Blue Jam played out on Radio 4 Extra

[shade42]

I asked them if series 1 was going to be repeated again, and if they were going to broadcast series 2 and 3. They sent me this:

Unfortunately, it will be quite a while before (series 1 episodes) are repeated.
However, we are hoping to broadcast series 2 and 3 at some point in the future, although we don't have them scheduled at present.

[shade42]

olliebean, yes please post your Freeview rip.

I've only just discovered these repeats are happening. I got episode 4 off Freeview and get_iplayer, and personally I prefer the Freeview version.

The original mp2 would be best of all. I don't mind whether it's topped and tailed, but there are tools out there that can edit mp2s without a reencode.
http://mpesch3.de1.cc/mp3dc.html

[Spiral King]

I don't see why you want the Freeview version. Is it because it's 48khz? Aside from that, the iPlayer rip is better in every way, bearing in mind that 96kbps AAC is on level with 192kbps mp2, and the iPlayer rip is 128kbps AAC...

[kaprisky]

"I want to dance. Can you help me?"

And Day for Night was good.

[Phil_A]

Episode 4 - https://www.mediafire.com/?rjnttb9q0ez299s

[Thomas]

thank you spider-man

[Spiral King]

Excellent work. Let there be peace among mammoths.

[Thomas]

Just cos this is the most recently active Morris thread. Not seen this picture before -



Graham Linehan's wedding, I believe, with Thomas Walsh from the band Pugwash. 2003.

EDIT - oh, a couple of photos from that wedding were tweeted by Neil a few years ago:

http://twitpic.com/60eo63
http://twitpic.com/60e1wd/full

[Phil_A]

I noticed Episode 4 runs short by a good five minutes, wonder why? Nothing's been cut from the repeat as far as I can tell.

[Sexton Brackets Drugbust]

Just cos this is the most recently active Morris thread. Not seen this picture before -



Graham Linehan's wedding, I believe, with Thomas Walsh from the band Pugwash. 2003.

EDIT - oh, a couple of photos from that wedding were tweeted by Neil a few years ago:

http://twitpic.com/60eo63
http://twitpic.com/60e1wd/full

What a wonderful diversity of faces.

[Beep Cleep Chimney]

I noticed Episode 4 runs short by a good five minutes, wonder why? Nothing's been cut from the repeat as far as I can tell.

Episode 4 ran short during the original airing as well.

I recently read* that, apparently, the "Doc Rude" sketch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIhqQoByjGM) was originally in there somewhere, but the BBC asked Morris to cut it out (for obvious reasons).  Seems Morris knew full well that the sketch was too OTT to be aired anyway, and had only recorded it as a bargaining exercise to convince R1 to allow the less rude Princess Diana funeral cut-up to be aired uncut as part of Episode 6.

When Episode 4 originally aired, with 5 or so minutes to go until the next programme, Radio 1 just bunged on a Beth Orton track to take it up to the full hour.

_{*in this book written by TJ of this parish, which is a bloody good read, actually.
http://www.lulu.com/gb/en/shop/tim-worthington/fun-at-one-the-story-of-comedy-at-radio-1/paperback/product-20383645.html}

[Spiral King]

Episode 4 ran short during the original airing as well.

I recently read* that, apparently, the "Doc Rude" sketch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIhqQoByjGM) was originally in there somewhere, but the BBC asked Morris to cut it out (for obvious reasons).  Seems Morris knew full well that the sketch was too OTT to be aired anyway, and had only recorded it as a bargaining exercise to convince R1 to allow the less rude Princess Diana funeral cut-up to be aired uncut as part of Episode 6.

When Episode 4 originally aired, with 5 or so minutes to go until the next programme, Radio 1 just bunged on a Beth Orton track to take it up to the full hour.

