Bert Jansch - Bert at the BBC (2022) [CD-Rip]

Bert At the BBC is a comprehensive collection of Jansch’s appearances at the BBC, featuring over eight hours of rare and unreleased recordings, including live-on-air spots, studio sessions and full concerts straight from the BBC vaults, delving further into this legendary performer’s canon. Bert Jansch was the very essence of folk music, providing inspiration for everyone from Paul Simon and Neil Young to Led Zeppelin and countless folk revivalists.

This unparalleled limited-edition compendium is available as a 4xLP and 8xCD set, housed in a coffee-table bookback set with 40 pages of liner notes, tracing the recordings from Bert’s earliest moments at the BBC. It includes interviews and insights from Lauren Laverne, Jools Holland, Johnny Marr, Jacqui McShee, Bob Harris, Bernard Butler, Mark Radcliffe and many more. Twenty broadcasters, producers and collaborators contribute at length to the booklet, with great affection for this gentle, maverick genius.

Bert’s BBC legacy remains the most significant and exciting untapped reservoir of his music. The undeniable advantage of recordings made for broadcast is that they were, by their nature, created for public consumption and, barring live-on-air appearances – which might go well or go badly, but were going out either way – were explicitly signed-off by the artist as representations of his art that were good enough to be heard.

“He was that rarity, a musician who really did deserve to be regarded as a legend.” The Guardian

The set is compiled by Colin Harper, author of Dazzling Stranger: Bert Jansch and the British folk and blues revival (Bloomsbury, 2000), who contributes detailed liner notes to the package. The release is mastered by IFTA award-winning engineer Cormac O’Kane.

The vinyl release features 48 tracks on LP and is accompanied by a download card with over six hours of extras spanning 1966–2009, including BBC4’s St Luke’s concert (2003), and a complete Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh concert (2004) for BBC Radio Scotland. It is also available as a special 8xCD set containing all 147 tracks and encased within a coffee-table book.

Bert Jansch At The BBC is an epic and enduring trail, 45 years in the making.

“As a guitar player there was no one like him. He was jazz and blues and folk but there was a whole world in there that was just him, esoteric” - Johnny Marr

AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek
Great Britain's Earth Records has been the steward of Bert Jansch's recorded solo legacy. The label issued the three-disc Colours Are Fading Fast with Loren Auerbach (2016), Living in the Shadows and Edge of a Dream (both 2017), which packaged his albums from the 1990s and early 21st century. In 2018, two multi-disc boxes of A Man I'd Rather Be repackaged his earliest solo albums from 1965 to 1973. Earth's Bert at the BBC contains most of Jansch's performances for the BBC, both solo and in the company of John Renbourn, Jacqui McShee, Danny Thompson, Johnny Marr, Bernard Butler, Ralph McTell, Mary Hopkin, Altan, and many others. Its 147 unreleased tracks include live-on-air spots, pre-recorded studio sessions, interviews, and concerts not heard since they were broadcast. A lavishly illustrated 40-page book containing rare photos, a historical essay, and reminiscences by collaborators and BBC broadcasters is included.

The discs are assembled chronologically. Disc one covers 1966 to 1977. The earliest session, from Guitar Club, offers renditions of "Whiskey Man," "Running from Home," and the instrumental "The Wheel." They're followed with cuts for John Peel's Top Gear and Night Ride programs with Pentangle and duo performances with bassist Thompson. It closes with tracks recorded at a Cambridge Folk Festival concert accompanied by Thompson, Hopkin, and violinist Martin Jenkins. Disc two covers 1980 to 1987. It includes broadcast concert tracks with Jenkins, pianist/bassist Nigel Portman Smith, drummer Stuart Langridge, and guitarist Albert Lee. There are later dates from that year as well. Highlight performances include Tim Hardin's "If I Were a Carpenter," "Heartbreak Hotel," and Davy Graham's "Angie," the latter with McTell. Disc three, covering 1988 to 1994, features sessions with Lindisfarne's Rod Clements (with a killer read of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land," two unbroadcast tracks including "Stealing the Night Away," and a few with Pentangle bandmates McShee and Peter Kirtley. Disc four covers 1996 to 2009. The material ranges across songs appearing on the 1995 comeback album When the Circus Comes to Town and 2000's Crimson Moon. Legacy material includes a vocal duet with McShee on "Blackwater Side," "She Moved Through the Fair" with Phil Cunningham, and "In the Bleak Midwinter" with Teddy Thompson and friends. Disc five contains the entire 60th birthday concert at St Luke's in 2003 broadcast on Radio 4 and Radio 2's 2001 Folk Awards. Discs six and seven offer the audibly stunning 2004 concert at Queen's Hall in Edinburgh, Scotland, in a trio with Butler and Marr. The final disc features rarities from 1966 to 2009 (including his final performance of "Angie"); their sound was deemed by producers as too dodgy for earlier inclusion. Given the price tag, Bert at the BBC will appeal mostly to collectors and hardcore fans. But make no mistake, this is an essential historical document in the annals of British folk and blues.

