby - White Christmas

I'd like to compile a Get It On greatest ever Christmas songs so maybe this is a good place to start. Let me know who you think should be on the list...

Space rock

2008-12-18T18:02:59Z

Scotland The Brave, Come On Eileen and What A Wonderful World might seem like unlikely bedfellows but all have the honour of being songs that were chosen as wake up tunes for the astronauts on space missions over the years.

This came up on last night's show as our space theme marked the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 8 mission.

The all time list throws up some odd stats including the fact that 'I've Got You Babe' has been chosen for ten different space missions. Unlikely as it seems there must be a lot of Cher fans in Astronaut training school!

Dashing through the square...

2008-12-15T17:42:14Z

What a way to spend your Sunday morning. This is what it looked like at 8:30am in George Square, Glasgow when two and a half thousand Santas took part in Santa Dash 2008.
It was an incredible sight, especially standing in St Vincent Street and watching a red carpet of Santas make their way up the hill.
The race benefited The Marina Dalgleish Appeal and The Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice and among the celebs taking part were Liz McColgan, Kenny Dalgleish and GIO blogger, Joe The Jam man.
Special mention has to go to a guy called Archie from Arbroath who was the last Santa to cross the line. He had a hip replacement 5 weeks ago but was determined to take part. He hobbled round every step on crutches and was still smiling at the end. Let's hope someone leaves out a mince pie and wee dram for that particular Santa.

Next week's themes...

2008-12-12T09:00:15Z

I think we have another interesting week of themes lined up for you and two of them come from GIO listeners on the other side of the pond. It's a thrill to not only have people listening around the world but particpating in the show as well.
As always feel free to blog or e-mail in advance or give us a call during the show...

Monday:
Following on from 'boy bands' and 'girl band' nights, Lyn from Madison suggests a night of bands with both! So it's mixed gender groups for tonight. Get on to the email or why not leave your suggestions on the blog...

Tuesday:
Mony Mony, Louie Louie or perhaps something by Duran Duran? Repetition is the theme and it's been suggested by Danielle in Canada.

Wednesday:
This month is the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 8 mission so 'space' is tonight's theme. From Rocket Man to Walkin On The Moon get in touch and Get It On...

Thursday:
It's a very self centred show tonight. The theme is artists singing about themselves. I Want To Break Free, All By Myself and Why Does It Always Rain On Me should get you started. Let's have your suggestions then....

the Hog 'glam' ay party...

2008-12-11T17:35:35Z

NOW SOLD OUT!!!!!!!

I reckon that the thought of Robbie Shepherd paying tribute to the pixie prince of glam rock is all the enticement I need to offer to get you to come to our Hogmanay show party this year. However, there will also be dancing to the sound of the Black Rose Ceilidh band and T-Rex tribute band, Hot Love!
There is the bonus of 'mince pies and crisps' as my producer Barbara mentioned last night. I know - BBC hospitality at it's most legendary.

If you'd like free tickets then here's how to go about it:

Log on to bbc.co.uk/tickets and choose Scotland from the drop down menu
Or you can call 0370 9011227. Calls cost up to 8p per minute from a BT line - other operators and mobiles may vary. Tickets are limited to 4 per person.

We're on air from 10 til 1pm on the night with doors opening at 9pm.

The Searchers...

2008-12-10T17:39:46Z

Sarah Palin, meatballs, Leonard Cohen and the BBC make particularly odd bedfellows but they are among the most searched for terms on Google in 2008.

The search engine has just published The Google Zeitgeist for 2008 and some of it is 'zeitzy' I don't even know what it is. For instance who or what is a 'friv'??? Turn out it's an online gaming thing.

The fastest rising foodie items turn out to be cupcakes, meatballs and then surprisingly lemon posset making it into the top ten. Strange...

Not as strange as next door where Richard Gordon is presenting Sportsound while wearing a woolly hat and scarf. On the sports news I've just heard that 'freezing conditions have disrupted the football calendar'. Didn't realise it meant in the studio as well...

Roxy John comes up trumps

2008-12-09T17:57:35Z

We hit an all time high last night. We got more texts,e-mails and calls than on any edition of Get It On. The playlist is now online so take a look and see if you can spot the 'connections' between the songs that formed last night's themes.
Roxy John, one of our regular listeners, managed to come up with a Roxy connection for every single song in the show!!! Here's what he came up with:

Diana Ross - Chain Reaction
Bryan Ferry had a song called 'Chain Reaction'

Al Green - Tired of Being Alone
Bryan Ferry recorded Al Green's Take Me To The River'

Roy Orbison - Only the Lonely
Roxy's Phil Manzanera and Andy Mackay's post Roxy band The Explorers recorded Roy Orbison's 'It's Over'

The Only Ones - Another Girl Another Planet
Roxy Music's 'Ladytron' is about another girl from another planet

Lulu - Shout
Bryan Ferry's guitarist Neil Hubbard played with Lulu and can be heard on may Roxy/Ferry hits More Than This, Oh Yeah, Slave To Love, Avalon to name a few.

Smokey Robinson - The Tears of a Clown
Bryan Ferry recorded Smokey's 'Tracks Of My Tears'
ABC - When Smokey Sings
Well did Martin Fry not rip off the Ferry look and sound quite a bit

Kirsty MacColl - There's a Man Works Down the Chip Shop
Bryan Ferry makes referance to a Newcastle chip shop called Mabel's in Roxy's 'Do The Strand'

Elvis Presley - If I Can Dream
Ferry has covered, Baby I Don't Care, Walk A Mile In My Shoes, Are You Lonesome Tonight, Girl Of My Best Friend & Don't Be Cruel

Dream Academy - Life in a Northern Town
Dream Acadamy bassist is the current Roxy Music bass player Guy Pratt and also co-wrote some stuff on a Ferry album. He met Dave Gilmour through Ferry and ended up playing bass with Pink Floyd too. My claim to fame is that I sat at a piano in a hotel after a Ferry show and played 'Run Like Hell' with Guy

Frank Sinatra - Mack the Knife
Ferry covered Sinatra's 'You Go To My Head'

Rod Stewart - The First Cut is the Deepest
The year after Ferry had an Grammy nomination for his album of '30s standards 'As Time Goes By' Rod Stewart decided to copy that formula 4 times over with his American song book albums. In Typical Ferry style, he simply moved on to something different instead of flogging an obviously winning formula

Scissor Sisters - Take Your Mama
Scissors Sisters debut album inner sleeve ripped off Roxy Music's For Your Pleasure inner sleeve. They also credited Fery on the 'Ta-da' album and they did a live cover version of 'Do The Strand'

Mamas and The Papas - Dream a Little Dream of Me
Both Bryan Ferry and The Mamas And Papas recorded Dobie Gray's 'The In Crowd'

The Who - Squeeze Box
Bryan Ferry wrote a song for Roger Daltry 'Going Strong' for the album 'Parting Should Be Painless (Ferry has never released his version)