_{*in this book written by TJ of this parish, which is a bloody good read, actually.
http://www.lulu.com/gb/en/shop/tim-worthington/fun-at-one-the-story-of-comedy-at-radio-1/paperback/product-20383645.html}

Fascinating. I always assumed Doc Rude was going to be in Episode 6, as it was offered up as a sacrifice for Bishopslips. I suppose it doesn't matter either way, as both were eventually excised, but I've never heard that was originally supposed to be part of Episode 4. I'll have to read that book!

As BBC Radio 4 Extra do seem to be planning on repeating Series 2, I've been debating frankenstein-ing a complete version of "Series 1 - Episode 6" together from various sources. Namely, the complete Bishopslips FLAC from the Blue Jam Exclusives CD, a FLAC copy of Susan's House by Eels, and the new Series 2, Episode 1 rip, when it's rebroadcast in the future. Would anyone be interested in this? It's an incredibly nerdy thing to do, so I have to gauge interest before I commit myself to something so pointless.

[olliebean]

olliebean, yes please post your Freeview rip.

I've only just discovered these repeats are happening. I got episode 4 off Freeview and get_iplayer, and personally I prefer the Freeview version.

The original mp2 would be best of all. I don't mind whether it's topped and tailed, but there are tools out there that can edit mp2s without a reencode.
http://mpesch3.de1.cc/mp3dc.html

I've shared my Radio 4 Extra Blue Jam folder online at https://copy.com/yonbhRXnqa7Mu6TZ - the Freeview rip of episode 3 is uploaded already; it's called "Blue Jam, BBC Radio 4 Ex, 03-14 2255.mp2". All the Freeview and the iPlayer versions are in there, they should finish uploading later this evening. Not topped and tailed - haven't got around to that yet - so they're exactly as they come. One note - last week's Freeview rip had some stream errors due to the horrible weather; I haven't listened back to it yet so I don't know how badly they affected the recording.

Hope I'm not stepping on Phil_A's toes here by including the iPlayer rips as well; it's just easier for me to share the whole folder as it means future episodes will upload automatically without me having to think about it.

[GENUINE_MENTZ]

God, that "Surf's Up" monologue is one of my favourite things ever.  I had all six of those episodes on tape as I used to race home from my job at the chinese takeaway that finished at 12 to get home and tape it off R1, so would miss the first 10 minutes of each one...finally I get to hear everything!  But that monologue was my favourite and that side of the tape got wiped by accident a few weeks after and I haven't heard it again until now.  I think it's the best thing that Morris has ever done.  Sorry, rambling.  That show was something else though...magical, nightmarish.  I don't think I've ever heard radio like it before or since.

[Spiral King]

I've shared my Radio 4 Extra Blue Jam folder online at https://copy.com/yonbhRXnqa7Mu6TZ - the Freeview rip of episode 3 is uploaded already; it's called "Blue Jam, BBC Radio 4 Ex, 03-14 2255.mp2". All the Freeview and the iPlayer versions are in there, they should finish uploading later this evening. Not topped and tailed - haven't got around to that yet - so they're exactly as they come. One note - last week's Freeview rip had some stream errors due to the horrible weather; I haven't listened back to it yet so I don't know how badly they affected the recording.

Hope I'm not stepping on Phil_A's toes here by including the iPlayer rips as well; it's just easier for me to share the whole folder as it means future episodes will upload automatically without me having to think about it.

Thanks for the archive, olliebean. I'm taking the lot, as I do rather like raw formats like this. I now have 4 different copies of these 4 episodes. Sort of ridiculous, but I really love Blue Jam, and it's nice to have a "complete" archive. Phil A's copies will still probably be my main copies though, as FLAC > all, even if radio is transcoded to buggery to begin with and they're really nicely edited.

[TJ]

Thanks for the mention! I'd always assumed that Beth Orton's Best Bit had been added to the end of the edited 1.4 by Morris himself, though maybe not if it was (apparently - not heard it yet) was missing from the repeat. Hardly an off the peg choice for Radio 1 at the time, mind. Also interesting that exactly the same thing happened with VLS a couple of years earlier, when one of his shows was forcibly edited so heavily that they had to bolt a Bernard Cribbins song on after the end credits.