Tracklist
Disc 1 (57:32)
1. Whiskey Man (Guitar Club, Light Programme, 1966) (02:28)
2. Running from Home (Guitar Club, Light Programme, 1966) (02:32)
3. Interview (Guitar Club, Light Programme, 1966) (00:41)
4. The Wheel (Guitar Club, Light Programme, 1966) (01:29)
5. Tic-Tocative (Wonderful Copenhagen, BBC Radio 2, 1967) (02:27)
6. The Time Has Come (Wonderful Copenhagen, BBC Radio 2, 1967) (03:12)
7. Soho (Top Gear, BBC Radio 1, 1968) (03:51)
8. Orlando (Top Gear, BBC Radio 1, 1968) (01:41)
9. Thames Lighterman (Night Ride, BBC Radio 1, 1968) (02:37)
10. Sarabande (The Pentangle, BBC Radio 1, 1969) (01:21)
11. I Am Lonely (Radio 1 Club, BBC Radio 1, 1969) (02:40)
12. Reynardine (The Pentangle, BBC Radio 1, 1970) (04:23)
13. Speak of the Devil (The Pentangle, BBC Radio 1, 1970) (04:10)
14. Introduction (Folkweave, BBC World Service, 1977) (00:46)
15. Poor Mouth (Folkweave, BBC World Service, 1977) (03:26)
16. Blues Run the Game (Folkweave, BBC World Service, 1977) (03:20)
17. Daybreak (Folkweave, BBC World Service, 1977) (03:01)
18. Pretty Saro (Folkweave, BBC World Service, 1977) (03:37)
19. Ask Your Daddy (Folkweave, BBC World Service, 1977) (03:15)
20. If I Had A Lover (Folkweave, BBC World Service, 1977) (03:38)
21. Come Back Baby (Folkweave, BBC World Service, 1977) (02:57)

Disc 2 (58:57)
1. Poor Mouth (In Concert, BBC Radio 1, 1980) (03:48)
2. Running from Home (In Concert, BBC Radio 1, 1980) (04:54)
3. Kingfisher (In Concert, BBC Radio 1, 1980) (03:29)
4. Let Me Sing (In Concert, BBC Radio 1, 1980) (03:20)
5. Sovay (In Concert, BBC Radio 1, 1980) (04:03)
6. Alimony (In Concert, BBC Radio 1, 1980) (06:05)
7. Introduction (In Concert, BBC Radio 1, 1982) (00:52)
8. Love is Lost (In Concert, BBC Radio 1, 1982) (03:32)
9. Fresh as a Sweet Sunday Morning (In Concert, BBC Radio 1, 1982) (04:42)
10. Up to the Stars (In Concert, BBC Radio 1, 1982) (03:06)
11. If I Were A Carpenter (In Concert, BBC Radio 1, 1982) (03:04)
12. Sit Down Beside Me (In Concert, BBC Radio 1, 1982) (03:16)
13. Is It Real? (In Concert, BBC Radio 1, 1982) (04:37)
14. Heartbreak Hotel (In Concert, BBC Radio 1, 1982) (03:07)
15. Angie (Russell Harty, BBC1, 1982) (02:03)
16. Is It Real? (Round Midnight, BBC Radio 4, 1985) (04:59)

