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John Bishop sits in

John continues Radio 2's Top 100 Guitar Riffs countdown. He received his guitar lesson from Justin Sandercoe and spoke to Janice Long about how the list of songs was compiled.

John continues Radio 2's Top 100 Guitar Riffs Countdown. He spoke to Janice Long about how the list of songs was compiled and received his final guitar lesson from Justin Sandercoe. Other guests included Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand and Jon Morter - the man who managed to knock the D
Other guests included Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand and Jon Morter - the man behind the campaign to knock the X Factor Song from the Christmas Number One spot.

3 hours

Last on

Mon 25 Aug 2014 06:30

Music Played

  • The Bellamy Brothers

    Let Your Love Flow

    • Country Moods (Various Artists).
    • Polygram Tv.
  • The Byrds

    Mr Tambourine Man

    • Fifty Number Ones Of The 60's (Variou.
    • Global Television.
  • Chic

    Good Times

    • The Last Days Of Disco (Film Soundtra.
    • Columbia.
  • The Clash

    Should I Stay Or Should I Go

    • Now 19 (Various Artists).
    • Now.
  • Eddie Cochran

    C'Mon Everybody

    • That's Rock'n'Roll (Various Artists).
    • EMI.
    • 3.
  • Daft Punk

    Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams)

    • (CD Single).
    • Columbia.
    • 1.
  • Dick Dale and His Del鈥怲ones

    Misirlou

    • Drive Time (Various Artists).
    • Dino.
    • 6.
  • The Doobie Brothers

    China Grove

    • The Very Best Of The Doobie Brothers.
    • Warner Bros.
  • The Doors

    Light My Fire

    • The Very Best Of The Doors.
    • Elektra.
  • Duane Eddy

    Peter Gunn

    • Duane Eddy: That Classic Twang.
    • Bear Family.
  • Franz Ferdinand

    Take Me Out

    • Now That's What I Call Music 57.
    • Now.
  • Marvin Gaye

    Got To Give It Up

    • Marvin Gaye - The Love Songs.
    • Universal Music Tv.
  • Benny Hill

    Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)

    • Chegger's Choice (Various Artists).
    • Global Television.
  • John Lee Hooker

    Boom Boom

    • Now 1992 - The Millennium Series.
    • Now.
  • Chrissie Hynde

    Down The Wrong Way

    • Stockholm.
    • Caroline.
  • INXS

    Need You Tonight

    • The All Time Greatest Rock Songs ....
    • Columbia.
  • Michael Jackson

    Beat It

    • (CD Single).
    • Epic.
  • Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

    I Love Rock 'n' Roll

    • Joan Jett - I Love Rock 'n' Roll.
    • Blackheart.
  • The Knack

    My Sharona

    • Fantastic 70's (Various Artists).
    • Sony Tv/Columbia.
  • Lenny Kravitz

    Are You Gonna Go My Way

    • (CD Single).
    • Virgin.
  • The La鈥檚

    There She Goes

    • Love - 38 All Time Love Classics.
    • Polygram Tv.
  • Labelle

    Lady Marmalade

    • Soul Chartbusters (Various Artists).
    • Columbia.
  • Mott the Hoople

    Roll Away The Stone

    • Mott The Hoople - Greatest Hits.
    • CBS.
  • Muddy Waters

    Mannish Boy

    • 100% Blues & Soul (Various Artists).
    • Telstar.
    • 3.
  • The Police

    Every Breath You Take

    • The Ivor Novello Winners.
    • EMI.
  • Primal Scream

    Rocks

    • Dirty Hits.
    • Columbia.
  • Queen & David Bowie

    Under Pressure听

    • Queen - Greatest Hits II.
    • Parlophone.
  • Rage Against the Machine

    Killing In The Name <Short Version>

    • Epic.
  • 搁耻苍鈥怐.惭.颁. & Aerosmith

    Walk This Way

    • Now 8 (Various Artists).
    • Now.
  • Soundgarden

    Spoonman

    • A&M.
  • Rod Stewart

    Young Turks

    • The Best Of Rod Stewart.
    • Warner Bros.
  • Survivor

    Eye Of The Tiger

    • The No.1 Movies Album (Various Artist.
    • Polygram Tv.
  • Television

    Marquee Moon

    • Virgin.
  • Thin Lizzy

    Don't Believe A Word

    • The Very Best Of.
    • Vertigo.
  • The Verve

    Bitter Sweet Symphony

    • Now That's What I Call Music! 37 (Various Artists).
    • Now.
  • ZZ Top

    Sharp Dressed Man

    • (Single).
    • Warner Bros.

Pause For Thought

Pause For Thought

From comedian & writer Paul Kerensa

I love a guitar riff 鈥 yes John, especially from that legendary Liverpool band who changed the face of music: Atomic Kitten.

The best riffs are the one that goes bam-bam-bam-bam, and that one, bam-ba-na-bam-ba-na-bam. Maybe my versions didn鈥檛 do them justice. But even if I had a guitar, and skill, and note for note accuracy, it would not sound the same. There鈥檚 an extra mystery factor that just makes a good riff unrepeatable, uncopyable.

At a festival recently, I saw, or more importantly heard, a classic 80s rock band. It doesn鈥檛 matter which one: it was a one-word name, the hair was big, only the drummer was the same as the original line-up, and they had two recognisable hits, that鈥檚 all that matters. But... they refused to play them. 鈥淗ere鈥檚 stuff off the new album!鈥 they shrieked over our boos. We鈥檇 come to hear the magic guitar riffs they were known for! New equals boo.

As comedians, we鈥檝e got the opposite problem. We try and do a joke we did a year ago, and they鈥檒l remember. We can鈥檛 walk out on stage and say, 鈥淔irst up, here鈥檚 one we all know 鈥 get your air-microphones out and speak along... 鈥楬ave you ever noticed, how men and women are different...?鈥 Come on everyone!鈥

In music, familiarity breeds contentment... A Dire Straits riff reminds me of being in my dad鈥檚 car in the 80s, and 90s, and a few days ago. A Led Zeppelin riff reminds me of watching Top of the Pops, wondering how Whole Lotta Love was number one every week. A Status Quo riff reminds me of other Status Quo songs.

Great riffs are connections to our past, engaging memories, making us feel just darn good, and letting us marvel at the focus and skill in playing it. They transcend notes on a page. God bless ya, rock riffs, for taking us out of ourselves and into a place where we forget the pain and trouble of the day.

For does it not say in the Bible, that the foolish man built his house on sand, but the wise man built his house... on rock.

Broadcast

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