Incidentally, I'm currently working on a sequel to Fun At One, looking at another overlooked area of radio, with plenty more Morris and Iannucci...

[poo]

Astounding that this is the first airing since they were originally broadcast. It's just perfect isn't it?

[Neil]

"...all you're doing is exploiting someone's death..."

Always thought that CM figured Andrew Morton didn't actually know what tectonic playes actually were. Not sure now.

An example of reused shtick (reading internally, Internets games etc) but fucking lovely.

[Kane Jones]

Astounding that this is the first airing since they were originally broadcast. It's just perfect isn't it?

My absolute favourite Morris project.  People said it would date.  People were wrong.

[Spiral King]

I really think the negative reaction in the late 90's was down to how different it was. Not only to everything else out there at the time, but in comparison to Morris' output was until that point.

[kittens]

fuckin about

[shade42]

I don't think what Arthur Smith is saying about them never having been repeated is true. IIRC they were all repeated on Radio 1 in 2000 - though that might have just been a repeat of series 3.

[Neil]

I have the details somewhere, maybe on here, but from memory, only series 2 and 3 got a repeat run.  I think 1 was ruled out because of the last episode.  It's actually even more surprising to hear multiple uses of the c-word in a radio show now, after all the Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross fuss.[nb]Nearly said "post Sachsgate", there.  Close one.[/nb]  I think I remember the repeats going out at their originally intended time of 3am or thereabouts, on Saturday/Sunday mornings?

What I find absolutely staggering, though, is that an artistic expression as comprehensively fucking unbeatable as Brass Eye, was then quickly followed up by something as wonderfully different and original as Blue Jam.  Back to back brilliance.  I've always thought of them as being connected, too, because of the contemporary interviews and articles - last night reaffirmed that, with the lawyer stuff.  I think of Blue Jam as being born from a desolate, despondent mood after it looked like his masterpiece may not even get transmitted, and I tend to see all the sneery depictions of authority figures as craven, twisted jackals being CM expressing his fury and contempt for Grade.  Could be totally wrong though, as it's just me looking for a narrative.

[TJ]

Series 1 was repeated very soon after broadcast, but with 1/1 - technically its fourth outing in something like three months - in place of 1/6.

[Neil]

Oh really!  I remember listening to some of the repeats while stacking shelves on the nightshift.  I'd take the tapes in and play the shit out of them, then get wired into my Mary Anne Hobbs and Gilles Peterson tapes. Also really enjoyed Gervais and Merchant around that time, when MAH would get them on the Breezeblock.  Ahh, and she'd play whole Bill Hicks bits as well.  She's awesome.

[Spiral King]

Phil_A: Any chance of seeing your edit of Episode 5 soon?

[Phil_A]

Yeah, sorry for being slack. It'll be up after I finish my cast tonight.

[Spiral King]

No worries, man. Take your time.

[clingfilm portent]

Oh really!  I remember listening to some of the repeats while stacking shelves on the nightshift.  I'd take the tapes in and play the shit out of them, then get wired into my Mary Anne Hobbs and Gilles Peterson tapes. Also really enjoyed Gervais and Merchant around that time, when MAH would get them on the Breezeblock.  Ahh, and she'd play whole Bill Hicks bits as well.  She's awesome.

I'd love to know what MAH's reaction was to her sting on the Breezeblock. There's no way it could have been overlooked.

[Beep Cleep Chimney]

I'd love to know what MAH's reaction was to her sting.

I imagine she probably loved it, seeing as she was/is a big Chris Morris fan anyway and, soon afterwards, he was doing Breezeblock DJ mixes for her.   She got two Blue Jam stings, if memory serves.  The "little more than a bag of lymph" one and the "every corner of her great big head supported by a wooden buttress" one.

The fact that he did those Breezeblock mixes for her afterwards would suggest the admiration was mutual.