Disc 3 (01:04:26)
1. Sweet Rose (Folk on 2, BBC Radio 2, 1988) (02:48)
2. Knight's Move (Folk on 2, BBC Radio 2, 1988) (03:01)
3. Strolling Down The Highway (Folk on 2, BBC Radio 2, 1988) (03:00)
4. This Land Is Your Land (Folk on 2, BBC Radio 2, 1988) (03:38)
5. Ain't No More Cane (Folk on 2, BBC Radio 2, 1988) (03:54)
6. Been On The Road So Long (Night Ride, BBC Radio 2, 1988) (03:43)
7. Bogies Bonny Belle (Night Ride, BBC Radio 2, 1988) (05:39)
8. Sally Free And Easy (Night Ride, BBC Radio 2, 1988) (03:34)
9. The Snows (Night Ride, BBC Radio 2, 1988) (03:34)
10. Poor Mouth (Night Ride, BBC Radio 2, 1988) (03:11)
11. Heartbreak Hotel (Anderson on the Box, BBC NI, 1992) (02:13)
12. Stealing The Night Away (Bob Harris, Unbroadcast, 1993) (02:28)
13. Walk Quietly By (Bob Harris, Unbroadcast, 1993) (03:58)
14. Interview (Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2, 1993) (00:54)
15. Lily of the West (Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2, 1993) (04:58)
16. Trouble In Mind (Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2, 1993) (02:34)
17. The Bonny Boy (Gloria Hunniford, BBC Radio 2, 1994) (04:35)
18. Sally Free And Easy (Gloria Hunniford, BBC Radio 2, 1994) (03:23)
19. Interview (Gloria Hunniford, BBC Radio 2, 1994) (00:46)
20. Chasing Love (Gloria Hunniford, BBC Radio 2, 1994) (02:35)

Disc 4 (01:16:42)
1. When The Circus Comes To Town (Later… with Jools Holland, BBC2, 1996) (02:49)
2. Blackwater Side (Later… with Jools Holland, BBC2, 1996) (03:53)
3. She Moved Through the Fair (Cunningham and Co, BBC Radio Scotland, 1998) (04:25)
4. Riverbank (Later…with Jools Holland, BBC2, 2000) (03:22)
5. Crimson Moon (Cambridge Folk Festival, BBC4, 2004) (03:59)
6. High Days (Liz Kershaw, BBC 6 Music, 2004) (02:59)
7. Blues Run The Game (Liz Kershaw, BBC 6 Music, 2004) (02:44)
8. Angie (Folk Britannia, BBC4, 2006) (03:06)
9. Interview (Freak Zone, BBC 6 Music, 2008) (01:34)
10. The Old Triangle (Freak Zone, BBC 6 Music, 2008) (03:36)
11. A Woman Like You (Freak Zone, BBC 6 Music, 2008) (03:43)
12. Angie (Freak Zone, BBC 6 Music, 2008) (01:43)
13. Interview (Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2, 2006) (00:46)
14. High Days (Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2, 2006) (03:10)
15. It Don't Bother Me (Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2, 2006) (04:20)
16. The Old Triangle (Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2, 2006) (04:19)
17. High Days (Celtic Connections, BBC Scotland, 2008) (03:27)
18. Running From Home (Celtic Connections, BBC Scotland, 2008) (02:48)
19. In The Bleak Midwinter (Teddy Thompson and Friends, BBC Radio 2, 2008) (03:10)
20. Angie (Teddy Thompson and Friends, BBC Radio 2, 2008) (03:28)
21. Moonshine (Teddy Thompson and Friends, Radio 2, 2008) (03:09)
22. Blues Run The Game (Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music, 2009) (03:52)
23. Fresh as a Sweet Sunday Morning (Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music, 2009) (03:44)
24. One for Jo (Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music, 2009) (02:36)

Disc 5 (01:05:59)
1. Introduction (60th Birthday Concert, LSO St Lukes, BBC4, 2003) (02:24)
2. Blues Run The Game (60th Birthday Concert, LSO St Lukes, BBC4, 2003) (02:46)
3. Blackwater Side (60th Birthday Concert, LSO St Lukes, BBC4, 2003) (04:42)
4. Running From Home (60th Birthday Concert, LSO St Lukes, BBC4, 2003) (02:58)
5. Moonshine (60th Birthday Concert, LSO St Lukes, BBC4, 2003) (03:38)
6. Angie (60th Birthday Concert, LSO St Lukes, BBC4, 2003) (03:38)
7. Edge of a Dream (60th Birthday Concert, LSO St Lukes, BBC4, 2003) (03:39)
8. Crimson Moon (60th Birthday Concert, LSO St Lukes, BBC4, 2003) (04:18)
9. Bruton Town (60th Birthday Concert, LSO St Lukes, BBC4, 2003) (04:48)
10. Train Song (60th Birthday Concert, LSO St Lukes, BBC4, 2003) (03:28)
11. I've Got a Feeling (60th Birthday Concert, LSO St Lukes, BBC4, 2003) (03:21)
12. It Don't Bother Me (60th Birthday Concert, LSO St Lukes, BBC4, 2003) (03:54)
13. Fool's Mate (60th Birthday Concert, LSO St Lukes, BBC4, 2003) (04:15)
14. The River Bank (60th Birthday Concert, LSO St Lukes, BBC4, 2003) (02:52)
15. Strolling Down The Highway (60th Birthday Concert, LSO St Lukes, BBC4, 2003) (03:44)
16. Carnival (60th Birthday Concert, LSO St Lukes, BBC4, 2003) (03:43)
17. Presentation speech (BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Radio 2, 2001) (03:17)
18. Poison (BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Radio 2, 2001) (04:34)

Disc 6 (54:46)
1. Carnival (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (04:59)
2. Come Back Baby (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (04:05)
3. Rosemary Lane (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (04:03)
4. Black Water Side (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (04:57)
5. She Moves Through The Fair (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (06:16)
6. Crimson Moon (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (04:39)
7. The River Bank (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (03:10)
8. Empty Pocket Blues (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (05:10)
9. The Old Triangle (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (06:20)
10. Poison (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (05:14)
11. October Song (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (05:53)

Disc 7 (01:17:44)
1. Strolling Down the Highway (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (06:04)
2. Angie (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (03:39)
3. Blues Run The Game (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (04:01)
4. Lily of the West (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (04:41)
5. Down Under (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (04:10)
6. Summer Heat (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (04:08)
7. Weeping Willow Blues (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (03:21)
8. Let Me Sing (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (04:27)
9. Walking This Road (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (03:27)
10. La Luna (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (03:58)
11. Watch The Stars (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (03:57)
12. It Don't Bother Me (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (04:44)
13. Step Back (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (03:25)
14. High Days (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (05:10)
15. Courting Blues (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (03:29)
16. A Woman Like You (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (05:31)
17. Texas Cowboy Blues (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (04:41)
18. Candy Man (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, BBC Radio Scotland, 2004) (04:51)

Disc 8 (01:00:47)
1. I Am Lonely (Top Gear, BBC, 1968) (03:06)
2. Tree Song (Night Ride, BBC, 1968) (02:45)
3. I Got a Woman (Night Ride, BBC, 1968) (03:38)
4. I Loved a Lass (Night Ride, BBC, 1968) (02:33)
5. The Snows (Unabridged on Night Ride, BBC Radio 2, 1988n) (03:37)
6. Knight's Move (Night Ride, BBC Radio 2, 1988) (01:46)
7. This Land is Your Land (Night Ride, BBC Radio 2, 1988) (03:41)
8. Strolling Down the Highway (Night Ride, BBC Radio 2, 1988) (03:09)
9. Come Back Baby (Look North, BBC Yorkshire, 1994) (01:09)
10. Blues Run the Game (We Stayed in with… Jungr & Parker, BBC Radio 2, 1993) (03:28)
11. Dobbin's Flowery Vale (We Stayed in with… Jungr & Parker, BBC Radio 2, 1993) (03:56)
12. Paper Houses (Bob Harris, GLR, 1998) (03:01)
13. How It All Came Down (Bob Harris, GLR, 1998) (04:11)
14. Crimson Moon (Edinburgh Fringes, BBC Radio 4, 2000) (04:26)
15. The River Bank (Edinburgh Fringes, BBC Radio 4, 2000) (02:31)
16. Moonshine (Mike Harding, BBC Radio 2, 2004) (04:39)
17. Angie (Radio 2 Folk Awards, BBC Radio 2, 2009) (03:09)
18. Crimson Moon (John Bennett, BBC Radio Ulster, 2000) (03:06)
19. The River Bank (John Bennett, BBC Radio Ulster, 2000) (02:56)